Strategy Lead

ZS Digital Experience and Design (DXD) Practice

ZS is a management consulting and technology firm focused on improving life and how we live it. We transform ideas into impact by bringing together data, science, technology and human ingenuity to deliver better outcomes for all. The DXD practice champions design in creating compelling, innovative, outcomes‑focused services and products for healthcare providers, physicians, patients and other B2B/B2C customers.

We seek a Design Lead to work with our clients to form and create engaging experiences across channels. If you are passionate about the intersection of strategy, design, research and technology, and have expertise in health‑related experience design, we want you on our rapidly growing expert team.

• Design and deliver new services, products and brand experiences that solve customer problems, increase brand value and inspire people.
• Create deliverables that articulate customer research insights and strategies, including experience maps, user journeys, service blueprints and personas.
• Produce visual design artifacts—wireframes, high‑fidelity mockups and design systems.
• Partner with cross‑disciplinary teams through all phases of the design process: alignment, insight development, opportunity definition, strategy setting, concept creation, and go‑to‑market guidance.
• Execute qualitative customer research using design, behavioral, ethnographic and market research techniques and apply findings to inform design decisions.
• Elicit requirements through stakeholder interviews and problem statement development.
• Lead rapid iteration and design sprint cycles to prototype experiences across mediums.
• Present design solutions with precision and personality to business stakeholders, clients and internal colleagues.
• Plan and facilitate Design Thinking workshops to support creative collaboration and evangelize customer centricity.
• Translate requirements into initial concepts, visual artifacts and designs using existing or new design system thinking and development.
• Collaborate with designers and developers to move concepts to dev‑ready designs.

• Bachelor’s degree required (Master’s preferred) in design, design strategy, design research, service design, industrial design, psychology, anthropology or a related discipline focused in social science and design communication.
• 5‑7 years of experience applying Design Thinking methods to achieve successful business outcomes; experience in the Life Sciences and Healthcare industry is an additional asset.
• Experience with the user‑centered design (UCD) process and designing complex, multi‑channel experiences for customers.
• Familiarity with digital product management and agile methodologies; experience designing products following product design methodology is a plus.
• Exposure to foresight/futures and/or service design methodologies will be considered an additional important asset.
• Proficiency in design research techniques such as ethnography, contextual inquiry, user interviews and usability testing, and ability to incorporate findings into the experience design process.
• Basic visual design capabilities.
• Ability to travel for research and client locations (10‑25%) to provide in‑person expertise.

• Curious, results‑driven, confident, and committed to professional growth.
• Independent, able to prioritize time, and quick on their feet.
• Good interpersonal skills, with the ability to listen to and build rapport with research participants, designers and cross‑disciplinary teams.
• Comfortable working in cross‑functional teams, including designers, business consulting teams and project managers.

Travel is a requirement at ZS for client‑facing ZSers; business needs of your project and client are the priority. While some projects may be local, all client‑facing ZSers should be prepared to travel as needed.

ZS is committed to a Flexible and Connected way of working. ZSers are onsite at clients or ZS offices three days a week, with the flexibility to work remotely two days a week.

ZS offers a comprehensive total rewards…