Senior/Lead Design Researcher

  • Location: Toronto , Ontario
  • Type: Contract
  • Job #4188

JOB DESCRIPTION

Location: Hybrid (Downtown, Tornto)
Duration: 12 months

Our client, a leading financial institution in Downtown Toronto is looking for a Senior/Lead Design Researcher to maintain a strong understanding of the trajectory of the product and upcoming priorities so that they can proactively identify opportunities for research to inform our approach and decisions. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to work with one of the Top 5 Banks in Canada.

Typical Day in role:

  • Proactively identify opportunities for research to inform product strategy and design decisions, and create alignment around those opportunities and results
  • Work closely with product, design, and marketing in conducting generative and evaluative research
  • Represent the voice and needs of our users through engaging with them on our platforms/channels such as Alida, Maze, and our internal UAP program
  • Design and facilitate internal workshops to gather information about new work or areas of focus
  • Manage multiple research activities by effectively prioritizing and communicating those priorities and their implications with peers and partners
  • Mentor product designers in the research craft to democratize and enable research in the different pillars

Must-Have Skills:

  • 7 to 10 years of relevant experience
  • Deep experience conducting generative and evaluative, qualitative research using a variety of research methods
  • Proficiency for in-person and remote workshop design and facilitation
  • Strong presentation and storytelling skills
  • Experience collaborating effectively with designers and members of other functional teams (Product, Tech, Business, Marketing, etc.)
  • Experience managing and/or mentoring other designers and researchers

Nice-To-Have Skills:

  • Experience conducting research in a B2B setting (strongly preferred, but not required)
  • Experience working in highly-regulated industries (financial institutions, healthcare/pharma, etc.) and/or loyalty space
  • Experience with our current tool set: Alida, Maze, Fable, Figma, Mural
  • Experience in community management
  • Experience in facilitating workshops

Soft Skills Required:

  • Strong communication and presentation skills
  • Ability to collaborate with other designers and cross-functional team members
  • Ability to manage stakeholders and build relationships

Education:

  • BA/BS degree in Psychology, Anthropology, Sociology, Information Studies, Design (e.g. interaction, graphic, visual communications, product, industrial), Human Computer Interaction (HCI), Computer Science (CS), or a related field or equivalent practical experience

Finance professional is committed to creating an inclusive environment where all team members and clients feel like they belong. We seek applicants with a wide range of abilities and we provide an accessible candidate experience. We advocate for you and welcome anyone regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, physical or mental disability, or age.