Commonwealth of Massachusetts is hiring: Experience Design & Research Lead – Hou

Experience Design & Research Lead – Housing Experience

Experience Design & Research Lead – Housing Experience

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Commonwealth of Massachusetts provided pay range

This range is provided by Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Your actual pay will be based on your skills and experience — talk with your recruiter to learn more.

Base pay range

$100.00/hr - $115.00/hr

This is a contract-based employment opportunity

The Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC) was established in 2023. Its creation reflected the Commonwealth’s focus on housing, elevating the organization from a division (DHCD) to an executive office reporting directly to the Governor. EOHLC works to create more homes and lower housing costs for Massachusetts residents. We administer programs focused on housing production, housing affordability, fairness and equity in housing opportunity, emergency and transitional housing and financial supports, and home energy affordability, among other areas.

Are you interested in helping people in Massachusetts find and secure affordable housing? The Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC) is hiring an Experience Design and Research Lead to reimagine the affordable housing experience. In this full-time contract role, you’ll start by creating a vision and developing a centralized application that streamlines how people learn about, apply for, and gain access to private affordable housing. In addition to improving the front-end applicant experience, you will also shape the back-end experience for property managers.

This position is a full-time contract opportunity. The primary work location for this role will be at 100 Cambridge Street, Boston, MA 02114. The work schedule for this position is Monday through Friday, 9:00AM to 5:00PM EST. This position follows a hybrid schedule, typically requiring an average of two days per week in the office, with the flexibility to balance on-site and remote work as needed.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Scope, plan, and lead the design and implementation of holistic government services in partnership with the Affordable Housing Experience Owners.
• Engage constituents and service providers to understand their needs, map their experiences, and co-design digital and non-digital solutions.
• Outline how a centralized Affordable Housing Application for private affordable housing fits into the holistic experience of people navigating, securing, and staying in affordable apartments and homes.
• Partner with agency stakeholders to understand policies, technology systems, business needs, and other constraints when optimizing service delivery.
• Drive impact within a complex ecosystem that builds on existing discovery work. The team recently finished discovery work to understanding user needs. You’ll help the team extend these learnings, create a people-centered roadmap, and help move the team from vision to implementation.
• Outline how roles, systems, and policies impact service delivery and help drive change as needed.
• Lead the team through near-term and long-term visioning and provide strategic guidance for key initiatives and roadmaps.
• Create compelling and effective design artifacts to drive shared understanding and action (for example: future state concepts, journey maps, service blueprints, prototypes, frameworks etc.)
• Act as a change agent within Housing and Livable Communities by advocating for iterative people-centered design and research, coaching others, and growing in-house Experience Design and Research capabilities.
• Participate in the Massachusetts Experience Design and Research Community of Practice and collaborate with the Mass Digital Service team to shape state-wide service patterns, best practices, and integrated solutions.

Preferred Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Eight (8) plus years of professional experience in product and service design with five (5) plus years of experience as a team lead
• Three (3) plus years of experience working on government services or similarly complex spaces
• Proven track record of growing and leading high performing Experience Design and Research teams and strong coaching and mentorship skills
• Enthusiastic about solving problems facing public-sector agencies and promoting access to public services using modern technology, design, and research practices
• Demonstrated flexibility and patience in navigating highly regulated environments and complex stakeholder dynamics
• Deep understanding of all facets of people-centered design with outstanding hands-on expertise in 2 or more essential XDR skills (e.g., service design and interaction design)
• Strong expertise in and commitment to accessible, inclusive, and equitable design
• Outstanding communication, storytelling, facilitation, consulting, and organizational change skills

The Commonwealth is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, national origin, veteran status, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. Research suggests that qualified women, Black, Indigenous, and Persons of Color (BIPOC) may self-select out of opportunities if they don't meet 100% of the job requirements. We encourage individuals who believe they have the skills necessary to thrive to apply for this role.

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Mid-Senior level

Employment type

• Employment type

  Contract

Job function

• Job function

  Information Technology

• Industries

  Government Administration

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