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LeadStack Inc. · 3 days ago

Sr. Design Researcher

Burbank, CA

Contract

Onsite

Senior Level, Lead/Staff

$100/hr - $106/hr

8+ years exp

LeadStack Inc. is focused on user-centered research and design practices for web-based applications and platforms. The Senior Design Researcher will lead research initiatives to uncover user needs and synthesize insights to inform design, ensuring intuitive and data-driven experiences for business stakeholders.

Business DevelopmentInformation TechnologyRecruitingStaffing Agency

Growth Opportunities

Responsibilities

Define and drive a clear research vision aligned with product and business goals

Prioritize research initiatives to maximize impact and inform product strategy

Foster a research-driven culture by promoting best practices and deep understanding of user needs

Mentor and coach team members to strengthen research capabilities and elevate overall impact

Plan and conduct user interviews, workshops, and usability testing to uncover explicit and latent user pain points

Partner closely with UX Designers, Technical Product Owners, and Business Analysts to execute research initiatives

Apply appropriate qualitative and quantitative methods to inform design decisions

Synthesize research findings into actionable insights

Create impactful research artifacts such as personas, archetypes, user journey maps, and experience maps

Present findings clearly and persuasively to diverse stakeholder groups

Collaborate with design teams to translate complex business rules and data into intuitive, user-friendly solutions

Advocate for end users throughout the design and development lifecycle

Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including UX, product, engineering, and delivery teams, to ensure insights are incorporated into designs, user stories, and final solutions

Support iterative product development through ongoing research and validation

Qualification

User Research ExpertiseQuantitative Research & MeasurementDesign Thinking certificationPrototyping toolsSurvey toolsCollaboration toolsReporting toolsMentorship & CoachingDocumentationPortfolioVerbal skillsEmpathy with usersAgile experienceResilience in changeWritten skillsPresentation skillsWork independently

Required

User Research Expertise: 8+ years of experience conducting user interviews and eliciting pain points and requirements

Quantitative Research & Measurement: 8+ years of experience analyzing user behavior data to inform system and product design

Mentorship & Coaching: 5+ years of experience mentoring team members and promoting user-centric thinking

Deep theoretical and practical knowledge of qualitative and quantitative research methodologies

Experience working on moderate to highly complex projects

Strong portfolio demonstrating research process and impact, including: Research roadmaps, Personas / archetypes, User journey maps, Experience maps, Mental model diagrams, Research reports and presentations

Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills

Strong ability to empathize with users and uncover motivations

Proven ability to mentor and collaborate across disciplines

Experience working in agile, cross-functional teams

Ability to work independently with minimal supervision

Comfortable in fast-paced, evolving environments and resilient in the face of change

Prototyping tools: Figma or Adobe Creative Suite

Survey tools: M365 Forms, SurveyMonkey

Collaboration tools: Miro

Documentation and reporting tools: Jira, Confluence

Bachelor's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Sociology, Psychology, or a related field