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Lead Design Researcher

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Xero

29d ago

  • Job
    Full-time
    Senior Level
  • Research & Development
    Design
  • London
  • Quick Apply

AI generated summary

  • You should have a relevant degree or strong portfolio, excellent communication skills, user-centered design knowledge, coaching experience, and ideally experience in a fast-paced, agile environment.
  • You will conduct qualitative and quantitative research, analyze data, manage projects, influence stakeholders, and drive practice improvements in research methodologies across the organization.

Requirements

  • A degree or training in a Design Research course — or equivalent portfolio of work to match.
  • A portfolio of work that demonstrates high-quality and influential communication of insights, highlighting the business impact and taking ownership of reaching business outcomes.
  • Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to articulate design decisions and influence product strategy.
  • A deep understanding of user-centred design principles and a passion for creating intuitive and engaging experiences.
  • Proven experience coaching and mentoring design teams, fostering a collaborative and high-performing environment.
  • Ideally, experience working in a fast paced, agile product environment.

Responsibilities

  • Qualitative research - You'll make use of a broad range of qualitative methods on large and complex projects. You’ll design and conduct effective interviews to uncover rich, meaningful insights and generate informative data.
  • Quantitative Research - Bringing years of experience on complex quantitative studies, you’re confident crafting insightful surveys and harnessing data to recognise trends.
  • Process & planning - Leveraging your strong planning skills, you’ll prioritise tasks, manage constraints, communicate progress, proactively manage change, and mitigate issues.
  • Scoping work - You’ll proactively seek to understand the business context and interrogate research requests in order to pragmatically apply the appropriate research approach.
  • Data analysis and interpretation - You’re skilled in identifying patterns, interpreting findings and generating new hypotheses. Collaborating across teams, you'll connect data and draw holistic conclusions.
  • Communicate and influence - You'll craft concise, compelling presentations and confidently deliver clear, actionable recommendations that influence senior stakeholders and shape roadmaps and strategy.
  • Practice improvement - You'll lead initiatives to improve the research practice. Advocating for research across the organization, you’ll build capability beyond the team, and champion ethical and inclusive research.

FAQs

What is the primary purpose of the Lead Design Researcher role at Xero?

The primary purpose of the Lead Design Researcher role at Xero is to shape and lead impactful qualitative and quantitative research programs that connect cross-functional and senior stakeholders to key customer challenges, ultimately helping to supercharge small businesses.

What types of research will I be involved in as a Lead Design Researcher?

As a Lead Design Researcher, you will be involved in both qualitative and quantitative research, utilizing a broad range of methods to uncover insights, design effective interviews, craft insightful surveys, and analyze data trends.

What are the key responsibilities of the Lead Design Researcher?

Key responsibilities include conducting qualitative and quantitative research, planning and scoping work, analyzing data and interpreting findings, communicating and influencing stakeholders, and leading practice improvement initiatives within the research practice.

What skills and experiences are necessary for this position?

Candidates should have a degree or training in Design Research, a portfolio demonstrating high-quality communication of insights, excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, a deep understanding of user-centered design principles, and proven experience in coaching design teams.

What does success look like in this role?

Success in this role means forging trusted relationships with senior leaders, delivering impactful recommendations, connecting and analyzing data to uncover opportunities, and translating complex ideas into actionable plans, all while focusing on enhancing the customer journey.

Is there a specific work environment that is preferred for this role?

Ideally, candidates should have experience working in a fast-paced, agile product environment.

What benefits does Xero offer for this position?

Xero offers generous paid leave, dedicated paid leave for physical and mental wellbeing, an Employee Assistance Program, private medical insurance, gym passes, employee resource groups, 26 weeks of paid parental leave, an Employee Share Plan, flexible working options, and more benefits that reflect the company's human values.

What are the opportunities for growth and improvement in this role?

The Lead Design Researcher will have opportunities to lead initiatives that improve the research practice, advocate for research across the organization, build capability beyond the team, and champion ethical and inclusive research methodologies.

Will I need to present my findings to senior stakeholders?

Yes, you will be expected to craft concise and compelling presentations to deliver clear, actionable recommendations that influence senior stakeholders and shape roadmaps and strategy.

How does Xero value employee mental health and wellbeing?

Xero values employee mental health and wellbeing by offering dedicated paid leave for this purpose, an Employee Assistance Program for mental health care, and various benefits that support a healthy work-life balance.

Global small business platform connected to accountants, bookkeepers, banks & an ecosystem of apps & financial services.

Technology
Industry
1001-5000
Employees
2006
Founded Year

Mission & Purpose

Xero is a global small business platform with 3.5 million subscribers which includes a core accounting solution, payroll, workforce management, expenses and projects. Xero also has an extensive ecosystem of connected apps and connections to banks and other financial institutions helping small businesses access a range of solutions from within Xero’s open platform to help them run their business and manage their finances. For four consecutive years (2020-2023) Xero was included in the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index. In 2021 and 2022, Xero was included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI), powered by the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment. Xero is a FIFA Women’s Football partner.