Director, Product Design Research

Choreograph; London; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Choreograph, a leading company in data products and technology, seeks a Director of Design Research. This pivotal role focuses on user research to drive product improvements, team leadership, and strategic direction. Ideal candidates will have extensive experience in UX research and a passion for driving data-centric innovations.

Qualifications

• 8-10+ years of experience in user research or UX design.
• Strong understanding of research methodologies and communication.
• Experience leading and managing research teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the Design Research team.
• Conduct user research through various methods to inform product decisions.
• Synthesize research findings into actionable insights.

Skills

Qualitative research

Quantitative research

Data analysis

User-centric design

Leadership

Communication

Collaboration

Education

Relevant degree in a field related to UX or product design

Tools

Google Analytics

UserTesting

Optimal Workshop

Hotjar

Job description

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Description

Position at Choreograph

Title: Director, Design Research
Location: London
Reporting to: VP, Product Design and VP, Product Measurement

WHO WE ARE

Choreograph is WPP's global data products and technology company. We're on a mission to transform marketing by building the fastest, most connected data platform that bridges marketing strategy to scaled activation.

We work with agencies and clients to transform the value of data by bringing together technology, data, and analytics capabilities. We deliver this through the Open Media Studio, an AI-enabled media and data platform for the next era of advertising.

We're endlessly curious. Our team of thinkers, builders, creators, and problem solvers are over 1,000 strong, across 50+ markets around the world.

WHO ARE WE LOOKING FOR?

The Director, Design Research is a specialist role, ensuring our product decisions are backed by rigorous research and user insights. The role involves conducting research for new products, analysing behavioural data, and identifying opportunities for improvements across existing applications.

You are:

• Skilled in qualitative and quantitative research methods, translating user data into actionable insights.
• Comfortable diving into analytics data to uncover trends, gaps, and opportunities for product enhancements.
• Passionate about understanding customer needs, behaviours, and pain points to inform design and development.
• A strong leader with experience managing and mentoring research teams.
• Able to synthesize complex data into meaningful recommendations that guide product and UX/UI teams.
• Confident in articulating research findings to diverse stakeholders, influencing product direction with evidence-based insights.

WHAT WILL YOU DO?
Research & Insights Generation

• Develop and communicate a clear vision and roadmap for research activities aligned with business and product goals.
• Conduct user research through interviews, focus groups, workshops, surveys, usability tests, and field studies to uncover pain points and opportunities.
• Analyse behavioural and analytics data (e.g., heatmaps, session recordings, funnel analysis) to identify patterns and areas for product optimization, reconciling with primary research sources to provide a holistic picture of user behaviour.
• Develop user personas and journey maps to visualize user behaviours and inform product design.
• Synthesize research findings into actionable insights that drive new features and product improvements.
• Stay up to date on industry trends, competitor research, and emerging user behaviours to anticipate future need

Team Leadership & Strategic Direction

• Lead and manage the Design Research team, including Associate Directors (Senior Researchers), Managers (Researchers), and Senior Associates (Junior Researchers).
• Set strategic direction for research initiatives, ensuring alignment with business objectives and the Open Design System.
• Oversee resource allocation for research projects, ensuring the team operates efficiently and delivers high-quality outcomes.
• Collaborate closely with product design and design QA specialists to maintain consistency and alignment across all research-driven initiatives.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement within the research team.
• Provide mentorship and guidance to researchers, empowering them to grow their skills and thrive in their roles.

Collaboration with Product & Design Teams

• Work closely with product managers, UX/UI designers, and data analysts to integrate research insights into product development.
• Collaborate with UX/UI designers to translate research findings into design solutions, and contribute to wireframes, prototypes, or other design deliverables as needed.
• Extend product design efforts when required, ensuring alignment with the Open Design System and maintaining high standards of usability and accessibility.
• Support product design QA processes by reviewing and validating design implementations against research insights and user needs.
• Advocate for user needs in product discussions, ensuring a balance between business goals and usability.
• Partner with analytics teams to develop A/B testing plans and measure the impact of design changes.
• Represent the voice of the user and advocate for user-centred decision-making among senior product leadership.

Experimentation & Continuous Improvement

• Define key metrics and KPIs to measure the impact of research-driven product decisions.
• Assist in setting up experiments and prototyping studies to validate new concepts.
• Iterate on research methods to continually improve insights gathering.
• Contribute to the establishment of common research best practices across products.

WHAT WILL YOU NEED?

• 8-10+ years of experience in user research, UX research, or product design research.
• Strong understanding and hands-on experience with qualitative and quantitative research methodologies, including research design, sampling, facilitation, analysis, and communication.
• Experience in UX/UI design, including the ability to contribute to wireframes, prototypes, and design QA processes.
• Proven experience leading and managing research teams, with a track record of fostering collaboration and growth.
• Experience with research tools such as UserTesting, Optimal Workshop, and Hotjar.
• Ability to work with data analytics tools such as Google Analytics to extract insights. Experience with Pendo is a plus but not mandatory.
• Excellent communication and storytelling skills to translate complex findings into clear, actionable recommendations.
• A user-centred mindset with a passion for improving digital experiences.
• Strong communication and collaboration capabilities, able to work effectively with cross-functional teams.
• A highly organized and detail-oriented approach, with a focus on research rigor and quality.
• A proactive approach to problem-solving, able to identify and address potential challenges in the research process.
• Experience as a mentor and educator, passionate about sharing your knowledge and empowering others.
• Past exposure to fast-paced working environments, with an ability to adapt to changing priorities.

WHY JOIN US?

If you are ready to be at the forefront of the AdTech industry, shaping its future, and driving success for both Choreograph and our clients, we encourage you to apply and join our team.

Choreograph is the beating heart of data inside WPP's media investment group, GroupM, the world's leading media investment company responsible for more than $60 billion in annual media investment. Discover more about Choreograph at www.choreograph.com

DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

GroupM and all its affiliates embrace and celebrate diversity, inclusivity, and equal opportunity. We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. We are a worldwide media agency network that represents global clients. The more inclusive we are, the greater work we can create together

(Please note this is a UK based role and requires individuals to have the right to work in this location)

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