UX Researcher

Introduction
At IBM, work is more than a job – it’s a calling: To build. To design. To code. To consult. To think along with clients and sell. To make markets. To invent. To collaborate. Not just to do something better, but to attempt things you’ve never thought possible. Are you ready to lead in this new era of technology and solve some of the world’s most challenging problems? If so, lets talk.

Your Role and Responsibilities

• Lead research efforts for a product(s) / project(s).
• Help drive the execution of an experience roadmap based on awareness of user and business needs.
• Advocate for end user experience, steer design and development in a different direction when needed.
• Closely partner with Product management and development to cultivate, manage, and administer sponsor user relationships.
• Work with Agile product team leaders to measure progress and review design outcomes against user insights (via playbacks).
• Be an active member of Product squad(s) by attending and presenting playbacks, coaching designers, providing input in the prioritization of Product backlog.
• When applicable, participate in planning and other product delivery processes.
• Champion research as a driving force for innovation.
• Participate in cross-disciplinary collaboration to facilitate innovation.
• Determine types of research needed on individual initiatives and develop research goals and plans.
• Evaluate early ideas for products, workflows or features to determine viability.
• Execute product/project research deliverables in alignment with project timeline and roadmap milestones.
• Develop and engage network of sponsor users.
• Build your eminence with our customer base and the external business industry you engage with.
• Help define user experience goals and design principles.
• Help align 3-in-a-box teams to research insights, utilize research insights to drive prioritization of product backlog and roadmap.
• Develop strong storytelling capabilities.
• Support and guide individual designers through leadership, coaching, and mentoring.
• Engage with broader IBM Z Research community.
• Share expertise at studio-wide events.
• Develop experienced-level literacy in AI.
• Develop mid-level knowledge of IBM Experience Standards.
• Keynote.

Required Technical and Professional Expertise

• A minimum of 2 years of experience working with product managers and engineers.
• A minimum of 4 years of experience in a hands-on design research role.
• A minimum of 4 years of experience with design research tools, including analytics tools.
• Demonstrated experience conducting design research and familiarity with research practices.
• Exposure to Agile processes (e.g., SAFe), enterprise design thinking, managing allocation and prioritization discussions, and the IBM Universal Experiences.
• Portfolio of projects that shows a breadth of complex, technically-oriented projects and demonstrates your skills as a design researcher.

Preferred Technical and Professional Expertise

• Expert-level design research skills
• Experience with IBM-preferred research tools, including Alchemer, UserInterviews and AirTable.
• Extensive Experience in defining and executing UX Metrics assessments.
• Competency with standard presentation programs Powerpoint & Keynote.