Senior Design Researcher in Belfast

Make the future real. Big Motive is a digital strategy and design consultancy. We combine human-centred design with AI to create measurable impact — using AI where it adds value, and human insight where it matters most. For over twenty years, we've helped healthcare organisations, government bodies, and ambitious businesses turn complex problems into exceptional digital experiences. Our work spans health, government, and social impact — from redesigning public services to launching digital products and modernising legacy systems.

We're a group of designers, researchers, and strategists with a shared belief in the power of design to make people's lives better. Among us are a pizza chef, several marathon runners, an amateur mycologist, and a few passionate but decidedly average golfers. We believe the magic lies in the mix: diverse, curious minds creating better solutions and enjoying the journey together. We're also a Certified B Corporation® and a member of the Institute of Designers in Ireland.

The Role

This is a senior design research role for someone who has built real depth over 5+ years — in methods, in craft, and in the ability to turn complex, ambiguous briefs into clear human insight. You’ll own research on demanding programmes, work closely with multidisciplinary teams, and be the kind of researcher that clients trust and junior colleagues learn from. You’ll work across health, government, and enterprise clients — embedded in project teams, adapting your methods to the context, and making sure the voice of the user stays at the centre of everything we do. You’ll report to a member of our senior leadership team.

What You'll Do

• Own research on complex, multi-disciplinary programmes — shaping the research strategy, planning studies, and owning quality from brief to insight.
• Apply a wide and evolving research toolkit — diary studies, mobile ethnography, contextual inquiry, depth interviews, storyboarding, journey mapping, card sorting, tree testing, usability testing, and more — choosing methods that fit the context, not the comfort zone.
• Leverage AI-powered research tools to work at greater scale and depth — using mobile ethnography platforms (such as dscout or Indeemo), AI-assisted synthesis and analysis tools (such as Dovetail, Condens, or Aurelius), and AI transcription to move from raw data to actionable insight faster.
• Synthesise complex data into sharp, defensible insights — translating messy reality into clarity that design and strategy teams can act on.
• Act as day-to-day research lead on projects — building strong working relationships with clients, managing delivery conversations, and escalating risks when needed.
• Facilitate research workshops and synthesis sessions with clients and multidisciplinary teams.
• Validate design concepts through usability testing, feedback sessions, and ongoing measurement.
• Champion inclusive and accessible research practice — ensuring marginalised voices are heard and that studies reflect the diversity of the people we design for.
• Spot and support follow-on opportunities within active engagements — contributing to proposals and helping articulate the value of research-led design.
• Provide development support, coaching, and feedback to junior and associate researchers.
• Contribute to case studies, internal knowledge sharing, and content based on project work — and participate in events or community activity that builds Big Motive’s reputation as a research-led design consultancy.

What You Bring

Essential

• 5+ years in design research, UX research, or a related research discipline — with a strong portfolio of complex, real-world programmes.
• Deep expertise across a wide range of qualitative research methods — diary studies, mobile ethnography, contextual inquiry, depth interviews, storyboarding, journey mapping, card sorting, tree testing, usability testing, and more.
• Hands-on experience with AI-powered research tooling — synthesis platforms, automated transcription, mobile ethnography apps, and qualitative analysis tools. You’re not just aware of what’s emerging; you’ve used it on real projects and can make the case for it with clients.
• Strong analytical capability — you can move between raw data, emerging patterns, and strategic insight with clarity and rigour.
• Proven ability to communicate research findings to senior, non-design audiences — through presentations, reports, and facilitated workshops.
• A sharp understanding of inclusive design and accessible research — you design studies that reach the people who are hardest to reach.
• Comfortable across the full research arc — from exploratory discovery to evaluative testing.
• Experience contributing to proposals and identifying follow-on opportunities within active engagements.

Desirable

• Experience in health, public sector, or complex regulated environments.
• Experience with mixed-methods approaches — combining qualitative depth with quantitative breadth.
• Familiarity with public sector or health research ethics, GDPR, and governance frameworks.
• A relevant qualification in research, design, psychology, social science, or a related discipline.
• Experience working embedded within cross-disciplinary service or product design teams.

Who You Are

You’re a researcher who has developed real depth — in methods, in craft, and in the ability to turn ambiguous briefs into clear human insight. You’ve worked across a range of contexts — enterprise tech, consumer brands, startups, and public sector or health. Experience in health or public sector is something we value highly, but what matters most is that you’ve done rigorous, consequential research and can show the impact it had. You’re not precious about method — you’re curious, rigorous, and pragmatic. You know when a depth interview is the right call and when a guerrilla usability test will do the job faster. You push back on research that’s been designed to confirm rather than discover. You care about who gets left out. You design research that reaches the people most affected by the systems we’re helping to redesign — and you hold the team accountable to that standard.

How You'll Work

Hybrid role — typically 2 days in our Belfast or Dublin office, with flexibility around client and project needs. You’ll report to a member of our senior leadership team, working closely with leads and directors across Belfast and Dublin. You’ll act as day-to-day research lead on projects — collaborating with service designers, product designers, strategists, and project managers. You’ll provide development support and coaching to junior and associate researchers, and may supervise interns on project work. You’re not accountable for formal line management or closing commercial deals — but you’ll be a meaningful contributor to both.

What Success Looks Like

Within your first 6–12 months:

• You’ve owned research on one or more complex programmes, delivering insight that has directly shaped design and strategy decisions.
• Clients trust you as a reliable, expert research partner — you’re the person they come to with hard questions about their users.
• Junior and associate researchers are developing in confidence and capability with your support.
• You’ve applied at least one AI-augmented research approach that added clear value to a project.
• You’ve contributed to at least one proposal, helping make the case for research investment.
• You’ve contributed something externally — a case study, a talk, or a piece of content — that reflects Big Motive’s research rigour.

Why This Role Is Interesting

This is a rare opportunity to:

• Do meaningful, consequential research at one of Ireland’s most respected human-centred design consultancies.
• Work on programmes in health, government, and social impact where the stakes are real.
• Develop and apply an advanced, AI-augmented research practice in a team that genuinely values rigour.
• Be part of a senior team that moves fast, takes craft seriously, and genuinely cares about the work.
• Help grow a business with real ambition — and be recognised for doing it.

Why Big Motive

• One of Ireland’s leading human-centred design consultancies — Certified B Corporation® and member of the Institute of Designers in Ireland.
• Clients include HSE, HSCNI, Kingsbridge Healthcare Group, Adidas, Dublin City Council, Arts Council, Cabinet Office, and more.
• For over twenty years, a senior team that takes craft seriously and moves at pace.
• Real autonomy, real accountability, real impact.
• Belfast and Dublin base with hybrid flexibility.
• United by a shared motive to use design for good.

What We Offer

• £40,000 – £46,000 (Belfast) / €47,000 – €57,000 (Dublin), depending on experience.
• A MacBook Pro and all the software and tools you need.
• Flexible, hybrid working — up to 3 days a week from home.
• 24 days annual leave + public holidays.
• Enhanced maternity/paternity/adoption leave.
• Company pension + bonus scheme.
• Employee assistance programme.
• Regular 1:1 development support.
• Cycle to Work / Bike to Work scheme.

Apply directly here. Please submit:

• Your CV.
• A portfolio or case studies showing research work you've led — we want to understand your process, not just your outputs.
• A short note on your approach to research and why this role interests you.

We're not looking for someone who ticks every box. We're looking for a researcher with real depth, genuine curiosity, and the drive to do work that matters. If that sounds like you, we want to hear from you!