UX Researcher

Overview

Design Researcher

(Digital Product Designer – Expert | 178383-1)

• This is a hybrid role with 4 days per week in our client’s Montreal office.
• Candidates for this role must be bilingual English / French

Aquent is partnering with a leading financial institution dedicated to becoming an industry leader in exceptional digital experiences. This organization places strategy, research, design principles, and technical innovation at the core of its operations, aiming to create meaningful and impactful digital solutions for millions. We are seeking a talented and passionate Digital Product Designer with an expertise in Design Research to join a dynamic team. This is an unparalleled opportunity to profoundly influence how millions of people interact with essential digital products, shaping experiences that truly matter and contributing directly to the evolution of digital excellence.

As a Design Researcher, you will be instrumental in shaping the experiences created through digital products, ensuring every client interaction feels important and valued. You will collaborate closely with cross-functional teams of designers, product managers, and developers, embedded directly within product, journey, or channel teams. Your work will involve identifying critical decisions requiring research input, proposing innovative methodologies, conducting fieldwork, analyzing findings, and socializing implications across the organization. This role is not about operating in a silo; it’s about integrating research seamlessly into the design process, ensuring all team members participate and contribute to a shared understanding.

This role offers a unique opportunity to contribute to a company that deeply values customer experience and maintains its position as a global digital leader. You will be part of a team pushing the boundaries of digital product design, continuously striving to improve the lives of the people and communities served. You will also have the chance to help shape and evolve Design Research as a practice within the organization, influencing peers globally.

**Key Responsibilities:**

Design Research Strategy:
* Build and nurture relationships with key stakeholders within and outside the design team.
* Support designers and business stakeholders in prioritizing potential research activities.
* Develop comprehensive fieldwork approaches (moderated or unmoderated) that effectively address business and design objectives.
Research and Testing (Execution, Synthesis, Analysis):
* Develop and execute research activities to evaluate prototypes, enhance understanding of current contexts, and generate new insights into evolving user needs.
* Moderate live sessions with users and internal personnel, often covering high-complexity or sensitive topics.
* Clearly communicate core themes and implications derived from research activities to the design team and other stakeholders.
* Design and facilitate engaging ideation sessions and collaborative work activities.

**Must-Have:**

* BA/BS degree in Psychology, Anthropology, Sociology, Information Studies, Design (e.g., interaction, graphic, visual communications, product, industrial), Human Computer Interaction (HCI), Computer Science (CS), or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
* A minimum of 3 years of experience in design research.
* Technical understanding of design research theory and proficiency with design research tools.
* Working knowledge of a variety of design research methodologies.
* Experience working effectively on cross-functional teams.

**Nice-to-Have:**

* MA/MS degree or certification in Psychology, Anthropology, Sociology, Information Studies, Design (e.g., interaction, graphic, visual communications, product, industrial), Human Computer Interaction (HCI), Computer Science (CS), or a related field.
* An appreciation for the potential of ‘design thinking’.
* Experience working within a large organization and within an agile environment.
* Experience contributing to the launch of a digital product.

**About Aquent Talent:**
Aquent Talent connects the best talent in marketing, creative, and design with the world’s biggest brands.
Our eligible talent get access to amazing benefits like subsidized health, vision, and dental plans, paid sick leave, and retirement plans with a match. More information on our awesome benefits!
Aquent is an equal-opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, and other legally protected characteristics. We’re about creating an inclusive environment—one where different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives are valued, and everyone can contribute, grow their careers, and thrive.

#LI-MS2