The role
You'll lead the design research discipline and run the work yourself: home visits, contextual inquiry, usability testing, concept validation and co-creation sessions. You'll turn what you learn into opportunities, design principles and innovation roadmaps. You'll sit alongside the industrial designers and advanced development engineers, and work closely with product management. A big part of the job is telling the story, so the business acts on what you find.
You'll set the methods and standards from a near standing start. If you're a senior researcher ready for your first lead role, this is a discipline to make your own.
What you'll need
- Proven experience leading design research on physical products, including going into people's homes and watching them use what they own.
- A track record of turning research into product direction, with a concept, feature or roadmap decision you can point to that came from your insight.
- Confidence across mixed methods: ethnography, contextual inquiry and usability testing, plus designing a survey and reading quant data.
- Experience working side by side with industrial designers and engineers, and presenting evidence well enough to change a senior stakeholder's mind.
The details
- Reporting to the Head of Industrial Design and Design Research
- Working alongside industrial design and advanced development
- Travel for in-home and field research
- Commutable from Worcester, Birmingham and Cheltenham
- Start: ASAP
- 10% bonus, half personal and half company
- Private medical insurance after six months
- 25 days holiday plus bank holidays, with three more to buy
- Pension, protection cover and free product after probation
What it isn't
This isn't a research team to inherit. You build the discipline from close to zero and run the home visits and workshops yourself. It isn't screen-based UX either. It's physical products, used in real homes. The innovation team is still taking shape, so expect loose briefs and fast cycles. And it's four days a week on site in Droitwich, so be sure the commute works first.
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Lead Design Researcher employer: Kodu
Vax is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work culture that fosters innovation and collaboration in Droitwich. As a Project Lead, you will benefit from competitive compensation, including an annual bonus and generous holiday allowance, while being part of a team dedicated to rebuilding product development with a focus on curiosity-led design. With opportunities for professional growth and a supportive environment, Vax is committed to empowering its employees to drive meaningful change in the floor care industry.
