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.

• 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

• 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

• 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,…