Experience Strategist

ZS; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

ZS is a consulting and technology firm focused on health care, data, and human-centered design. The DXD practice creates engaging experiences and solutions for patients, caregivers, and providers worldwide.

The role centers on conceiving and delivering human-centered experiences across channels, with a focus on health-related experience design. Collaboration with cross-disciplinary teams and client-facing work are key elements.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in design/design strategy/design research/service design/industrial design, psychology, anthropology or a related discipline focused in social science and design communication.
• 1–3+ years applying Design Thinking to achieve business outcomes; Life Sciences/Healthcare experience is a plus.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills with all management levels.
• Experience with user-centered design (UCD) for multi‑channel experiences.
• Well versed in Experience and/or Service Design Thinking.
• Exposure to ethnography, contextual inquiry, interviews, usability testing, and applying findings to design decisions.
• Travel up to 25% for research and client locations.

Responsibilities

• Support the design and delivery of new services, products and brand experiences.
• Create deliverables like experience maps, user journeys, service blueprints and personas.
• Collaborate with cross-disciplinary teams through all design phases from context to go‑to‑market.
• Conduct qualitative research using design, behavioral and market methods to inform design.
• Lead stakeholder interviews and articulate business objectives to inform design thinking.
• Prototype experiences across channels and iterate toward final solutions.
• Present design solutions with precision to stakeholders and clients.
• Help communicate strategy through visual and verbal storytelling.
• Assist in planning Design Thinking workshops and evangelize customer centricity.
• Be an active member of the practice and share ideas for challenges.

Skills

Design Thinking

User research

UCD process

English fluency

Collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in design-related field

Job description

ZS is a place where passion changes lives. As a management consulting and technology firm focused on improving life and how we live it, we transform ideas into impact by bringing together data, science, technology and human ingenuity to deliver better outcomes for all. Here you’ll work side‑by‑side with a powerful collective of thinkers and experts shaping life‑changing solutions for patients, caregivers and consumers, worldwide. ZSers drive impact by bringing a client-first mentality to each and every engagement. We partner collaboratively with our clients to develop custom solutions and technology products that create value and deliver company results across critical areas of their business. Bring your curiosity for learning, bold ideas, courage and passion to drive life‑changing impact to ZS.

The ZS Digital Experience and Design (DXD) practice was created to champion design in the creation of compelling, innovative and outcomes‑focusedexperiences,servicesandproducts.Our clients look to us to design and create engaging experiences and solutions for a broad range of B2B or B2C customers, with a focus on healthcare providers, physicians, and patients. We use our deep understanding of people to design meaningful interactions and desirable outcomes for customers, while delivering better performance for our clients.

What you’ll do:

Work with our clients to help conceive and create engaging experiences across channels to ensure interactions are meaningful between customers and businesses. If you are passionate about working at the intersection of strategy, design, and research to deliver meaningful innovation through human‑centered design practices, and seek to contribute to a new and rapidly‑growing expert team, then we want to speak with you. A passion for and expertise or background in health and health‑related experience design is a distinct asset. As the largest health‑focused consultancy in the world, we have a unique opportunity and responsibility to shape and improve health futures for all stakeholders.

• Support the design and delivery new services, products, and brand experiences that solve customer problems, increase brand value and inspire people;
• Support the creation of best‑in‑class Experience Design deliverables to articulate customer research insights and craft a broad range of design artifacts including experience maps, user journeys, service blueprints, and personas.
• Partner and collaborate with cross‑disciplinary teams through all phases of design process including alignment with client, understanding context, developing insights, exploring and defining opportunities, setting strategy, creating actionable/tangible design expressions, communicating vision, and guiding go‑to‑market strategies;
• Support qualitative customer research using design, behavioral, ethnographic, and market research techniques and apply insights to inform design decisions;
• Elicit requirements through a range of activities from planning and leading stakeholder interviews, working from problem statements, articulating business objectives and asking the right questions in the right ways to inform design thinking processes;
• Participate in cycles of rapid iteration to prototype experiences across mediums and realize a final solution;
• Help prepare for the presentation of design solutions with precision and personality to variety of business stakeholders, clients, and internal colleagues;
• Support the team to be able to convey strategy and direction through a masterful mix of visual and verbal communication;
• Assist in the crafting of exceptional stories that connect the dots of user needs, concepts, design principles and experience details, both within the team and out to clients;
• Help plan and facilitate Design Thinking workshops to support creative collaboration and evangelize customer centricity with clients and colleagues;
• Serve as an active member of the practice. Have and share ideas about design and new ways to approach challenges.

What you’ll bring:

Open to candidates with backgrounds in experience design, design research, design strategy, and service design (and related disciplines). The candidate need not demonstrate mastery in all areas – but must be open to developing, with our support, their skillsets across this spectrum of qualifications with time and experience.

• Bachelor’s degree required (Advanced degree is an asset) in one of design/design strategy/design research/service design/industrial design, psychology, anthropology or a related discipline focused in social science and design communication, with a demonstrated record of academic success;
• 1-3+ years of experience applying Design Thinking methods to reach successful business outcomes; demonstrated experience in the Life Sciences and Healthcare industry are an additional asset.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills with experience working with all levels of management in obtaining consensus on project requirements and deliverables;
• Experience with the user centered design (UCD) process and designing complex, multi‑channel experiences for customers;
• Well versed in the craft of Experience and/or Service Design Thinking
• Exposure to design research techniques such as ethnography, contextual inquiry, user interviews and usability testing, as well as in‑depth practice incorporating findings from research studies into the experience design process;
• Exposure to and comfort with foresight/futures methodologies will be considered an additional important asset
• Demonstrated ability to multitask and work effectively on several projects simultaneously in a matrixed and fast paced environment;
• Proven capability to balance ideation, conceptual thinking and tactical execution;
• Robust and diverse portfolio featuring human‑centered experience design work that led to positive business outcomes;
• Comfortable supporting business development efforts and some exposure to healthcare program management;
• Ability to travel for research and to client locations (10-25%) to work with teams and provide in‑person expertise.

Additionally, we seek individuals with the following personal skills:

• Curious, results‑driven, confident, and committed to professional growth. Candidates will fit well in our team if they thrive on playing hard and working hard through consistent challenges and initial ambiguity;
• Can work independently, prioritize time, and quick on their feet. They will be an active partner with colleagues in formulating business strategies and experience design recommendations;
• Good interpersonal skills, with the ability to listen to, and build rapport with research participants, designers, and cross‑disciplinary project teams;
• Strong written and oral communication skills, and the ability to communicate design direction and best practices in a clear, compelling way;
• Team oriented, builds strong relationships at every level of the organization and is a dynamic motivator. Can work well in cross‑functional teams, including designers, business consulting teams, and project managers.
• Fluency in English
• Client‑first mentality
• Intense work ethic
• Collaborative spirit and problem‑solving approach

How you’ll grow:

• Cross‑functional skills development & custom learning pathways
• Milestone training programs aligned to career progression opportunities
• Internal mobility paths that empower growth via s‑curves, individual contribution and role expansions

Perks & Benefits:

At ZS, your growth matters. We offer a comprehensive total rewards package that supports your health and well‑being, financial future, time away, and professional development. With robust skills‑building programs, multiple career progression paths, internal mobility, and a deeply collaborative culture, you’ll have the opportunity to do meaningful work, expand your capabilities, and thrive as part of a global community. For details on total rewards in United States, visit ZS US office locations | Where we work | ZS.

Hybrid working model:

We are committed to giving our employees a flexible and connected way of working. A flexible and connected ZS allows us to combine work from home and on‑site presence at clients/ZS offices for the majority of our week. The magic of ZS culture and innovation thrives in both planned and spontaneous face‑to‑face connections.

Travel:

Travel is a requirement at ZS for client facing ZSers; business needs of your project and client are the priority. While some projects may be local, all client‑facing ZSers should be prepared to travel as needed. Travel provides opportunities to strengthen client relationships, gain diverse experiences, and enhance professional growth by working in different environments and cultures.

ZS is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing equal employment and advancement opportunities without regard to any class protected by applicable law.

Work Authorization:

This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship. Candidates must have authorization to work in the United States that does not now or in the future require employer sponsorship.