Lead Designer, Marketing Communications

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Lead Designer, Marketing Communications

Company: Exact Sciences

Location: Madison, WI (with remote options in Chicago, IL; Boston, MA; San Diego, CA; Minneapolis, MN)

Job Type: Full-time

Category: Marketing Operations / Design Operations / GTM Operations

Date Posted: June 22, 2026

Experience Level: 8+ Years (Lead Capacity)

Remote Status: Hybrid/Remote Eligible (for specific locations)

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead high-impact design initiatives across digital, product, and marketing platforms, focusing on enhancing customer experience (CX) journeys for patients and providers.

• Drive the definition and execution of scalable, human-centered design solutions, blending systems thinking with hands-on craft.

• Mentor and guide junior and mid-level designers, fostering a culture of design excellence, continuous learning, and shared ownership within cross-functional teams.

• Ensure design consistency and innovation across web, mobile, physical, and hybrid touchpoints, while adhering to compliance and business objectives (OKRs).

• Collaborate closely with Product Management, Engineering, Research, Content Strategy, Legal, Marketing, and Medical stakeholders to navigate complexity and deliver impactful experiences.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the job title is "Lead Designer, Marketing Communications," the description strongly emphasizes a broader "Customer Experience (CX)" and "Experience Design" focus, integrating product and digital platforms. This role sits at the intersection of design, marketing, and operational excellence, requiring strong process thinking and collaboration skills typical of GTM or Operations-adjacent design leadership. The emphasis on OKRs, cross-functional collaboration, and system-level design points to a need for operational rigor in design execution.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Lead the vision, interaction patterns, and system-level design for customer journeys and touchpoints across various platforms (web, mobile, physical, hybrid).

• Develop and champion advanced prototypes, animations, and motion characteristics to effectively communicate design concepts and user flows.

• Advocate for user research integration into UX vision, providing strategic rigor from conception through optimization and governance.

• Evolve and champion the enterprise-wide design system, ensuring it drives efficiency and meets diverse audience needs.

• Serve as a subject-matter expert in design, guiding partners and peers on how design drives utility and inspires, while removing impediments to deliver on experience vision and OKRs.

• Research and adopt enterprise-wide UX best practices, standards, principles, and AI integration into daily design practice.

• Create systems and strategies that empower designers, leading the use of design thinking, storytelling, and conceptual prototypes to convey product/service visions.

• Understand and prioritize time, problems, opportunities, and solutions contributing to the product roadmap, strategy, and vision, leveraging data, research, industry trends, and business objectives.

• Foster a welcoming and inclusive environment, modeling desired behaviors for the organization.

• Work within established design systems to create consistent, bold, and memorable experiences across multiple channels, including web and email marketing.

• Effectively manage legal reviews and feedback cycles, ensuring compliance.

• Support and comply with the company's Quality Management System policies and procedures.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of strategic leadership, hands-on design execution, and operational management. The emphasis on "systems thinking," "design systems," "OKRs," and "removing impediments" suggests a need for candidates with a strong understanding of how design operations and marketing operations contribute to broader business goals and efficient product delivery.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Design, Marketing, Business, Life Sciences, or a related field.

• OR High School Diploma/GED with 4+ years of relevant experience in lieu of a Bachelor's degree. Experience:

• 8+ years of experience as a UX Designer.

• At least 5 years of experience in a senior or lead capacity.

• Extensive experience in applying modern user experience design, discovery, and delivery techniques.

• Experience managing a design process from strategy to delivery.

• Experience collaborating with and influencing product, engineering, design, and operational teams.

• Proven experience in creating designs that optimize for varied ecosystems, leveraging persona work, SEO, and measurement objectives.

• Experience in relationship building, motivation, and curiosity for collaborative solutioning.

• Experience recruiting, coordinating, developing, and managing a team. Required Skills:

• Expertise with design/user experience platforms and tools (e.g., Figma, Miro, Jira).

• Strong working knowledge of HTML, CSS, JavaScript.

• Advanced understanding of accessible, inclusive, and equitable design principles.

• Knowledge of best-in-class design systems (Material, Carbon, Fluent, etc.) and their pros and cons; experience evolving or building design systems.

• Extensive experience problem-solving, organizational, and analytical skills.

• Advanced understanding of human-centered design and design thinking methodologies.

• Experience translating complex user, business, operational, and technical requirements into clear user experience deliverables.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, adaptable to various audiences.

• Demonstrated ability to perform essential duties with or without accommodation.

• Proficiency with Adobe Creative Suite applications and associated design tools.

• Understanding of Agile/Scrum/Kanban principles.

• Experience with content management systems (Sitecore a plus) and user testing tools.

• Experience simplifying and communicating complex ideas to broad audiences.

• Experience optimizing for varied ecosystems leveraging personas, SEO, and measurement objectives. Preferred Skills:

• Experience in healthcare, wellness, or digital health.

• Experience with service design and operations.

• Experience with both B2C and B2B products and/or services.

• Experience within large organizations.

• Experience with Sitecore, React, and Angular frameworks.

• Experience with no-code tools to support the experience.

• Experience using AI to enhance experiences or create process efficiencies.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirements emphasize a strong foundation in UX design principles and methodologies, coupled with practical experience in leading teams and processes. The inclusion of skills like "systems thinking," "design systems," "Agile/Scrum/Kanban," and experience with "operational teams" highlights the role's connection to operational efficiency and GTM strategy execution. The explicit mention of AI and no-code tools points to a forward-thinking approach to design operations.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrate ability to simplify complexity and bring strategy to life through experience design.

• Showcase work that resonates with diverse audiences, reflecting a commitment to solving the right problems and driving meaningful outcomes at scale.

• Provide examples of thoughtful interactions and human-centered solutions.

• Highlight experience in leading design initiatives from strategy through execution.

• Showcase ability to balance strategic vision with detailed interaction design and component-level polish. Process Documentation:

• Present case studies that illustrate the end-to-end design process, from initial research and problem definition to final delivery and optimization.

• Detail how user research and data were integrated into the design process to inform decisions and drive outcomes.

• Explain the approach to developing and evolving design systems, demonstrating how they contribute to efficiency and consistency.

• Showcase experience in collaborating with cross-functional teams (Product, Engineering, Legal, Marketing) and managing complex feedback cycles.

• Illustrate how design decisions align with business objectives, OKRs, and compliance requirements.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a portfolio demonstrating "simplifying complexity," "bringing strategy to life," and "human-centered solutions" aligns with operations roles focused on process clarity and efficiency. The requirement to showcase the "end-to-end design process," integration of "research and data," and collaboration with "cross-functional teams" suggests a need for a portfolio that reflects strong process management and operational thinking in design execution.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• National: $124,000 - $211,000 USD per year

• California: $150,420 - $225,630 USD per year

• Madison, WI: Likely aligns with the National range, specific local adjustment may apply.

📝 Enhancement Note: The provided salary ranges indicate significant variation based on location, with California commanding a premium. For the Madison, WI location, candidates can expect compensation within the national range, subject to local market adjustments. This role is also bonus eligible. Understanding how design leadership and operational impact contribute to business objectives will be key in salary negotiations.

Benefits:

• Paid Time Off (including vacation, holidays, volunteering, and personal time)

• Paid Leave for Parents and Caregivers

• Retirement Savings Plan

• Wellness Support

• Health Benefits: Medical, Prescription Drug Coverage, Dental, and Vision Insurance Working Hours:

• Approximately 40 hours per week.

• Ability to travel 10-20% of working time, potentially including overnight/weekend travel.

📝 Enhancement Note: The benefits package is comprehensive, addressing work-life balance and long-term financial well-being, which are important considerations for operations professionals seeking stability and support. The travel requirement indicates a need for flexibility and commitment to on-site collaboration or client engagement when necessary.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Biotechnology / Diagnostics / Healthcare. Exact Sciences is focused on changing how cancer is prevented, detected, and treated, providing clarity for critical patient and clinician decisions.

Company Size: Exact Sciences is a significant player in the biotech industry, implying a dynamic, fast-paced environment with established processes and a growing global presence. The specific company size information is not provided in the input.

Founded: Exact Sciences was founded in 1997, indicating a company with a history of innovation and growth in the life sciences sector.

Team Structure:

• The role sits within the Customer Experience (CX) team, specifically focusing on Experience Design.

• This team is responsible for defining and delivering customer-centric journeys across all channels and customer types.

• The Lead Designer will collaborate closely with Product Managers, Engineers, Researchers, Content Strategists, Legal, Marketing, and Medical departments.

• The role involves leading and supporting a team of designers, indicating a potential for direct management or significant mentorship responsibilities. Methodology:

• Emphasis on human-centered design, systems thinking, and iterative testing.

• Design work is grounded in deep empathy, curiosity, and understanding user mindsets.

• Focus on reducing friction, building trust, and empowering users.

• Balancing strategic vision with tactical execution and component-level polish.

• Collaborative problem-solving approach to navigate complexity, compliance, and competing priorities.

• Integration of AI into design practice and exploration of no-code tools.

Company Website: [Exact Sciences Careers Page or Main Website - URL not provided]

📝 Enhancement Note: Exact Sciences operates in a highly regulated and impactful industry (healthcare/diagnostics). This means design decisions must be rigorously validated for accuracy, compliance, and patient safety. The company culture likely values precision, collaboration, and a strong ethical compass. The CX team's structure suggests a matrixed environment where design leadership is crucial for driving cohesive experiences across diverse functional groups.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Lead Designer position, indicating a senior-level role with significant responsibility for guiding design strategy, execution, and team development. It requires not just strong design skills but also leadership, mentorship, and cross-functional influence.

Reporting Structure: While not explicitly stated, the role likely reports to a Director or VP of Experience Design or CX. The Lead Designer will, in turn, guide and support junior and mid-level designers.

Operations Impact: The Lead Designer's work directly impacts the customer experience, influencing patient and provider decisions, which are critical in the healthcare sector. By ensuring clarity, trust, and ease of use in digital and marketing communications, this role contributes to Exact Sciences' mission of improving cancer detection and treatment, ultimately driving business outcomes through enhanced customer engagement and adoption.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Advancement: Deepen expertise in advanced UX methodologies, design systems, AI integration in design, and service design within the healthcare context.

• Leadership Development: Grow into a management role, leading larger design teams or taking on broader strategic responsibilities within the CX organization.

• Cross-Functional Expertise: Gain deeper insights into product development, engineering processes, marketing strategies, and regulatory compliance within a leading biotech company.

• Industry Impact: Contribute to groundbreaking advancements in cancer diagnostics and treatment through thoughtful design, offering a unique sense of purpose.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers a clear path for growth from a senior individual contributor to a design leader. The emphasis on "mentoring," "guiding teams," and "influencing stakeholders" suggests opportunities to develop management and strategic leadership skills. The focus on "AI integration" and "no-code tools" also points to opportunities for staying at the forefront of design operations technology.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is described as potentially "site-based or remote." This suggests a hybrid work model is common, with opportunities for both in-office collaboration and remote flexibility. The primary site mentioned is Madison, WI, with other potential locations including Chicago, Boston, San Diego, and Minneapolis.

Office Location(s):

• Madison, WI (5505 Endeavor Lane)

• Chicago, IL

• Boston, MA

• San Diego, CA

• Minneapolis, MN Workspace Context:

• Collaborative environment expected, working closely with diverse cross-functional teams (Product, Engineering, Research, Legal, Marketing, Medical).

• Access to industry-standard design tools and technology is implied.

• Opportunities for both focused individual work and team-based problem-solving.

• The hybrid/remote aspect requires strong self-discipline and communication skills. Work Schedule:

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

• Flexibility may be available depending on team needs and project deadlines, but the 10-20% travel requirement indicates a need for adaptability.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid/remote flexibility for specific locations is a significant draw. Operations professionals often value this flexibility. The emphasis on cross-functional collaboration suggests an environment where communication and process alignment are key, requiring individuals comfortable with working across different teams and potentially different work styles.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Likely involves a recruiter or hiring manager to assess basic qualifications, experience, and cultural fit.

• Portfolio Presentation: A critical stage where candidates present their work, focusing on case studies that demonstrate problem-solving, strategic thinking, process, and impact. Expect to discuss your role, challenges, and outcomes.

• Cross-Functional Interviews: Interviews with Product Managers, Engineers, Researchers, and potentially Legal/Marketing stakeholders to assess collaboration skills, technical understanding, and ability to integrate diverse perspectives.

• Design Leadership/Mentorship Discussion: Interviews focused on leadership style, experience mentoring designers, and ability to foster a positive team culture.

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

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Structure: Organize your portfolio around key projects. For each project, clearly define the problem, your role, the process followed (research, ideation, design, testing), the solutions, and the measurable outcomes (impact on user behavior, business goals, OKRs).

• Operations Focus: Highlight how you managed design processes, collaborated with operational/cross-functional teams, leveraged design systems for efficiency, and ensured compliance. Use metrics and data to demonstrate impact.

• Storytelling: Craft a narrative for each project that clearly articulates the challenges and your strategic approach. Emphasize your leadership and problem-solving capabilities.

• Diversity & Inclusion: Showcase examples of accessible and inclusive design solutions.

• Tools & Systems: Mention proficiency with relevant tools (Figma, Adobe Suite, Miro, Jira) and experience with design systems.

Challenge Preparation:

• Be prepared for a design challenge that may involve simplifying a complex user flow, proposing a solution for a specific customer journey, or critiquing an existing experience.

• Focus on articulating your thought process, how you would approach the problem using design thinking and systems thinking, and how you'd collaborate with others to iterate and refine the solution.

• Demonstrate an understanding of the healthcare context, compliance, and user needs (patient/provider).

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on portfolio review and case studies is paramount for a design leadership role, especially one that bridges design and operations. Candidates should prepare to discuss not just the final visual output but the process, the collaboration, and the impact in quantifiable terms, mirroring the rigor expected in operations roles.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma (highly probable given industry trends), Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects for animations/prototypes), Miro (for ideation, workshop facilitation, journey mapping).

• Project Management & Collaboration: Jira (for tracking design tasks within Agile workflows), Confluence (for documentation), potentially Asana or Trello.

• Content Management Systems: Sitecore (preferred), others may be relevant.

• User Testing Tools: Tools for usability testing and feedback collection (specifics not mentioned but expected).

• Design Systems: Experience with established systems (Material Design, Carbon Design, Fluent Design) and the ability to evolve or build them.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Understanding of how design impacts key metrics (conversion rates, engagement, task completion, user satisfaction).

• Familiarity with analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics) to understand user behavior post-launch. CRM & Automation:

• While not a direct CRM role, understanding how design elements integrate with CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce) and marketing automation platforms for customer journeys is advantageous.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in Figma, Adobe Creative Suite, and Miro are core technical requirements. Experience with Jira and Sitecore are explicitly mentioned or preferred. The emphasis on design systems and AI integration points to a need for candidates who are not only skilled designers but also embrace operational efficiency through technology.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Accountability: Taking ownership of design outcomes and their impact on business objectives and customer experience.

• Innovation: Driving new ideas and leveraging emerging technologies (like AI) to enhance design and processes.

• Integrity: Upholding ethical standards, especially critical in healthcare, and ensuring compliance in all design work.

• Quality: Committing to high standards of design craft, user experience, and accessibility across all deliverables.

• Teamwork: Fostering collaboration and shared ownership within cross-functional teams and the design community.

• Inclusion: Championing diverse perspectives and creating inclusive experiences for all users and team members.

Collaboration Style:

• Highly collaborative, working closely with Product Managers, Engineers, Researchers, Legal, Medical, and Marketing teams.

• Proactive communication and influence to align diverse stakeholders around a unified vision.

• Emphasis on constructive feedback, iterative refinement, and shared problem-solving.

• Leading by example to foster a culture of feedback, continuous learning, and curiosity.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company values directly map to strong operational principles: accountability for results, innovation in process, integrity in execution, quality in output, and teamwork for efficiency. The collaboration style emphasizes the need for strong interpersonal and communication skills, crucial for operations roles that bridge functional gaps.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Strategic Vision with Tactical Execution: Effectively leading complex design initiatives while ensuring detailed execution and component-level polish.

• Navigating Complexity and Compliance: Designing within a highly regulated industry (healthcare) requires meticulous attention to legal, regulatory, and medical requirements.

• Cross-Functional Alignment: Ensuring buy-in and cohesive execution across diverse departments (Product, Engineering, Marketing, Legal, Medical) with potentially competing priorities.

• Driving Design System Adoption: Championing and evolving the design system to ensure widespread adoption and leverage its efficiency benefits.

• Mentoring and Leading: Supporting the growth of junior designers while also contributing directly to high-impact projects.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deep Dive into Healthcare CX: Gain specialized knowledge in designing for patient and provider journeys in the complex healthcare and diagnostics sector.

• AI in Design: Explore and implement AI tools and techniques to enhance design processes and user experiences.

• Service Design & Operations: Develop expertise in service design, which often involves understanding and optimizing operational workflows.

• Leadership Track: Opportunities to grow into management roles, lead larger design initiatives, or specialize in areas like design operations.

• Industry Exposure: Engage with industry trends and best practices through conferences, training, and internal knowledge sharing.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are common in senior operational and design leadership roles, requiring strong problem-solving and change management skills. The growth opportunities are substantial, offering a path to specialized expertise and leadership within a mission-driven organization.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you led a complex design initiative from strategy to launch. What was your process, who did you collaborate with, and what was the outcome?" (Focus on process, collaboration, and measurable impact).

• "How do you balance the needs of different stakeholders (e.g., Product, Legal, Marketing) while ensuring a cohesive user experience?" (Highlight negotiation, influence, and systems thinking).

• "Walk us through your approach to simplifying a complex user flow or information architecture." (Demonstrate problem-solving and user-centricity).

• "How have you contributed to or evolved a design system? What are the operational benefits?" (Showcase understanding of efficiency and scalability). Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you about Exact Sciences' mission and our role in cancer detection/treatment?" (Demonstrate genuine interest and alignment with company values).

• "How do you foster a culture of feedback and continuous learning within a design team?" (Focus on leadership and team development).

• "Describe your experience working in a regulated industry like healthcare. How do you ensure compliance in your design work?" (Address attention to detail and understanding of industry constraints). Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Selectivity: Choose 3-4 diverse projects that best showcase your lead capabilities, problem-solving skills, and impact.

• Narrative: For each project, tell a compelling story: the challenge, your strategic approach, your specific contributions (especially leadership and cross-functional collaboration), the process, the solution, and the quantifiable results.

• Process Emphasis: Clearly articulate the design process, including research, ideation, iteration, testing, and how you managed feedback cycles and stakeholder input.

• Operations Integration: Highlight how you leveraged design systems, ensured accessibility, or contributed to operational efficiency through your design work.

• Conciseness: Be mindful of time. Practice your presentation to be clear, engaging, and within the allotted timeframe.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating not just design skill but also leadership, strategic thinking, process management, and operational awareness. Candidates should be ready to articulate their contributions in terms of business impact and efficiency, aligning with the expectations for a lead role in a GTM or operations-adjacent context.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations-adjacent design position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on the Exact Sciences careers portal.

• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your portfolio to highlight projects demonstrating leadership, strategic design thinking, cross-functional collaboration, and process management. Prioritize case studies that showcase how you simplified complexity and achieved measurable outcomes.

• Resume Optimization: Ensure your resume clearly articulates your experience in lead design roles, UX strategy, design systems, Agile methodologies, and working with product, engineering, and marketing teams. Use keywords from the job description.

• Interview Preparation: Practice presenting your portfolio case studies, focusing on your role, process, challenges, and impact. Prepare to discuss your leadership style, approach to mentorship, and how you ensure design quality and compliance.

• Company Research: Thoroughly research Exact Sciences' mission, products, recent news, and company values. Understand their customer segments (patients, providers) and the competitive landscape in diagnostics and healthcare.

⚠️ 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.