Lead Product Researcher

Introduction

IBM has a rich history of design that extends into our IBM Z business. At IBM Z, our systems power the world’s most important industries, and our clients are the architects of the future. Transforming our business to deliver on that future is at the heart of our Design mission.

Join us as we continue innovating across enterprise Z products to provide our clients with solutions that power their mission. Were looking for a well-rounded Researcher to join the z team. In this role, you will be responsible for shaping user experience and design strategy to create the best experience for automating and simplifying z applications.

You’ll work directly with a cross-functional team to tackle complex business challenges alongside other creators and strategists. You have a passion to learn more about our technology stack to improve the client experience. You are a systematic thinker, able to see the big picture but also enjoy diving deep into important details.

Your Role And Responsibilities

We are looking for a bright and energetic person to join our IBM Z Design team.

Did you know you interact with an IBM Z system every day? IBM Z processes most credit card transactions around the world. As part of the key team member, you’ll have a direct impact on the offerings we bring to market through uncovering key customer insights, understanding their pain points, and validating experiences we design.

As an IBM Z Design Researcher, you will contribute to the design deliverables on your product, either as an individual contributor or part of a team, under the direction of an Advisory Designer or Design Lead. You will collaborate with cross-discipline teammates to define optimal user experiences and own the creation of low and high-fidelity design artifacts. You have good presentation and storytelling skills and can present work in an engaging, compelling way. You have a passion for technology and the capacity to learn and understand complex technical details.

With an established foundation and technical understanding of the product you’ll work on, your focus will turn to strengthening your craft skills, deepening your domain knowledge, and growing your eminence inside IBM. You will actively contribute to our design community’s health, culture, and success through your participation and involvement in community-focused initiatives. Finally, your responsibilities will grow over time to provide you with opportunities to acquire new skills and assume greater degrees of ownership over design outcomes.

Key/Strategic Responsibilities

• Conduct thorough user research and translate insights into actionable design solutions.
• Collaborate closely with product managers and engineers to define and implement innovative solutions for the product direction, visuals, and experience.
• Create wireframes, prototypes, and high-fidelity designs that effectively communicate interaction and design ideas.
• Lead design reviews and feedback sessions to iterate on designs and improve usability.
• Advocate for the user throughout the design process, ensuring their needs are met and their experience is optimized.
• Gain clarity on your overall product strategy and how your product fits within it.
• Develop a deeper understanding of your portfolio / ecosystem and the relationships between its products.
• Deepen your technical knowledge of your primary product.
• Develop a basic knowledge of the platform on which your product runs.
• Acquire knowledge in and understand how to apply User Experience and Research Metrics.
  
  

• Independently lead research sessions and planning.
• Challenge, reframe and refocus research requests.
• Assist in the recruitment of sponsor users.
• Plan and execute research activities.
• Establish new relationships with customers and users.
• Conduct analysis and synthesis of research activities; tailor playbacks for different audiences.
• Actively develop and maintain personas and archetypes.
• Help designers shape scenarios and user flows through insights of generative research.
• Translate business requirements into research goals, and conduct research using qualitative and quantitative methods to develop actionable insights that drive both strategic and tactical decision-making.
• Communicate findings as actionable artifacts such as user personas, empathy maps, scenarios and journeys, mental models, market analysis, and much more.
  
  

• 13 + years professional experience
• Expertise in design thinking/human-centered design
• In-depth knowledge and experience within a relevant design discipline (User Research, User-Experience Design, Visual Design, Interaction Design)
• Research experience with ability to scope research, lead fieldwork, conduct interviews, perform desktop research, lead synthesis and communicate findings
• Ability to facilitate design thinking workshops with diverse product and functional teams
• Strong interest in complex, technical systems
• Strong written and verbal communication skills (i.e. storytelling and documentation)
• Experience using agile principles towards the delivery of product
• Develop mid-level literacy in AI
• Proficiency with design research tools such as Figma, Mural, Airtable, Keynote, research survey tools, and other design software tools.