Lead Design Researcher

Zenda's DESIGN TEAM is inventing how businesses see, understand, and plan their operations. We call this WorkDesign and it is built on a nearly 30-year history of designing work within many of the world's largest companies.

We're looking for experienced Design Researchers who want to shift their skills and talents away from consumer-focused research that drives more and faster consumption, and instead help or clients see and understand how people in their organization work. Zenda is a fast-growing team of folks who are as smart as they are collaborative, interested, enjoyable to be around, and curios. Zenda boasts international reach, world class client partners, and a brand new studio in the iconic Chrysler Building!

Twenty-five years ago, the principals at Zenda led behavioral scientists, architects, graphic designers, and industrial designers into the new world of user interface design. Today we are leading professionals from the UI/UX/XD industry into the next frontier.

Zenda is a consulting firm that is driving the next wave of design - designing the event of work within the business enterprise. This is new territory for design.

Zenda leads change throughout the internal operations of Fortune 500 companies and drives innovation by modeling the event of work - relationships among business processes, technology, data, and the human worker. Our clients partner with us to define, explore and solve some of their most interesting operational challenges.

Zenda believes there are many skilled researchers whose talents are currently underutilized in an "experience design industry" that has become a mash-up of usability, user interface design, service design, CX, XD, UX ... and a host of other "x's" focused on reducing clicks, simplifying, selling products faster, cheaper, and with more ‘delight'. Our Design Researchers serve as consulting partners to the business and technology leaders of our client organizations to expose within the human context of enterprise operations a rich environment of discovery, opportunity, risk, and measurable impact.

We are currently seeking a Lead Design Researcher to become part of Zenda's core team. We're looking for a candidate with a strong cognitive /behavioral research background, impeccable communication and consulting skills and a deep understanding of design .

This position offers the right candidate an opportunity to see inside the most sensitive operational areas of the world's largest companies, setting a vision and roadmap for the application of research to the unique circumstances of each client. Zenda Design Researchers define what research means to our clients, our employees, and our community, and work with designers in creating visual explanations of their research, deliver insights, encourage discovery, and reveal opportunities. This is unique, important, and impactful work, leading client relationships and reporting to the Chief Design Officer.

SKILLS and RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Able to quickly learn and understand client business, effectively building professional relationships with colleagues and clients
• Develop new and innovative research plans, methods, and deliverables
• Contribute creative ideas to further project work and direction of projects, foster a climate where alternative ideas and approaches are encouraged
• Provide thought leadership and subject matter expertise
• Collaborate with designers in the creation of complex visual models
• Create and deliver comprehensive, compelling presentations and reports
• Demonstrate a flexibility and a professional approach, active listening skills during client and team interactions
• Have excellent time management skills, including the ability to work simultaneously across several projects
• Serve as a mentor to less experienced consultants, contributing to the ongoing growth of the Zenda team
• Travel as needed by project engagement.

EXPERIENCE:

• 5-7+ years' experience in conducting research and participating in all aspects of design research qualitatively and quantitatively (planning, executing, analysis, synthesis, deliverable creation ) required .
• Command of recognized research techniques, results analysis and developing findings reporting including field research methods such as interviews, contextual inquiry, heuristic review, usability testing, interactive workshops, etc.

EDUCATION:

• At least a master's degree or equivalent experience in Design Research or a human science related field such as Psychology, Cognitive / Behavioral Science, Sociology, Anthropology, Political Science.

COMPENSATION:

• Salary: $120,000+- per annum, commensurate with experience
• Health, vision dental and 401k benefits packages

Location: New York, New York

Job Type: Full-time