Design Insights & Validation Research Lead

## Design Insights & Validation Research Lead Apply locations:
Vancouver, Washington, United States of America time type:
Full time posted on:
Posted Todayjob requisition :
3161611

Design Insights & Validation Research Lead
** Description
- **** Intermediate– Experience Design Engr 2 – 00133L
***
* Location:

** Vancouver, WA, USA  
** Organization:
** Global Experience Design – Research Insights & Validation
** Role Summary
** This role leads end-to-end design research, insights, and validation to inform product, experience, and strategic decisions across hardware, software, and services. The Specialist applies advanced mixed-method approaches (qualitative and quantitative) to solve complex business problems, shape product direction, and influence cross-functional decision-making.

The role operates with a high degree of independence, partnering closely with design, product, and engineering to ensure insights drive measurable experience improvements and business outcomes.
** Key Responsibilities
*** Lead end-to-end research initiatives (qualitative + quantitative) from problem definition to insight delivery across multiple work streams.
* Design and execute advanced research studies (e.g., in-depth interviews, usability testing, surveys, concept validation, journey evaluation, and behavioral analytics) for complex and ambiguous problem spaces.
* Synthesize insights into strategic recommendations, connecting user needs to product, design, and business decisions.
* Drive customer centric mindset with exploration & validation of concepts, prototypes, and live experiences, ensuring clarity, usability, trust, and value of experiences.
* Partner with cross-functional stakeholders (Design, Product, Engineering, Business) to influence roadmaps and decision-making with objectivity and actionable insights.
* Act as a research lead on projects, guiding priorities, aligning stakeholders, and ensuring methodological rigor.
* Contribute to and evolve research frameworks, tools, and best practices, including scaling insights across teams.
* Mentor junior researchers or guide designers on research best practices, where applicable.
* Ensure insights continuity through documentation, repositories, and reusable knowledge systems.
** Education & Experience
*** Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Human Factors, Psychology, Social Sciences, HCI, Design Research, or related field.
* Typically 3–6 years of experience in UX research, design research, or market research.
** Knowledge & Skills
*** Strong expertise in mixed-method research (qualitative + quantitative) and selecting appropriate methodologies for complex problems.
* Curiosity to understand human behavior, especially with shifts in technology (physical and digital interactions) and evolving AI attitudes & behaviors.
* Ability to frame ambiguous problems into structured research approaches and actionable outputs.
* Advanced analytical and synthesis skills, translating data into clear, decision-oriented insights.
* Strong understanding of user-centred design, validation frameworks, and experience metrics.
* Experience influencing stakeholders and driving decisions through insights.
* Proficiency with research platforms (e.g., User Testing, Suzy, Qualtrics, or similar).
* Familiarity with AI-assisted research tools (e.g., synthesis, survey generation, insight scaling) and curiosity to continuously learn more AI tools
* Experience with remote, unmoderated, and scaled research methods.
* Exposure to behavioural analytics or eye-tracking tools is a plus.
* Strong communication and storytelling skills, with ability to present to senior stakeholders.
** Impact / Scope
*** Leads research across multiple projects or a workstream, handling diverse and complex problem areas.
* Influences design and product decisions through insights and recommendations.
* Collaborates with cross-functional teams, including senior stakeholders and external partners.
* Acts as a key contributor to research strategy, quality, and scalability within the organization.

The pay range for this role is $93,400 to $143,800 USD annually with additional  opportunities for pay in the form of bonus and/or equity (applies to United  States of…