Position Title: Senior Automotive Design Researcher
Duration: Contract - Inside IR35
Location: Here East, Stratford. London
Position Description
Our Client are looking for a Senior Design Researcher to join their XLab team, helping shape the future of automotive products and experiences.
Working within a multidisciplinary team of researchers, experience designers, interaction designers, industrial designers, strategists and engineers, you'll bring a deep understanding of customers into the development of future vehicle experiences and products.
You will:
- Lead end-to-end research across discovery, concept development, prototyping and evaluation.
- Align with designers and stakeholders to plan and deliver qualitative research with customers
- Explore behaviours, needs, motivations and pain points to uncover opportunities for innovation.
- Evaluate early-stage concepts using storyboards, digital prototypes, physical prototypes and vehicle bucks.
- Synthesise research into clear insights, customer needs, opportunity areas and design recommendations. Partner closely with designers to translate research into new and improved experiences.
- Facilitate workshops that help teams move from customer insight to concepts and propositions.
- Communicate findings through compelling storytelling that influences design, product and leadership decisions.
- Champion customer-centred thinking and high-quality research practices across the team.
Skills Required
- Strong qualitative research and customer interviewing skills.
- Excellent research planning and methodology selection.
- Strong synthesis and analytical thinking.
- Ability to identify patterns, unmet needs and meaningful opportunity areas.
- Excellent workshop facilitation skills.
- Strong storytelling and presentation skills.
- Ability to translate complex research into clear, actionable design direction.
- Strong collaboration and stakeholder management.
- Comfortable working with ambiguity and rapidly evolving projects.
- Customer-centred, curious and confident challenging assumptions with evidence.
- Able to work independently while collaborating effectively within multidisciplinary teams.
Experience Required
- Significant professional experience in Design Research, UX Research, Human-Centred Design or a related discipline.
- Proven experience leading qualitative research.
- Experience working within multidisciplinary product, design or innovation teams.
- Experience researching early-stage concepts, future experiences and propositions where the solution is not yet defined.
- Experience conducting research with prototypes across different levels of fidelity.
- Experience translating research into actionable recommendations for design and product teams.Experience managing research across multiple projects and stakeholders.
Experience Preferred
- Experience using Dovetail and discount to plan, conduct, analyse and synthesise customer research.
- Experience working within automotive, mobility, transportation, consumer technology or complex physical digital products is advantageous but not essential.
Education Required
- Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline or equivalent professional experience.
- Relevant disciplines may include Design Research, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), UX Design, Interaction Design, Psychology, Anthropology, Sociology, Human Factors or a related field.
Education Preferred
- Master's degree or postgraduate qualification in Design Research, HCI, Human Factors, Psychology, Anthropology, Service Design, Interaction Design or a related discipline.
- Additional training or certification in qualitative research, ethnographic research, human-centred design or research methods is advantageous.
Additional Information
- Travel: Nothing planned currently, but potentially depending on location of research studies
- Location: Hybrid, 4 days on site Monday to Thursday in Here East, Stratford
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Senior Automotive Design Researcher employer: Contechs Consulting
As a Business Operations Coordinator in Dunton, Essex, you will join a dynamic team that values collaboration and innovation. Our company offers competitive hourly rates, a supportive work culture, and ample opportunities for professional growth, ensuring that you can thrive in your role while contributing to meaningful projects. With a focus on employee development and a commitment to excellence, we provide a rewarding environment where your contributions are recognised and valued.
