Experience Strategist

ZS • New York, NY

2d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Experience Strategist joins ZS’s Digital Experience and Design practice, which develops compelling, innovative, outcomes-focused experiences, services, and products. The role works with clients to conceive and create meaningful customer experiences across channels, applying human-centered design at the intersection of strategy, design, and research. The work supports solutions for B2B and B2C customers, particularly in healthcare, and may include designing services, products, and brand experiences that address customer problems and increase brand value.

The Experience Strategist contributes across design engagements: gathering and applying customer research, defining opportunities and strategy, creating design artifacts and prototypes, communicating design direction, facilitating collaboration, and helping guide solutions toward market. The role collaborates with cross-disciplinary teams and stakeholders throughout the design process and contributes to the growth of the practice.

ZS describes a hybrid working model combining work from home with on-site presence at client or ZS offices for the majority of the week. Client-facing employees should be prepared to travel as needed; the role description estimates travel of 10–25% for research and client visits. Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States without current or future employer visa sponsorship. An online application and full set of transcripts, official or unofficial, are required.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in design, design strategy, design research, service design, industrial design, psychology, anthropology, or a related discipline focused on social science and design communication; demonstrated academic success required.
• 1–3+ years of experience applying Design Thinking methods to achieve business outcomes.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, including experience working with all levels of management to reach consensus on project requirements and deliverables.
• Experience with the user-centered design process and designing complex, multi-channel customer experiences.
• Knowledge of Experience Design and/or Service Design Thinking.
• Exposure to design research techniques such as ethnography, contextual inquiry, user interviews, and usability testing, and practice incorporating research findings into experience design.
• Ability to multitask and work effectively on several projects simultaneously in a matrixed, fast-paced environment.
• Ability to balance ideation, conceptual thinking, and tactical execution.
• A diverse portfolio featuring human-centered experience design work that led to positive business outcomes.
• Comfort supporting business development efforts and some exposure to healthcare program management.
• Ability to travel for research and to client locations (10–25%).
• Curiosity, results orientation, confidence, and commitment to professional growth; ability to work through challenges and initial ambiguity.
• Ability to work independently, prioritize time, and contribute with colleagues to business strategies and experience design recommendations.
• Interpersonal skills to listen to and build rapport with research participants, designers, and cross-disciplinary project teams.
• Strong written and oral communication skills, including the ability to communicate design direction and best practices clearly and compellingly.
• Team orientation and ability to build relationships and work with designers, business consulting teams, and project managers.
• Fluency in English.
• Client-first mentality, intense work ethic, collaborative spirit, and problem-solving approach.
• Authorization to work in the United States without current or future employer visa sponsorship.
• Online application and a full set of official or unofficial transcripts required.

Nice To Haves

• Advanced degree.
• Experience in the Life Sciences and Healthcare industry.
• Exposure to foresight/futures methodologies.
• Background in experience design, design research, design strategy, service design, or related disciplines; candidates are expected to develop skills across this spectrum over time.

Responsibilities

• Support the design and delivery of services, products, and brand experiences that solve customer problems, increase brand value, and inspire people.
• Create Experience Design deliverables that communicate customer research insights, including experience maps, user journeys, service blueprints, and personas.
• Collaborate with cross-disciplinary teams through all phases of the design process, including client alignment, contextual understanding, insight development, opportunity exploration, strategy setting, design expression, vision communication, and go-to-market guidance.
• Support qualitative customer research using design, behavioral, ethnographic, and market research techniques, and apply insights to design decisions.
• Elicit requirements through stakeholder interviews, problem statements, business objectives, and other activities that inform design thinking.
• Participate in rapid iteration cycles to prototype experiences across mediums and develop final solutions.
• Help prepare and present design solutions to business stakeholders, clients, and internal colleagues.
• Help communicate strategy and direction through visual and verbal communication.
• Assist in crafting stories that connect user needs, concepts, design principles, and experience details for teams and clients.
• Help plan and facilitate Design Thinking workshops to support collaboration and customer-centricity.
• Contribute ideas about design and new approaches to challenges as an active member of the practice.

Benefits

• Comprehensive total rewards package supporting health and well-being, financial future, time away, and professional development.
• Skills-building programs and custom learning pathways.
• Multiple career progression paths, milestone training programs, and internal mobility opportunities.
• Deeply collaborative culture and opportunities to do meaningful work and expand capabilities.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level