User Experience Researcher - Remote

**Please include a link to your portfolio if possible**

Note:  we are unable to hire in every state 

Summary: Supports a user-centered customer experience and product management process by championing the customer’s needs within the organization. Creates and refines user insights and experiences through strategic and inventive research methodologies (through both qualitative and quantitative research and analysis) that fuel insight-driven, empathetic designs and strategies for our products. Works collaboratively with Product Managers, Product Owners, Portfolio Management, Marketing & Customer Experience, Account Management, and other key stakeholders to ensure the organization incorporates the customer as a fundamental component in product ideation, development and decision making.  Ultimately, the user researcher plays a leading role in answering the triple threat questions of "Who are our users?”, "What are the problems we can solve for them?" and “How can we best solve those problems?”

 Key Responsibilities: “To simplify complexities for each customer.”

• Evangelize empathy for the customer and personify the customer’s voice within the organization
• Lead the creation and maintenance of organizational UX capabilities and create a 'repository' of research-based user knowledge that is insightful and informs internal stakeholders
• Participate in all steps of the product development lifecycle as a customer research expert (structure the research lifecycle, suggest research studies, educate colleagues about when to incorporate which research methods and inform on the status of what we know and don’t know about the customer)
• Work in close partnership with UX Designer(s) to share valuable information and insight into user preferences, needs and problems to inform UX design strategies; translate research findings into tangible design solutions that meet our user’s needs solve their challenges
• Work collaboratively with executives, the product portfolio team, product managers, product owners, marketing, account management and development teams to identify and prioritize topics for qualitative research, engaging colleagues in the research process wherever possible
• Design research studies to uncover user needs, goals, behavioral patterns, mental models, motivations, pain points and usability improvements in our applications, digital experiences and service offerings
• Conceive, plan and conduct user research projects from end-to-end; conduct thorough analysis and deliver contextual findings that are meaningful to stakeholders
• Run end-to-end ethnographic studies, concept explorations, user experience evaluations and lean usability tests including study designs; validate and maintain personas and create actionable and insightful journey maps
• Bring together qualitative and quantitative perspectives
• Conduct exploratory research to help make informed decisions on future products and business channels
• Balance high quality research with short, highly iterative cycles
• Combine user research with market research and analytics to uncover patterns and opportunities
• Deliver research results and insights in a compelling manner to influence product and design decisions
• Socialize insights and findings across the organization and with our customers to promote a shared corporate understanding and empathy for all our user groups
• Work at both strategic and tactical levels on both large-scale and small, quick guerilla-style projects
• Measure outcomes of company effort to influence customer behavior and satisfaction
• Collaborate with other stakeholders to positively impact ROI and brand satisfaction

Leadership Responsibilities:  

Directly supervises 0 employees.

The User Researcher is the leader of user research. The User Researcher will lead internally to bring a common understanding of customer personas, needs and motivations to the entire organization. The User Researcher needs to inspire others within the organization to have empathy for our users and to play a role in instituting a systematic process of always seeking factual understanding of customer needs.  The User Researcher needs to be confident and assertive regarding final decisions on user research without being un-approachable. The sole responsibility for the success or failure of the organization to understand the user resides with the User Researcher.

The User Researcher will be collaborative and act as a leader in directing the company’s efforts to understand customer’s needs.   

The User Researcher will model and affirm shared company values and maintain mutual trust and respect.  The User Researcher may provide an external consultative role to help other groups in understanding customers and users.

Qualifications/Education/Certifications:

• A. and/or Master’s in Design Research, HCI, Human Factors, Design, Anthropology, Psychology, English and/or five years related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 3+ years conducting user experience research in a fast-­paced, cross­-functional product development environment

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Proven ability to effectively execute various stages of the design process including:
  • Independently plan and execute a wide variety of research studies
  • Balance high quality research with short, highly iterative cycles
• A portfolio of past accomplishments that may include the following (but should not be limited to):
  • User Research/Ethnographic Studies including, but not limited to data driven personas, customer experience maps, etc.
  • Usability Findings / Design Recommendations
  • Usability Evaluation Plan w/ Metrics
  • Process of initiating a research project
  • Build questions
  • Identifying and recruiting participants for research
  • High-level "Senior Executive" Summaries / Presentations
  • Before/After Products with improved usability & ROI
• Ability to work effectively in multidisciplinary teams
• A strong communicator who can cater communication style to audience needs, with the ability to influence and drive change
• Strong understanding and ability to execute a variety of qualitative research methods in a high quality way and derive insights from data and findings that have meaning to stakeholders
• Experienced in user-centered design processes and quantitative data collection and analysis
• Experience with analysis of qualitative, survey and interview data to extract what is most impactful to users, our products, and the business
• Basic understanding of quantitative methods such as A/B Testing, multivariate testing and market research a plus
• Comfortable and experienced with both exploratory and evaluative research methods and able to invent new research methods as needed
• Curiosity about how people think, feel and behave, what motivates them, and their contexts
• Experience in and/or knowledge of UX design, visual design, design thinking or user-centered design principles strongly preferred
• Strong analytical and quantitative skills and comfort with data-driven decision making
• Skilled at working effectively with cross-functional teams in a matrixed organization
• Excellent written and verbal communications skills; experience with storytelling to gain interest and commitment and gain traction within the organization

Physical Demands/Working Conditions:

Duties are performed primarily in a home office setting utilizing computer equipment.  Travel to attend meetings and visit locations throughout the country may be required.  While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit and talk or hear.  The employee is frequently required to use hands.  The employee is occasionally required to stand and walk.*** Job descriptions will be reviewed and are subject to changes of business necessity.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.