Manager – Human Centered Design

CrossCountry; United States; On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading consulting firm in the United States seeks a Manager for its Business Transformation practice. In this role, you will lead client engagements, drive innovation, and manage project teams. The ideal candidate has 5-7 years of experience in consulting and strong analytical skills. This position offers opportunities for personal growth, team leadership, and exposure to senior stakeholders. Comprehensive benefits are provided including healthcare coverage and wellness reimbursement programs.

Benefits

Comprehensive healthcare options

401(k) with company matching

Wellness reimbursement programs

Qualifications

• 5–7 years of experience in consulting or program management.
• Demonstrated experience leading client engagements.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead client-facing workshops applying agile principles.
• Manage core components of client projects.
• Provide coaching and mentoring to junior team members.

Skills

Client engagement

Project management

AI-driven transformation

Analytical skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Master’s degree

Tools

Miro

Figma

AI-powered platforms

Job description

Overview

From the beginning, our goal was to establish an advisory firm that stands apart from the rest – one that is grounded in our Core Values and dedicated to creating a positive experience not just for our clients, but for our people too. We believe in collaboration, enthusiasm, generosity, and perseverance as the driving forces behind our success. With advisory solutions spanning accounting and risk, technology-enabled transformation, and transactions, we partner with our clients to solve today’s challenges and deliver present and future value.

Our commitment to our people has earned us numerous awards, including Inc5000's Fastest Growing Companies and Glassdoor's Best Places to Work. Explore what our employees have to say about our unique culture by clicking here.

By joining our rapidly growing Business Transformation (Xccelerate) practice, you will serve as a trusted partner to our clients. As a Manager, you will play a critical role in shaping and delivering client experiences that drive innovation and transformation. You will lead mid-sized engagements, design and facilitate workshops, and guide cross-functional teams to develop actionable outcomes. This role provides exposure to senior client stakeholders, the chance to apply human-centered design, agile, AI, and change management approaches, and opportunities to help expand our practice footprint. With support from experienced leaders and a dedicated coach, you will join a collaborative community that invites you to contribute beyond the scope of client delivery.

What You’ll Do:

• Client Engagement & Delivery
• Lead client-facing workshops and engagements that apply human-centered design, agile principles, business design, AI-enabled techniques, and change management frameworks to solve complex challenges.
• Translate client objectives into structured programs, frameworks, and solutions with tangible outcomes.
• Facilitate conversations with senior stakeholders across industries to align priorities, foster collaboration, and drive adoption of new ways of working.
• Apply enabling technologies (e.g., Miro, Mural, Figma, Lucid, and AI-powered platforms) to enhance ideation, design, delivery, and change adoption.

• Provide insights to clients, sharing industry-leading practices and guiding them to optimal solutions.

Project & Program Management

Manage core components of client projects/workstreams, including planning, execution, risk management, and stakeholder communications, ensuring quality deliverables within scope, budget, and timeline.

Anticipate risks, propose credible solutions, and manage client expectations effectively.

Delegate and review work across project teams, ensuring structure, clarity, and accountability.

Explore opportunities to apply AI and automation in project delivery to improve efficiency and insights.

Oversee project administration activities, encompassing project setup, planning, budgeting, account management, and billing.

• Practice Building & Business Development
• Support the development of proposals, statements of work, and pursuit strategies, incorporating AI-driven innovation and change management offerings where relevant.
• Assist in identifying opportunities to expand client relationships and uncover new engagements.
• Represent Xccelerate in industry/professional association activities, thought leadership, and networking forums.
• Contribute to the creation of toolkits, playbooks, change frameworks, AI methodologies, and reusable assets to advance the practice.
• Proactively monitor industry trends and articulate their potential impact on clients.

• Team Leadership & Development
• Provide coaching, mentoring, and feedback to consultants and senior consultants, supporting their growth and development.
• Champion a collaborative, inclusive culture within project teams and the Xccelerate practice.
• Lead internal training sessions and knowledge-sharing activities in areas such as design thinking, agile methods, project management, change leadership, innovation tools, and responsible AI practices.
• Play an active role in attracting, interviewing, hiring, and retaining top talent.

What You’ll Bring:

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree a plus.
• 5–7 years of experience in consulting, transformation, innovation, or program management.
• Demonstrated experience leading client-facing engagements and facilitating cross-functional workshops.
• Track record managing components of complex projects and delivering high-quality outcomes.
• Exposure to multiple industries, with flexibility to apply approaches across different client contexts.
• Experience mentoring and developing junior team members.
• Consistent success in building and developing strong client relationships.
• Comfort working with enabling technologies, AI-powered collaboration platforms, and digital innovation tools.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a creative and structured mindset.
• Ability to synthesize complex information and communicate with clarity through storytelling, visualizations, and presentations.

Preferred Experience:

• Experience in AI-driven transformation, applied machine learning, generative AI, or digital strategy.
• Hands-on experience with organizational change management frameworks (e.g., ADKAR, Kotter, Prosci) and large-scale transformation programs.
• Exposure to private equity ecosystems or cross-industry partnerships.
• Contributions to practice building, including thought leadership, publications, or external speaking engagements.
• Experience working directly with CFOs and finance leadership teams on core finance processes (e.g., financial planning, reporting, close, controls, or transformation initiatives).

Benefits Summary

The CrossCountry total rewards package includes comprehensive healthcare options, including medical, dental, and vision coverage; flexible spending accounts; and a 401(k) with company matching. Additionally, employees can take advantage of generous parental and maternity leave policies, technology stipends, and wellness reimbursement programs, all designed to support both professional growth and personal well-being. For detailed information about benefits at CrossCountry, please visit our dedicated benefits site: www.crosscountry-consulting.com/careers/benefits/.

EEO

CrossCountry provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment and believes that respect and fair treatment are critical to creating a productive and inclusive workplace. As an equal opportunity employer, CrossCountry is fully committed to comply with all federal, state, and local laws and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability, pregnancy, genetics, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity or expression or any other protected characteristic. The company also complies with pay transparency and labor laws applicable to all terms and conditions of employment.