Consultant​/Senior Consultant - Human Factors & Usability

Summary

PDD is seeking a mid-to-senior consultant to help clients create products, services and experiences that are safe, intuitive, relevant and desirable. Working within multi-disciplinary teams of researchers, designers and engineers, you will plan and deliver people-centred research and human factors activities, translate evidence into clear design and business direction, and build trusted client relationships.

The role can flex toward human factors and usability, qualitative and contextual research, or a blend of both, depending on the successful candidate’s strengths. At senior level, the role includes greater ownership of complex global projects, commercial performance, client development, service development and mentoring. International travel will form part of some activities.

• Plan, scope and deliver research, human factors and usability work across the project lifecycle, from proposal and study design through fieldwork, analysis, reporting and presentation.
• Select and apply appropriate methods, which may include contextual inquiry, ethnographic research, interviews, formative and validation usability studies, task or heuristic analysis, expert review, co-creation workshops, or journey mapping.
• Moderate research and usability sessions and facilitate workshops in the UK and internationally, adapting approaches to different participants, cultures, products and project contexts.
• Analyse and synthesise qualitative and usability evidence, translating findings into actionable insights, design requirements, risk controls, opportunity areas and strategic recommendations.
• Produce clear, accurate and engaging deliverables, including proposals, research plans, protocols, technical reports and client presentations, tailored to the audience and purpose.
• Lead or contribute to multi-disciplinary project teams; manage scope, schedules, budgets, resources, quality and project risks in line with agreed client expectations and PDD processes.
• Build trusted client relationships throughout delivery, identify and resolve issues early, and help generate repeat and new work through high-quality consulting and sound commercial judgement.
• Collaborate with business development, sales and marketing colleagues to shape proposals, estimates, campaigns and a compelling service offering.
• Contribute to the evolution of PDD’s human sciences capabilities, methods, procedures and knowledge sharing, including awareness of changing client needs, market practice and relevant regulation.
• At senior level, provide day-to-day direction, coaching and constructive feedback to colleagues and support the development of junior team members.
• Maintain professional knowledge and undertake continuing development relevant to the role.

• Practical experience applying human-centred research, human factors, ergonomics, usability or user-centred design methods in commercial, consultancy, academic or other applied settings.
• Ability to plan and deliver qualitative research or usability activities, including participant-facing fieldwork, analysis and synthesis.
• Strong analytical judgement and the ability to turn complex evidence into clear, useful recommendations for products, services, experiences or business strategy.
• Excellent written, verbal and presentation skills, with the ability to communicate technical or complex material clearly to clients and multi-disciplinary teams.
• Confidence working directly with clients and collaborating effectively with researchers, designers, engineers and commercial colleagues.
• Strong organisation and self-management, including the flexibility to balance priorities and deliver high-quality work across concurrent projects, deadlines and budgets.
• Expe…