Senior Design Strategist

Does working with multi-disciplinary teams to tackle complex challenges and rapidly deliver human-centered solutions energize you?

Do you have knowledge of human centered design, innovation, and strategic planning methods, and are always working to expand and further develop your skills?

Are you motivated by delivering high-impact products, services, and experiences that solve complex challenges?

If so, we're looking for someone like you to join our team at APL!

Who We Are

APL's Human Centered Design Group is a multi-disciplinary team of engineers, designers, and makers who apply Human Centered Design (HCD) and Design Thinking (DT) methodologies to take on gnarly national security challenges. We immerse ourselves in the use-case environment and collaborate with government and industry partners to rapidly develop impactful, concepts, prototypes, and user experiences. We're relentlessly focused on the humans at the center of every challenge and believe that authentic connections, intellectual humility, and endless curiosity are the keys to developing and delivering the most powerful solutions.

Who We're Searching For

We are seeking Senior Design Strategists to lead multi-functional teams in the application of DT and HCD to frame opportunity areas and deliver novel solutions to gnarly challenges! As a strategy leader in APL's Human Centered Design Group, you will work with talented teammates to conduct rigorous user research across the national security ecosystem and define all aspects of end-to-end solution design, ranging from product to organizational to service design.

As a Design Strategist, you will...

• Be a vital member of the Human Centered Design Group, joining multi-functional teams passionate about developing novel concepts and solutions for our customers.
• Demonstrate an understanding of design principles, contextual inquiry, and how to translate research into solutions and requirements.
• Incorporate strategic and operational planning methods to guide problem framing, design decisions, and implementation/transition pathways.
• Apply qualitative and quantitative research and analytic methods to identify patterns between various user groups, workflows, and emerging technology trends.
• Design simple, easy to understand, and impactful outcomes ensuring customer relevance and partnership throughout the process.
• Scout for opportunities to solve emerging national security problems in unusual and innovative ways.
• Commit to growing your expertise, learning new approaches, and applying human centered design methods in new and novel ways .
• Mentor other design thinking practitioners and strategists.
• Use iterative and collaborative methods to establish a number of design decisions and scenarios on short timelines
• Explore new ways to create compelling pitches, stories, presentations, and workshops for teammates and customers alike.

Note: This job summary and listing of duties is for the purpose of describing the position and its essential functions at time of hire and may change over time.

You meet our minimum qualifications for the job if you have:

• BA/BS or MA/MS in a relevant field, including Interactive, Visual, or Product Design; Human Factors; Psychology; Cognitive Science; Engineering; or equivalent professional experience, with a minimum of 7 years of related experience.
• Experience using design thinking or human-centered design frameworks as an approach to problem solving.
• Training in human-centered design, design thinking, experience design, product design, industrial design, and strategic planning, or equivalent educational or professional experience.
• Experience planning, conducting, and communicating user research findings to a broad group of partners.
• Experience planning and/or conducting both qualitative and quantitative research.
• Willingness to travel up to 30% of the time. Locations are TBD, but include Naval Bases, Research Locations, and meeting in geographies such as San Diego, Hawaii, Norfolk, Groton, and San Francisco.
• Hold an active Top Secret level security clearance and can ultimately obtain a TS/SCI level security clearance. If selected, you will be subject to a government security clearance investigation and must meet the requirements for access to classified information. Eligibility requirements include U.S. citizenship.

You'll go above and beyond our minimum requirements if you have:

• Experience in federal government, federal government consulting, or equivalent.
• Experience working with Joint and Service Staff, Combatant Commands, and the Intelligence Community
• Strong visual, written, and/or oral story-telling capabilities.
• Experience quoting and planning complex front-end innovation projects in a consulting or design firm environment.
• Product or project management experience and/or credentials.
• An active Secret or Top Secret security clearance or above.
• Experience with Agile and other development methodologies.

Why Work at APL?

The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) brings world-class expertise to our nation's most critical defense, security, space and science challenges. While we are dedicated to solving complex challenges and pioneering new technologies, what makes us truly outstanding is our culture. We offer a vibrant, welcoming atmosphere where you can bring your authentic self to work, continue to grow, and build strong connections with inspiring teammates.

At APL, we celebrate our differences of perspectives and encourage creativity and bold, new ideas. Our employees enjoy generous benefits, including a robust education assistance program, unparalleled retirement contributions, and a healthy work/life balance. APL's campus is located in the Baltimore-Washington metro area. Learn more about our career opportunities at http://www.jhuapl.edu/careers.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, creed, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran status, occupation, marital or familial status, political opinion, personal appearance, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. APL is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals of all abilities, including those with disabilities. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate in any part of the hiring process, please contact Accommodations@jhuapl.edu.

The referenced pay range is based on JHU APL's good faith belief at the time of posting. Actual compensation may vary based on factors such as geographic location, work experience, market conditions, education/training and skill level with consideration for internal parity. For salaried employees scheduled to work less than 40 hours per week, annual salary will be prorated based on the number of hours worked. APL may offer bonuses or other forms of compensation per internal policy and/or contractual designation. Additional compensation may be provided in the form of a sign-on bonus, relocation benefits, locality allowance or discretionary payments for exceptional performance. APL provides eligible staff with a comprehensive benefits package including retirement plans, paid time off, medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short-term disability, long-term disability, flexible spending accounts, education assistance, and training and development. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.