Design Research Manager
Founded by The Allstate Corporation in 2016, Arity is a data and analytics company focused on improving transportation. We collect and analyze enormous amounts of data, using predictive analytics to build solutions with a single goal in mind: to make transportation smarter, safer and more useful for everyone.
At the heart of that mission are the people that work here—the dreamers, doers and difference-makers that call this place home. As part of that team, your work will showcase both your intelligence and your creativity as you tackle real problems and put your talents towards transforming transportation.
That’s because at Arity, we believe work and life shouldn’t be at odds with one another. After all, we know that your unique qualities give you a unique perspective. We don’t just want you to see yourself here. We want you to be yourself here.
The Team
The User Experience (UX) organization is a multi-disciplinary services organization that designs user interactions and experiences with devices, systems and services that provide an overall positive, engaging and productive experience. The organization serves the varying user experience and design needs across the Enterprise and is comprised of UX Designers, Interactive Content Writers, Design Research and Usability Analysts, Creative Technologists and Interactive Visual Designers that come together to design delightful experiences.
The Role
The Design Research Manager will oversee and execute a variety of UX research programs ranging from contextual inquiry, in-depth interviews to interface evaluations and usability testing. This position will plan and oversee a variety of UX research efforts and will also be expected to provide thought leadership and innovative ideas to drive improvements across the customer experience lifecycle.
Responsibilities
- This individual will act as a customer advocate, working with multidisciplinary teams -often in parallel across the organization to help improve and refine the customer experience on a continual basis. This role will conduct foundational research and apply insights enterprise wide across the organization - leading and executing a variety of research programs ranging from ethnographies, contextual inquiry, and focus group moderation to in-depth interviews and various forms of design prototype evaluation. This role provides support to UX project and business teams throughout the PDLC – from planning and discovery through iterative design, implementation and beyond.
- This position will execute independently and/or lead others to plan, recruit, execute, analyze and report out findings. This individual will also be expected to provide thought leadership and innovative ideas to drive improvements across the customer experience lifecycle.
- Lead multidisciplinary teams/projects through an entire design process, from planning, research and synthesis through to concepting, prototyping and implementation
- Create estimates and project plans related to UX research efforts for high complex and strategic projects
- Plan and oversee research initiatives to gather end-user requirements
- Plan and facilitate teams in the creation of journey maps, user profiles, user scenarios and research objectives, aligned with project and business goals
- Plan and facilitate workshops and design sessions with senior level stakeholders
- Develop and educate others in evaluation techniques and incorporate industry best practices
- Create and provide formal education on design research to all levels of the company
- Define and refine UX research processes and influence higher levels in the company to promote the value of UX Research
- Utilize project/program insights to identify and form larger connections that impact key initiatives across the organization and the enterprise as a whole.
Qualifications
- 7 or more years of relevant experience within a research function required
- 2 – 5 years managing project teams or UX researcher teams
- Experience coordinating and directing design research projects and usability tests
- Demonstrated experience planning and selecting the optimal research method for a given project
- Must be a highly motivated and passionate leader in the UX Research area that thrives on developing peers and processes to create a top notch UX Research organization
- Strong interpersonal skills, ability to quickly build rapport and establish credibility, thrives in collaborative work
- Extremely strong communication skills and demonstrated success designing, planning and facilitating workshops/design sessions
- Expertise in ethnographic research methods, product and/or service design research and strong analytical ability
- Strong communication skills and demonstrated success facilitating workshops/design sessions
- Four year degree, Master’s preferred, in Human Factors/Human Computer Interaction, Cognitive or Experimental/Social Psychology, Cognitive Science or related field.
Heads up: when you click “apply now” you’ll be directed to the Allstate careers site. You’re still looking at an Arity job, but because we were founded by Allstate, we share the same application system.