Your Role and ResponsibilitiesIBM’s Security Software team is seeking a User Experience (UX) Researcher who is passionate about making a difference in the world through responsible, data-driven innovations for our AI and data platforms. As a member of the global user research team, you will join an established and impactful team of user researchers that are responsible for leading and driving user-centered research initiatives. Your research findings and insights will drive the design and development of user-centered solutions. You will collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including designers, product managers, and engineers, to ensure our products deliver exceptional user experiences. This is a role where you will have the opportunity to shape our UX research strategy, mentor a team of researchers, and demonstrate impact and influence for product roadmap. Rigor, attention to detail, insatiable curiosity, and a willingness to learn will be critical as you work in this rapidly evolving space in the industry.
Responsibilities:- Strategic Leadership: Develop and execute a comprehensive UX research strategy that aligns with business goals, ensuring a user-centered approach throughout the product development lifecycle.
- Leadership: Define the research roadmap you want you and your user research team to execute. Mentor UX researchers, providing guidance, feedback, and fostering their professional growth.
- Research Planning: Define research goals, methodologies, and timelines for various projects, ensuring alignment with product objectives and user needs.
- User Research: Conduct qualitative and quantitative research studies, such as interviews, usability testing, surveys, and user journey mapping, to gather insights about user behaviors, needs, and preferences.
- Data Analysis: Analyze research data and derive actionable insights that drive informed design decisions and product improvements.
- Stakeholder Collaboration: Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including designers, product managers, and engineers, to advocate for user needs and ensure research findings are effectively communicated and integrated into the product development process.
- User Advocacy: Serve as a user advocate, ensuring that user feedback and insights are consistently considered and prioritized in product decisions.
- Industry Trends: Stay up-to-date with the latest UX research methodologies, industry trends, and best practices, and proactively apply them to enhance our research processes and deliverables.
- Research Operations: Establish and optimize research operations, including participant recruitment, research tools, and documentation, to streamline research activities and ensure high-quality deliverables.
- Collaboration and Communication: Foster a collaborative and inclusive research culture, encouraging knowledge sharing and effective communication across teams and stakeholders.
- Executive eminence: Measure and present the impact that UX research has produced through your leadership and work.
Required Technical and Professional Expertise
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Human-Computer Interaction, Psychology, User Experience Research, or a related field. A Ph.D. is a plus.
- Proven experience (8+ years) in UX research, with a focus on user-centered research methodologies and techniques.
- Strong leadership skills, with experience managing and mentoring a team of UX researchers.
- Expertise in both qualitative and quantitative research methods, including usability testing, interviews, surveys, field studies, and analytics.
- Proficiency in data collection and analysis and visualization tools to derive meaningful insights from research data.
- Solid understanding of UX principles, design thinking, and human-centered design processes.
- Excellent communication, presentation, and storytelling skills, with the ability to effectively convey complex research findings and recommendations to diverse stakeholders.
- Demonstrated experience in collaborating with cross-functional teams and driving user research initiatives within an agile product development environment.
- Strong problem-solving and critical-thinking abilities, with a keen eye for detail.
- Passion for user-centered design, empathy for users, and a commitment to delivering exceptional user experiences.
Preferred Technical and Professional Expertise