Senior Human-Centered Design (HCD) Strategist – Medicaid Programs

Role Overview

We are seeking an experienced Senior Human-Centered Design (HCD) Strategist to serve as a Subject Matter Expert on a Medicaid outcome-focused team. This role will lead the application of human-centered design practices across Medicaid eligibility, enrollment, and renewal processes to improve user experience, operational efficiency, and service delivery.

The ideal candidate will collaborate with policymakers, IT teams, program administrators, and beneficiaries to ensure systems and policies align with real-world user needs and deliver meaningful outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as the HCD Subject Matter Expert, contributing strategic insights across policy, operations, eligibility, and technology teams.
• Lead end-to-end human-centered design initiatives across Medicaid lifecycle processes (eligibility, enrollment, renewal).
• Conduct qualitative user research (interviews, usability testing, contextual inquiry) with beneficiaries and frontline staff to identify pain points and improvement opportunities.
• Translate insights into service blueprints, journey maps, prototypes, and actionable design recommendations.
• Ensure all solutions prioritize usability, accessibility (Section 508 & WCAG), inclusion, and equity.
• Collaborate with engineers, product managers, and business analysts to convert design insights into user stories, technical requirements, and acceptance criteria.
• Facilitate cross-functional stakeholder engagement and bridge gaps between policy, operations, and technology teams.
• Present findings, recommendations, and outcome metrics to senior leadership in clear, decision-ready formats.
• Ensure compliance with federal and state regulations while delivering user-focused improvements.
• Drive adoption of HCD practices by building organizational capability, mentoring teams, and promoting iterative design approaches.
• Contribute to and evolve design system standards for consistency and quality across platforms.
• Adhere to security, change control, and PMO processes.
• Be flexible to support extended hours, including weekends or holidays if required.

Required Qualifications

• Minimum 7+ years of experience in Human-Centered Design, UX Strategy, Service Design, or related roles.
• At least 3+ years in complex or regulated environments (e.g., government, healthcare, financial services).
• Proven experience designing digital products or technology solutions using HCD principles.
• Strong expertise in:
• Qualitative research methods
• Service design (journey mapping, blueprinting, prototyping)
• Experience working in cross-functional teams and translating between technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to design for accessibility, inclusion, and diverse populations (Section 508, WCAG).
• Familiarity with government systems or public-sector service delivery environments.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to operate effectively in complex, multi-stakeholder environments.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with Medicaid or healthcare eligibility systems.
• Exposure to large-scale public-facing digital platforms.
• Experience building or scaling design systems and HCD practices within organizations.
• Background in policy-driven environments or public sector innovation initiatives.

Work Environment

• Collaborative, cross-functional team environment
• Involves interaction with stakeholders across policy, operations, and IT domains
• May require flexibility in working hours depending on project needs