Design Researcher

LPA, Inc.; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Mentorship from leaders

Professional development grants

LPA+U courses

Volunteer time

Community projects funding

Competitive salaries and benefits

Job summary

LPA, Inc. invites a Design Researcher to join the Sustainability + Applied Research team in San Diego. You will translate social science and design research into actionable guidance for interdisciplinary design teams addressing built environment challenges.

The role emphasizes exploring people, behavior, and environments, with opportunities to publish findings and influence project outcomes while supporting post-occupancy evaluations and stakeholder engagement.

Qualifications

• MS or PhD in environmental psychology, applied research, design research, social science, data science, or related field.
• Experience with mixed-methods research and online research tools.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills and ability to summarize complex data.

Responsibilities

• Conduct literature reviews to gather and synthesize multidisciplinary research for projects.
• Develop briefs, visuals, and resources translating findings into practical design implications.
• Identify recurring patterns across projects to inform research directions.
• Support pre-design research and stakeholder engagement including surveys and interviews.
• Analyze qualitative and quantitative data to identify meaningful insights.
• Contribute to post-occupancy evaluations and reporting.

Skills

Microsoft Project

Excel

Written communication

Verbal presentation

Mixed-methods research

Online research tools

Literature reviews

Descriptive statistics

Data visualization

Equity & ethics awareness

Entrepreneurial energy

Proactive attitude

Education

MS or PhD in environmental psychology, applied research, design research, social science, data science, or related field

Tools

GIS

Power BI

Adobe Creative Suite

Job description

Join the 2025 AIA Firm Award Winner shaping a more sustainable future.

LPA is a collective of designers, engineers, and researchers committed to tackling the biggest issues of our time. Our "No Excuses" integrated design approach was recognized by the AIA as “a trailblazer in sustainable, high-performance architecture". At LPA you’ll be part of the team that is changing the way the industry thinks about design and carbon emissions, built around the belief that we only achieve our goals when everybody has a seat at the table and all input is valued.

We’re currently seeking a Design Researcher to join our Sustainability + Applied Research team. This role is ideal for someone trained in social science, design research, or another research field related to the built and natural environment who is interested in applying research to real world design challenges. Working across market sectors, the Junior Design Researcher will help interdisciplinary design teams better understand people, behavior, and the built environment and translate those insights into design.

We’re looking for a problem seeker as much as a problem solver. Someone who brings curiosity, initiative, and an innovative mindset to their work by looking beyond the initial question to identify what needs to be better understood, asking thoughtful questions, and finding creative ways to investigate complex challenges. This person should demonstrate sound judgment in interpreting evidence and determining how research can be appropriately applied to design, along with the ability to make complex research understandable and useful to non-expert audiences.

Please note:

This is not a UX/UI research or design role. This position focuses on research related to the built and natural environment and its application within the Architecture, Engineering, Interiors, and Planning industry.

What You’ll Do

• Conduct literature reviews to gather, evaluate, and synthesize multidisciplinary research in response to project and research questions.
• Develop research briefs, presentations, visuals, and other resources that translate research findings into clear, digestible insights and practical implications that designers and clients can easily understand and apply.
• Look across projects and research findings to identify recurring patterns, opportunities, and questions worth investigating further.
• Help build LPA's internal research knowledge base, making previous studies, findings, and resources easier for teams to access and reuse.
• Help develop and refine research tools and methodologies that can be used consistently across projects.
• Support and facilitate pre-design research and stakeholder engagement, including surveys, interviews, workshops, and other methods for understanding user needs and behaviors.
• Support and coordinate post-occupancy evaluations (POEs), including outreach, data collection, analysis, and reporting.
• Analyze qualitative and quantitative data to identify patterns, themes, and meaningful findings.
• Work with design teams to establish measurable project goals and identify ways to evaluate design outcomes.
• Explore creative approaches to investigating research questions when established methods or data are not readily available.
• Communicate research findings and lessons learned through internal presentations and, as experience grows, external publications, presentations, and thought leadership.
• Perform other duties as applicable.

Required

• MS or PhD in environmental psychology, applied research, design research, social science, data science, or a related field
• Proficiency in Microsoft Project and Excel.
• Strong written communication and verbal presentation skills
• Experience with mixed-methods research
• Experience with online research tools
• Experience conducting literature searches or literature reviews
• Basic descriptive statistical or data analysis experience
• Data visualization or other graphic skills for communication of data
• Awareness of current research ethics and equity, diversity, and inclusion topics
• Entrepreneurial energy, comfortable with some ambiguity.
• Proactive attitude, prepared to ask questions, and always looking for opportunities to improve.

Preferred

• Additional Research training or certifications
• Human Subjects Research Training (current certification not required)
• LEED, WELL, EDAC, or similar certifications
• Design or engineering training or certifications
• Experience in any of the following: GIS, Power BI, AI for research, research in AR/VR/XR, grant writing, Adobe Creative Suite
• Experience in or excitement to learn how to facilitate meetings and workshops
• Understanding of a typical architectural design process, from concept and schematic design, design development and construction documentation, construction, and post-occupancy.
• Education in or excitement to learn more about sustainability topics such as energy performance, carbon emissions, material impacts, and resiliency, and find ways for human-environment research to better inform sustainable design.

What We Offer

At LPA, your growth and contributions matter. We foster a collaborative culture where creative ideas are valued, and voices are heard.

• Mentorship from Managing Directors, Design Directors, and senior team members across disciplines.
• Career development support, including professional development grants and in-house training.
• Ongoing education through LPA+U courses and Tech Talks focused on innovative, sustainable practices.
• 8 paid hours of volunteer time each year.
• Opportunities to propose and lead projects that impact your local community, including more than $1 million since 2015 in Habitat for Humanity builds, scholarships, and other pro bono community projects.
• Access to our Professional Development Grants program, created to encourage professional development and further LPA's collective knowledge as a firm. Over the life of the grant program, we have invested $1,196,890 and impacted 848 LPA employees.

LPA is an integrated design firm with offices in California and Texas, focused on creating forward-thinking, sustainable spaces that make a positive impact. We believe great design begins with great people, which is why we foster a supportive, collaborative environment where creativity, curiosity, and professional growth are encouraged. Our culture values diversity, promotes wellness, and supports a healthy work-life balance. At LPA, we offer competitive salaries and a robust benefits package—including health and dental insurance, retirement and financial planning, wellness initiatives, and flexible work/life programs.

This position is eligible for an annual bonus. If you are hired at LPA, your base salary is based on factors such as geographic location, skills, education, experience and/or project complexity. We believe in the importance of pay equity and consider the internal equity of our current team members as part of any final offer.

LPA uses E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of new hires.

Notice To Recruitment Agencies And Recruiters

Please note that LPA does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters or employment agencies. In the absence of a signed contract, LPA will not agree to pay any recruiter fee. In the situation an agency or recruiter submits a candidate or resume without a previously signed agreement and/or without LPA’s request, LPA explicitly reserves the right to hire those candidate(s) without any financial obligation to the recruiter or agency. Any unsolicited resumes, including those submitted to hiring managers, are deemed to be the property of LPA.

Compensation Range: $70K - $85K