Senior Director, Human-Centered Experience & Innovation

Noblis•Reston, VA

8h•Hybrid

About The Position

At Noblis, we bring the best of science, technology, and strategy to solve complex challenges in the public interest. We are seeking a Senior Director for Human-Centered Experience Transformation to operationalize and scale enterprise experience initiatives under the strategic direction of the Chief Experience Officer (CXO). This role sits at the intersection of customer experience, human-centered design, experiential engagement, and mission-focused transformation, with responsibility for translating enterprise experience strategy into scalable operational practices, differentiated client engagement models, and immersive mission-centered experiences. The successful candidate will lead cross-functional efforts that improve how Noblis designs, delivers, and activates mission experiences across physical, digital, and hybrid environments while partnering closely with enterprise leaders to strengthen experiential quality, innovation adoption, and client engagement effectiveness. This position is designed to complement and operationalize the strategic vision of the CXO organization while partnering collaboratively with enterprise stakeholders across growth, technology, mission delivery, and corporate Vision 2030 branding and communications functions.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in a relevant discipline such as user experience, design, service design, communications, innovation, or a related field.
10+ years of progressive leadership experience in customer experience, transformation, design, innovation, or related strategic functions.
Demonstrated success leading enterprise-scale transformation and operational modernization initiatives.
Experience applying human-centered design methodologies in complex, highly collaborative environments.
Strong executive facilitation, communication, and stakeholder engagement capabilities.
Ability to operate effectively within mission-driven and highly regulated environments.

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting federal government clients or public-sector missions.
Background in customer experience, human-centered design, service design, experiential engagement, or digital experience transformation.
Familiarity with frameworks such as LUMA Institute, IDEO, Design Thinking, or similar methodologies.
Proven ability to translate strategic direction into scalable operational models and measurable outcomes.
Active security clearance or ability to obtain one.

Responsibilities

Operationalize Enterprise Customer Experience Strategy & Experience Transformation: Lead customer-facing experience assessments and discovery engagements to identify mission experience gaps, user friction points, and opportunities for measurable improvement aligned to enterprise CX priorities. Facilitate CX Playbook refinement and activation sessions with Mission Area teams to ensure alignment with enterprise experience standards, operational realities, and evolving agency needs. Drive cross-functional CX Playbook execution in partnership with Mission Area teams, translating assessment findings into actionable improvement initiatives with clear accountability structures and measurable outcomes. Promote cross-Mission Area collaboration and calibration by identifying patterns, sharing best practices, and improving consistency in experience delivery approaches. Design and refine end-to-end user journeys across customer, partner, and employee experiences based on mission and operational needs. Implement scalable experience frameworks, playbooks, and measurement approaches that support adoption, consistency, and measurable mission impact. Partner with business and technical leaders to embed customer experience principles into solution development, mission delivery, and service modernization efforts.
Drive Human-Centered Design and Experience Innovation: Apply human-centered design methodologies, including design thinking and workshop facilitation approaches, to complex mission and organizational challenges. Support the CXO in advancing enterprise-wide adoption of human-centered methodologies across mission and solution delivery environments. Facilitate executive-level working sessions that align stakeholders, uncover unmet needs, and accelerate decision-making. Translate research and stakeholder insights into actionable concepts, prototypes, and scalable operational improvements. Help teams move from purely requirements-driven execution toward insight-driven mission innovation and improved user adoption. Support differentiated growth opportunities through experience-centered solution development and mission engagement strategies. Increase adoption of user-centered practices across delivery, engineering, and solution architecture teams.
Lead Immersive Client and Mission Experience Activation: Lead the design and activation of innovation environments and client engagement spaces, including Noblis’ Inspiration HQ and immersive mission engagement environments. Support the launch and enhancement of flagship experiential environments and end-to-end client engagement journeys. Develop immersive, mission-relevant experiences that demonstrate capabilities, future-state concepts, and differentiated approaches to mission delivery. Integrate physical, digital, and hybrid touchpoints into cohesive engagement experiences. Help position immersive and experience-centered engagement environments as a differentiator in client engagement, collaboration, and mission storytelling.
Support Market Differentiation and Growth: Assess emerging mission experience trends, customer engagement expectations, and human-centered solution opportunities relevant to federal and adjacent markets. Collaborate with growth and capture teams to strengthen solution narratives, engagement strategies, and customer-facing experiences. Contribute experience-centered insights that inform innovation roadmaps, mission engagement models, and future capability positioning. Support thought leadership initiatives that strengthen Noblis’ reputation in customer experience, transformation, and human-centered mission delivery.
Influence and Inspire Across the Enterprise: Serve as a strategic advisor supporting the CXO and enterprise leadership on human-centered transformation, experiential engagement, and mission experience modernization initiatives. Build and lead cross-functional teams spanning strategy, design, technology, and mission delivery disciplines. Foster a culture of experimentation, continuous improvement, collaboration, and disciplined execution. Communicate complex ideas through compelling storytelling, visualization, and executive engagement. Build a cadre of experts across our Mission Areas and Shared Services in human centered design, customer journey mapping and user experience through direct mentorship and professional development initiatives.
Partner on Experiential Brand and Engagement Excellence: Partner closely with the CXO, Chief Creative Marketing Officer (CCMO) and Noblis stakeholders to strengthen the quality, consistency, and experiential impact of mission-facing brand engagements, immersive environments, and client interaction models. Provide strategic design perspective and experiential feedback that enhances the effectiveness of enterprise storytelling, engagement environments, and high-visibility client experiences while aligning to established brand standards and Vision 2030 priorities. Collaborate with the CCMO to ensure physical, digital, and hybrid engagement experiences reflect a cohesive and differentiated enterprise identity across customer touchpoints. Contribute human-centered design insights and refined aesthetic perspective to enterprise engagement initiatives, helping elevate the sophistication, usability, and experiential quality of externally-facing programs and immersive activations.