Principal Designer, Product Design

Cencora
Full-timeβ€’$111k-221k/year (USD)

πŸ“ Job Overview

Job Title: Principal Designer, Product Design

Company: Cencora

Location: Remote (Dallas, Texas, United States)

Job Type: Full Time

Category: Product Design / User Experience / Service Design (with a focus on GTM Operations)

Date Posted: August 20, 2026

Experience Level: 8+ Years

Remote Status: Fully Remote

πŸš€ Role Summary

  • Lead the foundational discovery and research function for MSO Technology Solutions, establishing an operating model for problem identification and validation.

  • Drive high-impact decisions by applying deep expertise in human-centered research, Jobs-to-Be-Done (JTBD) discovery, service design, and outcome measurement within specialty healthcare.

  • Translate complex clinical, operational, and business challenges into clear, evidence-based opportunities that directly inform the MSO platform roadmap, investment priorities, and strategic build/buy/partner decisions.

  • Shape the methods, tools, frameworks, and team structure to make rigorous problem discovery a repeatable organizational strength within a maturing technology team.

πŸ“ Enhancement Note: While the title is "Principal Designer, Product Design," the core responsibilities and emphasis on building an operating model for discovery, translating business challenges into platform opportunities, and defining KPIs for value realization strongly indicate a role with significant operational and GTM strategy implications. This role is crucial for ensuring the MSO platform is aligned with market needs and delivers measurable business outcomes, positioning it as a strategic operations function within the product development lifecycle.

πŸ“ˆ Primary Responsibilities

  • Discovery & Research Leadership:

    • Build and lead the discovery and research operating model for MSO Technology Solutions, establishing robust methods, tools, and practices for problem identification and validation prior to solutioning.
    • Spearhead Jobs-to-Be-Done (JTBD) discovery initiatives, conducting in-depth stakeholder interviews, contextual inquiry, workflow analysis, and qualitative research with physicians, practice leaders, operational teams, and end-users across specialty practices.
    • Facilitate collaborative workshops, strategic planning sessions, and service blueprinting engagements with practice leaders, senior leadership, and cross-functional partners to align on critical needs and opportunities.
    • Develop comprehensive current-state and future-state service blueprints, journey maps, ecosystem maps, and experience frameworks to clearly visualize needs, dependencies, handoffs, pain points, and platform opportunities.
    • Synthesize complex qualitative and quantitative findings into clear, actionable insights and data-driven recommendations that directly inform the MSO unified technology platform roadmap and investment priorities.
  • Product & Platform Strategy:

    • Define experience and product strategies that holistically align patient, provider, staff, business, and technology needs with existing and future MSO platform capabilities and identified gaps.
    • Translate ambiguous clinical, operational, and business challenges into scalable product, service, and workflow opportunities, consistently prioritizing problem definition before solution ideation.
    • Evaluate strategic tradeoffs across build, buy, partner, and pilot scenarios in close collaboration with Product Management, Architecture, Engineering, and executive leadership teams.
    • Shape future-state platform experiences and product capabilities by rigorously applying human-centered design principles and evidence-based decision-making frameworks.
  • Pilot Design, KPI Measurement & Value Realization:

    • Establish baseline operational, financial, clinical, adoption, and experience metrics prior to the launch of any pilot programs or significant transformation initiatives.
    • Define clear pilot hypotheses, comprehensive KPI frameworks, measurable success criteria, and crucial leading and lagging indicators that are directly aligned with strategic business objectives.
    • Partner closely with the Data & Analytics team to meticulously track KPI performance, adoption rates, utilization patterns, and overall realized value over time.
    • Synthesize pilot results, workflow observations, and critical stakeholder feedback into leadership-ready readouts that support informed decisions regarding scaling, optimization, continuation, or termination of initiatives.
  • Innovation & Emerging Technology:

    • Proactively identify opportunities for new products, advanced automation, agentic workflows, and AI-enabled capabilities that demonstrably improve specialty practice performance on the MSO platform.
    • Critically assess the desirability, feasibility, viability, potential risks, and adoption readiness for emerging technologies and internally developed capabilities.
    • Influence strategic investment decisions by effectively connecting validated practice problems, user needs, platform opportunities, available technical options, and quantifiable business value.
  • Capability Building & Team Leadership:

    • Serve as the primary functional leader for the discovery and research discipline within MSO Technology Solutions, establishing clear standards, scalable frameworks, and efficient operating practices as the team grows.

    • Mentor junior designers and cross-functional partners, contributing significantly to the future design team structure, talent planning, and career development pathways within the broader Product Design discipline.

    • Communicate design positions, identified risks, strategic tradeoffs, and key recommendations to senior leaders and external partners with exceptional clarity, confidence, and persuasive articulation.

πŸ“ Enhancement Note: The responsibilities listed go beyond traditional product design. They emphasize building operational frameworks, defining strategic roadmaps, measuring business impact, and influencing investment decisions, all of which are core to GTM and Revenue Operations. The focus on JTBD, service design, and KPI measurement directly supports GTM strategy by ensuring product development is aligned with market needs and delivers measurable business value.

πŸŽ“ Skills & Qualifications

Education:

  • Bachelor’s degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Human-Centered Design, Service Design, Business, Healthcare Administration, or a closely related field. Equivalent practical experience will be considered. Experience:

  • 8+ years of progressive experience in Product Design, UX Strategy, Service Design, Experience Research, Product Strategy, or a closely related discipline, with a proven track record of delivering impactful solutions.

  • Demonstrated expertise in applying human-centered research methodologies, Jobs-to-Be-Done (JTBD) discovery frameworks, and service design principles.

  • Proven ability to facilitate complex workshops and strategic planning sessions with diverse, senior stakeholder groups.

  • Significant experience in defining Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), developing measurement frameworks, and evaluating the outcomes of pilots, products, or transformation initiatives.

  • Strong capability to synthesize complex qualitative and quantitative data into clear, executive-level insights, actionable recommendations, and robust decision support materials.

  • Excellent communication, storytelling, workshop facilitation, systems thinking, and executive presentation skills are essential for this role. Required Skills:

  • Product Design & UX Strategy: Deep understanding of user-centered design principles, information architecture, interaction design, and creating intuitive user experiences.

  • Jobs-to-Be-Done (JTBD) Framework: Expertise in uncovering core customer needs and motivations that drive product adoption and value.

  • Service Design & Blueprinting: Proficiency in mapping complex service ecosystems, identifying pain points, and designing seamless end-to-end experiences.

  • Qualitative Research Methods: Mastery of techniques such as contextual inquiry, in-depth interviews, usability testing, and ethnographic research.

  • Workshop Facilitation & Collaboration: Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams, drive consensus, and foster productive dialogue.

  • Data Synthesis & Insight Generation: Skill in translating raw data (qualitative and quantitative) into actionable strategic recommendations.

  • Executive Communication & Storytelling: Ability to articulate complex ideas clearly and persuasively to senior leadership.

  • Systems Thinking: Capacity to understand and analyze complex interdependencies within organizational processes and technology platforms.

Preferred Skills:

  • Healthcare Industry Experience: Prior experience in healthcare, specifically within specialty physician practices, management services organizations (MSOs), healthcare technology, or operational transformation initiatives.

  • Emerging Technology Evaluation: Experience assessing the potential of AI-enabled solutions, automation capabilities, vendor solutions, or pilot programs for emerging technologies.

  • Function/Discipline Leadership: Experience in building or leading a research or discovery function, including mentoring practitioners and contributing to the development of standards and governance.

πŸ“ Enhancement Note: The required experience level and the emphasis on building an operating model, JTBD, service design, and KPI measurement suggest this role is pivotal in bridging the gap between market needs and product development, a crucial function for GTM operations. The preferred healthcare experience is highly relevant for understanding the specific operational challenges within this industry.

πŸ“Š Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

  • Discovery & JTBD Case Studies: Showcase examples of how you've led Jobs-to-Be-Done discovery, identifying unmet needs and translating them into validated product or service opportunities. Clearly articulate the research methodologies used and the impact of the findings on strategic direction.

  • Service Design & Blueprinting Examples: Provide visual representations of service blueprints or journey maps that illustrate complex customer or operational workflows, highlighting identified pain points and proposed solutions for improving the overall experience.

  • Outcome Measurement & KPI Frameworks: Include examples of how you've defined and measured success for product initiatives, pilots, or transformation projects. Demonstrate your ability to establish baseline metrics, set clear KPIs, and track value realization.

  • Strategic Recommendation Artifacts: Present examples of synthesized insights and recommendations provided to senior leadership, demonstrating your ability to translate research into actionable strategies that influence roadmaps and investment decisions.

Process Documentation:

  • Demonstrate experience in documenting and standardizing discovery and research processes, including creating templates for user interview guides, workshop agendas, and insight synthesis reports.

  • Showcase how you've contributed to the development of operational frameworks for problem validation and opportunity prioritization, ensuring a repeatable and scalable approach.

  • Provide evidence of how you've collaborated with data and analytics teams to define metrics, establish measurement protocols, and report on the impact of design and product initiatives.

πŸ“ Enhancement Note: For a Principal-level role focused on building a discovery function, the portfolio should emphasize not just design outputs but the process of discovery, validation, and outcome measurement. This aligns directly with operational rigor, demonstrating the candidate's ability to establish and manage repeatable processes that drive business value, a key aspect for GTM and RevOps.

πŸ’΅ Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $110,500 - $220,990 USD per year

Note on Salary Range: This salary range reflects a National Average for this job. Actual compensation may vary based on factors such as geographic location, experience, skills, and performance. Ranges in specific states (Colorado, California, Washington, New York, Hawaii, Vermont, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Illinois) may be adjusted up to 10% lower than the minimum or up to 12% higher than the maximum of the stated range.

Benefits:

  • Core Health & Wellness:

    • Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision care plans.
    • Behavioral health solutions to support mental and emotional well-being.
  • Family & Life Support:

    • Backup dependent care services for children or adults.
    • Adoption assistance and infertility coverage.
    • Family building support programs.
    • Paid parental leave and paid caregiver leave to support critical life events.
  • Professional & Personal Development:

    • Diverse training programs and professional development resources.
    • Opportunities to participate in mentorship programs.
    • Active Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) fostering community and belonging.
    • Volunteer activities to engage with the community.
  • Additional Offerings:

    • Access to a comprehensive suite of benefits focused on physical, emotional, financial, and social aspects of wellness. Working Hours:
  • Standard full-time position, typically 40 hours per week. Flexibility may be available, but core hours will likely align with team and stakeholder availability for collaboration and meetings.

πŸ“ Enhancement Note: The salary range is broad, reflecting the "Principal" level and potential for significant impact. The extensive benefits package, particularly those supporting work-life balance and family, is a strong indicator of a company culture that values employee well-being, which is attractive to operations professionals who often manage complex projects and deadlines. The salary note regarding location is crucial for candidates in higher cost-of-living areas.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏒 Company Culture

Industry: Healthcare / Pharmaceutical Distribution & Services (Specifically focusing on specialty healthcare organizations and their technology needs). Cencora operates at the intersection of healthcare services and technology, aiming to improve patient and animal lives globally.

Company Size: Large Enterprise (Thousands of employees, indicated by broad benefits and the structure of the role).

Founded: The company has a long history, with Cencora being a result of a merger. This implies a stable, established organization with a deep understanding of the healthcare market and a forward-looking approach to technology and operational efficiency.

Team Structure:

  • Reporting: This Principal Designer role is the "founding leader" of the discovery and research function within "MSO Technology Solutions." This suggests a new or maturing function, offering a unique opportunity to shape its direction.

  • Collaboration: The role requires close partnership with Product Management, Architecture, Engineering, Data & Analytics, Practice Leadership, and Physicians. This indicates a highly cross-functional and collaborative environment, typical of effective product development and GTM operations.

  • Specialization: The MSO (Management Services Organization) Technology Solutions team focuses on a unified technology platform for specialty healthcare organizations, implying a specialized focus within the broader Cencora organization.

Methodology:

  • Human-Centered Design: The core methodology revolves around understanding user needs (patients, providers, staff) before defining solutions.

  • Jobs-to-Be-Done (JTBD): A key discovery approach to uncover the underlying motivations and problems users are trying to solve.

  • Service Design: Focuses on mapping and improving the entire service ecosystem, not just individual touchpoints.

  • Data-Driven Decision-Making: Emphasizes establishing baseline metrics, defining KPIs, and measuring realized value to inform strategic choices and ensure accountability.

  • Outcome Measurement: A critical component, linking initiatives directly to measurable business, clinical, and operational improvements.

Company Website: https://www.cencora.com/ (Implicitly, based on domain derived)

πŸ“ Enhancement Note: Understanding Cencora's position as a major player in healthcare distribution and services provides context for the scale and complexity of the MSO Technology Solutions platform. The emphasis on building a new function highlights an organization that is investing in strategic capabilities, particularly around understanding market needs and driving product-market fit, which is a core GTM operations concern.

πŸ“ˆ Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Principal Level (Senior individual contributor with leadership and strategic influence). This role is foundational, establishing a critical function within MSO Technology Solutions. It requires strategic thinking, operational design, and the ability to influence senior stakeholders without direct management authority over many functions.

Reporting Structure: The Principal Designer leads the discovery and research function, reporting into a leadership position within MSO Technology Solutions. They will collaborate extensively with peers in Product Management, Engineering, Architecture, and Data & Analytics.

Operations Impact: This role has a direct impact on the strategic direction and success of the MSO unified technology platform. By ensuring initiatives are grounded in validated practice needs and tied to measurable outcomes, the Principal Designer influences product roadmap prioritization, investment decisions, and the ultimate value delivered to specialty healthcare organizations. This strategic alignment is critical for GTM success, ensuring products meet market demands and drive revenue.

Growth Opportunities:

  • Functional Leadership: Opportunity to build and scale the discovery and research function, establishing best practices, standards, and potentially growing a team in the future. This is a significant leadership opportunity within the design discipline.

  • Strategic Influence: Ability to shape the technology roadmap and investment priorities for a critical platform serving specialty healthcare practices, influencing business strategy through data-driven insights.

  • Domain Expertise: Deepen expertise in specialty healthcare operations, MSOs, and healthcare technology by working closely with physicians, practice leaders, and operational teams.

  • Mentorship & Development: Contribute to the growth of other designers and cross-functional partners, solidifying leadership skills and expanding influence within the organization.

  • Cross-Functional Advancement: Potential pathways into senior product strategy, GTM strategy, or operational leadership roles by demonstrating success in driving strategic initiatives and measurable business outcomes.

πŸ“ Enhancement Note: The "Principal" title and the mandate to "build and lead" a new function signify a high-impact, strategic role. The focus on translating business challenges into platform opportunities and measuring value realization directly aligns with the analytical and strategic demands of advanced GTM and RevOps roles.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Fully Remote. This indicates a distributed workforce with an emphasis on asynchronous communication and digital collaboration tools.

Office Location(s): While the role is remote, the derived locations (Dallas, TX; DE; NJ; PA; TX) suggest the company has a significant presence in these regions, potentially offering optional co-working spaces or team meetups in the future, though the primary mode of operation is remote. The specific mention of "USA > TX > Remote" points to Texas as a key operational hub for remote talent.

Workspace Context:

  • Collaborative Environment: Expect a digitally-driven collaborative environment requiring active participation in virtual meetings, workshops, and shared documentation platforms. Strong communication skills are paramount.

  • Operations Tools & Technology: Access to standard remote work tools (e.g., video conferencing, project management software, collaborative whiteboarding) and potentially specialized design and research platforms.

  • Operations Team Interaction: Frequent interaction with Product Managers, Engineers, Data Analysts, and Business Stakeholders across different departments, necessitating clear communication and effective stakeholder management.

Work Schedule:

  • Standard full-time, 40 hours per week. As a remote role, there may be flexibility in daily scheduling, but availability during core business hours for critical meetings and team collaboration will be expected. The nature of discovery and research may also require some flexibility to engage with stakeholders at times that best suit their operational schedules.

πŸ“ Enhancement Note: The fully remote nature of this role is significant. It requires candidates to be self-motivated, adept at digital collaboration, and comfortable managing their work independently. This is a common and often preferred arrangement for many operations professionals who value flexibility and autonomy.

πŸ“„ Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

  • Initial Screening: HR or recruiter call to assess basic qualifications, interest, and cultural fit.

  • Hiring Manager Interview: In-depth discussion with the hiring manager (likely a Director or VP within MSO Technology Solutions) focusing on experience, strategic approach, leadership capabilities, and understanding of the role's operational mandate.

  • Design/Cross-Functional Panel Interview: A panel interview likely involving peers from Product Management, Engineering, and potentially other designers or business stakeholders. This assesses collaboration skills, technical depth, and ability to articulate design rationale.

  • Portfolio Presentation & Case Study: A critical stage where candidates present selected case studies from their portfolio, demonstrating their process, problem-solving skills, and impact. This will likely include a specific challenge related to discovery, JTBD, or service design within a healthcare context.

  • Executive Interview: A final interview with a senior leader (e.g., CTO, VP of Product) to assess strategic alignment, leadership potential, and overall fit for the Principal role.

Portfolio Review Tips:

  • Focus on Impact: Clearly articulate the business or user outcomes achieved through your work, not just the deliverables. Quantify impact whenever possible (e.g., improved efficiency, reduced errors, increased adoption).

  • Showcase Your Process: For this role, emphasize your approach to discovery, JTBD, and service design. Detail how you moved from understanding a problem to generating actionable insights and influencing strategy.

  • Highlight Leadership & Collaboration: Demonstrate how you've led initiatives, facilitated workshops, and collaborated effectively with diverse, senior stakeholders (Product, Engineering, Business).

  • Tailor to Healthcare/MSO: If possible, include examples relevant to healthcare operations, physician practices, or complex technology platforms. If not, clearly articulate how your transferable skills apply.

  • Prepare for a Case Study: Be ready to discuss a hypothetical scenario or a past project in detail, focusing on problem definition, research methodology, insight synthesis, and strategic recommendations.

Challenge Preparation:

  • Discovery & JTBD Scenario: Prepare to outline how you would approach understanding a complex problem within a specialty practice (e.g., improving patient scheduling efficiency, optimizing clinical documentation).

  • Service Design Exercise: Be ready to discuss how you would map a patient journey or an operational workflow, identifying key touchpoints, pain points, and opportunities for improvement using the MSO platform.

  • KPI & Value Realization: Prepare to discuss how you would define success metrics for a new platform feature or initiative aimed at improving practice performance.

  • Stakeholder Alignment: Practice articulating complex findings and strategic recommendations to different audiences (e.g., technical teams vs. business leaders).

πŸ“ Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a portfolio presentation and case study is standard for design roles, but for this "Principal" and "founding leader" position, the focus will heavily lean towards strategic thinking, operational design, and demonstrable impact on business outcomes, aligning perfectly with GTM and RevOps expectations.

πŸ›  Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

  • Design & Prototyping Tools: Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop) - standard tools for visual design and prototyping.

  • Research & Collaboration Platforms: Miro, Mural (for virtual whiteboarding and workshops), Dovetail, Condens (for research repository and synthesis), UserTesting.com, Maze (for remote usability testing).

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

  • Documentation Tools: Confluence, Notion, Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Slides) - for creating and sharing process documentation, insights, and presentations.

Analytics & Reporting:

  • Business Intelligence Tools: Tableau, Power BI, Looker - for visualizing data, tracking KPIs, and creating dashboards.

  • Analytics Platforms: Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics (less likely for internal platform, but possible) - for understanding user behavior and platform adoption.

  • Data Synthesis Tools: Excel, Google Sheets - for manipulating and analyzing qualitative and quantitative data.

CRM & Automation:

  • CRM (Indirect Relevance): While not directly managing a CRM, understanding how customer data is managed and utilized within a CRM (e.g., Salesforce) could be beneficial for understanding user segments and business impact.

  • Workflow Automation Tools (Conceptual Understanding): Familiarity with concepts of workflow automation and how they can be applied to improve operational efficiency within healthcare practices.

πŸ“ Enhancement Note: While the role is "Designer," the emphasis on JTBD, service design, KPI measurement, and strategic decision-making suggests proficiency with tools that facilitate data analysis, process mapping, and outcome tracking is crucial. This bridges design with operational rigor, a key trait for GTM and RevOps professionals.

πŸ‘₯ Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

  • Human-Centered: A core value driving all discovery and design efforts, focusing on the needs of patients, providers, and staff.

  • Data-Driven: Decisions are informed by rigorous research, analytics, and measurable outcomes. Efficiency and effectiveness are paramount.

  • Collaborative: Strong emphasis on cross-functional teamwork, open communication, and shared problem-solving across departments.

  • Outcome-Oriented: Focused on delivering tangible value and measurable improvements to specialty practice performance and patient care.

  • Innovative: Encouraging exploration of new technologies and approaches to solve complex challenges within the healthcare technology space.

Collaboration Style:

  • Partnership-Driven: Works closely with Product Management, Engineering, Architecture, and Data & Analytics to ensure alignment and co-creation of solutions.

  • Facilitative Leadership: Leads workshops and strategic discussions to bring diverse perspectives together and drive consensus.

  • Transparent Communication: Shares insights, risks, and recommendations openly with stakeholders at all levels.

  • Feedback-Rich Environment: Encourages constructive feedback to continuously improve processes and outcomes.

πŸ“ Enhancement Note: The values align closely with operational excellence: data-driven, outcome-oriented, and collaborative. These are key attributes sought in operations professionals who aim to optimize processes and drive business results.

⚑ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

  • Establishing a New Function: Building the discovery and research operating model from the ground up requires defining processes, tools, and stakeholder buy-in. This involves navigating ambiguity and setting new standards.

  • Translating Complex Healthcare Needs: Understanding and synthesizing the intricate clinical, operational, and business challenges faced by diverse specialty healthcare practices can be complex.

  • Balancing Stakeholder Needs: Aligning the needs of physicians, practice staff, patients, and Cencora's business objectives requires strong negotiation and communication skills.

  • Demonstrating Value of Discovery: Proving the ROI of upfront discovery and research to potentially impatient stakeholders who may prioritize solution delivery over problem validation.

  • Navigating a Large Enterprise: Working within a large organization like Cencora requires understanding established processes, gaining buy-in across departments, and adapting to corporate structures.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

  • Leadership in a Growing Function: Opportunity to define and shape a critical function, potentially building a team and establishing a strong design leadership presence.

  • Deep Healthcare Domain Expertise: Gaining profound knowledge of specialty practice operations, MSO dynamics, and the healthcare technology landscape.

  • Strategic Impact: Influencing the direction of a major technology platform and directly contributing to Cencora's mission of improving health outcomes.

  • Advanced Methodologies: Opportunity to refine and apply advanced JTBD, service design, and outcome measurement techniques in a real-world, high-impact setting.

  • Cross-Functional Skill Development: Enhancing skills in product strategy, business case development, and executive stakeholder management through close collaboration.

πŸ“ Enhancement Note: The challenges are typical for a senior, foundational role aimed at establishing operational processes and strategic direction. The growth opportunities highlight the potential for significant career advancement and skill development, particularly in leadership and strategic impact, which are highly valued in operations roles.

πŸ’‘ Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

  • "Describe how you would build a discovery and research operating model for MSO Technology Solutions from the ground up. What are the key components and first steps?" (Focus on operational framework, repeatable processes, stakeholder engagement).

  • "Walk me through a time you translated a complex clinical or operational problem into a clear, evidence-based opportunity that influenced product strategy or investment decisions." (Highlight JTBD, research, synthesis, impact).

  • "How would you define success metrics and measure the realized value for a new platform feature aimed at improving specialty practice efficiency?" (Emphasize KPI frameworks, baseline setting, outcome measurement).

  • "Describe your approach to facilitating collaborative workshops with senior physician leaders and practice administrators to uncover unmet needs." (Showcase facilitation skills, stakeholder management, JTBD application).

  • "How do you balance the needs of different stakeholders (e.g., physicians, patients, business leaders, engineers) when defining product strategy and experience?" (Demonstrate systems thinking, negotiation, and prioritization skills). Company & Culture Questions:

  • "What do you know about Cencora and the MSO Technology Solutions team, and how does your experience align with our mission?" (Research Cencora's business, value proposition, and the role's stated purpose).

  • "How do you see the role of design and research contributing to the operational efficiency and strategic goals of a Management Services Organization?" (Connect design principles to operational outcomes and GTM strategy).

  • "Describe your ideal team environment and how you contribute to a collaborative and data-driven culture." (Align with Cencora's stated values and collaboration style).

  • "How do you stay current with emerging technologies like AI and automation, and how would you assess their potential application within specialty healthcare practices?" (Showcase proactive learning and strategic evaluation). Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

  • Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, clearly define the problem/opportunity, your role and approach (methodologies), the insights generated, the solutions proposed/implemented, and the measurable impact.

  • Focus on JTBD & Service Design: Prioritize examples that showcase your expertise in these areas, as they are critical for this role.

  • Emphasize Operational Impact: Clearly articulate how your design work led to tangible improvements in operational efficiency, user adoption, or business outcomes.

  • Be Ready for Deep Dives: Anticipate questions about your decision-making process, tradeoffs considered, and how you handled challenges or unexpected findings.

  • Prepare for a Whiteboarding/Scenario Exercise: Be ready to sketch out a process, map a journey, or outline a research plan on the spot.

πŸ“ Enhancement Note: The interview preparation focuses on demonstrating operational thinking, strategic influence, and the ability to build and lead a function, which are key differentiators for a Principal-level role in a GTM or operations context.

πŸ“Œ Application Steps

To apply for this Principal Designer, Product Design position:

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

  • Tailor Your Resume: Highlight experience in product design, UX strategy, service design, Jobs-to-Be-Done (JTBD), and stakeholder facilitation. Quantify achievements related to problem identification, strategy influence, and outcome measurement.

  • Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 strong case studies that best demonstrate your ability to lead discovery, apply JTBD, conduct service design, and measure impact. Ensure clear articulation of process, insights, and business outcomes.

  • Prepare for Behavioral & Situational Questions: Reflect on examples that showcase your leadership in building functions, strategic problem-solving, cross-functional collaboration, and driving measurable results, especially within complex environments like healthcare.

  • Research Cencora & MSO: Understand Cencora's business model, its role in healthcare, and the stated purpose of the MSO Technology Solutions team. Consider how your role contributes to their mission of improving health outcomes and operational efficiency for practices.

⚠️ 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.

Application Requirements

Candidates must have at least 8 years of experience in product design, UX strategy, or service design, along with a bachelor's degree in a relevant field. Strong expertise in human-centered research, stakeholder facilitation, and outcome measurement is required.