Experience Design Strategist

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Experience Design Strategist

Company: Modus Create

Location: United States

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Experience Strategy / Product Design / UX

Date Posted: April 03, 2026

Experience Level: 5-8+ Years

Remote Status: Fully Remote

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive early-stage product and AI innovation by transforming ambiguous problems into clear, actionable directions for product development.

• Bridge the gap between business objectives, design execution, and engineering feasibility, ensuring strategic alignment across all facets of product creation.

• Lead user, workflow, and ecosystem research to uncover system-level insights and define operational constraints for enhanced product experiences.

• Translate research findings and strategic objectives into tangible product concepts, detailed experience flows, Minimum Viable Product (MVP) definitions, and actionable roadmaps.

• Leverage AI tools to enhance research, synthesis, and concept development processes, ensuring critical thinking and rigorous analysis are maintained.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a senior individual contributor, focusing on the foundational strategy and early-stage innovation for digital products, particularly those incorporating AI. The emphasis is on translating abstract concepts into concrete product outcomes, requiring a blend of strategic thinking, research acumen, and practical design instincts. The "T-shaped" skillset requirement highlights the need for deep expertise in strategy and research, complemented by a solid understanding of design principles and product development lifecycles.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Lead AI and product opportunity assessments: Frame ambiguous problems, identify high-value use cases, and define strategic focus areas across complex systems and workflows.

• Plan and conduct comprehensive research (user, workflow, journey, ecosystem) to uncover system-level insights and identify critical operational constraints.

• Design and facilitate interactive workshops with senior stakeholders to drive alignment, surface assumptions, evaluate tradeoffs, and guide decision-making processes.

• Translate research insights and strategic objectives into concrete product concepts, detailed experience flows, MVP definitions, and phased roadmaps.

• Create tangible outputs, including user flows, journey maps, light prototypes, and clear visual documentation, to articulate ideas and guide product development.

• Utilize AI tools to accelerate research synthesis and concept development, ensuring rigor and critical thinking remain central to the process.

• Collaborate closely with design and engineering teams to ensure seamless transition from strategic concepts to executable product delivery.

• Support pre-sales activities and engagement shaping by contributing expertise in experience strategy and AI innovation.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities clearly indicate a strategic leadership role focused on the front end of the product development lifecycle. The emphasis on "framing ambiguous problems," "identifying high-value use cases," and "defining where to focus" underscores the strategic nature of the role. The requirement to "translate insights into product concepts, experience flows, MVP definitions, and roadmaps" highlights the direct impact on product direction. The inclusion of "Support pre-sales and engagement shaping" suggests an expectation for influencing client engagements and contributing to business development efforts.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's or Master's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Psychology, Business, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

Experience: 5–8+ years of progressive experience in experience strategy, product design, service design, or UX research.

Required Skills:

• Demonstrated expertise in experience strategy, service design, or UX research methodologies.

• Strong T-shaped skillset: deep expertise in strategy and research, with robust product design and product instincts.

• Proven ability to bridge communication and perspective gaps between business, design, and engineering teams.

• Capacity to connect abstract strategic concepts to concrete product decisions, including user flows, features, and interaction design.

• High standard for presentation quality, clarity of thinking, and compelling communication of ideas.

• Proven track record of successfully facilitating and influencing senior stakeholders to achieve desired outcomes.

• Demonstrated experience utilizing AI tools to enhance personal work processes or inform product thinking.

• High aptitude for effective cross-functional team collaboration and successful project delivery.

• Ability to bring structure and clarity to ambiguous, evolving problem spaces without oversimplifying complex interdependencies.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience working directly with consumer-facing, high-traffic products.

• Familiarity with mobile-first design principles and best practices.

• Experience in agile development environments and contributing to product roadmaps.

• Proficiency in creating detailed user journey maps and ecosystem maps.

• Experience with rapid prototyping and iterative design processes.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirements emphasize a blend of strategic thinking, research rigor, and practical application. The "T-shaped" skillset is a key indicator for this role, suggesting that while deep strategic expertise is paramount, a functional understanding of design and product development is also crucial for effective collaboration and execution. The explicit mention of AI tool usage indicates a forward-looking approach and a need for candidates who are adaptable to emerging technologies. The requirement to "bridge gaps" highlights the importance of strong communication and stakeholder management skills.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase a minimum of 2-3 distinct projects demonstrating experience strategy, service design, or complex UX research initiatives.

• Clearly articulate the problem space, the strategic approach taken, and the specific role played in each project.

• Include examples of how research insights were translated into actionable product decisions, concepts, or roadmaps.

• Highlight instances where AI tools were employed to enhance research, synthesis, or ideation processes.

• Demonstrate the ability to communicate complex ideas clearly through compelling visuals, flows, maps, or prototypes.

Process Documentation:

• Present case studies that illustrate the end-to-end process from problem definition to strategic recommendation or product concept.

• Detail the research methodologies employed, including user interviews, workflow analysis, and ecosystem mapping.

• Showcase how workshops and facilitation sessions were designed and executed to achieve specific outcomes.

• Include examples of how abstract strategies were materialized into tangible artifacts like experience flows, MVP definitions, or roadmaps.

• Demonstrate how concepts were transitioned to design and engineering partners for implementation.

📝 Enhancement Note: For this Experience Design Strategist role, the portfolio is critical for demonstrating the ability to translate strategic thinking into tangible outcomes. The emphasis will be on showcasing the process of strategic discovery and definition, rather than solely polished final designs. Candidates should be prepared to present how they navigate ambiguity, conduct research, facilitate stakeholder alignment, and ultimately inform product direction, particularly in the context of AI and complex systems.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Given the "5-8+ years" experience requirement, the "Experience Design Strategist" title, and the remote nature within the United States, a competitive salary range would typically fall between $120,000 and $170,000 annually. This estimate is based on industry benchmarks for senior UX strategists, product strategists, and design researchers in the US tech sector, factoring in the specialized skills in AI and stakeholder influence.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance plans.

• Generous Paid Time Off (PTO) and company holidays.

• 401(k) retirement plan with company match.

• Professional development budget for conferences, training, and certifications.

• Home office stipend for remote work setup.

• Paid parental leave.

• Opportunities for professional growth and advancement within a fully remote, global team.

• Company-provided tools and software for design and collaboration.

Working Hours: This role is typically expected to involve approximately 40 hours per week. Given the fully remote nature and global team structure, there may be some flexibility, but core hours will likely align with team and client needs, potentially requiring occasional collaboration across different time zones.

📝 Enhancement Note: As no specific salary information was provided, this range is an estimate based on industry standards for a senior-level role in Experience Strategy within the US tech market. Factors influencing this range include the company's focus on digital product engineering, partnerships with major tech firms (AWS, GitHub, Atlassian), and the specific demands of leading AI innovation work. The benefits listed are typical for a remote-first tech company seeking to attract and retain top talent.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Digital Product Engineering, Technology Consulting, Software Development. Modus Create partners with forward-thinking businesses, including industry leaders like AWS, GitHub, and Atlassian, to design, build, and scale custom digital solutions.

Company Size: Modus Create is a global, fully remote team. While an exact employee count isn't provided, being a global team and an Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Private Company for nine years suggests a significant and growing organization, likely in the hundreds of employees.

Founded: Founded in 2011, Modus has established itself as a seasoned player in the digital product engineering space, with a long-standing commitment to remote work culture.

Team Structure:

• The Experience Design Strategist will be part of a broader product and design team, likely working closely with product managers, UX designers, UI designers, and software engineers.

• The reporting structure is not explicitly defined but given the senior nature of the role, it may report to a Head of Design, Director of Product, or a similar leadership position within the product development practice.

Methodology:

• Modus Create emphasizes a collaborative, innovative environment focused on delivering real results and lasting change for clients.

• Their approach likely involves agile methodologies, user-centered design principles, and a strong focus on technical excellence in product engineering.

• The company's work with major tech partners suggests a dedication to best practices, scalability, and leveraging cutting-edge technologies, including AI.

Company Website: https://moduscreate.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: Modus Create's positioning as a "digital product engineering partner" and its long history as a fully remote company highlight a culture of expertise, collaboration, and adaptability. The partnerships with major tech players indicate a high standard of work and an environment where innovation is valued. The "Experience Design Strategist" role is clearly positioned to contribute to this innovative and client-focused culture.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is at a senior individual contributor level, often referred to as a Principal or Lead Strategist within the Experience Design or Product Strategy domain. It requires significant autonomy, the ability to lead complex initiatives, and influence strategic direction without direct management responsibility. The focus is on deep domain expertise and strategic impact.

Reporting Structure: The Experience Design Strategist will likely report to a Director of Design, Head of Product, or a similar senior leadership role within Modus Create's product development practice. They will collaborate closely with product managers, engineering leads, and client stakeholders.

Operations Impact: The Experience Design Strategist has a direct and significant impact on the success of digital products by defining their strategic direction, ensuring user needs are met, and identifying high-value AI applications. Their work shapes the initial vision and roadmap, influencing product-market fit, user adoption, and ultimately, business outcomes for clients.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in AI product strategy, service design for complex systems, or specific industry verticals where Modus Create operates.

• Leadership: Transition into leadership roles such as Design Lead, Product Strategy Lead, or even management roles overseeing a team of strategists and designers.

• Client Engagement: Take on more prominent roles in client-facing strategy sessions, pre-sales, and thought leadership engagements.

• Skill Development: Continuous learning and application of emerging technologies, methodologies, and design tools, supported by professional development opportunities.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role represents a significant step for experienced professionals looking to drive product strategy and innovation, particularly in the burgeoning field of AI. The growth path emphasizes both deepening expertise within the core discipline and potentially moving into broader leadership or client-facing strategic roles, aligning with the company's consulting and product engineering focus.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Modus Create operates as a fully remote company. This means there is no traditional physical office for this role; work is conducted from a home office environment.

Office Location(s): While the company is global, the job posting specifies "United States of America (USA)" as the location, with the derived timezone being "America/Chicago." This suggests candidates should be based within the United States to align with team collaboration and potential client needs.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: Despite being remote, the culture emphasizes strong collaboration. This is facilitated through digital tools, virtual workshops, and regular team syncs.

• Operations Tools & Technology: Access to a robust suite of digital collaboration and design tools will be provided, essential for effective remote work and cross-functional teamwork. The company's partnerships (AWS, GitHub, Atlassian) suggest a sophisticated technology stack.

• Team Interaction: Opportunities for interaction will occur through scheduled meetings, virtual "water cooler" channels, and project-specific collaborations, fostering a sense of connection within the distributed team.

Work Schedule: The standard work schedule is approximately 40 hours per week. As a remote role within the US, adherence to US business hours is expected, with potential flexibility. Collaboration across time zones might necessitate occasional adjustments to meeting schedules to accommodate global team members or international clients, particularly given Modus Create's global reach.

📝 Enhancement Note: The fully remote nature is a defining characteristic. The emphasis on "digital product engineering partner" implies a highly organized and tool-dependent work environment. Candidates should be comfortable with asynchronous communication, digital collaboration platforms, and self-management within a distributed team structure. The "America/Chicago" timezone derivation suggests a potential anchor point for team coordination, though flexibility for other US time zones is likely.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your application, resume, and portfolio to assess alignment with the core requirements and experience level.

• Hiring Manager Interview: A discussion focused on your background, experience strategy expertise, approach to ambiguous problems, and understanding of AI's role in product development. Expect questions about your strategic thinking and ability to bridge business, design, and engineering.

• Portfolio Presentation & Case Study: A dedicated session to present selected projects from your portfolio. This will likely involve a deep dive into a specific case study showcasing your process for opportunity assessment, research, stakeholder facilitation, and translating insights into product concepts or roadmaps. Prepare to discuss your role, the challenges, your approach, and the outcomes.

• Cross-Functional/Team Interview: An opportunity to meet with potential peers or collaborators (e.g., designers, product managers, engineers) to assess your collaboration style, communication skills, and cultural fit within Modus Create's remote and client-focused environment.

• Final Interview/Offer: May involve a discussion with senior leadership to finalize the decision and discuss the offer details.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 2-3 projects that best exemplify your experience in strategy, research, AI innovation, and stakeholder influence. Prioritize depth over breadth.

• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your unique strategic approach, the research conducted, how you facilitated decisions, and the resulting product direction or concepts. Focus on your thought process.

• Highlight AI Integration: Explicitly show how you've used AI tools or considered AI in your strategic thinking or product development process.

• Demonstrate Impact: Quantify results where possible (e.g., impact on user adoption, efficiency gains, strategic clarity achieved). If not quantifiable, emphasize the strategic value and decision-making influence.

• Visual Clarity: Ensure your presentation is visually clean, well-organized, and easy to follow. Use flows, maps, and concepts effectively to communicate complex ideas.

• Prepare for Questions: Anticipate questions about your decision-making process, how you handle ambiguity, your collaboration style, and your perspective on the future of product design with AI.

Challenge Preparation:

• Be ready for hypothetical scenarios where you're presented with an ambiguous business problem or an emerging AI capability. You may be asked to outline your initial approach to framing the problem, identifying opportunities, and defining a strategic path forward.

• Practice articulating your thought process clearly and concisely, especially when discussing complex systems or abstract concepts.

• Prepare to discuss how you would collaborate with engineering and design teams to validate and implement your strategic recommendations.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is designed to assess strategic thinking, research capabilities, communication skills, and the ability to translate complex ideas into actionable product strategies. The portfolio presentation is a critical component, requiring candidates to demonstrate their process and impact effectively. Preparing to discuss AI integration and stakeholder influence will be key.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop) for creating flows, wireframes, and visual concepts.

• Research & Synthesis: Tools for qualitative data analysis (e.g., Dovetail, Condens), survey platforms (e.g., SurveyMonkey, Typeform), and potentially user testing platforms.

• Collaboration & Communication: Slack, Microsoft Teams, Zoom for day-to-day communication and virtual meetings.

• Project Management: Jira, Asana, Trello for tracking tasks, workflows, and project progress.

• AI Tools: Familiarity with generative AI tools for research augmentation, content creation, and ideation (e.g., ChatGPT, Midjourney, Claude, Perplexity.ai).

Analytics & Reporting:

• Web/App Analytics: Google Analytics, Amplitude, Mixpanel for understanding user behavior and product performance.

• Data Visualization: Tableau, Power BI, Looker Studio for creating dashboards and reports to communicate insights to stakeholders.

• Spreadsheets: Advanced proficiency in Excel or Google Sheets for data manipulation and analysis.

CRM & Automation:

• While not directly a CRM/automation role, understanding how experience strategy impacts CRM functions and marketing automation workflows is beneficial. Familiarity with how data flows between systems is advantageous.

• Integration Tools: Basic understanding of how different systems connect and exchange data is helpful for system-level thinking.

📝 Enhancement Note: The technology stack reflects the needs of a modern, remote digital product engineering firm. Proficiency in design and research tools is essential, but the explicit mention of AI tools highlights a forward-thinking approach. Candidates are expected to be comfortable leveraging these tools to enhance their strategic and research work, and to understand how their strategic recommendations translate into product features and user experiences that are tracked via analytics platforms.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Innovation: A continuous drive to explore new ideas, technologies (especially AI), and approaches to digital product development.

• Collaboration: A strong emphasis on working together, both internally and with clients, to achieve shared goals. This is crucial in a remote-first environment.

• Excellence: A commitment to high standards in design, engineering, and client delivery, reflected in their partnerships with industry leaders.

• Impact: A focus on delivering tangible results and lasting change for clients through well-engineered digital products.

• Adaptability: A culture that embraces change and is agile in responding to evolving client needs and technological advancements, exemplified by their early adoption of remote work and focus on AI.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Expect a highly collaborative style where design, strategy, product management, and engineering work in tight-knit, multidisciplinary teams. Communication is open and frequent.

• Process Review & Feedback: A culture that encourages constructive feedback and iterative improvement of processes and deliverables. Open dialogue is key to refining strategies and designs.

• Knowledge Sharing: As a remote, global team, there's an implicit need for effective knowledge sharing through documentation, internal presentations, and collaborative platforms to ensure alignment and continuous learning.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company values and collaboration style are deeply intertwined with its remote-first model and its role as a digital product engineering partner. The emphasis on innovation, excellence, and impact suggests a high-performing team where individuals are expected to be proactive, collaborative, and driven by results. The strategist will need to be comfortable contributing to and thriving in this dynamic, client-centric, and technologically advanced environment.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Navigating Ambiguity: The core of this role involves turning undefined problems into clear strategic directions. This requires comfort with uncertainty, strong analytical skills, and the ability to define scope.

• Influencing Stakeholders: Effectively communicating complex strategies and influencing decision-makers at senior levels, especially in a remote setting, requires exceptional presentation and negotiation skills.

• Integrating AI Strategically: Identifying truly valuable AI use cases that align with business goals and user needs, and avoiding "AI for AI's sake," will be an ongoing challenge.

• Translating Strategy to Execution: Ensuring that strategic concepts are well-defined and seamlessly handed off to design and engineering for effective implementation can be complex.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• AI Specialization: Opportunities to become a go-to expert in AI product strategy and innovation within Modus Create.

• Cross-Disciplinary Exposure: Deepen understanding of engineering practices, product management, and client business models through close collaboration.

• Professional Certifications: Support for pursuing certifications in areas like service design, AI product management, or advanced UX research.

• Mentorship: Access to senior leaders and experienced strategists within Modus Create for guidance and career development.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are inherent to a senior strategy role focused on innovation. They present significant opportunities for professional growth. Candidates who are adept at navigating complexity, influencing others, and strategically applying new technologies like AI will find this role particularly rewarding and conducive to skill development.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to frame an ambiguous problem. What was your process, what did you uncover, and how did you translate that into actionable direction?" (Focus on problem framing, research, and outcome.)

• "How do you balance business objectives, user needs, and technical constraints when developing a product strategy, especially when AI is involved?" (Look for a structured approach to balancing competing priorities.)

• "Walk me through a project where you used AI tools to enhance your research, synthesis, or ideation process. What were the benefits and limitations?" (Prepare to discuss specific tools and their impact.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Modus Create's approach to digital product engineering and your work with companies like AWS and GitHub?" (Showcase your research into the company and alignment with their values.)

• "How do you see your role as an Experience Design Strategist contributing to Modus Create's fully remote culture and client-centric approach?" (Discuss collaboration, communication, and client impact.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• "Choose one project that best demonstrates your ability to bridge strategy and execution. Walk us through it, focusing on your strategic thought process, research insights, and how you informed product decisions." (Be ready to present a detailed case study.)

• "How would you define success for the product/project you're presenting, both in terms of user experience and business impact?" (Connect your work to measurable outcomes.)

• "If you were to continue development on this project, what would be your next strategic steps, and how would you involve engineering and design?" (Show foresight and understanding of the product lifecycle.)

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparation should focus on showcasing a systematic approach to strategic problem-solving, a deep understanding of research methodologies, and the ability to articulate complex ideas clearly. Be ready to demonstrate practical application of AI tools and strong stakeholder influence. Tailor your portfolio presentation to highlight the specific requirements of this role: ambiguity, AI, and bridging strategy to concrete product outcomes.

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📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Experience Design Strategist position:

• Submit your application through the Modus Create careers portal via the provided link.

• Customize Your Resume: Tailor your resume to highlight experience in experience strategy, product design, service design, UX research, and AI innovation. Use keywords from the job description and quantify achievements where possible, focusing on strategic impact and stakeholder influence.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 strong case studies that best showcase your abilities in framing ambiguous problems, conducting research, facilitating stakeholders, and translating insights into product concepts or roadmaps. Ensure your portfolio clearly demonstrates your process, your role, and any use of AI tools.

• Prepare Your Presentation: Practice presenting your chosen portfolio case study, focusing on storytelling, clarity of thought, and demonstrating your strategic process. Be ready to answer in-depth questions about your work and approach.

• Research Modus Create: Understand their client portfolio, their approach to digital product engineering, their remote-first culture, and their commitment to innovation, particularly with AI. This will help you tailor your responses and demonstrate genuine interest.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.