Associate Director, Research and Design Strategy

Research + Design Strategy Directors are masters in architecting the vision for the Research + Design Strategy practice at IA Collaborative, managing teams, and leading engagements that blur the lines of business strategy, human-centered design and forefront technology. Day-to-day, they shape client engagements by inspiring and shepherding clients through the research, design and strategy process, facilitating and leading collaborative strategy sessions, ideation sessions, and strategic presentations in service of identifying and capitalizing on growth for our clients.

You will have proven work experience applying human-centered design methodologies and tools, as well as a passion for leading and growing teams, helping organizations solve their most innovative growth questions, and bringing new offerings to market. You will share in our drive and aspiration to make an impact in the world through design while working collaboratively with designers, researchers, strategists, engineers, agentic developers and architects.

As an Associate Research + Design Strategy Director, you are:

• Insatiably curious

• Excited to learn every day from colleagues and clients alike

• A champion of the power of iteration, failing/learning fast, and establishing the psychological safety for team members to explore ideas rather than to simply have answers

• Comfortable with the ambiguity that comes along with tackling big business problems, and thrives in figuring out challenges as a team

• Empathic and seeks to understand others – be it different ways of working with colleagues, or deeply understanding research participants and their lived experiences

• Open to different approaches or methods to project strategy and research. Has strong opinions loosely held

• Experienced in and have a perspective on the intersection of human centered research and generative AI

• A player-coach who loves developing the skills of others

• Excited about the prospect of wearing many hats at a smaller company: research strategy, business development, project leadership, career management

As an Associate Research + Design Strategy Director, you will:

Projects + Process

• Participate in setting engagement objectives and scope; develop work plans for components of engagements, coordinate activities between work streams and identify changes in scope

• Lead the human-centered research and strategy process including analysis of secondary research, identifying key users and business and design trends, and framing opportunities and research plans

• Mentor and coach through planning, recruiting and conducting user research, leading and collaborating in the synthesis process to develop key insights, research summaries, design and business strategies, creative concepts, roadmaps and long term plans

• Act as a trusted client advisor, applying the user’s lens across projects from initial approach development to concept development to executive strategy recommendations

• Harness AI-powered, human-in-the-loop tools to support the research and synthesis process, explaining their value to team members and clients alike

Growing the Business

• Provide leadership for the growth and vision of the team’s process and capabilities, including identifying new offerings and capabilities

• Identify and frame prospective client engagements, including leading new business outreach, directing others in proposal creation, and creating strategies, activities, and methods for new project approaches

• Apply a strategic lens to understand our client’s business challenges with a goal of developing and creating sustainable and distinctive business value through our partnership

• Cultivate and expand client relationships by proactively identifying opportunities, pitching ideas, and securing projects that strengthen IA Collaborative’s pipeline of work

• Lead the development and best practices for creating strong client relationships; lead and advise others in applying new approaches to client experiences

• Plan, initiate, and manage growing client relationships within and beyond projects

• Initiate and own external ambassadorship opportunities on behalf of IA Collaborative, including speaking at industry events / conferences, college/university events and workshop facilitation, and other thought leadership engagements

Talent and Organizational Stewardship

• Aid in development and management of the discipline’s team members, including recruiting and hiring, resourcing, and day-to-day coaching and mentorship, recognition, as well as leading and providing oversight to the team on projects

• Serve as Career Manager, through 1:1 mentorship, supporting the professional growth of junior team members, providing career guidance and advocacy within the organization

• Understand personal and team roles, contribute to a positive working environment by building solid relationships with team members, and proactively seeking guidance, clarification, and feedback

• Collaborate and contribute on cross-functional (technical and non-technical skill sets) teams to shape the culture of the organization through development of policies, procedures, practices, norms, and initiatives

• Know the Business of the Business: Act as a steward of IA Collaborative’s overall business by exploring future possibilities for the organization including new offerings and capabilities, talent acquisition, thought leadership, and other business growth-oriented activities

Required qualifications include:

• Bachelor’s Degree required; advanced degree in Design, Design Strategy or related fields preferred

• Eight or more years of experience leading large-scale projects and programs within the design, innovation, and consulting space, including two years managing direct reports

• Expert and leader within user driven research practices and broader design thinking methodologies; ability to integrate design and strategic business thinking; ability to effectively lead across multiple projects and platforms, providing guidance to research, strategy, and design teams as needed

• Experience using AI-powered tools to support the design process including research planning, unmoderated research, AI-enabled synthesis, AI-supported research repositories

• Portfolio filled with a breadth of complex and systemic work that demonstrates use of immersive and behavior based design research methodologies and prototyping, application of behavioral economics, strategic framing of insights and a passion for design-minded solutions

• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills. Strong facilitation skills and presence. Confident and compelling storyteller by nature

• Ability to clearly articulate a personal perspective on the value of design and the role of design and its impact on business

• Champion for the integration of multidisciplinary teams design practices into overall business strategies and solutions

• Familiar and comfortable using the Mac OS, Keynote, Figma, Microsoft Office and research platforms such as Marvin, Dovetail, D-scout

• Ability to travel consecutive days, if necessary

About the Research & Design Strategy Team

The Research and Design Strategy team at IA Collaborative is a naturally curious group who draw inspiration from the world around them and enjoy being “students of human behavior.” We are highly structured thinkers with diverse backgrounds, skilled at breaking down complex concepts and data into compelling, visual frameworks and actionable strategies for our clients.

Our team conducts human-centered, immersive, qualitative, and in-context research observations, ensuring that “user insight” is not just a phase, but continually infused throughout the design process. We believe that research is a creative process, and we constantly create and employ new methods and strategies to get as close to our users as possible. As experts in both design thinking theory and practice, we collaborate closely with our clients to design our research processes, derive key insights, develop impactful strategies, and craft compelling stories that inspire breakthrough design.

Why IA Collaborative

At IA, you’ll practice your craft in a whole new context. You’ll be a part of designing the future of human experience as you transform your client’s business, empower communities, and create a positive and lasting impact on the world.

IA’s comprehensive benefits package includes medical, dental, vision; retirement savings benefits; a suite of family benefits including paid time off for the birth of a child, medical leave, caregiver leave, wellness check-in days, flexible spending accounts for dependent care, health expenses and childcare, and employer-paid life insurance and disability.

IA Collaborative Work Model

IA Collaborative leverages a hybrid work model, with Chicagoland-area team members working from our downtown headquarters three days per week (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) with additional in-office days as needed.

Work Authorization

All applicants must be authorized to work in the United States; IA Collaborative will not sponsor applicants for employment visas.

About IA Collaborative

IA Collaborative is a global design and innovation consultancy focused on leading the forefront of behavioral insight, applied AI, and business innovation. We partner with the world’s most ambitious organizations to realize new growth, accelerate cultures of innovation, and create breakthrough products, platforms, and experiences. Our teams lead from insight to action – designing experiences that enhance lives, building collaborative intelligence that reinvents how we work, and launching offerings that impact the future of human experience.

IA is on the national and global stage speaking about the business value of design. Featured by Fast Company as one of the country’s preeminent design thinkers and nominated by the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum as a “Design Visionary,” IA’s leadership and work has been profiled by prominent business publications and has received multiple design accolades, including Best Design North America and Best UX Design in Fast Company’s Innovation by Design Awards; the SXSW Business Design Award; and multiple honors in the Red Dot International, International Design Excellence Awards (IDSA), the GOOD DESIGN Awards, and the iF World Design Awards. IA Collaborative works with the world’s most successful brands, including FedEx, Allstate, Airbnb, Fidelity, Apple, Johnson & Johnson, Nike, Lilly, and Audi.

At IA Collaborative, we are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace. We believe that welcoming a diverse variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills to our organization contributes to a thriving culture, a vibrant community, and breakthrough work. We are committed to equal employment opportunities regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristics protected by federal, state, or local law.

For more information about IA Collaborative visit iacollaborative.com and LinkedIn.

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