Lead Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Lead Designer

Company: athenahealth

Location: Austin, TX

Job Type: Full time

Category: Experience Design / Product Design

Date Posted: November 5, 2026

Experience Level: 5-10 years

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the strategic design and problem-framing for complex patient health and administrative workflows within the healthcare technology sector, guiding solutions from initial discovery through to successful delivery.

• Design efficient, safe, and intuitive user experiences that seamlessly coordinate patients, clinicians, and administrative staff across diverse healthcare environments, utilizing a deep understanding of healthcare operations.

• Create comprehensive design artifacts, including user flows, interaction models, prototypes, and detailed behavioral specifications, to effectively guide engineering and development teams in implementation.

• Drive user-centered design by planning and conducting extensive user, client, and domain research, leveraging behavioral data and product analytics to inform design decisions and measure product success.

• Collaborate closely with Product Management and Engineering to translate product strategy into tangible user experiences, ensuring design intent is maintained throughout the entire product development lifecycle.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a hybrid opportunity, indicating a need for both in-office collaboration and remote flexibility, a common arrangement for senior design roles requiring in-depth team interaction and individual focus. The emphasis on healthcare workflows and patient/provider experiences suggests a strong need for domain expertise and a data-driven approach to design within a regulated industry.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Problem Framing & Solution Development: Lead cross-functional teams through the entire design lifecycle, from identifying complex patient health and administrative workflow challenges to developing innovative and effective solutions.

• Workflow & Interaction Design: Architect efficient, safe, and intuitive workflows and interaction models that optimize coordination between patients, clinicians, and administrative staff within the healthcare ecosystem.

• Design Artifact Creation: Produce a range of design deliverables, including wireframes, user flows, interactive prototypes, and detailed behavioral specifications, to clearly communicate design intent and guide development.

• Cross-Functional Partnership: Collaborate closely with Product Management and Engineering teams to align design solutions with product strategy, business goals, and technical feasibility throughout planning, development, and delivery.

• User Research & Insights: Plan, execute, and synthesize user, client, and domain research, integrating behavioral data and product analytics to drive informed design decisions and evaluate product impact.

• Design System Contribution: Apply and contribute to established design system patterns, collaborating with design system teams to evolve components and interaction models based on evolving product needs.

• UX Quality Assurance: Uphold high UX quality standards across workflow design, interaction design, accessibility (WCAG compliance), and content, ensuring a superior user experience.

• Mentorship & Process Improvement: Guide and mentor less experienced designers through design reviews and coaching, while actively contributing to the enhancement of team-wide design processes, tools, and best practices.

• AI-Assisted Design: Utilize and explore AI-powered and AI-assisted tools for research synthesis, design exploration, and prototyping, while also contributing to the design of AI-enabled product capabilities.

• Travel: Undertake approximately 5% annual travel to support project needs and team collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a senior-level individual contributor role that requires not only strong design execution but also leadership in problem-solving, cross-functional facilitation, and mentorship. The explicit mention of AI-assisted tools indicates a forward-thinking approach to design processes within athenahealth.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's or master's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Cognitive Psychology, Computer Science, Business, or a closely related field. Experience:

• Minimum of 5 years of progressive experience in User Experience (UX) or Product Design.

• Demonstrated experience designing for patient or consumer-facing products, particularly those involving complex or high-stakes interactions within healthcare.

• Proven track record of designing complex workflow systems for enterprise, SaaS, or regulated industries, showcasing an understanding of intricate business processes. Required Skills:

• UX Design & Interaction Design: Expertise in core UX principles, interaction design, information architecture, and user-centered design methodologies.

• Prototyping & Workflow Design: Proficiency in creating interactive prototypes and detailed workflow diagrams to communicate design solutions.

• User Research & Analysis: Experience planning and conducting user research (qualitative and quantitative), synthesizing findings, and translating them into actionable design decisions.

• Design Systems: Familiarity with working within and contributing to established design systems, understanding component-based design and pattern evolution.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Proven ability to effectively partner with Product Management, Engineering, and other stakeholders in agile development environments.

• Communication & Facilitation: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to clearly articulate design concepts and facilitate workshops.

• Systems Thinking: Capacity to understand and design for complex systems, considering user, business, and technical interdependencies.

• Problem Solving: Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to navigate ambiguity and make timely, informed decisions.

• Accessibility Standards: Understanding of accessibility best practices and standards (e.g., WCAG) to ensure inclusive design.

Preferred Skills:

• AI-Assisted Design Tools: Experience with AI-powered design or research tools, demonstrating an ability to leverage emerging technologies.

• Healthcare Domain Knowledge: Specific experience or deep understanding of healthcare workflows, patient journeys, and the operational challenges faced by healthcare providers.

• Visual Communication: Strong visual design skills and the ability to create compelling design artifacts.

• Mentorship Experience: Prior experience mentoring junior designers or leading design initiatives within a team.

• Behavioral Specifications: Expertise in creating detailed behavioral specifications to guide complex system implementation.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for experience in complex workflow systems and high-stakes patient experiences, combined with a minimum of 5 years, positions this as a mid-to-senior level role. The emphasis on AI-assisted workflows and design systems suggests athenahealth is investing in modern design practices and tooling.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Case Studies: Showcase 3-5 detailed case studies demonstrating your end-to-end design process for complex problems, ideally within healthcare, enterprise SaaS, or regulated industries.

• Problem Framing: Clearly articulate the problem space, user needs, and business objectives for each project.

• Process Documentation: Illustrate your design methodology, including user research, ideation, wireframing, prototyping, user testing, and iteration.

• Solution Presentation: Present detailed workflows, interaction models, and final UI designs, explaining the rationale behind your design decisions.

• Impact & Metrics: Quantify the impact of your designs with relevant metrics (e.g., user satisfaction improvements, efficiency gains, reduction in errors, conversion rate increases).

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design & Optimization: Provide examples of how you've mapped, analyzed, and optimized complex workflows to improve efficiency and user experience.

• System Implementation Standards: Demonstrate your ability to translate design into clear specifications for engineering teams, ensuring fidelity and adherence to design intent.

• Measurement & Performance Analysis: Include examples of how you've used data (user research, analytics, A/B testing) to inform design decisions and measure the success of implemented solutions.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Lead Designer role, the portfolio should not only showcase design execution but also strategic thinking, problem-solving capabilities, and the ability to drive impact through design. A strong emphasis on process and quantifiable results is expected for this level.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $124,000 - $212,000 USD per year.

Explanation of Range:

This salary range reflects the full spectrum for this Lead Designer position at athenahealth, considering factors such as job-related experience, relevant knowledge and skills, comparison to other candidates, and geographical market rates for Austin, TX. The compensation structure is designed to attract and retain top talent in the competitive field of UX and product design within the healthcare technology sector.

Benefits:

• Health Benefits: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance plans.

• Financial Benefits: Competitive retirement savings plans (e.g., 401k matching), and potential for annual discretionary bonus plans, variable compensation plans, and equity plans based on role eligibility and company performance.

• Professional Development: Tuition assistance for continuing education, access to employee resource groups, and opportunities for professional growth.

• Work-Life Support: Employee assistance programs (EAP) offering confidential counseling and support services.

• Commuter Support: Assistance programs for commuting to the Austin office.

• Other Perks: Potential for location-specific perks, including access to collaborative workspaces.

Working Hours:

• Standard full-time work week, approximately 40 hours per week.

• Hybrid work arrangement offering flexibility, balancing in-office collaboration with remote work days.

📝 Enhancement Note: The provided salary range is typical for a Lead Designer in a major tech hub like Austin, TX, especially within the healthcare technology industry, which often commands competitive compensation. The inclusion of bonus and equity plans suggests a comprehensive total rewards package, common for leadership or senior individual contributor roles.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Healthcare Technology (Health IT)

Company Size: Large (athenahealth is a significant player in the healthcare IT space, employing thousands globally).

Founded: 1997. athenahealth has a long-standing history in modernizing healthcare IT, focusing on cloud-based services and revenue cycle management.

Team Structure:

• Experience Design Team: This team is a core part of athenahealth's product development, working closely with Product Management and Engineering. It likely comprises various design disciplines, including UX, UI, interaction design, and design systems.

• Reporting Structure: The Lead Designer reports to a Senior Manager or Director within the Experience Design function, indicating a clear hierarchy and opportunities for senior leadership interaction.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: The role emphasizes close collaboration with Product Management, Engineering, Research, and Design System teams, fostering a highly integrated product development environment.

Methodology:

• Data-Informed Design: The team leverages research, behavioral data, product analytics, and AI-assisted workflows to inform design decisions.

• Systems Thinking: A core approach to understanding and designing for the complexities of healthcare workflows and the broader healthcare ecosystem.

• Agile Development: Collaboration with Product and Engineering suggests an agile or iterative product development process.

• AI Integration: Actively exploring and integrating AI capabilities into design processes and product offerings.

Company Website: https://www.athenahealth.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: athenahealth's mission to simplify healthcare delivery and its focus on a "thriving ecosystem" points to a company culture that values innovation, efficiency, and a deep understanding of the healthcare industry's complexities. The emphasis on AI suggests a commitment to leveraging cutting-edge technology.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Lead Designer (Senior Individual Contributor)

This level signifies a designer with substantial experience who can independently lead significant design initiatives, mentor others, and contribute strategically to design processes and product direction. They are expected to tackle complex problems and influence product outcomes.

Reporting Structure:

The Lead Designer reports to a Senior Manager or Director of Experience Design. This structure provides access to senior leadership for strategic guidance and career development, while also offering opportunities to influence team-level processes and practices.

Operations Impact:

The Lead Designer's impact is crucial in simplifying complex healthcare workflows, improving patient and provider experiences, and enhancing operational efficiency. By designing intuitive and safe solutions, they directly contribute to athenahealth's mission of making healthcare more accessible and effective, thereby influencing revenue cycles, patient satisfaction, and clinical productivity.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in specific areas of healthcare UX, AI-driven design, or design systems.

• Leadership: Transition into management roles (e.g., Design Manager) or take on lead roles for larger product areas or strategic initiatives.

• Skill Development: Continuous learning in emerging design technologies, AI capabilities, and healthcare industry trends through internal training, conferences, and mentorship.

• Cross-Functional Influence: Expand influence across product strategy, engineering practices, and research methodologies.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Lead" title implies a significant level of autonomy and responsibility. Growth opportunities are likely focused on deepening expertise, taking on larger strategic projects, or moving into management, aligning with typical career paths for senior designers in tech companies.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid, with a significant presence in Austin, TX. This suggests a modern office environment designed for collaboration, likely featuring open workspaces, meeting rooms, and areas for focused work.

Office Location(s): Austin, TX. This location is a major tech hub, offering access to a vibrant talent pool and a dynamic professional community.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Spaces: The office environment is designed to foster collaboration, with ample meeting rooms and open areas for team discussions and workshops.

• Tools & Technology: Access to modern design tools, prototyping software, and AI-assisted workflows is expected, supporting efficient and innovative design processes.

• Team Interaction: Opportunities for regular interaction with design colleagues, Product Managers, Engineers, and Researchers, facilitating knowledge sharing and cross-pollination of ideas.

Work Schedule:

• Standard full-time hours (approx. 40 hours/week).

• Hybrid arrangement provides flexibility, allowing for a balance between in-office collaboration and remote work. This structure supports focused individual work while ensuring strong team connectivity.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid nature of the role suggests that while in-office days are important for collaboration and team building, there's also an expectation of individual productivity and flexibility. The Austin location implies a dynamic work environment within a competitive tech landscape.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter or hiring manager will review applications and portfolios to assess fit with the role's requirements.

• Hiring Manager Interview: Focus on your experience, design philosophy, leadership potential, and understanding of athenahealth's mission.

• Design Exercise/Challenge: You may be asked to complete a take-home design challenge or participate in a live design exercise focusing on problem-solving and workflow design within a healthcare context.

• Portfolio Presentation: A session where you present selected case studies from your portfolio, explaining your process, rationale, and impact to a panel of designers and potentially Product Managers/Engineers.

• Cross-Functional Interviews: Meetings with Product Management and Engineering leads to assess collaboration skills and understanding of the product development lifecycle.

• Final Interview: May involve senior leadership to discuss strategic alignment and overall fit.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 3-5 projects that best showcase your experience in complex workflows, patient/provider experiences, and your ability to drive impact. Prioritize healthcare or regulated industry examples if possible.

• Tell a Story: For each case study, clearly articulate the problem, your role, your process (research, ideation, iteration), your specific design contributions, and the measurable outcomes.

• Highlight Process: Detail your methodologies, including how you used research, data, and systems thinking to arrive at your solutions.

• Demonstrate Impact: Quantify results whenever possible using metrics related to efficiency, user satisfaction, adoption, or business goals.

• Be Prepared to Discuss: Be ready to answer in-depth questions about your design decisions, trade-offs you made, and how you collaborated with teams.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Domain: Research athenahealth's products and the healthcare IT landscape. Familiarize yourself with common patient and provider workflows.

• Focus on Process: For any design challenge, clearly outline your approach, even if you don't have time to fully flesh out every detail. Show your thinking.

• Consider Constraints: Acknowledge and address technical, business, and user constraints in your proposed solutions.

• Practice Articulation: Be ready to present your thoughts and solutions clearly and concisely, explaining your rationale.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process for a Lead Designer role will heavily emphasize portfolio review and problem-solving skills. Candidates should be prepared to demonstrate strategic thinking, a strong understanding of design process, and the ability to articulate the impact of their work.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop), InVision, Axure RP.

• AI-Assisted Workflows: Familiarity with AI tools for research synthesis (e.g., Dovetail AI), design exploration, or content generation.

• User Research Platforms: UserTesting.com, Lookback, Maze, Qualtrics.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Product Analytics: Google Analytics, Amplitude, Mixpanel, Adobe Analytics.

• Data Visualization: Tableau, Power BI, Looker (for understanding product usage and performance).

CRM & Automation:

• CRM: Salesforce (as a general understanding of CRM principles), specific healthcare CRMs if applicable.

• Project Management: Jira, Confluence, Asana, Trello (for tracking design tasks and collaborating with engineering).

• Design System Management: Tools for managing design systems and component libraries.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in industry-standard design tools like Figma and Sketch is essential. Experience with AI-assisted design tools is a significant plus, reflecting the company's forward-looking approach. Understanding of product analytics and project management tools is also crucial for effective collaboration.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Simplicity: A core value at athenahealth, aiming to reduce complexity in healthcare for both patients and providers.

• Accessibility: Commitment to making high-quality healthcare accessible to all.

• Data-Driven: Decisions are informed by research, behavioral data, and product analytics.

• Collaboration: Strong emphasis on working together across functions to achieve shared goals.

• Innovation: Embracing new technologies, including AI, to improve healthcare delivery.

• Accountability: Taking ownership of outcomes and driving results.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: Designers are deeply embedded within product teams, working alongside Product Management and Engineering to ensure cohesive product development.

• Open Communication: Encouragement of open dialogue, feedback exchange, and knowledge sharing to foster continuous improvement in design practices and products.

• User-Centricity: A shared commitment to understanding and advocating for the user (patient, clinician, administrator) in all design and product decisions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's stated values of Simplicity, Accessibility, and Innovation, combined with a collaborative and data-driven approach, shape the work environment for designers. Expect a culture that values both strategic thinking and hands-on execution.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Healthcare Complexity: Navigating the intricate and often fragmented nature of healthcare systems, regulations, and user needs.

• Balancing Stakeholder Needs: Synthesizing input from diverse stakeholders (patients, clinicians, administrators, business, engineering) to create cohesive and effective solutions.

• AI Integration: Effectively integrating AI capabilities into user experiences in a way that is beneficial, ethical, and user-friendly.

• Driving Adoption: Ensuring that new designs and workflows are adopted by users and achieve desired outcomes.

• Ambiguity: Working in a dynamic industry with evolving technologies and business priorities requires adaptability and comfort with ambiguity.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Domain Expertise: Deepen knowledge of healthcare workflows, clinical practices, and patient journeys through ongoing projects and company resources.

• AI in Design: Explore and master new AI tools and methodologies relevant to design and research.

• Leadership Skills: Develop mentorship, facilitation, and strategic influencing skills through hands-on experience and potential leadership training.

• Industry Trends: Stay abreast of advancements in healthcare technology, UX design, and AI through conferences, webinars, and internal knowledge sharing.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges inherent in the healthcare industry are significant but also present substantial opportunities for growth and impact. The company's focus on AI and its "thriving ecosystem" vision provides fertile ground for continuous learning and professional development.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you led the design of a complex workflow. What was the problem, your process, and the outcome?" (Focus on problem framing, methodology, and impact).

• "How do you approach balancing user needs with business objectives and technical constraints in a regulated industry like healthcare?" (Showcase systems thinking and trade-off analysis).

• "How have you used data and research to inform your design decisions? Provide a specific example." (Emphasize data-driven approach and user advocacy).

• "What are your thoughts on the role of AI in healthcare design, and how have you incorporated AI tools into your workflow?" (Demonstrate forward-thinking and practical application). Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about athenahealth's mission to simplify healthcare?" (Connect your passion to their vision).

• "How do you contribute to a collaborative team environment and mentor junior designers?" (Highlight teamwork and leadership potential).

• "Describe a situation where you had to navigate ambiguity or changing priorities. How did you handle it?" (Assess adaptability and problem-solving under pressure). Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure: Begin with a brief overview of your design philosophy and career. For each case study, clearly state the project goal, your role, the problem, your process, the solution, and the results.

• Focus on "Why": Explain the rationale behind your design decisions at each stage.

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals effectively to illustrate your designs and workflows.

• Quantify Impact: Present metrics clearly and explain how your design contributed to them.

• Be Ready for Q&A: Anticipate detailed questions about your process, decisions, and collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating leadership, strategic thinking, a robust design process, and a clear understanding of the healthcare context. The portfolio presentation is a critical component where you can showcase your best work and articulate your value.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Lead Designer position:

• Submit your application: Complete the online application form through the provided Workday link.

• Tailor your Resume: Highlight your experience in UX/Product Design, complex workflows, healthcare or regulated industries, user research, and cross-functional collaboration. Use keywords from the job description.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 3-5 of your strongest case studies that best demonstrate your skills in problem-framing, process, design execution, and impact. Ensure it's easily accessible (e.g., a personal website or PDF).

• Prepare Your Presentation: Practice walking through your portfolio case studies, focusing on your process, rationale, and quantifiable results. Be ready to discuss your approach to complex healthcare workflows.

• Research athenahealth: Understand their mission, products, and company culture. Consider how your skills and experience align with their goals, particularly their focus on simplifying healthcare and leveraging AI.

⚠️ 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.