Title: Director, Design Research

Location: London

Reporting to: VP, Product Design and VP, Product Measurement

WHO WE ARE

Choreograph is WPP's global data products and technology company. We are on a mission to transform marketing by building the fastest, most connected data platform that bridges marketing strategy to scaled activation.

We work with agencies and clients to transform the value of data by bringing together technology, data, and analytics capabilities. We deliver this through the Open Media Studio, an AI-enabled media and data platform for the next era of advertising.

We are endlessly curious. Our team of thinkers, builders, creators, and problem solvers are over 1,000 strong, across 50+ markets around the world.

WHO ARE WE LOOKING FOR?

The Director, Design Research is a specialist role, ensuring our product decisions are backed by rigorous research and user insights. The role involves conducting research for new products, analyzing behavioral data, and identifying opportunities for improvements across existing applications.

You are:

• Skilled in qualitative and quantitative research methods, translating user data into actionable insights.
• Comfortable analyzing analytics data to uncover trends, gaps, and opportunities for product enhancements.
• Passionate about understanding customer needs, behaviors, and pain points to inform design and development.
• A strong leader with experience managing and mentoring research teams.
• Able to synthesize complex data into meaningful recommendations that guide product and UX/UI teams.
• Confident in articulating research findings to diverse stakeholders, influencing product direction with evidence-based insights.

WHAT WILL YOU DO?

Research & Insights Generation

• Develop and communicate a clear vision and roadmap for research activities aligned with business and product goals.
• Conduct user research through interviews, focus groups, workshops, surveys, usability tests, and field studies to uncover pain points and opportunities.
• Analyze behavioral and analytics data (e.g., heatmaps, session recordings, funnel analysis) to identify patterns and areas for product optimization.
• Develop user personas and journey maps to visualize user behaviors and inform product design.
• Synthesize research findings into actionable insights that drive new features and product improvements.
• Stay up to date on industry trends, competitor research, and emerging user behaviors to anticipate future needs.

Team Leadership & Strategic Direction

• Lead and manage the Design Research team, including Associate Directors, Managers, and Senior Associates.
• Set strategic direction for research initiatives, ensuring alignment with business objectives and the Open Design System.
• Oversee resource allocation for research projects, ensuring efficiency and high-quality outcomes.
• Collaborate with product design and QA specialists to maintain consistency and alignment.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement within the team.
• Provide mentorship and guidance to researchers, empowering skill growth and role success.

Collaboration with Product & Design Teams

• Work closely with product managers, UX/UI designers, and data analysts to integrate research insights into product development.
• Collaborate with UX/UI designers to translate research findings into design solutions, contributing to wireframes and prototypes.
• Support product design QA processes by reviewing and validating design implementations.
• Advocate for user needs in product discussions, balancing business goals and usability.
• Partner with analytics teams to develop A/B testing plans and measure design change impacts.
• Represent the voice of the user and advocate for user-centered decision-making among senior leadership.

Experimentation & Continuous Improvement

• Define key metrics and KPIs to measure the impact of research-driven decisions.
• Assist in setting up experiments and prototyping studies to validate concepts.
• Iterate on research methods to continually improve insights gathering.
• Contribute to establishing research best practices across products.

WHAT WILL YOU NEED?

• 8-10+ years of experience in user research, UX research, or product design research.
• Strong understanding of qualitative and quantitative research methodologies, including design, sampling, facilitation, analysis, and communication.
• Experience in UX/UI design, contributing to wireframes, prototypes, and design QA.
• Proven leadership and management experience in research teams.
• Experience with research tools such as UserTesting, Optimal Workshop, and Hotjar.
• Ability to work with data analytics tools like Google Analytics; experience with Pendo is a plus.
• Excellent storytelling and communication skills to translate findings into recommendations.
• A user-centered mindset and passion for improving digital experiences.
• Strong collaboration skills for effective cross-functional teamwork.
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, with a focus on research rigor and quality.
• Proactive problem-solving skills to address research challenges.
• Experience mentoring and empowering team members.
• Ability to adapt in fast-paced environments with changing priorities.

WHY JOIN US?

If you are ready to be at the forefront of the AdTech industry, shaping its future, and driving success for both Choreograph and our clients, we encourage you to apply and join our team.

Choreograph is the heart of data inside WPP's media investment group, GroupM, responsible for over $60 billion in annual media investment. Discover more at www.choreograph.com

DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

GroupM and all its affiliates embrace diversity, inclusivity, and equal opportunity. We are committed to building a team that reflects various backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. As a global media agency network, we believe that greater inclusivity leads to better work.

Please note: This is a UK-based role and requires the right to work in this location.