Senior Design Researcher

ICE/ DMX (Information & Content Experience team & Do More Experience) which is a part of Microsoft ASG (Application & Services Group) is tasked with building next-generation experiences for new devices and form factors, particularly tablets, phones and the web with the aim of driving innovation.   The ICE/ DMX Research team is seeking an exceptional Design Researcher with a proven track record for creating and conducting a variety of different study methodologies.   This is an exceptional opportunity for someone who is excited about making an impact on future mobile apps and web experiences. You are passionate about exploring interesting research questions for applications and have an insatiable appetite for conducting research.   You will work with Design, Product, and Engineering teams to help them understand current user behaviors and pain points. You will synthesize the key issues and communicate them to the product team and management.   The responsibilities of this position will vary but you must be comfortable conducting research for all stages of the user-centered design process: from early stage ethnographic research, concept studies, design iteration, through to usability studies and benchmarking.

The role & requirements:

• 5-8 years of experience conducting research with Master’s degree or Ph.D. in Psychology, Human Factors, HCI, or related field (e.g. HCDE)

• Passion for user research and strong end-user advocate

• Demonstrated proficiency with industry-standard research methodologies

• Solid research skills including developing research plans, experimental design, collecting and analyzing human behavioral data in a lab or in field setting  

• Use your research to identify new opportunities and generate innovative ideas that influence the product direction

• Drive your work through the software development process, working as part of a multi-disciplinary product development team of User Research, Design, Product Marketing, Program Management, Development, and Test

• Collaborate with teams across the organization to ensure we maintain industry leadership, delivering innovative, exciting and emotionally engaging products

• You must be able to work collaboratively with other researchers, and work on multiple interrelated projects to completion on schedule  

• You must be able to assess data from multiple sources, synthesize it, and translate into actionable recommendations

• You must have strong work practices and a proven record of delivering research findings on time for demanding and complex research questions

• Highly detail-oriented, self-motivated, highly organized, able to work in a team environment that is fast-paced with multiple projects, Excellent verbal communication and presentation skills

Ideal Candidates will also have:

• Experience conducting research involving productivity apps/ systems (e.g., Office 365, Google Docs, OneNote, Evernotes, LinkedIn etc.)

• Experience conducting research involving multi-platforms (Web, SW, HW) in both US and global scale

• Experience conducting research with hardware/software interaction

• Experience with touch interfaces in cross-platform apps (iOS, Android) in addition to Windows platform

• Experience with non-lab based methods: field work, contextual inquiry, card sorting, interviewing, and longitudinal/ diary research

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, national origin, marital status, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other protected status.

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User Experience Researcher II

Are you   passionate about new devices and technologies and how people use them?   Do you want to be an integral part of the design and creation of innovative, new products? The Microsoft Surface Team focuses on building devices and accessories that fully express Microsoft’s vision. Creating these devices and accessories involves a close partnership between User Research, Hardware and Software Engineers, Designers, and Marketing. We are currently building the next generation and we need you!

This role will require you to work in the present and the future simultaneously, juggling research plans for shipping products, as well as future prototypes and concepts. To this end you will need a creative and agile approach to research as well as experience in a breadth in methodologies from generative to evaluative. You should also have the ability to make gut calls when necessary, leveraging knowledge of cognitive science, human factors, and interaction design.   We strive to understand customers deeply, and so this role will challenge you to bring new methods to the team which inspire, and help us design great products. A successful candidate will also have the ability to work effectively with multiple disciplines to garner support for research plans and drive measurable improvements into our products.

The be successful in this role, these are the skills required:

  At least 5 years of experience in industry conducting original experimental research on consumer products.

  Experience with a broad range of research methodologies (qualitative and quantitative techniques).

  Proven track record of moving beyond data, getting to insight and being able to effectively tell a story to inspire vision.

  A track record of successful collaboration across disciplines (design, engineering, planning) leading to measurable product improvements.

  Experience as a research lead on a product or feature area - creating schedules, defining and tracking user experience metrics, driving execution on projects, and managing the work of additional resources.

  Strong aptitude for learning new technologies, and demonstrated agility and flexibility in decision making and the way you work.

  Expect to do work. We want someone with a desire to get their hands dirty and do the work, not just manage vendors

  Solid knowledge of the field of human-computer interaction, experimental design, observational and field methods and data analysis.

  Demonstrated ability to visualize and present rich research data simply and clearly.

  Strong oral and written communication skills; experience presenting to executive-level audiences.

Desired qualifications:

  Either an MA/MS or PhD in human factors, psychology or related field, OR a BA/BS in one of the above fields with significant academic or industry experience.

  Hardware, human factors or ergonomics research experience.

  Experience with “front end” research - defining a target audience, understanding user behavior and needs, and inspiring a design vision.

  Background in industrial design.

If you are ready for a new challenge and want to be on the research team with visibility and impact across the Surface organization, we need you!

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, national origin, marital status, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other protected status.

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Design Researcher II

Transforming data into insights is our mission.   We, the Business Intelligence team at Microsoft, help people tell compelling stories with data.   Our world-class product design team is expanding, and we are looking for a Design Researcher II to drive research, advocacy, and execution of end to end experiences for our next generation business analytics applications.

We are looking for an enthusiastic design researcher, someone who can both inspire and influence innovative, practical, and relevant experiences for our services. We need a researcher who is both strategic and pragmatic and who has the vision, skills, and passion to help us build first class experiences and continually improve them.

The researcher will have experiences with a variety of methodologies and products, choosing the right plan for each stage of the project, from generative research to evaluative usability tests and benchmarks. The ideal candidate will be able to work in a lean development environment supporting the release cadence of teams as well as helping define the strategic direction of a suite of data products. Experience with instrumentation, A/B testing and Web services a strong plus.

Our goal is to deliver amazing products that generate excitement, products people love and enjoy using.   Business analytics is a fast-growing area full of innovation.   This is an opportunity to help shape the future of how users interact with data-rich applications and build stunning data presentations. Our products cross the world of data and we target a wide variety of users with different capabilities, motivations, and skill sets. You won’t be bored.

Primary responsibilities include:

• Design and conduct primary and secondary research to understand customer needs and interactions with current and future data products

• Effectively communicate and evangelize insights and help to drive solutions

• Collaborate with and mentor designers to design and deliver outstanding experiences

• Develop comprehensive research plans to drive strategic user research across product lifecycles

• Partner with designers, program management, planning, and other stakeholders to prioritize research

• Illustrate expertise and practice in user-centered design, including the creation of personas, scenarios, prototypes, and studies.

Requirements:

• Excellent written and oral communication skills with the ability to engage successfully with many different stakeholders and senior leadership.

• Data analysis skills to analyze results.

• Demonstrated ability to turn research findings into actionable recommendations for engineering and business stakeholders and deliver those insights in compelling presentations and reports.

• Power user of Excel, Tableau, or other business intelligence tools.

• Project management skills to prioritize research needs and ensure its successful completion

• 3+ years of industry experience in user research with a proven track record

An advanced degree in human-computer interaction, cognitive psychology, behavioral science, or related field is preferred but not required.

Why be just a part of the future when you can actually create it? Apply today to join our talented team of inter-disciplinary designers, design researchers, program managers and product developers.

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, national origin, marital status, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other protected status.

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Electronic Journal Information Researcher - EBSCO Industries - Birmingham, AL

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VISITING RESEARCHER Job (Redmond, WA, US)

Date: May 7, 2012

Location: Redmond, WA, US

Job Category: Research
Location: Redmond, WA, US
Job ID: 791667-80891
Division: Microsoft Research

VR REQ

Nearest Major Market: Seattle
Nearest Secondary Market: Bellevue
Job Segment: Research

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