Human-Centered Design & Innovation Specialist at Rhizome Consulting (2 Openings)

Rhizome Consulting - Our primary objective is to meet both the needs of our client and to exceed their expectations. We offer a broad range of services, tailored to our client specification with full confidentiality.

We are recruiting suitably qualified candidates to fill the position below:

Job Title: Human-Centered Design & Innovation Specialist

Locations: Abuja and Lagos
Employment Type: Full-time

Job Summary

• The Human-Centered Design & Innovation Specialist will lead the application of design thinking, user-centred research, systems thinking, and innovation methodologies to develop solutions that address complex challenges across multiple sectors.
• The successful candidate will work closely with programme teams, stakeholders, communities, government institutions, and private sector partners to identify user needs, generate insights, co-create solutions, and support the design and testing of innovative products, services, policies, and interventions.

Key Responsibilities
Human-Centered Design & User Research:

• Lead user research activities including interviews, observations, focus group discussions, journey mapping, and ethnographic studies
• Identify user needs, behaviours, pain points, motivations, and opportunities for innovation
• Translate research findings into actionable insights that inform programme, product, and service design
• Develop user personas, customer journeys, experience maps, and design frameworks

Innovation & Solution Development:

• Facilitate innovation processes to generate creative and practical solutions to complex challenges
• Lead ideation workshops, design sprints, co-creation sessions, and innovation labs
• Support the development of innovative products, services, systems, and programme models
• Apply systems thinking approaches to identify root causes and design sustainable solutions

Prototyping, Testing & Iteration:

• Design and coordinate prototyping and pilot-testing activities
• Gather user feedback and analyse performance data to improve solution effectiveness
• Support iterative learning and continuous improvement throughout project implementation
• Ensure solutions remain responsive to evolving user and stakeholder needs

Stakeholder Engagement & Co-Creation:

• Facilitate participatory design processes involving communities, clients, beneficiaries, and partners
• Foster collaboration across multidisciplinary teams and stakeholder groups
• Build relationships with government agencies, development partners, private sector actors, and community representatives
• Promote inclusive and equitable participation throughout the design process

Knowledge Management & Capacity Building:

• Develop design toolkits, frameworks, methodologies, and guidance materials
• Deliver training and mentoring on human-centered design, innovation, and design thinking approaches
• Document lessons learned, innovation outcomes, and best practices
• Support organisational learning and knowledge-sharing initiatives

Educational Qualifications

• Master`s Degree in Design, Innovation Management, Social Innovation, Development Studies, Public Policy, Business Administration, Human-Centered Design, Psychology, Sociology, Engineering, or a related discipline.

Knowledge, Skills & Experience:

• Minimum of 10 years experience in human-centered design, innovation, service design, product development, programme design, or related fields
• Demonstrated experience conducting user research and applying design thinking methodologies
• Strong understanding of co-creation, participatory design, systems thinking, and innovation frameworks
• Experience designing, testing, and scaling products, services, programmes, or policy solutions
• Proven ability to facilitate workshops, design sprints, innovation labs, and stakeholder engagement processes
• Experience working with multidisciplinary teams across development, public, private, or social impact sectors
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, communication, and facilitation skills
• Excellent report writing, presentation, and stakeholder management capabilities
• Ability to manage multiple projects and deliver results in dynamic environments.

Application Closing Date
Not Specified.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should send their Applications to: vacancies@rhizomeng.com using the Job Title as the subject of the mail.