Senior Human-Centered Design (UX Design) Contract role

Public sector experience, preferably within the DC, MD AND VA area.

I’m working with the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange (MHBE) on an opportunity and wanted to connect regarding a Subject Matter Expert – Senior Human-Centered Design (HCD) Strategist role.

Please review the details below and let me know if you’re interested. If so, share your resume, rate expectations, and availability.

Additional Details:

Client: Maryland Health Benefit Exchange (MHBE)
Job ID: #157
Location: Baltimore, MD (Hybrid)
Address: 750 East Pratt Street, 6th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202
Duration: 05/18/2026 – 06/30/2026 (with extension options through 2028)
Submission Requirements: Resume, LOC, 3 References
Interview Process: Virtual (Teams/phone/in-person if required)

Work Model:

• Hybrid (approx. 2 days onsite; subject to change)
• Must be flexible for onsite, overtime, or off-hours as needed

About the Role:

This role serves as a Senior Human-Centered Design (HCD) Strategist supporting Medicaid programs. You’ll lead design strategy, user research, and service improvements to enhance eligibility, enrollment, and renewal experiences for beneficiaries and staff.

Scope of the Project:

The focus is on applying human-centered design (HCD) to improve Medicaid systems and workflows driving better user outcomes, reducing friction, and aligning policy, operations, and technology.

Daily Duties / Responsibilities:

• Lead HCD strategy across Medicaid eligibility, enrollment, and renewal processes
• Conduct user research (interviews, usability testing, journey analysis)
• Develop service blueprints, journey maps, and prototypes
• Translate research into actionable design and system improvements
• Collaborate with policy, IT, product, and operations teams
• Ensure compliance with Section 508, WCAG, and accessibility standards
• Present findings and recommendations to leadership
• Support adoption of HCD practices across the organization
• Align design outputs with technical implementation (user stories, requirements)

Required Skills (Ranked):

• 7+ years experience in UX, HCD, or Service Design roles
• Strong expertise in user research, journey mapping, and service design
• Experience working in regulated or large-scale environments (government, healthcare, finance)
• Strong understanding of accessibility (Section 508, WCAG)
• Experience collaborating across technical and non-technical teams

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with Medicaid, CHIP, SNAP, or public benefits systems
• Experience in government or public sector environments
• Familiarity with policy, compliance, and procurement constraints
• Experience with design systems, agile delivery, and modernization projects
• Certifications in UX/HCD (NNG, IDEO, LUMA, CUA, etc.)

Required Education:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience

Environment and Tools:

• UX/HCD tools and frameworks
• Research and prototyping tools
• Collaboration with product, engineering, and policy teams

Additional Skills:

• Strong communication with executives, stakeholders, and end users
• Ability to translate complex processes into user-friendly solutions
• Experience working in multi-stakeholder, regulated environments
• Ability to drive change and influence organizational practices

This is not a basic UX role you’re expected to drive strategy, influence policy and systems, and deliver measurable outcomes in a regulated environment. If someone is just a UI/UX designer without deep HCD and research experience, they won’t last here.