Design Thinking Strategist IV

Hybrid standard in Charlotte, NC

Our client seeks a Design Thinking Strategist IV to lead discovery, research, and strategy that inform innovative products and services. The role will frame opportunities, structure and run research, plan and facilitate collaborative workshops, translate insights into actionable artifacts, and validate solutions through testing. The strategist will align stakeholders, communicate with clarity, and connect human-centered design outcomes to measurable business value.

We can facilitate w2 and corp-to-corp consultants. For our w2 consultants, we offer a great benefits package that includes Medical, Dental, and Vision benefits, 401k with company matching, and life insurance.

Rate: $70.00 to $80.00/hr. w2

• Partner with clients to cultivate shared understanding and alignment, ensuring business needs are met and the value of a human-centered approach is understood. Coach product leadership on strategic decision-making.
• Scope and design research plans based on business requirements and technical feasibility.
• Plan, conduct, and interpret research to inform interaction, visual direction, and technical feasibility using interviews, usability evaluations, and concept validation.
• Plan and host cross-functional workshops and working sessions to support ideation, decision making, and requirements gathering.
• Guide teams in communicating complex concepts in written and visual formats and serve as the central point of contact for design direction.
• Translate insights into actionable outcomes and artifacts such as personas, customer journeys, service blueprints, and documentation to support build phases.
• Collaborate with change management from definition through testing to assess change impacts and shape strategies and training programs alongside design.

• 3-5 years of experience in design research, product strategy and design, and/or service design with portfolio evidence across the product lifecycle.
• Experience aligning product strategy to business objectives, including business strategy and value assessment.
• Ability to use business value to drive research plans and outcomes.
• Extensive experience planning and facilitating cross-functional workshops with various leadership levels in a corporate setting.
• Proficiency in narrative development and storytelling to influence and guide stakeholders throughout the product cycle.
• Consultant mindset with creative problem solving and decisiveness in ambiguous environments.
• Demonstrated capability to analyze and synthesize research into actionable insights and recommendations.
• Ability to structure and lead workshops that align insights to goals, determine priorities, and communicate ideas clearly.
• Strong collaboration and team coaching toward a product mindset with clear articulation of problems and solutions.
• Experience designing AI solutions is a plus.

Recruitment Transparency Notice

Eliassen Group values transparency in our recruitment practices. Please be advised that Eliassen Group utilizes artificial intelligence (AI) tools as part of its initial application screening and hiring process. You may receive email and SMS notifications from the Eliassen Virtual Recruiting Team ( [email protected] , 781-808-2924) inviting you to complete a brief voice screening as part of your application process. These tools assist our hiring teams in different ways, including but not limited to, assistance in reviewing application materials to help identify candidates whose qualifications most closely match the requirements of the position. All AI-assisted evaluations and responses are reviewed by human recruiters before any hiring decisions are made. The use of AI in our process is intended to support fairness, efficiency, and consistency, and Eliassen Group takes measures to prevent bias or discrimination in connection with its hiring practices. By proceeding, you acknowledge, agree, and consent to Eliassen Group’s use of these tools, including AI tools, as part of the application and hiring process.

Skills, experience, and other compensable factors will be considered when determining pay rate. The pay range provided in this posting reflects a W2 hourly rate; other employment options may be available that may result in pay outside of the provided range.

· When you work with Eliassen Group, all email communication will come from an Eliassen.com address, never Gmail, Yahoo, etc.

· Eliassen Group will never ask you for personal information (home address, bank account, or check routing number) until you have worked with someone clearly associated with Eliassen Group.

If you have any indication of fraudulent activity, please contact [email protected] .

About Eliassen Group:

Eliassen Group is a strategic consulting firm that helps organizations reach further and achieve more through our technology, business advisory, and life sciences solutions. For nearly 40 years, we have combined exceptional people, deep domain expertise, and intelligent capabilities to expand our clients’ capacity and accelerate meaningful outcomes. We are driven by a purpose to positively impact the lives of our employees, clients, consultants, and the communities we serve.

Eliassen is committed to building a diverse and inclusive team from a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. We are an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer and all employment decisions are based on merit, performance, and business needs. Eliassen does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender identity or expression, sexual preference or orientation, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), marital status, creed, religion, physical or mental disability, genetic information, military or veteran status, age, ancestry, national origin, citizenship status, prohibited criminal record inquiries of applicants and employees, or any other category protected by federal, state, or local laws.

Don’t miss out on our referral program! If we hire a candidate that you refer us to then you can be eligible for a $1,000 referral check!