Human-Centered Design (HCD) Specialist UX Strategist

Job Title: Human-Centered Design (HCD) Specialist / UX Strategist

Client: Maryland Health Benefit Exchange (MHBE)
Location: Baltimore MD (Hybrid 3 days onsite 2 days remote)- Need only local
Duration: 4-Year Contract
Interview Mode: Virtual
Visa: Open (No H1B but)

Rate Not provided by the vendor ( But He wants someone to the lowest rate ) (Submit on as low rate you are able to submit PV will Select candidate accordingly)

Role Summary

We are seeking an experienced Human-Centered Design (HCD) Specialist / UX Strategist to join MHBEs Medicaid transformation team. This role will work closely with policy operations and IT teams to improve Medicaid eligibility enrollment and renewal processes using user-centered design principles.

The ideal candidate will drive user research service design and UX strategy to ensure systems are intuitive accessible and aligned with real-world user needs.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead Human-Centered Design (HCD) strategy across Medicaid lifecycle (eligibility enrollment renewal).
• Conduct user research (interviews usability testing contextual inquiry) with beneficiaries and staff.
• Develop journey maps service blueprints and prototypes to improve user experience.
• Translate research into actionable design recommendations and system improvements.
• Ensure compliance with accessibility standards (Section 508 WCAG) and inclusive design.
• Collaborate with product managers engineers business analysts and policy teams.
• Convert HCD insights into user stories requirements and acceptance criteria.
• Present insights and recommendations to leadership and stakeholders.
• Support design system adoption and consistency across platforms.
• Lead HCD capability building (training workshops mentorship).
• Ensure alignment with government policies compliance and PMO processes.

Required Qualifications

• 7 years of experience in HCD / UX / Service Design / UX Strategy
• 3 years in regulated environments (government healthcare finance etc.)
• Strong experience in:
  • User research & usability testing
  • Service design (journey mapping blueprinting)
  • Prototyping and UX design
• Experience working in cross-functional teams (IT business policy)
• Knowledge of accessibility standards (Section 508 WCAG)
• Strong communication & stakeholder management skills

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Medicaid CHIP SNAP TANF or similar programs
• Background in government or public sector projects
• Familiarity with federal/state compliance (CMS Medicaid regulations)
• Experience in Agile / digital transformation projects
• Knowledge of design systems & component libraries
• Experience with AI-driven UX / conversational interfaces
• Experience in plain language & content design
• Prior experience in training/mentoring HCD teams
• UX certifications (NNG IDEO LUMA CUA etc.)

Education

• Bachelors Degree in Computer Science Information Systems Engineering Business or related field

Additional Notes

• Must be flexible to work overtime/weekends if required
• Long-term opportunity (4 years) with high impact on public healthcare systems

Recruiter Tips (Internal Use)

• Target candidates with titles like:
  • UX Strategist
  • Service Designer
  • Human-Centered Designer
  • UX Research Lead
• Strong preference for candidates with government healthcare or Medicaid experience
• Look for end-to-end service design research stakeholder management