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Design Thinking Strategist Jobs (NOW HIRING)

They apply design thinking broadly - thinking about the needs across the entire system - consumers, customers, business, supply chain, manufacturing, environment. Strategic Project Manager ...

Innovation Design Senior Manager

Manhattan, NY · On-site

$123.50K - $206.75K/yr

They apply design thinking broadly - thinking about the needs across the entire system - consumers, customers, business, supply chain, manufacturing, environment. Strategic Project Manager ...

Innovation Design Senior Manager

Manhattan, NY · On-site

$123.50K - $206.75K/yr

They apply design thinking broadly - thinking about the needs across the entire system - consumers, customers, business, supply chain, manufacturing, environment. Strategic Project Manager ...

AI/ML Data Strategist

Saint Louis, MO · On-site

$113.80K - $147K/yr

The AI Strategist operates at the intersection of business strategy, emerging technology, and ... Facilitate design thinking workshops to guide teams through empathize, define, ideate, prototype ...

UX Strategist -Remote

$124.40K - $160.70K/yr

UX Strategist - Remote Role Summary: The UX Strategist defines and drives the user experience ... design thinking, prioritization, IA validation). • Create UX roadmap with phases, dependencies ...

... design thinking workshops and strategy sessions with healthcare leaders to identify root causes of complex issues and co-develop actionable solutions. - Creates high-quality journey and service maps ...

Exceptional communication and organizational skills -- able to articulate design thinking, workflow strategy, and quality standards to both creative and non-creative audiences. * Strong attention to ...

Director, Brand Design

Manhattan, NY · On-site +1

$173.80K - $260.60K/yr

... Design Thinking & Storytelling Translate business priorities into long‐range creative strategies in partnership with Messaging Design, ensuring each strategic area (growth & motion, brand ...

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Design Thinking Strategist information

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$29.5K

$92.1K

$136K

How much do design thinking strategist jobs pay per year?

As of May 29, 2026, the average yearly pay for design thinking strategist in the United States is $92,126.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $82,000.00 and $94,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Design Thinking Strategist, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Design Thinking Strategist, you need a deep understanding of user-centered design, problem-solving techniques, and a background in fields like design, business, or innovation. Familiarity with tools such as Miro, Adobe Creative Suite, and prototyping platforms, as well as certifications like IDEO or LUMA, is often expected. Exceptional communication, facilitation, and empathy are critical soft skills for guiding teams and stakeholders through creative processes. These capabilities ensure effective collaboration, innovative solutions, and alignment with user needs, driving successful project outcomes.

How does a Design Thinking Strategist typically collaborate with cross-functional teams to drive innovation?

A Design Thinking Strategist works closely with cross-functional teams, including product managers, engineers, marketers, and user researchers, to facilitate creative problem-solving and user-centered design processes. They often lead workshops, guide brainstorming sessions, and help teams empathize with end-users to identify unmet needs. By fostering open communication and encouraging diverse perspectives, they ensure solutions are both innovative and aligned with business goals. This collaborative approach not only enhances team synergy but also increases the likelihood of delivering impactful, user-driven products and services.

What is a Design Thinking Strategist?

A Design Thinking Strategist is a professional who applies design thinking methodologies to solve complex business challenges and foster innovation. They lead teams through structured processes—such as empathy mapping, ideation, prototyping, and testing—to create user-centered solutions. Their role combines creativity, strategic planning, and collaboration to drive organizational change and improve products, services, or processes. Design Thinking Strategists often facilitate workshops, guide cross-functional teams, and ensure that solutions are both desirable for users and feasible for the business.

What is the difference between Design Thinking Strategist vs User Experience Designer?

AspectDesign Thinking StrategistUser Experience Designer
Primary FocusApplying design thinking methodologies to develop innovative solutions and strategiesDesigning and improving user interfaces and experiences for digital products
Skills & CertificationsDesign thinking, strategic planning, problem-solving, workshops facilitationUser research, wireframing, prototyping, UI/UX tools
Work EnvironmentCross-functional teams, strategic planning sessions, workshopsDesign studios, product teams, digital agencies
Industry UsageConsulting firms, innovation labs, corporate strategy departmentsTech companies, digital agencies, product companies

The main difference is that a Design Thinking Strategist focuses on applying design thinking principles to develop innovative strategies across various projects, while a User Experience Designer concentrates on creating and optimizing user interfaces and experiences for digital products. Both roles require creative problem-solving skills, but their core responsibilities and work environments differ.

More about Design Thinking Strategist jobs
What cities are hiring for Design Thinking Strategist jobs? Cities with the most Design Thinking Strategist job openings:
What states have the most Design Thinking Strategist jobs? States with the most job openings for Design Thinking Strategist jobs include:
Infographic showing various Design Thinking Strategist job openings in the United States as of May 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% Internship, 81% Full Time, and 18% Part Time. Highlights an 7% Physical, and 93% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $92,126 per year, or $44.3 per hour.
Innovation Design Senior Manager

Innovation Design Senior Manager

PepsiCo

Manhattan, NY

$123.50K - $206.75K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 16 days ago


PepsiCo rating

7.5

Company rating: 7.5 out of 10

Based on 838 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

124th of 378 rated food and drinks producers


Job description

Responsibilities

Reporting to the Senior Director, Global Design Innovation, the Senior Innovation Design Manager works in collaboration with cross functional team members to effectively develop and deliver business & design strategies and compelling designed experiences (brand, product, packaging, retail, merchandising) that have strategic business value.

Seasoned Innovation & Design Thinking Practitioner: The Design Innovation Senior Manager is responsible for the delivery of effective design thinking & innovation projects for PepsiCo's businesses.  Successful candidates will demonstrate superior ability to partner with teams in delivering strategies that can identify new opportunities, new products, and new experience that deliver against business goals.  They understand how to translate those strategies into testable prototypes and evaluate them against desirability, feasibility, viability, and sustainability.  They are adept at managing highly complex assignments and concurrent initiatives across varied project types.  They are driven to 'crack the code' on corporate innovation.

They are comfortable managing the ambiguity, inherent in innovation & design processes. The Senior Manager understands innovation & design methodologies (tools, techniques) and can provide input into innovation & design proposals, in order to execute against creative engagements and visualize the desired creative output.

They understand and are expert at design thinking, which underpins all our engagements. They pollinate design thinking within the organization through practical design methodologies, solving complex business problems and uncovering transformation opportunities to help brands & regional businesses get the most out of their resources. They apply design thinking broadly - thinking about the needs across the entire system - consumers, customers, business, supply chain, manufacturing, environment.

Strategic Project Manager & Collaborator: Working on projects that have critical business significance you will demonstrate the agility to lead strategy, planning, project management. You will be familiar with working in a multi-disciplinary environment, leading interdisciplinary teams.

Partnering with the Design Innovation Director and working alongside the cross functional innovation team, they are expected to lead projects and engage with a variety of stakeholders to get input and assess options. They work across all aspects of strategic design development leading opportunity identification projects to design strategies for new brands or product opportunities. They will synthesize research and business needs to ensure identified opportunities & design strategies result in sustainable growth and returns for the business.

  • Be a great practitioner & coach
  • Champion design thinking across the organization, educating while collaborating
  • Draw on diverse perspectives to solve design problems and drive effective solutions
  • Articulate design vision through prototyping, scenario modeling, strategic roadmaps, etc.
  • Collaborate closely with researchers, marketers, media teams to cross-pollinate ideas, methods, and approaches
  • Build and evolve methodologies, nurture the maturity of the design & innovation capabilities
  • Provide mentorship and support the professional development to junior team members
  • Work collaboratively to build relationships and get things done through formal and informal channels
  • Proven ability to incorporate research (including primary and secondary research) in strategic design processes

Compensation and Benefits:

  • The expected compensation range for this position is between $123,500 - $206,750.
  • Location, confirmed job-related skills, experience, and education will be considered in setting actual starting salary. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range during the hiring process.
  • Bonus based on performance and eligibility target payout is 15% of annual salary paid out annually.
  • Paid time off subject to eligibility, including paid parental leave, vacation, sick, and bereavement.
  • In addition to salary, PepsiCo offers a comprehensive benefits package to support our employees and their families, subject to elections and eligibility: Medical, Dental, Vision, Disability, Health, and Dependent Care Reimbursement Accounts, Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Insurance (Accident, Group Legal, Life), Defined Contribution Retirement Plan.
Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:

  • 10+ years of experience, with a minimum of 6 years (recent) in a strategic design role
  • Bachelors degree in Product Design, Graphic Design, Architecture, Engineering, and/or Business or equivalent years of experience
  • MBA preferred but not required

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Proven experience in Brand Strategy, Design Strategy, Innovation & Product Development.
  • Proven track record of strong leadership, team management skills and a strategic acumen
  • Superior project management and design management skills; attention to detail
  • Compelling presentation and proposal skills
  • Proven ability to multi-task, work in ambiguous and dynamic work environment; is comfortable with risk and uncertainty
  • Must be willing and able to travel 20% of the time
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Our Company will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and all other applicable laws, including but not limited to, San Francisco Police Code Sections 4901-4919, commonly referred to as the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance; and Chapter XVII, Article 9 of the Los Angeles Municipal Code, commonly referred to as the Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability status.

PepsiCo is an Equal Opportunity Employer: Female / Minority / Disability / Protected Veteran / Sexual Orientation / Gender Identity / Age

If you'd like more information about your EEO rights as an applicant under the law, please download the available EEO is the Law & EEO is the Law Supplement documents. View PepsiCo EEO Policy.

Please view our Pay Transparency Statement

Employment Type: FULL_TIME

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About PepsiCo

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated $86 billion in net revenue in 2022, driven by a complementary beverage and convenient foods portfolio that includes Lay's, Doritos, Cheetos, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Mountain Dew, Quaker, and SodaStream. PepsiCo's product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including many iconic brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.

Industry

Food and drink manufacturing

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

Purchase, NY, US

Year founded

1965