Design Strategist

EPAM is seeking a Design Strategist to join our growing practice. In this client-facing, strategy-forward role, you will dig into complex business and consumer challenges, lead research programs, uncover meaningful insights, and translate them into compelling ideas and actionable solutions. You will collaborate across a multidisciplinary team — including experience designers, engineers, and data scientists — to develop offerings that are consumer-driven, financially viable, and technically feasible.

We are looking for a strategic advisor who moves fluidly from insight to implementation, owning the desired experience intent and orchestrating delivery in partnership with developers, solution architects, and designers. A portfolio demonstrating your work is required.

• Lead or serve as a key contributor across all phases of strategy projects — from client alignment and context-setting through insight development, opportunity identification, and go-to-market support

• Drive research work streams end-to-end, including crafting research plans, conducting qualitative and quantitative consumer/user research, and synthesizing findings into meaningful, non-obvious insights

• Develop visual frameworks, opportunity maps, and strategic narratives to clearly articulate pain points, whitespace, and ideas to both internal teams and client stakeholders

• Generate and validate ideas for new products, services, and experiences using quantitative and qualitative approaches that balance consumer desirability, business viability, and technical feasibility

• Act as a strategic advisor during implementation — owning the intended experience vision and collaborating with developers, solution architects, and designers to ensure strategic intent is delivered

• Run client workshops, contribute meaningfully in client meetings, and create compelling, polished presentations tailored to executive and cross-functional audiences

• Work cross-functionally within a multidisciplinary team, balancing independent ownership of work streams with close collaboration across design, engineering, data, and business strategy disciplines

• Actively engage with and apply AI tools and emerging technologies to enhance research, ideation, and strategy development processes

• Demonstrated experience leading user research programs and translating findings into actionable insights

• Strong command of design thinking methods, ideation and brainstorming techniques, sketching, prototyping, and concept visualization

• BA/BS or post-graduate degree in a design or creative field (e.g., design, art), a behavioral field (e.g., anthropology, psychology), or an analytical field (e.g., engineering, business, economics)

• Excellent client-facing communication and presentation skills; comfortable presenting to and facilitating workshops with senior stakeholders

• Openness and enthusiasm toward AI tools and experimentation; prior experience using AI in a research, strategy, or content context is a plus

• Willingness to travel approximately once per month, primarily domestic US (occasional international travel may be required)

• Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance (Subsidized)

• Health Savings Account

• Flexible Spending Accounts (Healthcare, Dependent Care, Commuter)

• Short-Term and Long-Term Disability (Company Provided)

• Life and AD&D Insurance (Company Provided)

• Employee Assistance Program

• Unlimited access to Linked In learning solutions

• Matched 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan

• Paid Time Off – the employee will be eligible to accrue 15-25 paid days, depending on specific level and tenure with EPAM (accrual eligibility may change over time)

• Paid Holidays - nine (9) total per year

• Legal Plan and Identity Theft Protection

• Accident Insurance

• Employee Discounts

• Pet Insurance

• Employee Stock Purchase Program

• If otherwise eligible, participation in the discretionary annual bonus program

• If otherwise eligible and hired into a qualifying level, participation in the discretionary Long-Term Incentive (LTI) Program

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