Who We Are
At Kyndryl, we run and reimagine the mission-critical technology systems that drive advantage for the world’s leading businesses. We are at the heart of progress; with proven expertise and a continuous flow of AI-powered insight, enabling smarter decisions, faster innovation, and a lasting competitive edge. For our people—Kyndryls—that means doing purposeful work that powers human progress. Join us and experience a flexible, supportive environment where your well-being is prioritized and your potential can thrive.
The Role
As Associate Director, Customer Innovation & Design Leadership, you will lead customer innovation engagements end to end—from challenge framing and executive workshops through prototype direction, evidence, and the decisions that follow. Serving as the customer's strategic contact and a trusted advisor to senior leadership, you will bridge the gap between complex business problems, research insights, and tangible concepts people can test.
This is a strategic design-leadership and consulting role focused on human-AI systems. Composed in ambiguity, you will create just enough structure to move fast while directing multidisciplinary teams of creative technologists, designers, researchers, and engineers. You bring practical AI fluency and a clear point of view on how AI reshapes customer experiences, driving outcomes that lead directly to funded sprints, pilots, and enterprise transformation.
What You Will Do
Own the customer journey, shaping brief arcs, success measures, immersion, co-design workshops, builds, and post-Lab follow-through.
Lead CIOs, CTOs, COOs, and senior leadership teams through ambiguity, constructive challenge, and strategic decisions.
Translate enterprise priorities, user needs, and operational realities into clear value hypotheses and actionable design challenges.
Define human-AI system interactions—designing handoffs, exceptions, control, and accountability between people and agents.
Direct multidisciplinary teams through focused prototype builds, setting fidelity and defining evidence using realistic scenarios and synthetic personas.
Connect engagement findings and validation evidence to definitive executive recommendations and owned next steps.
Turn validated work into reusable methods, patterns, prompts, agent states, policies, and reference builds.
Build practice capability, coach multidisciplinary talent, and dedicate capacity to moonshot initiatives in human-AI collaboration.
Your Future at Kyndryl
Becoming an Associate Director at Kyndryl is an excellent gateway to many different paths. You’ll be creating a well-rounded skillset while gaining professional certifications and qualifications. You can evolve horizontally into other technical or non-technical areas, or move vertically into senior leadership or specialized domain roles. There are many different types and flavors of roles at Kyndryl, so everyone can find the opportunity that suits them best.
Who You Are
Who You Are
You’re good at what you do and possess the required experience to prove it. However, equally as important – you have a growth mindset; keen to drive your own personal and professional development. You are customer-focused – someone who prioritizes customer success in their work. And finally, you’re open and borderless – naturally inclusive in how you work with others.
Required Skills and Experience
Bachelor's degree in Design, HCI, Business, Engineering, Computer Science, Architecture, or equivalent practical experience.
10+ years in design, innovation, or consulting, including 3+ years leading multidisciplinary teams and owning executive customer relationships.
Proven portfolio of end-to-end innovation engagements, detailing challenge framing, prototyping, testing, and business outcomes.
Executive presence and facilitation skills, with a track record of guiding C-suite stakeholders through complex co-design and decisions.
Strong business acumen and human-centered design leadership spanning…