Senior Design Researcher

3 months ago

Chicago, United States Ontrac Solutions, LLC Full time

The Senior Design Researcher conducts human-centered research to guide the design of omnichannel products and services. By uncovering the “why” behind behaviors, you will help connect the organization to the needs of its customers and employees and support data-driven decisions that reduce risk and deliver a positive experience.

The role requires a methodical problem solver who is fluent in the design process. You should be able to understand the broader business context and frame research accordingly. You will have experience planning and executing research end-to-end, and confidently know when to apply research methodologies, including interviews, moderated and unmoderated usability tests, diary studies and surveys. You should be a natural collaborator who engages design, product management, insights and business partners in the research process. You will analyze data for meaningful patterns and translate them into actionable insights and recommendations. You will present research findings in a clear, concise and engaging way to ensure teams make decisions that are grounded in user needs, behaviors and pain points. 

The ideal candidate will exhibit a deep curiosity about people, technology and business operations and bring strong communication and organizational skills. You will be an effective diplomat for the design team, advocating for the user while balancing business and product constraints. You should contribute to our team's inclusive and growth-minded culture by being patient, empathetic, ego-free and eager to give and receive constructive feedback. You will have the ability to adapt to changing environments and embrace the challenge of translating user needs into new experiences for our business, customers and employees. 



Job Responsibilities

  • Understand the problem space and identify the appropriate mix of research methods that will deliver the right insights while balancing timing and resource constraints.
  • Align cross-functional teams around research plans with defined learning goals, research questions, target users, methods and tasks.
  • Coordinate research by developing screeners, discussion guides and research stimulus, in collaboration with the design team.
  • Conduct generative and evaluative research utilizing a range of methods, including interviews, moderated and unmoderated usability testing, diary studies, card sorting, surveys, secondary research, etc.   
  • Distill research data into meaningful patterns and translate them into actionable insights and recommendations. Communicate learnings clearly and concisely to help teams understand user needs, pain points and opportunities.
  • Develop positive relationships with product stakeholders so they see you as a trusted resource to support their decision-making.
  • Help facilitate collaborative worksessions to develop and prioritize new concepts.
  • Advocate for customers and team members among cross-functional teams and in forums such as design reviews.
  • Actively participate in research and design practice activities to continuously learn and improve as a team.
  • Contribute to ongoing knowledge management and the archiving of reports and insights into a sharable, searchable repository.

Financial Responsibility:

None



Supervisory Responsibility:

None

Basic Qualifications & Interests:

Bachelor's degree and at least 2 years of experience collecting and analyzing qualitative research data OR a High School Diploma / GED and at least 5 years of experience collecting and/or analyzing qualitative research data.

Experience conducting research across the entire product development lifecycle, including discovery and evaluative research

Experience scoping out and gaining buy-in for new research initiatives, including research objectives, methods, timing and budget

Experience with qualitative research methods, such as interviews and usability testing

Experience analyzing qualitative research data for patterns and trends to drive improvements of products, services and processes

Experience presenting research data in written and verbal formats

Experience working collaboratively within a cross-functional team 

Experience building positive and trusting relationships with stakeholders while managing the expectations and conflicting interests across the team

Experience researching digital products, such as websites, apps, kiosks and software applications

Experience using time management skills such as prioritizing, organizing and tracking details and meeting deadlines of multiple projects with varying completion dates.



Preferred Qualifications & Interests

At least 3 years experience leading design research projects from end-to-end

Experience researching complex digital and omnichannel products and services 

Experience researching employee productivity tools 

Experience visualizing product or service experiences to capture user actions, interactions and touchpoints

Experience working with external vendors to recruit research participants

Experience with UserTesting, dscout, Qualtrics, Optimal Workshop or similar remote research tools

Familiarity with engineering / development processes, particularly Agile

Familiarity with quantitative research methods

Experience in healthcare or retail industries

Experience working in a design consultancy and/or within a larger company

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