Design Researcher

As a Design Researcher, you will work on projects planning, conducting and analysing research using qualitative and mixed methods approaches – making sure that all of our work is evidence-based and using research findings to inform decision-making and action.

As part of multidisciplinary teams, you will work with other specialists to produce high-quality work that meets the needs of users. Alongside this, you will play an active role in contributing to our Research & Analysis practice.

Dimensions

Key performance indicators for the role

• Individual utilisation - 90%

Problem solving responsibility and complexity

• Low/medium
• Assisting in project delivery and holding practice-specific tasks independently or under supervision.
• Able to handle limited ambiguity and adapt to changing situations with direction from more experienced colleagues.

Internal / external interactions

• Support delivery and client relationships
• Contribute to practice growth (internal impact, sharing, blogging)

Responsibilities

• Working as part of multidisciplinary teams – embedding design research approaches into agile ways of working, delivering high quality work, and providing strategic support, balancing users needs against organisation goals and outcomes.
• Designing and planning research - adapting approaches depending on a client's organisation cultures, design maturity and appetite for change
• Communicating research and insightsclearly, telling the story of our work and impact
• Supporting other specialists and client teams to promote design research best practice
• Fostering a cultureof collaboration and continuous improvement
• Actively contributing to our Research & Analysis practice within TPXimpact through internal time, skills development, knowledge management and sharing
• Continuously maintaining and updating your skills and knowledge to stay current within your relevant field of expertise

Professional knowledge and experience

Essential

• Experience contributing to problem framing and research scoping, working with teams to understand existing knowledge to define assumptions and/or hypotheses
• Experience designing research for user facing products and services in client facing teams or projects
• Proficiency in different research materials/stimuli to communicate clear intent and open discussion - creating engaging artefacts for insights and decision making.
• Experience supporting the design of inclusive and accessible products and services, ensuring compliance throughout the research process
• Experience working with prototypes and/or pilot interventions using a mix of methods
• Experience working with other designers, researchers, analysts and developers in a multidisciplinary team to deliver high quality design work
• Experience operating in a fast-paced environment, balancing internal business priorities with external delivery and work on client projects
• Experience facilitating activities to progress the work and present the story of change and impact
• Experience working in ambiguous situations, contributing to building a shared understanding, with clarity and direction.

Desirable Experience

• Comfortable mentoring junior researchers or members of a client team, and working with them to develop their skills
• Experience working with teams with low design maturity

Technical skills

• Able to design appropriate and engaging research, with ethical and inclusive consideration at its core - including user grouping and segmentation design, designing approaches and participant and research management.
• Able to deliver research independently and with others using a variety of methods from discovery to evaluative research with transactional, operational users and/or governance stakeholders to understand people - behavioural context, culture and lived experiences to help define, improve and iterate products, services and policy.
• Able to independently analyse and synthesise qualitative data as well as facilitate teams to enable continuous insight development throughout different stages of design and delivery and enables evidence-based learning decision making.
• Able to manage research operations - quality assurance and governance, tooling, knowledge management at scale within client programmes and research practice team.
• Able to effectively convey the value and impact of user-centred design and research design both within an organisation and in the broader public discourse.
• Able to create visual and engaging artefacts for conducting, communicating research and representing users, and collaborate effectively with others to do so.
• Able to work in the open and communicate the story of your work and impact.
• Contribute to and take ownership of training and skills transfer initiatives, including peer-to-peer to skills and knowledge sharing.
• Collaborate effectively with other designers across disciplines, including data and impact analysis, content, service, and interaction design.

People-Powered Transformation

We're a purpose driven organisation, supporting organisations to build a better future for people, places and the planet. Combining vast experience in the public, private and third sectors and expertise in human-centred design, data, experience and technology, we're creating sustainable solutions ready for an ever-evolving world.

At the heart of TPXimpact, we're collaborative and empathetic. We're a team of passionate people who care deeply about the work we do and the impact we have in the world. We know that change happens through people, with people and for people. That's why we believe in people-powered transformation.

Working in close collaboration with our clients, we seek to understand their unique challenges, questioning assumptions and building in their teams the capabilities and confidence to continue learning, iterating and adapting.

Benefits Include:

• 30 days holiday + bank holidays
• 2 volunteer days for causes that you are passionate about
• Maternity/paternity - 6 months Maternity Leave, 3 months Paternity Leave
• Life assurance
• Employer pension contribution of 5%
• Health cash plan
• Personal learning and development budget
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Access to equity in the business through a Share Incentive Plan
• Green incentive programmes including Electric Vehicle Leasing and the Cycle to Work Scheme
• Financial advice
• Health assessments

About TPXimpact - Digital Transformation

We drive fundamental change in approaches to product and service development, delivery and technology. Our agile, multidisciplinary teams use technology, design and data to deliver better results, improving outcomes for individuals, organisations and communities.

By working in the open, in partnership with our clients, we not only transform their systems and services but also build the capability of their teams, so work can continue without us in the longer term. Our focus is sustainable change, always delivered with positive impact.

We're an inclusive employer, and we care about diversity in our teams. Let us know in your application if you have accessibility requirements during the interview.