Director of Design Strategy

University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn’s distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America’s Best Large Employers in 2023.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.

Posted Job Title

Director of Design Strategy

Job Profile Title

Director C, Research

Job Description Summary

The Director of Design Strategy provides strategic leadership and vision for design initiatives across The Nudge Unit, overseeing the integration of human-centered design methodologies, behavioral sciences, and implementation science to transform healthcare delivery. This role leads a multidisciplinary design team and manages cross-functional partnerships with executives, clinicians, and operational leaders to drive systemic change that improves health outcomes, patient experience, and operational efficiency at scale. The Director of Design Strategy serves as the primary design leader, working closely with leadership to establish design as a core competency within the organization's innovation strategy. The role combines deep expertise in design strategy with strong leadership, systems thinking, and a proven track record of delivering transformative change in complex environments.

Job Description

Job Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership and Vision​: Define and continually refine the overarching design strategy for The Nudge Unit in alignment with enterprise priorities. Partner with senior leadership to embed human‑centered design and systems thinking into strategic planning and decision-making. Architect innovation roadmaps that deploy design to address complex, system‑level healthcare challenges.
• Team Leadership and Development: Build, mentor, and scale a high‑performing design team. Establish clear performance metrics and progression frameworks. Cultivate a culture of curiosity, collaboration, rigor, and excellence that enables sustained delivery at pace.
• Program Management and Portfolio Oversight: Direct a multi‑project portfolio spanning clinical, operational, and research domains. Institute governance structures, stage‑gate milestones, and KPI tracking. Optimize design resource allocation and manage program budgets, where applicable. Ensure initiatives deliver quantifiable outcomes and durable impact.
• Cross‑Functional Partnership and Stakeholder Management: Forge and steward strategic relationships with clinical leaders, informatics partners, CHTI collaborators, and operational executives. Facilitate alignment across diverse stakeholder groups on design objectives and implementation pathways. Represent the design perspective in leadership forums and executive presentations. Collaborate with academic partners, subject‑matter experts, and peer health systems to advance design practice.
• Design Excellence and Oversight: Provide leadership, creative direction and methodological rigor across design research, facilitation, ideation, prot