Senior Service Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Service Designer

Company: Humana

Location: Remote (IL CHI METRO - Illinois, United States)

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Service Design, User Experience, Healthcare Experience Design

Date Posted: 2026-05-07

Experience Level: 5-10 Years

Remote Status: Fully Remote

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the end-to-end development of new service experiences within Humana's Insurance Product Experience team, focusing on holistic member journeys.

• Drive concept initiatives from problem framing and user research through experience design, prototyping, testing, and implementation planning to enhance member support across healthcare and health insurance.

• Create tangible representations of complex service concepts using service blueprints, prototypes, and compelling visual stories for diverse stakeholders.

• Foster strong cross-functional partnerships with UX/UI designers, product teams, marketing, and operations to ensure seamless integration of digital and offline touchpoints.

• Contribute to the continuous evolution of the design discipline by exploring new tools and methodologies that enhance quality and efficiency in service design practices.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the role is titled "Senior Service Designer," the core responsibilities and required skills align closely with advanced UX/CX roles focused on service design within a complex industry like healthcare. The emphasis on "Insurance Product Experience" and "member experience" indicates a strong focus on human-centered design principles applied to the intricacies of health insurance products and services, requiring deep empathy and strategic thinking.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Service Strategy & Visioning: Lead the definition and development of innovative service experiences by conducting thorough problem framing, user research, analysis, synthesis, concept ideation, prototyping, and strategic implementation planning.

• Information Design, Prototyping & Storytelling: Develop comprehensive service blueprints, low- to mid-fidelity prototypes, frameworks, and illustrative concept art to effectively communicate complex service ideas to stakeholders, partners, and customers, facilitating decision-making.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Actively partner with UX/UI designers, product managers, marketing specialists, and operations teams to ensure cohesive and integrated experiences across all digital tools and customer touchpoints.

• Emotional Intelligence & Facilitation: Demonstrate strong facilitation skills to lead productive conversations with business stakeholders and channel partners, fostering a collaborative environment that strengthens enterprise-wide experience delivery.

• Design Discipline Development: Contribute actively to the growth and advancement of the design discipline within Humana by participating in learning activities, experimenting with new tools, and sharing insights to improve the overall quality and efficiency of design practices.

• Member-Centric Problem Solving: Dive deep into a variety of member challenges and opportunities, such as provider selection or plan application processes, to design solutions that significantly improve their healthcare journey.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of strategic thinking, hands-on design execution, and strong interpersonal skills. The emphasis on "emotional intelligence" and "thoughtfully facilitating business stakeholder and channel partner team conversations" suggests that influencing and stakeholder management are critical components of this role, beyond pure design execution.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

Experience:

• A minimum of 5 years of relevant professional experience in service design, UX design, or a related customer experience field.

Required Skills:

• Service Design Expertise: Proven ability to lead the design and development of complex service experiences from conception to implementation planning.

• User Research & Synthesis: Strong skills in conducting user research, analyzing findings, and synthesizing insights to inform design decisions.

• Prototyping & Information Design: Proficiency in creating service blueprints, journey maps, wireframes, and prototypes to visualize and test service concepts.

• Visual Storytelling: Ability to craft compelling visual narratives and concept illustrations that simplify complex ideas and drive stakeholder alignment.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Demonstrated experience working effectively with diverse teams including UX/UI, Product, Marketing, and Operations.

• Design Tools Proficiency: Advanced skills in industry-standard design tools such as Figma, Lucidchart/Miro, and the Adobe Creative Suite (e.g., Illustrator, Photoshop).

Preferred Skills:

• Human-Centered Design (HCD) Methodologies: Deep understanding and practical application of HCD principles and frameworks.

• Healthcare Industry Acumen: Familiarity with the healthcare ecosystem, regulatory requirements (e.g., HIPAA), and member challenges.

• Facilitation & Workshop Leadership: Experience leading workshops and facilitating discussions with senior stakeholders.

• Agile/Lean Methodologies: Experience working within Agile or Lean development environments.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for a portfolio is paramount. Candidates should be prepared to showcase a range of deliverables, including journey maps, user research summaries, service blueprints, and interactive prototypes, demonstrating their end-to-end design process and impact. The "5+ years" experience level suggests a need for demonstrated leadership and strategic thinking in previous roles, not just execution.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• End-to-End Service Design Process: Showcase a minimum of 2-3 comprehensive case studies that illustrate your ability to manage the entire service design lifecycle, from discovery and research to concept development, prototyping, testing, and implementation considerations.

• User Research & Synthesis Examples: Include examples of user interview guides, research findings summaries, personas, and insights that directly informed design decisions.

• Service Blueprinting & Journey Mapping: Provide clear examples of detailed service blueprints and customer journey maps, highlighting pain points, opportunities, and proposed solutions.

• Prototyping & Iteration: Demonstrate various fidelity prototypes (low to mid) and explain the iterative process of testing and refining designs based on user feedback.

• Visual Storytelling & Communication: Showcase how you have translated complex service concepts into easily digestible visual formats, such as storyboards, concept illustrations, or presentations that drove understanding and alignment with stakeholders.

Process Documentation:

• Methodology Articulation: Be prepared to clearly articulate the specific design methodologies (e.g., HCD, Design Thinking, Lean UX) employed in your portfolio projects and explain why they were appropriate for the given challenge.

• Tool Utilization Clarity: Clearly state the design and collaboration tools used for each project (e.g., Figma, Lucid/Miro, Adobe Creative Suite) and how they facilitated the design process.

• Impact Measurement: Where possible, demonstrate how your design contributions led to measurable improvements in member experience, operational efficiency, or business outcomes.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Senior role, the portfolio must go beyond showcasing deliverables to demonstrating strategic thinking, problem-solving capabilities, and the ability to influence stakeholders. Applicants should focus on the "why" behind their design choices and the impact of their work, rather than just the "what."

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• Estimated Range: $94,900 - $130,600 per year

• Explanation: This range is provided by Humana and reflects a good faith estimate for a full-time (40 hours/week) Senior Service Designer position. Actual compensation will vary based on geographic location (though this is a remote role, some companies adjust based on primary residence), demonstrated skills, knowledge, experience, education, and certifications. The company also notes the possibility of a bonus incentive plan based on company and/or individual performance.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive Health Coverage: Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance plans.

• Retirement Savings: 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan.

• Work-Life Balance: Generous Paid Time Off (PTO), Company Holidays, Personal Holidays, and Volunteer Time Off.

• Family Support: Paid Parental Leave and Paid Caregiver Leave.

• Income Protection: Short-term and Long-term Disability coverage.

• Life Insurance: Provided life insurance policies.

• Additional Perks: Humana offers "many other opportunities" which could include wellness programs, tuition reimbursement, or employee assistance programs, though specifics are not detailed.

Working Hours:

• Standard Hours: 40 hours per week.

• Flexibility: While the role is remote, the emphasis on cross-functional collaboration and timely delivery suggests a need for consistent availability during core business hours for the relevant time zones (primarily Central and Eastern Time for IL CHI METRO and other listed regions).

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is competitive for a senior-level design role, particularly in the healthcare sector. The extensive benefits package underscores Humana's commitment to employee well-being and work-life balance. Remote employees in specific states (California, Illinois, Montana, South Dakota) receive internet expense reimbursement.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Healthcare, Health Insurance

Company Size: Large (Humana is a Fortune 60 company, indicating a significant employee base and market presence).

Founded: Humana has a history spanning over 50 years, positioning it as an established and experienced leader in the health and wellness industry.

Team Structure:

• Insurance Product Experience Team: This team operates with a mandate to think holistically about the member experience, embedding with business stakeholders.

• Cross-Functional Integration: The team works across channels and collaborates with various business units to identify and define opportunities for member support improvements.

• Reporting: While not explicitly stated, a Senior Service Designer likely reports into a Design Lead, Director of Experience Design, or a similar senior role within the product or innovation function.

• Collaboration: The role emphasizes close collaboration with UX/UI designers, product teams, marketing, and operations, suggesting a matrixed or project-based team environment where diverse expertise is leveraged.

Methodology:

• Holistic Member Experience Focus: The team is dedicated to understanding and improving the entire member journey.

• Data-Driven Insights: Implied through the need for user research, analysis, and synthesis to inform design decisions.

• Iterative Design & Testing: The responsibilities include prototyping and testing, indicating an iterative approach to design.

• Service Design Principles: Application of service design frameworks to define future experiences and drive implementation.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Humana's positioning as a "caring community" and its Fortune 60 status suggest a stable, large organization with a mission-driven approach. The "Insurance Product Experience" team's role indicates a strategic focus on CX as a differentiator in the competitive healthcare market.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Senior Service Designer

Reporting Structure:

• Likely reports to a Design Manager, Director of Experience Design, or a Head of Product/CX within the Insurance Product Experience team.

Operations Impact:

• The Senior Service Designer's work directly impacts the member experience, which is critical for customer retention, satisfaction, and Humana's overall brand reputation and market positioning.

• By improving service design and integration, the role contributes to operational efficiency, cost reduction, and increased member engagement and loyalty.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership within Design: Potential to move into leadership roles such as Design Lead, Manager of Service Design, or Director of Experience Design.

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in specific areas of healthcare service design, user research, or CX strategy.

• Cross-Functional Mobility: Opportunities to move into Product Management, CX Strategy, or strategic operations roles within Humana.

• Mentorship & Coaching: As a senior member, there will be opportunities to mentor and guide junior designers, developing coaching and leadership skills.

• Industry Influence: Contributing to the evolution of service design practices within the healthcare industry and potentially speaking at conferences or publishing insights.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Senior" title implies a significant level of autonomy and strategic input. Growth here likely involves taking on larger, more complex initiatives, potentially leading design thinking workshops for strategic business challenges, or mentoring other designers.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Fully Remote (with occasional travel)

Office Location(s): While the primary designated location is "Remote IL CHI METRO," the role is open to candidates in Illinois, Kentucky, New York, and Virginia. Occasional travel to Humana offices may be required for training or meetings.

Workspace Context:

• Home Office: Requires a dedicated, quiet workspace free from interruptions to protect sensitive member information (PHI/HIPAA).

• Internet Connectivity: Minimum download speed of 25 Mbps and upload speed of 10 Mbps is mandatory. Specific connection types are suggested (wired cable, DSL), with satellite/cellular/microwave requiring leadership approval. Internet expense is reimbursed bi-weekly for employees in CA, IL, MT, or SD.

• Technology: Humana provides telephone equipment suitable for business needs.

• Collaborative Tools: The remote environment relies heavily on digital collaboration tools (e.g., Figma, Miro, Lucidchart, communication platforms) for teamwork and design execution.

Work Schedule:

• Standard: 40 hours per week.

• Flexibility: While remote work offers flexibility, the need for cross-functional collaboration and timely project delivery means candidates should be prepared to be available during core business hours, particularly for meetings and synchronous work sessions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The remote setup emphasizes self-discipline, strong communication skills, and proficiency with digital collaboration tools. The requirement to protect PHI/HIPAA information in a home office setting is critical.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Likely a recruiter phone screen to assess basic qualifications, cultural fit, and salary expectations.

• Hiring Manager Interview: A discussion with the hiring manager to delve deeper into experience, understanding of service design principles, and fit with the team's objectives.

• Portfolio Review & Presentation: A critical stage where candidates present their portfolio, showcasing their process, problem-solving skills, and impact on specific projects. This often involves a design challenge or deep dive into case studies.

• Cross-Functional Interviews: Interviews with potential team members (UX/UI designers, product managers, operations leads) to assess collaboration style and technical acumen.

• Final Interview: May involve senior leadership or a final executive assessment to confirm fit and strategic alignment.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 3-4 of your strongest projects that best demonstrate the required skills (journey mapping, research, prototyping, service blueprinting, storytelling) and impact.

• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your role, the process you followed, the decisions you made, the tools you used, the challenges you faced, and the outcomes achieved. Focus on the "why" behind your actions.

• Highlight Impact: Quantify results whenever possible (e.g., improved conversion rates, reduced customer effort, increased satisfaction scores). If quantitative data is unavailable, provide qualitative evidence of success.

• Showcase Process: Demonstrate your ability to move from ambiguity to clarity, showing how you synthesized research, ideated solutions, and iterated based on feedback.

• Be Prepared for "Why": Anticipate questions about your design choices, trade-offs made, and how you handled conflicting stakeholder feedback.

• Tailor to Humana: Research Humana's mission, values, and recent initiatives. Frame your work in the context of improving healthcare experiences for members.

Challenge Preparation:

• Design Challenge: Be prepared for a take-home design challenge or an in-person/virtual design exercise. This will likely involve analyzing a healthcare-related problem and proposing a service design solution.

• Focus on Process: Even if the solution isn't perfect, demonstrating a structured, human-centered approach is key.

• Time Management: Practice working efficiently within time constraints.

• Presentation Clarity: Prepare a concise and clear presentation of your challenge solution, highlighting your thought process and key design decisions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio review is likely the most significant part of the interview process for this role. Candidates should invest significant time in preparing a compelling narrative that showcases their senior-level strategic thinking and execution capabilities.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Design & Collaboration Tools:

• Figma: Essential for UI design, prototyping, and collaborative design workflows.

• Lucidchart / Miro: Crucial for service blueprinting, journey mapping, brainstorming, wireframing, and collaborative ideation sessions.

• Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign): Used for creating high-fidelity mockups, illustrations, concept art, and presentation materials.

• Presentation Software (e.g., PowerPoint, Google Slides): For creating and delivering compelling visual stories and stakeholder presentations.

Analytics & Reporting (Familiarity Expected):

• User Analytics Platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics): To understand user behavior on digital platforms and identify areas for improvement.

• Customer Feedback Tools (e.g., SurveyMonkey, Qualtrics): For gathering qualitative and quantitative feedback from members.

• BI/Dashboard Tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI): To visualize data and track key performance indicators related to member experience and service adoption.

CRM & Automation (Understanding of Integration):

• CRM Systems (e.g., Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics): Understanding how service design impacts customer relationship management and data capture.

• Workflow Automation Tools: Awareness of how automation can enhance service delivery and member interaction.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency with Figma and a collaborative whiteboard tool (Miro/Lucidchart) is non-negotiable. Familiarity with how design outputs integrate with broader business systems and analytics is also highly valued for a senior role.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Empathy & Member-Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and prioritizing the needs, feelings, and experiences of Humana's members.

• Collaboration & Cross-Functional Partnership: Valuing teamwork, open communication, and the ability to work effectively across diverse teams and departments to achieve shared goals.

• Curiosity & Continuous Learning: A drive to explore new ideas, ask challenging questions, and constantly evolve design practices and industry knowledge.

• Impact & Measurable Outcomes: Focusing on delivering designs that create tangible positive change and contribute to business objectives and member well-being.

• Efficiency & Quality: Striving for excellence in design execution while being mindful of efficient processes and resource utilization.

Collaboration Style:

• Facilitative Leadership: Encouraging participation, actively listening, and guiding discussions to reach consensus and drive action.

• Transparent Communication: Openly sharing insights, challenges, and design rationale to foster trust and alignment.

• Constructive Feedback Culture: Providing and receiving feedback openly and respectfully to improve designs and processes.

• Agile & Iterative: Embracing flexibility, adapting to change, and iterating on solutions based on feedback and new learnings.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given Humana's mission in healthcare, values like empathy, integrity, and a focus on overall well-being are likely to be central. The emphasis on collaboration and continuous learning aligns with a dynamic and evolving industry.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Navigating Complex Healthcare Systems: Designing services within a highly regulated, complex, and often fragmented healthcare ecosystem presents significant challenges regarding compliance, integration, and member understanding.

• Balancing Stakeholder Needs: Synthesizing diverse and sometimes conflicting requirements from various business units, operational teams, and member segments requires strong negotiation and strategic prioritization skills.

• Driving Change in a Large Organization: Implementing new service designs and fostering adoption across a Fortune 60 company can be a slow and challenging process requiring persistent advocacy and clear demonstration of value.

• Measuring Impact in Service Design: Quantifying the ROI of service design initiatives, especially those involving offline touchpoints or long-term member engagement, can be difficult but is crucial for securing buy-in.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deep Dive into Healthcare CX: Gain unparalleled experience in designing for one of the most critical and complex industries, developing specialized knowledge in health insurance and member journeys.

• Advanced Service Design Techniques: Opportunity to refine and expand expertise in cutting-edge service design methodologies, tools, and best practices.

• Cross-Disciplinary Skill Development: Work closely with product, marketing, operations, and analytics teams, broadening understanding of business functions and their interdependencies.

• Leadership & Mentorship: Develop leadership skills by guiding projects and potentially mentoring junior designers, preparing for future leadership roles.

• Industry Conferences & Training: Potential for participation in industry-specific conferences (e.g., healthcare CX, design thinking) and relevant training programs to stay abreast of industry trends and advancements.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges highlight the strategic importance of this role and the need for resilience, adaptability, and strong problem-solving skills. The growth opportunities are substantial for a senior designer looking to make a significant impact in a mission-driven industry.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you led the development of a new service experience. What was the problem, your approach, and the outcome?" (Focus on problem framing, research, ideation, prototyping, and impact.)

• "How do you balance the needs of various stakeholders (e.g., business, operations, members) when designing a service?" (Highlight your facilitation, negotiation, and prioritization skills.)

• "Walk me through a complex service blueprint you created. What insights did it reveal, and how did it inform the design?" (Demonstrate your ability to map intricate systems and derive actionable insights.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What do you know about Humana's mission and its impact on member health?" (Research Humana's values, recent news, and commitment to member well-being.)

• "How would you contribute to Humana's 'caring community' through your service design work?" (Connect your design philosophy and approach to Humana's core values.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure is Key: Organize your portfolio presentation logically, typically starting with an overview of Humana's needs and how your skills align, followed by 2-3 detailed case studies.

• Focus on Process, Not Just Pixels: Emphasize your thought process, research methodologies, iterative design cycles, and how you arrived at your solutions.

• Quantify & Qualify Impact: Clearly articulate the results of your work, using data and specific examples to demonstrate value.

• Be Ready for Deep Dives: Anticipate in-depth questions about specific design choices, challenges encountered, and how you handled them.

• Showcase Tools: Briefly mention the tools used and how they facilitated your work, especially Figma, Miro/Lucidchart, and Adobe Suite.

• Connect to Humana: Whenever possible, draw parallels between your past projects and the challenges Humana might face.

📝 Enhancement Note: Prepare to discuss not just your design skills but also your ability to influence, collaborate, and drive strategic initiatives within a large, complex organization. Your portfolio presentation is your primary opportunity to showcase these senior-level competencies.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Service Designer position:

• Submit Your Application: Navigate to the provided Workday link and complete the online application form meticulously.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select your strongest 2-3 service design projects that best exemplify your skills in journey mapping, user research, prototyping, and service blueprinting. Ensure each case study clearly outlines the problem, your role, process, solutions, and impact.

• Tailor Your Resume: Optimize your resume to highlight keywords and responsibilities relevant to service design, UX, HCD, healthcare experience, and cross-functional collaboration. Emphasize achievements and quantifiable results.

• Prepare Your Presentation Narrative: Practice walking through your portfolio with a clear, concise, and compelling story for each project. Be ready to articulate your thought process, design rationale, and the impact of your work.

• Research Humana: Thoroughly understand Humana's mission, values, target audience, and recent activities in the healthcare industry. Be prepared to articulate why you are a good fit for their "caring community" and how your skills can enhance member experiences.

⚠️ 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.