Director of Design Research

Director of UX Research to guide the Studio by framing strategic areas of research and discovering behavioral insights, defining unmet needs, and outlining rich opportunity areas for Samsung. As the Director of Research, you will report directly to the VP, Head of Global UX Studio, and will be responsible for ensuring there is a pipeline of rich strategic insights based on fundamental human needs, macro-trends and emerging technologies that helps focus the greatest areas of opportunity.

You will explore user trends, people’s broader goals/aspirations, and their UX interactions, mapping these learnings on to the landscape of existing and emerging technologies, markets, and research, all in order to pinpoint future needs and possibilities. Then, you’ll partner with the Studio, our colleagues across Samsung, and executive leaders to act on your findings. You are at home with hands-on invention, and thrive in the ambiguity and discovery-based pivoting that comes with it.

This role is 4/1 Hybrid - onsite M-Th, Remote on Friday.

• Establish, manage, and deliver against a strategic research roadmap for the Studio. Lead the planning and strategic exploration of experience projects. Recognize strategic opportunities, proactively pitch new ideas, and own experience concept development, from ideation to execution.
• Work hand-on alongside a small FTE team, and source and manage supportive agencies as needed.
• Draw on a wide range of research methodologies, frameworks and approaches – in setting research goals, developing protocols, facilitating research, analyzing data, and documenting findings and activating them through brainstorming, workshops, and presentations.
• Lead heavy front-end product strategy development research versus detailed back-end product development research. Research approach will be a mix and may include:
  Trends Analysis and Forecasting, Category Mapping, Lifestyle research/deep dives, Features Deep Diving, Jobs-to-be-done Evaluations, Competitive Benchmarking, Segmentation, Usability Testing
• Develop briefs, RFPs, and SOWs to engage, manage and coordinate the activities of external partners and contractors.

• Engage, manage and influence senior stakeholders regardless of background.
• Lead and develop the research function in the studio.
• Communicate fluidly and effectively with senior executives and other design team stakeholders – to appropriately inspire, influence, and serve multiple audiences.
• Drive cross-team collaborations among your team and other designers, researchers, creative technologists within the Global UX Studio and worldwide – in identifying insights and acting on them to inform design strategy, design exploration, and productization.
• Cultivate, inspire, mentor, and develop the design community within the studio, across Samsung, and externally in NYC. Promote excellent design and research in the Studio and Samsung with new approaches of innovation.

• Experience working with product makers – from designers to product managers to engineers Bachelor's/Master’s degree in Human-centered design, Design, HCI, behavioral science, ethnography, or related field, or equivalent with 12+ years’ professional experience in design research, design strategy, product management, product planning, product design areas. Or PhD with 8+ years.
• Experience in startup, skunk works, or incubation/innovation projects; comfort with ambiguity and change
• Ability to validate data through qualitative and quantitative research methods, and translate behavior signals into insight usable in product planning and product UX design.

• Demonstrated history of balancing business requirements, technological capabilities, and user insights to deliver great products
• Excellent presentation skills, with the ability to simplify complex concepts and generate enthusiasm among senior stakeholders
• Solid understanding of existing and emerging technologies, their boundaries, and how they apply in the context of consumer products
• Experience in mobile applications and intelligent systems a plus., Experience in both digital and physical is a plus.

The salary range for this role is expected to be between $205,000 and $217,000, plus bonus. Actual pay will be determined considering factors such as relevant skills and experience, and comparison to other employees in the role.