Enterprise Innovation Design Lead

At Equitable, our power is in our people.

We're individuals from different cultures and backgrounds. Those differences make us stronger as a team and a force for good in our communities. Here, you'll work with dynamic individuals, build your skills, and unleash new ways of working and thinking. Are you ready to join an organization that will help unlock your potential?

As the Enterprise Innovation Design Lead you will leverage your expertise in Design Thinking and human-centered design to help multidisciplinary teams solve complex business problems as part of New Ways of Working (NWOW) at Equitable. The design and facilitation of collaborative ideation is at the heart of this role and offers a diverse and challenging blend of logical problem solving, innovative thinking and astuteness to "connect the dots" while fostering an environment of engagement, openness and creativity. You will work across the enterprise, engaging in broadly-defined, loose concepts and on narrowly-defined, tactical deliverables.

You will consult with project stakeholders to develop engagement plans and deliver workshops grounded in the core methodologies of Design Thinking. This involves engaging with often unfamiliar groups who are operating under high pressure to quickly identify solutions to their most pressing challenges. As an Enterprise Innovation Design Lead, you will empower teams to rapidly understand challenges, identify potential solutions and guide them toward an appropriate set of action-oriented outcomes. Additionally, you will be responsible for helping ground the organization in Design Thinking including driving awareness, change management and program implementation.

The successful candidate will:

Collaborate

• Design and plan Design Thinking workshops with creative and collaborative problem solving as the priority objective
• Lead pre-workshop discovery sessions and engage with stakeholders to outline the primary goals and initiative approach
• Energetically facilitate collaborative workshops virtually, in-person or hybrid, ensuring all participants remain engaged and are led toward achieving desirable outcomes

Design

• Consult with Equitable business units on their innovation projects, programs and initiatives
• Manage (often multiple) complex projects to ensure overall success, including scope, resourcing and timely quality deliverables that meet stated objectives
• Prepare and deliver Design Thinking analysis reports and artifacts derived from the workshops
• Play back key results with stakeholders while providing guidance on potential next steps for execution
• Must be able to clearly explain your work, process and decisions to teammates and cross functional stakeholders

Lead

• Champion Design Thinking throughout the organization as a key pillar of the Innovation & Design Office; actively promote all NWOW practices including Agile, OKRs, Adaptive Leadership and Dynamic Funding
• Cultivate an environment of iterative thinking, continuous learning and innovation
• Provide direction and mentorship to team members
• Support internal growth, development and innovation programs

The base salary range for this position is $105,000 - $156,000. Actual pay will vary based on skills, experience, and geographical location. In addition to base pay, Equitable provides compensation to reward performance with base salary increases, spot bonuses, and short-term incentive compensation opportunities. Eligibility for these programs depends on level and functional area of responsibility.

For eligible employees, Equitable provides a full range of benefits. This includes medical, dental, vision, a 401(k) plan, and paid time off. For detailed descriptions of these benefits, please reference the link below.

Equitable Pay and Benefits: Equitable Total Rewards Program
Required Qualifications:

• 5 years of experience with planning, facilitating and leading internal/external workshops

Preferred Qualifications:

• Impeccable ability to communicate with and lead a group of individuals (often including executives) through the process of Design Thinking and collaborative ideation
• Unmatched attention to detail and due diligence, with a research-based approach to understanding what's required for great customer experiences
• Experience with online whiteboard tools, such as Miro or Mural
• Design Thinking certification or formal coursework
• Demonstrated professional experience facilitating workshop sessions with at least 15 participants using collaborative tools
• Ability to structure w