Lead Experience Strategist / Experience Strategy Lead - GB26 (Evanston, IL)
Salary: $154,500 - $180,000 per year
Location: Evanston, IL and various, unanticipated locations throughout the United States.
Benefits: Comp package offers min/max salary + COLA, leave policies, bonus incentives, relo, med/den/life ins, retirement benefits.
Job Role and Responsibilities: ZS's Digital Experience & Design EC focuses on design strategy and research. The role will design and deliver new services, products, and brand experiences that solve customer problems, increase brand value, and inspire people (10%). Create best-in-class design deliverables to articulate customer research insights and strategies and craft a broad range of design artifacts including experience maps, user journeys, service blueprints, and personas (15%). Ability to boundary-span into visual design deliverables including wireframes, high-fidelity design and design systems is a distinct advantage (10%). Partner and collaborate with cross-disciplinary teams through all phases of design process including alignment with client, understanding context, developing insights, exploring and defining opportunities, setting strategy, creating actionable/tangible design expressions and concepts, communicating vision, and guiding go-to-market strategies (15%). Execute qualitative customer research using design, behavioral, ethnographic, and market research techniques and apply insights to inform design decisions (15%). Elicit requirements through a range of activities from planning and leading stakeholder interviews, working from problem statements, articulating business objectives, and asking the right questions in the right ways to inform design thinking processes (5%). Lead cycles of rapid iteration/design sprints to prototype experiences across mediums and realize a final solution (10%). Present design solutions with precision and personality to variety of business stakeholders, clients, and internal colleagues with a polished mix of verbal and visual communication (5%). Plan and facilitate Design Thinking workshops to support creative collaboration and evangelize customer centricity with clients and colleagues (5%). Translate requirements into initial concepts, visual artifacts and designs using existing or net new design system thinking and development (5%). Collaborate with designers and developers to 'tell the design story' from concepting to initial prototype to dev-ready design translation (5%). May work in various, unanticipated locations throughout the United States. Position may require up to 25% domestic travel.
Contact: Apply online or contact ZS at [email protected] referencing the Req ID above. Position eligible for Employee Referral Program (with incentives). Multiple openings.
Qualifications: Master's degree, or foreign degree equivalent, or foreign equivalent, in Human Centered Design, Industrial Design, Design, or related field and 3 years of experience in the job offered or in a design or analyst role. Alternatively, Employer will accept a Bachelor's degree, or foreign degree equivalent, in Human Centered Design, Industrial Design, Design, or related field and five (5) years of progressive, post-baccalaureate experience in the job offered or in a design or analyst role.
With either combination of education and experience, position requires experience with the following:
1. Managing end-to-end projects;
2. Client-facing experience;
3. JIRA;
4. AI Technologies;
5. Qualitative Research;
6. Quantitative Research;
7. Communicating to senior-level stakeholders;
8. Storyboards;
9. UX Writing;
10. Agile Methodology;
11. Heuristic Evaluation; and
12. Figma.
How you'll grow:
- Cross-functional skills development & custom learning pathways
- Milestone training programs aligned to career progression opportunities
- Internal mobility paths that empower growth via s-curves, individual contribution and role expansions
Perks & Benefits:
At ZS, your growth matters. We offer a comprehensive total rewards package that supports your health and well-being, financial future, time away, and professional development. With robust skills-building programs, multiple career progression paths, internal mobility, and a deeply collaborative culture, you'll have the opportunity to do meaningful work, expand your capabilities, and thrive as part of a global community. For details on total rewards in United States , visit ZS US office locations | Where we work | ZS .
Hybrid working model:
We are committed to giving our employees a flexible and connected way of working. A flexible and connected ZS allows us to combine work from home and on-site presence at clients/ZS offices for the majority of our week. The magic of ZS culture and innovation thrives in both planned and spontaneous face-to-face connections.
Travel:
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. Travel provides opportunities to strengthen client relationships, gain diverse experiences, and enhance professional growth by working in different environments and cultures.
Considering applying?
At ZS, we honor the visible and invisible elements of our identities, personal experiences, and belief systems-the ones that comprise us as individuals, shape who we are, and make us unique. We believe your personal interests, identities, and desire to learn are integral to your success here. We are committed to building a team that reflects a broad variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences. Learn more about our inclusion and belonging efforts and the networks ZS supports to assist our ZSers in cultivating community spaces and obtaining the resources they need to thrive.
If you're eager to grow, contribute, and bring your unique self to our work, we encourage you to apply.
ZS is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing equal employment and advancement opportunities without regard to any class protected by applicable law.
To complete your application:
Candidates must possess or be able to obtain work authorization for their intended country of employment. An on-line application, including a full set of transcripts (official or unofficial), is required to be considered.
NO AGENCY CALLS, PLEASE.
Find Out More At:
www.zs.com
#LI-DNI
Salary: $154,500.00 - $180,000.00
Skills Required
- Master's degree in Human Centered Design, Industrial Design, Design, or related field and 3 years relevant experience OR Bachelor's degree and 5 years progressive post-baccalaureate experience
- Managing end-to-end projects
- Client-facing experience
- JIRA
- AI Technologies
- Qualitative Research
- Quantitative Research
- Communicating to senior-level stakeholders
- Storyboards
- UX Writing
- Agile Methodology
- Heuristic Evaluation
- Figma
- Ability to produce wireframes, high-fidelity design, and work with design systems
ZS Compensation & Benefits Highlights
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Healthcare Strength — Comprehensive medical, dental and vision coverage is paired with mental-health support via Workplace Options, with caregiving supports through partners like Bright Horizons and Milk Stork. The health plan is presented as a standout perk in the package.
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Parental & Family Support — Family-forming support spans fertility, adoption and surrogacy assistance, alongside paid Family Leave of 10 weeks plus an additional 6 weeks paid maternity leave for birth mothers (up to 16 weeks). Services like Milk Stork and back-up care strengthen support for caregiving and travel needs.
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Inclusive Benefits Coverage — Published LGBTQIA+-inclusive benefits include transgender-inclusive care and HIV services, plus domestic-partner eligibility. Inclusive policies are explicitly documented across U.S. benefits materials.
ZS Insights
What We Do
ZS is a management consulting and technology firm that partners with companies to improve 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. Founded in 1983, ZS has more than 15,000+ employees in over 40 offices worldwide.
Why Work With Us
ZS is home to passionate people who embrace innovative thinking, collaboration and a client-first mindset. Welcome to a company where new ideas are celebrated, curiosity is welcomed, learning opportunities are abundant and colleagues become lifelong connections.
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ZS Teams
ZS Offices
Hybrid Workspace
Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.
The Flexible & Connected model is our ZS standard. ZSers decide where it makes the most sense for them to work each day given client or teamwork.













































































