Senior Manager, Innovation Design & Research - Remote

CSAA Insurance Group, a AAA Insurer

79d

About The Position

The Senior Manager, Innovation Design & Research is a UX Futurist and senior design leader dedicated to shaping how people will engage with the technologies of tomorrow. Responsible for ensuring the desirability of all innovation initiatives, this role grounds solutions in the needs of members, agents, and employees through human-centered design. Acting as both player and coach, the Senior Manager combines the craft of design with the foresight of a futurist, tackling complex and unexplored questions about future interaction models and experiences. Leveraging a keen technical understanding and expertise in designing complex processes, systems, and interconnected workflows, this leader brings clarity to multifaceted problems and ensures solutions are both scalable and intuitive. As the voice of the future user, the Senior Manager champions design best practices, advances thought leadership on human-AI experiences, and pushes boundaries by translating emerging trends into meaningful, future-ready solutions that redefine the insurance experience.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• 10+ years of experience in design consulting, UX design.
• Significant experience in UX, interaction, or product design, with a strong portfolio showcasing a history of innovative work.
• Proven ability to think at a systems level, translating broad research and business strategy into actionable, customer-centric solutions.
• Expertise in conducting both exploratory research and leveraging existing data to inform design decisions.
• Exceptional communication and presentation skills, with the ability to build compelling narratives around future concepts for diverse audiences.
• Proficiency with industry-standard design and prototyping tools (e.g., Figma, Visio, Adobe Creative Suite).

Nice To Haves

• Master of Science (M.S.) or Master of Arts (M.A.) in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Interaction Design, or User Experience Design.
• Service Design and Process Design expertise.
• Strong background in P&C insurance, financial services, or adjacent industries preferred.
• Familiarity with human-centered design, AI/automation, and digital transformation approaches.

Responsibilities

• Shape the ICD innovation design and research approach.
• Anticipate how future technologies, interaction models, and business shifts will reshape user expectations, applying foresight to drive innovation.
• Demonstrate a deep understanding of emerging technologies and their implications for interaction design.
• Champion and evolve the CSAA enterprise design system, establishing standards that scale across new innovative products, services, experiences and platforms.
• Author thought leadership and points of view on future interaction models.
• Lead design and research workstreams for innovation projects ensuring initiatives deliver desirable, human-centered experiences aligned to member, agent, and employee needs.
• Direct and conduct ethnographic research, usability testing, and trend analysis to uncover unmet needs and emerging opportunities.
• Oversee the development of personas, detailed journey maps, process flows, and experience blueprints to guide solution design.
• Lead the creation and iteration of concepts, prototypes, and interaction models, validating desirability with users.
• Facilitate workshops, co-creation sessions, and executive showcases, translating complex design insights into clear narratives that influence decision-making.
• Manage, coach, and mentor Design & Research direct reports, building skills in UX research, design, and foresight.
• Collaborate with Engagement Leads, Innovation Strategy, and AI and Emerging Tech Labs teams to integrate desirability into business opportunities.

Benefits

• Total compensation package including performance bonus.
• 401(k) with a company match.
• Flexible working location options: remote, hybrid, or in-person.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: Bachelor's degree
• Number of Employees: 101-250 employees