VP Experience Research and Design

Company :

Job Description :

JOB SUMMARY

The VP Experience Research and Design is responsible for scaling product-led transformation and expanding impact. The leader will ensure every touchpoint delivers on Highmark Health’s promise of a remarkable health experience and champions customer-centric innovation through research and design for insurance products and omni-channel customer journeys, ultimately improving the lives of members by shaping the future of health care with a better health care experience and affordability. The person in this role will lead a team of cross-disciplinary designers, design operations, product operations and partner with our omni-channel journey owners to ensure Highmark’s digital experiences are poised to make it easier for people to do business with Highmark, to make it easier for people to manage their health, and to deliver value to our stakeholders, both internal and external. This leader will also partner with our digital product management, technology, and data teams and a variety of external partners to ensure our digital experiences are equally desirable, feasible, and viable.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead and mentor a large (30 ) global team of research and design FTEs and consultants spanning UX, UI, service design, research, and design ops. Expect to collaborate closely with Product, Data, and Technology partners in a fast-paced, customer-obsessed culture. You’ll also nurture a culture of continuous learning through design critiques, cross-functional collaborations/jams, and an active Community of Practice.

• Perform management responsibilities to include but are not limited to: involved in hiring and termination decisions, coaching and development, rewards and recognition, performance management and staff productivity. Plan, organize, staff, direct and control the day-to-day operations of the department; develop and implement policies and programs as necessary; may have budgetary responsibility and authority.

• Partner with business, product management, data, and technology stakeholders to translate complex business strategies into research and design initiatives that support delivery of omni-channel product roadmaps. You’ll help our internal and external stakeholders fully understand how to work with our research and design team and build transparency into our process, clarifying roles and responsibilities and improving the collaboration of multi-disciplinary teams.

• Oversee our user research strategy—from road mapping to execution—to ensure every major product decision is data-driven, improving key metrics like Net Promoter Score (NPS), first-time user experience, and customer activation and engagement. Develop feedback loops that set teams up for continuous improvement.

• Optimize design operations and team structure to enable rapid experimentation, faster time-to-market, and consistent brand experiences across all channels—measured by improvements in release velocity and customer satisfaction. Build staffing models for growth and agility that allow us to deliver the highest quality experience in a cost-effective way.

• Ensure we can scale our capabilities to deliver more value to our customers faster, streamlining the way that we work. You’ll build and refine scalable design processes, tools, systems, automation, and global partnerships that support innovation, rapid growth, speed, and allow for incremental flexibility. You’ll develop measurement systems that show the value of design to our internal stakeholders and prove that the investment in research and design is not optional.

• Build customer-first thinking into our organization’s DNA by collaborating cross-functionally to embed human-centered design (HCD), design thinking, and a customer-first mindset into everything we do. You’ll increase the number of people who complete our HCD training programs and Customer Immersion programs, as well as continuously engaging team members in a robust Community of Practice where they can grow in their craft and add new skills. You’ll expand the use and utility of existing research and tools (i.e. archetypes, Voice of Customer) and develop new tools that support a customer-first mindset and simultaneously drive business results.

• Create and leverage partnerships that extend our capabilities and capacity. You’ll partner with external research firms, global staffing agencies, and digital capability partners to tap into the best of what they have to offer and ensure that our operating and interaction models with those partners maximizes our investment.

• Other duties as assigned or requested.

EXPERIENCE

Required

• 10 years in leading multi-disciplinary design teams (i.e. research, UX, UI, content strategy, design systems) across multiple channels, delivering everything from up-front research through conceptual design, delivery, and ongoing management of channels

• 5 years of practicing Human Centered Design and/or Design Thinking process and methods

• 5 years in managing complex initiatives in highly regulated industries like healthcare, finance or government

• 5 years of driving transformational change, leading teams, developing talent, and building relationships
  

Preferred

• Experience in complex digital ecosystems that bring internal and vendor capabilities together for end users

• Experience in agile delivery and digital transformation

SKILLS

• Human-Centered Design/Design Thinking facilitation

• Change management

• Strategic planning

• Talent development

• Budget management

• Demand and capacity planning

• Cross-functional stakeholder management

• Global team leadership

• Vendor management

EDUCATION

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Graphic/Visual Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Information Architecture, Psychology/Sociology, Anthropology, UI Design, or related field
  

Preferred

• Master's degree in Computer Science, Graphic/Visual Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Information Architecture, Psychology/Sociology, Anthropology, UI Design, or related field
  

LICENSES or CERTIFICATIONS

Required

• None
  

Preferred

• None
  

Language (Other than English):

Upto 2

Travel Required:

Less than 25%

PHYSICAL, MENTAL DEMANDS and WORKING CONDITIONS

Position Type (enter from JDQ)

Office-Based or Remote Position

Physical work site required

Frequently

Disclaimer: The job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and essential duties and responsibilities of work performed by employees within this job title. It may not contain a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees to do this job.

Compliance Requirement : This job adheres to the ethical and legal standards and behavioral expectations as set forth in the code of business conduct and company policies.

As a component of job responsibilities, employees may have access to covered information, cardholder data, or other confidential customer information that must be protected at all times. In connection with this, all employees must comply with both the Health Insurance Portability Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) as described in the Notice of Privacy Practices and Privacy Policies and Procedures as well as all data security guidelines established within the Company’s Handbook of Privacy Policies and Practices and Information Security Policy.

Furthermore, it is every employee’s responsibility to comply with the company’s Code of Business Conduct. This includes but is not limited to adherence to applicable federal and state laws, rules, and regulations as well as company policies and training requirements.

Highmark Health and its affiliates prohibit discrimination against qualified individuals based on their status as protected veterans or individuals with disabilities and prohibit discrimination against all individuals based on any category protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

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For accommodation requests, please contact HR Services Online at HRServices@highmarkhealth.org

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