Design Thinking Strategist

Optomi; Charlotte (NC); Hybrid; USD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Long-term contract stability

Collaborative team culture

Job summary

A leading enterprise organization in North Carolina is seeking a Design Thinking Specialist to support an internal team focused on solving complex business challenges. You will lead design thinking workshops, guide stakeholders through the design process, and manage multiple initiatives while influencing outcomes across the organization. This is a hybrid role offering substantial impact and collaboration opportunities within a dynamic team environment.

Qualifications

• Experience in design thinking, human-centered design, service design, or innovation strategy.
• Background in consulting, agency, or internal enterprise innovation teams.
• Strong facilitation and communication skills, including leading workshops and virtual sessions.

Responsibilities

• Lead and facilitate design thinking workshops to help teams define problems and explore opportunities.
• Guide stakeholders through the human-centered design process.
• Translate research and discussions into clear narratives and action plans.
• Help internal clients slow down early ideas and uncover what they’re actually trying to solve.
• Translate research, insights, and discussions into clear narratives, recommendations, and action plans.
• Operate as an internal consultant — managing ambiguity, expectations, and multiple initiatives at once.

Skills

Design thinking

Human-centered design

Facilitation skills

Communication skills

Business-oriented mindset

Cross-functional collaboration

AI integration

Stakeholder management

Tools

Workshop facilitation tools

Job description

Design Thinking Specialist - Charlotte, NC - Hybrid, 3 Days a Week

Optomi, in partnership with a leading enterprise organization, is seeking a Design Thinking Strategist to support an internal innovation and consulting team focused on solving complex, ambiguous business challenges through human-centered design and strategic facilitation.

This role sits at the intersection of design, business strategy, and innovation. You’ll work with cross-functional teams and senior stakeholders to help clarify problems, align priorities, and guide teams toward sustainable, high-impact solutions — often before a product or solution even exists.

This is an exciting opportunity for someone who enjoys working early in the problem space, facilitating alignment, and influencing outcomes across large organizations.

What You’ll Be Doing:

• Lead and facilitate design thinking workshops to help teams define problems, explore opportunities, and align on next steps
• Guide stakeholders through the human-centered design process, from discovery and research to insight synthesis and solution framing
• Partner with business leaders, product teams, and data/AI stakeholders to ensure ideas connect to real user needs and business value
• Help internal clients slow down early ideas (e.g., “let’s add AI”) and uncover what they’re actually trying to solve
• Translate research, insights, and discussions into clear narratives, recommendations, and action plans
• Operate as an internal consultant — managing ambiguity, expectations, and multiple initiatives at once

What We’re Looking For:

• Experience in design thinking, human-centered design, service design, or innovation strategy
• Background in consulting, agency, or internal enterprise innovation teams
• Strong facilitation and communication skills, including leading workshops and virtual sessions
• Business-oriented mindset with the ability to connect ideas to strategy, value, and outcomes
• Experience supporting or contributing to AI-enabled products or process improvements
• Comfort working in ambiguous, fast-evolving environments with senior stakeholders

What the Right Candidate Will Enjoy:

• Working upstream of product and delivery to shape what should be built — and why!
• Facilitating conversations that create clarity, alignment, and momentum!
• Balancing empathy for users with practical business realities!
• Being part of a collaborative, optimistic, and entrepreneurial team culture!
• Long-term contract stability with meaningful, enterprise-level impact!