The New Practice Lab (https://www.newamerica.org/new-practice-lab/) is deeply committed to delivering on our north star: to improve benefits outcomes for 3 million Americans who belong to economically excluded families with children under six by the end of 2026 (https://nplimpact.org) . In early 2025, we are seeking to bring on a number of people excited to improve the way policy is made for American families by rolling up their sleeves, implementing a “ new practice (https://www.newamerica.org/new-america/articles/new-practice-public-problem-solving/) ,” and learning in collaboration with community, private, nonprofit and public sector partners. We approach our efforts differently than other teams - we are a mix of designers, researchers, policy experts, data scientists and technologists working to build a tighter link (https://www.nplimpact.org/policy) between policymakers, civil servants, and the families they serve (https://www.nplimpact.org/listening) , always with a rigorous focus on implementation. Our team is funded to provide no-cost teams to governments (https://www.nplimpact.org/implementation) to improve benefits delivery such as income supports, care, and early education policies. We also convene practitioners across the country (https://www.newamerica.org/new-practice-lab/collections/implementation-working-group/) to learn from each other and inform better policy and program design. Role Description The Senior Fellow - Design, will serve as a senior member of the Design Team working to identify and scope how design expertise (including user research, service design, content strategy) is embedded into the work of all New Practice Lab efforts (https://www.newamerica.org/new-practice-lab/blog/meet-npl-policy-delivery/) , driving project efforts and collaborations with delivery partners to improve the design and delivery of public benefits, and working collaboratively with team members on technical assistance and research sprints when the New Practice Lab has the opportunity to provide input to shaping policy and program delivery. At a high level, some of the duties and responsibilities of this role will include:  + Serve as a key member of sprint teams during delivery and policy sprints (https://www.newamerica.org/new-practice-lab/blog/product-sprints-critical-tools-for-the-new-practice/) , including identifying ways the design discipline should be incorporated in the scoping phase of engagements + Acting as the design expert on these multidisciplinary sprint teams, often facilitating and executing the entire design process, from exploratory research to ideation, with limited supervision + Structuring and conducting user research with families and service providers through inclusive and trauma-informed design research practices, ideally in both English and Spanish + Leading the development of content-heavy design deliverables that improve access to public benefit programs at local, state, and federal levels + Coordinating the work of contracted designers and other time-bound support expertise + Writing for both technical and public audiences to share lessons learned from the work of the New Practice Lab from both user research and the application of design methods in the policy process + Representing the New Practice Lab in a variety of forums such as conferences and briefings + Developing relationships and collaborations with other organizations and experts working on similar issues, and identifying potential projects for the New Practice Lab + Identifying and pursuing opportunities to disseminate and scale findings from sprints, collaborating with other members of the Lab’s senior leadership team to translate insights into broader recommendations for action by policymakers and public sector agencies. Experience The ideal candidate has demonstrated experience and success in: + Providing multi-disciplinary teams with design expertise and supporting the scoping of projects to include design approaches and activities, with a preference for having done so in the public sector benefits context (as a civil servant or contractor) + Working on user-centered software products and familiarity with modern product development workflows + Creating research plans that help answer priority questions for a product or service development team + Conducting both generative and evaluative research to understand user needs, behaviors, and pain points; analyzing findings for insights that generate actionable recommendations + Conducting usability testing and iterating on content strategy as well as a variety of types of products/materials based on increased understanding of user needs + Producing and managing the creation of high-quality design artifacts for projects, including: + Developing the content strategy and architecture, with a particular orientation to how collaborators can sustain and own after the team’s hand-off + Writing towards an audience of people with varied technical fluency, as well as a diverse set of users, while balancing policy and legal requirements + Coordinating multiple contributors to author written materials of moderate complexity + Editing for details and quality, managing voice and tone + Ensuring that all content and touchpoints are inclusive and compliant with relevant accessibility standards (e.g., WCAG/508) Compensation and Benefits This position is a full-time role with benefits. The annual salary is estimated to be between $140,000 – $180,000 and will account for commiserate experience. New America offers a highly competitive benefits package that includes health care, dental, and vision coverage; a generous retirement plan; paid time off; observes all federal holidays; and an office-wide closure between Christmas and New Year’s Day. Location The position is remote and is open to candidates in North America. Application Process To be considered in the first round of applicants, please submit your application by February 21st . Along with your resume, please submit: + An optional cover letter that describes your qualifications to apply + A work sample (more below, not optional) + Please be sure that your resume includes 3 references (names, emails) up front, and that you have secured their permission to be contacted Your work sample should be  a design case study (PDF or direct link) which includes: + A brief description of the problem the work is seeking to address + How you approached it and why, covering the steps in the design process you participated in + Your specific role/contributions and the make up of the team you worked with + Any artifacts the process produced, if you feel they are helpful to include (e.g. journey map, form design, diagram, etc.). + Concluding thoughts: + If you were with the project through completion, the results/findings/outcome of your work and what you personally learned about your practice or approach + If you were not with the project through completion or if it is ongoing, your reflections on what you personally learned about your practice or approach If you feel any of these are not addressed in your prepared portfolio or case study, please feel free to include up to 1 page maximum explanation OR a 2 minute video discussing the missing elements.  No phone calls or emails please. New America is an equal opportunity employer committed to hiring a diverse workforce at all levels of the organization thereby creating a culture that allows us to better serve our clientele, our employees and our communities. We value and encourage the contributions of our employees and strive to create an environment where everyone can reach their full potential and drive outstanding results.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, age, sex, religion, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, gender identity or expression, or any other basis protected by local, state, or federal law. This policy applies with regard to all aspects of one’s employment, including hiring, transfer, promotion, compensation, eligibility for benefits, and termination. This is a bargaining unit position.   Powered by JazzHR