Senior Human-Centered Design (HCD) Strategist

ASSYST is seeking a Senior Human-Centered Design (HCD) Strategist to support our client project in Baltimore, MD.

Location: Baltimore, MD 

Work mode: Hybrid

Scope of work:

The Senior Human-Centered Design (HCD) Strategist will work directly with policymakers, eligibility staff, IT professionals, program administrators, and beneficiaries to ensure that technology decisions, system improvements, and policy implementations align with user needs and operational realities. The role serves as both a domain expert and cross-functional collaborator, leading user research, translating findings into service blueprints and prototypes, building organizational HCD capacity, and improving Medicaid systems and processes to be simpler, faster, and more reliable.

Responsibilities:

• Serve as the Senior Human-Centered Design (HCD) Strategist on the Medicaid outcome-focused pilot team, collaborating across policy, operations, eligibility, and IT functions.
• Lead HCD practices across the Medicaid eligibility, enrollment, and renewal lifecycle, including analyzing current-state journeys, designing improvements, and supporting implementation.
• Conduct qualitative user research with beneficiaries and eligibility staff to identify pain points and unmet needs.
• Translate research findings into service blueprints, journey maps, prototypes, and actionable design recommendations.
• Ensure all design work prioritizes usability, accessibility (Section 508 and WCAG), inclusion, and equity for diverse populations.
• Contribute to and apply design system standards to ensure consistency and quality across user experiences.
• Facilitate stakeholder engagement across program staff, IT teams, leadership, and beneficiary communities.
• Present research insights, design recommendations, and outcome metrics in clear, decision-ready formats.
• Ensure solutions meet federal and state compliance requirements while improving user outcomes.
• Build organizational HCD capacity through mentorship, knowledge sharing, and adoption of iterative, cross-functional practices.
• Collaborate with engineers, product managers, and analysts to translate HCD insights into technical requirements, user stories, and acceptance criteria.
• Adhere to security, change control, and PMO policies and processes.

Minimum Qualifications:

• 7+ years of experience in Human-Centered Design, Service Design, UX Strategy, or similar roles, including 3+ years in regulated or complex environments (e.g., government, healthcare, financial services).
• Experience designing digital products using HCD principles and collaborating with engineering, product, and program teams.
• Strong ability to work across cross-functional teams and communicate with both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Expertise in qualitative user research methods such as interviews, usability testing, and synthesis of insights.
• Experience with service design methods including journey mapping, service blueprinting, and prototyping.
• Experience designing for accessibility, equity, and diverse populations, including knowledge of Section 508 and WCAG standards.
• Familiarity with government or large-scale public-facing systems.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to present complex ideas clearly.
• Ability to deliver results in complex, multi-stakeholder environments.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Knowledge of Medicaid, CHIP, SNAP, TANF, or similar public benefits programs and eligibility workflows.
• Experience working with state agencies, healthcare organizations, or public sector programs.
• Familiarity with federal/state compliance, policy, and procurement processes.
• Experience with agile delivery, service modernization, or large-scale transformation projects.
• Experience contributing to enterprise design systems and component libraries.
• Experience designing AI-assisted workflows or self-service systems in regulated environments.
• Experience in plain language and content design for public-facing communications.
• Experience mentoring or training teams in HCD practices.
• Relevant certifications such as Nielsen Norman Group, IDEO/LUMA, or Certified Usability Analyst (CUA).
  
  

  ASSYST is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, military status, national origin or any other characteristic protected under federal, state, or applicable local law