Director, Ai Innovation Lab Vital Lead

HITEC; Northern (KY); On-site; USD 180,000 - 342,000; Full time

Job summary

Kyndryl is seeking a Design Strategist to shape how customers translate goals into human-centered strategies and experiences. You’ll balance discovery, collaboration, and practical delivery of strategic recommendations that teams can act on.

You will lead design strategy engagements, conduct discovery activities, create artifacts like journeys and roadmaps, and partner with strategy, tech, and delivery teams to align design with execution.

Qualifications

• Experience in design strategy, service design, business strategy consulting, or a closely related field.
• Demonstrated experience leading discovery and design strategy work from problem framing through strategic recommendation.
• Background in user research methods, synthesis techniques, and insight development.
• Experience creating and using design strategy artifacts such as journeys, service blueprints, experience principles, or roadmaps.
• Ability to connect customer experience, business goals, and technology considerations into a coherent strategy.
• Experience working collaboratively with cross functional teams to deliver practical, implementable outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Lead design strategy engagements that clarify customer challenges, success measures, and desired outcomes.
• Plan and facilitate discovery activities such as interviews, workshops, and research to surface user, business, and operational insights.
• Synthesize qualitative and quantitative inputs into clear problem statements, opportunity areas, and strategic design principles.
• Develop artifacts such as experience visions, service concepts, journey maps, and strategic roadmaps that guide decision making.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams including strategy, technology, and delivery roles to align design intent with execution.
• Translate complex findings into clear narratives and recommendations that support customer decisions and prioritization.
• Support customers through change by validating concepts, testing assumptions, and refining strategies based on evidence.

Skills

Design strategy

Service design

Business strategy consulting

User research methods

Synthesis techniques

Insight development

Cross-functional collaboration

Tools

Journeys

Service blueprints

Experience principles

Roadmaps

Job description

Who We Are

At Kyndryl, we design, build, manage and modernize the mission-critical technology systems that the world depends on every day. So why work at Kyndryl? We are always moving forward – always pushing ourselves to go further in our efforts to build a more equitable, inclusive world for our employees, our customers and our communities.

The Role

Your roleAs a Design Strategist, you will shape how customers translate business goals into clear, human centered strategies and experiences. The focus is on problem identification, framing opportunities, and designing strategic direction that connects customer needs, business outcomes, and technology choices. Your work will balance structured discovery, collaborative design, and practical delivery of strategic recommendations that teams can act on.

What you will do

• Lead design strategy engagements that clarify customer challenges, success measures, and desired outcomes
• Plan and facilitate discovery activities such as interviews, workshops, and research to surface user, business, and operational insights
• Synthesize qualitative and quantitative inputs into clear problem statements, opportunity areas, and strategic design principles
• Develop artifacts such as experience visions, service concepts, journey maps, and strategic roadmaps that guide decision making
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams including strategy, technology, and delivery roles to align design intent with execution
• Translate complex findings into clear narratives and recommendations that support customer decisions and prioritization
• Support customers through change by validating concepts, testing assumptions, and refining strategies based on evidence

Those who believe they are eligible may apply for a medical or religious accommodation prior to the start of employment.

Who You Are

Required skills and experience

• Experience in design strategy, service design, business strategy consulting, or a closely related field
• Demonstrated experience leading discovery and design strategy work from problem framing through strategic recommendation
• Background in user research methods, synthesis techniques, and insight development
• Experience creating and using design strategy artifacts such as journeys, service blueprints, experience principles, or roadmaps
• Ability to connect customer experience, business goals, and technology considerations into a coherent strategy
• Experience working collaboratively with cross functional teams to deliver practical, implementable outcomes

Preferred skills and experience

• Experience working within large, complex, or enterprise customer environments
• Familiarity with human centered design, service design, or design thinking frameworks
• Experience supporting digital transformation, platform modernization, or operating model change
• Comfort facilitating structured workshops with senior customer stakeholders
• Relevant certifications or formal training in design, strategy, or research disciplines

The compensation range for the position in the U.S. is -

$179,760 to $341,520 based on a full-time schedule.

Your actual compensation may vary depending on your geography, job-related skills and experience. For part time roles, the compensation will be adjusted appropriately. The pay or salary range will not be below any applicable state, city or local minimum wage requirement.

There is a different applicable compensation range for the following work locations:

California (San Francisco Bay Area): $215,640 to $409,800

California (All Other): $197,640 to $375,600

Colorado: $179,760 to $341,520

Massachusetts $179,760 to $375,600

New York City: $215,640 to $409,800

Washington:$197,640 to $375,600

Washington DC:$197,640 to $375,600

This position will be eligible for Kyndryl’s discretionary annual bonus program, based on performance and subject to the terms of Kyndryl’s applicable plans. You may also receive a comprehensive benefits package which includes medical and dental coverage, disability, retirement benefits, paid leave, and paid time off. Note: If this is a sales commission eligible role, you will be eligible to participate in a sales commission plan in lieu of the annual discretionary bonus program.

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis.

Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE) Statement

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.

Being You

Diversity is a whole lot more than what we look like or where we come from, it’s how we think and who we are. We welcome people of all cultures, backgrounds, and experiences. But we’re not doing it single-handily: Our Kyndryl Inclusion Networks are only one of many ways we create a workplace where all Kyndryls can find and provide support and advice. This dedication to welcoming everyone into our company means that Kyndryl gives you – and everyone next to you – the ability to bring your whole self to work, individually and collectively, and support the activation of our equitable culture. That’s the Kyndryl Way.

What You Can Expect

With state-of-the-art resources and Fortune 100 clients, every day is an opportunity to innovate, build new capabilities, new relationships, new processes, and new value. Kyndryl cares about your well-being and prides itself on offering benefits that give you choice, reflect the diversity of our employees and support you and your family through the moments that matter – wherever you are in your life journey. Our employee learningprograms give you access to the best learning in the industry to receive certifications, includingMicrosoft, Google, Amazon, Skillsoft, and many more. Through our company-wide volunteering and giving platform, you can donate, start fundraisers, volunteer, and search over 2 million non-profit organizations. At Kyndryl, we invest heavily in you, we want you to succeed so that together, we will all succeed.

Get Referred!

If you know someone that works at Kyndryl, when asked ‘How Did You Hear About Us’ during the application process, select ‘Employee Referral’ and enter your contact's Kyndryl email address.