Associate Director, Design Research

United States Digital Space LLC; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Benefits package

Job summary

United States Digital Space LLC in Boston, MA is seeking an Associate Director of Design Research to lead and scale the design research practice. This role oversees design research and shapes how user feedback informs product and hardware development from early insights to post-launch validation, balancing strategy and team leadership.

As a people-first leader, you will mentor researchers, collaborate with cross-functional teams, manage external vendors, and champion AI-enabled workflows while

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field such as human factors, design research, user experience research, design anthropology, psychology, or a related discipline.
• 5+ years of experience conducting user research for physical products, ideally within hardware, health, or consumer product environments.
• 5+ years of people management experience, including coaching, feedback, and performance development.
• Strong mixed-methods research background, with demonstrated application of qualitative and quantitative approaches to real-world products.
• Experience working within or alongside hardware development lifecycles (not software-only).
• Experience managing or partnering with external research vendors, including project scoping and execution.
• Ability to manage multiple workstreams, navigate ambiguity, and influence without direct authority across cross-functional teams.
• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills, with the ability to communicate complex insights to executive audiences.
• Strong commitment to embracing and leveraging AI tools in day-to-day tasks, ensuring AI-assisted work aligns with the same high-quality standards as personal contributions.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for the design research team, ensuring alignment with key stakeholders and organizational priorities.
• Evangelize the importance of user insights and the role of design research in the product and hardware development lifecycle to the company senior leadership.
• Scale research impact, working closely with cross-functional leaders to identify opportunities for research and set expectations for mixed-methods research, ensuring research is positioned as a critical input to decision-making.
• Partner closely with senior team members to review research needs, assess tradeoffs, and guide prioritization and research direction.
• Manage, coach, and develop a team of design researchers, fostering strong research craft, clear communication and professional growth.
• Own relationships with external research vendors, including scoping projects, defining success criteria, and ensuring high-quality execution.
• Build a strong, cross-functional "voice of the member" for product decision-making in partnership with Consumer Insights, Analytics, and Membership Services.

Skills

Design Research Leadership

Hardware/Consumer Research

Mixed-methods Research

People Management

Vendor Management

Executive Communication

AI Tooling Awareness

Cross-functional Collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field

Job description

At the company, we’re on a mission to unlock human performance and healthspan. the company empowers members to perform at a higher level through a deeper understanding of their bodies, behaviors, and daily lives.

the company is hiring an Associate Director of Design Research to lead and scale the Design Research practice at the company. This role will oversee Design Research, shaping how user feedback and experiences inform product innovation from early-stage insights to pre-launch validation studies to post-launch feedback. As a people-first leader, you will balance strategic direction, team development, and leadership evangalism - ensuring research rigor, creativity, and impact across the product lifecycle.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Provide strategic leadership for the design research team, ensuring alignment with key stakeholders and organizational priorities.

• Evangelize the importance of user insights and the role of design research in the product and hardware development lifecycle to the company senior leadership.

• Scale research impact, working closely with cross-functional leaders to identify opportunities for research and set expectations for mixed-methods research, ensuring research is positioned as a critical input to decision-making.

• Partner closely with senior team members to review research needs, assess tradeoffs, and guide prioritization and research direction.

• Manage, coach, and develop a team of design researchers, fostering strong research craft, clear communication and professional growth.

• Own relationships with external research vendors, including scoping projects, defining success criteria, and ensuring high-quality execution.

• Build a strong, cross-functional "voice of the member" for product decision-making in partnership with Consumer Insights, Analytics, and Membership Services.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field such as human factors, design research, user experience research, design anthropology, psychology, or a related discipline.

• 5+ years of experience conducting user research for physical products, ideally within hardware, health, or consumer product environments.

• 5+ years of people management experience, including coaching, feedback, and performance development.

• Strong mixed-methods research background, with demonstrated application of qualitative and quantitative approaches to real-world products.

• Experience working within or alongside hardware development lifecycles (not software-only).

• Experience managing or partnering with external research vendors, including project scoping and execution.

• Ability to manage multiple workstreams, navigate ambiguity, and influence without direct authority across cross-functional teams.

• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills, with the ability to communicate complex insights to executive audiences.

• Strong commitment to embracing and leveraging AI tools in day-to-day tasks, ensuring AI-assisted work aligns with the same high-quality standards as personal contributions.

*This role is based out of our Boston, MA headquarters and requires work onsite Monday-Friday.

the company is an Equal Opportunity Employer and participates in E-verify to determine employment eligibility. It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

The the company compensation philosophy is designed to attract, motivate, and retain exceptional talent by offering competitive base salaries, meaningful equity, and consistent pay practices that reflect our mission and core values.

At the company, we view total compensation as the combination of base salary, equity, and benefits, with equity serving as a key differentiator that aligns our employees with the long-term success of the company and allows every member of our corporate team to own part of the company and share in the company’s long-term growth and success.

The U.S. base salary range for this full-time position is $140,000 - $180,000. Salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. Within each range, individual pay is based on factors such as job-related skills, experience, performance, and relevant education or training.

In addition to the base salary, the successful candidate will also receive benefits and a generous equity package.

These ranges may be modified in the future to reflect evolving market conditions and organizational needs. While most offers will typically fall toward the starting point of the range, total compensation will depend on the candidate’s specific qualifications, expertise, and alignment with the role’s requirements.