Design Researcher

Visa is a world leader in payments and technology, with over 259 billion payments transactions flowing safely between consumers, merchants, financial institutions, and government entities in more than 200 countries and territories each year. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient, reliable, and secure payments network, enabling individuals, businesses, and economies to thrive while driven by a common purpose – to uplift everyone, everywhere by being the best way to pay and be paid.

Make an impact with a purpose-driven industry leader. Join us today and experience Life at Visa.

NA Product & Experience Design (PxD) is seeking a Design Researcher with expertise in user research that drives leading-edge Product Design. All of our team members are innovative thinkers and strategic problem solvers who are as analytical as they are creative. We value a bias to action, accountability, and collaboration.  In this role, you will lead full scale research projects delivering compelling research insights that distill the complexity of client challenges and surface important opportunities to improve the lives of users. This person will play a vital role in developing new Products & Services directly for Visa’s clients and partners, as well as helping inform critical Human Insights employed by internal Product, Consulting and Account teams.  

Essential Functions

• Execute all phases of design research including scoping, research strategy, conducting, synthesizing, insight development and storytelling.
• Demonstrate a strong understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of different research methods, including when and how to apply them during each product phase, and ability to justify research and design decisions. 
• Develop research hypotheses to drive alignment on scope, approach, and impact of research.
• Identify how to frame complex research problems, as well as evaluate agencies and vendors to support projects (when needed).
• Create insights, recommendations, personas, journey maps, user flows and other research artifacts.
• Deliver presentations to clients that reframes their problems and inspires them to improve the lives of their users.
• Support and help facilitate design thinking workshops with clients and stakeholders. 
• Act as a change agent, sparking fresh ideas that elevate the research practice and are infused within our culture and products 
• Foster collaboration between Design, Research, Design Operations & Product teams, in addition to establishing relationships with other partners throughout Visa 
• Experience with qualitative research methodologies, including in-depth interviews, diary studies, co-creation, concept evaluation.
• Experience managing participant recruitment and associated privacy and data considerations.
• Knowledgeable of accessibility guidelines and best practices. 
• Ability to support design thinking workshops, including leading sessions and engaging with high-profile clients. 
• Must be results-oriented, and can work independently and effectively deal with ambiguity. 
• Experience sharing work early and often with teams, as well as giving feedback to others in a constructive manner.
• Successful track record engaging with colleagues across functions, levels and geographies, including within a virtual environment. 
• Experience presenting to executives and/or clients, explaining the voice of the user in ways that influence minds and roadmaps.
• Excellent analytical abilities and attention to detail. 
• Top notch client management/people skills, with experience managing multiple stakeholder relationships.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, problem solving skills, customer service and interpersonal skills. 
• Experience with dScout, UserTesting.com, Figjam, Miro, PowerPoint, Keynote. 
• Experience managing legal and privacy considerations and processes for user research. 
• Integrate research outputs with product roadmaps of Visa Clients and partners. 
• Be comfortable to own, manage and report on portfolio of projects at any one time confidently. 
• Design and co-lead collaborative workshops to facilitate various stages of client-facing projects. 
• Knowledge of and experience in the Finance/Payments industry a plus.

This is a remote position. A remote position does not require job duties be performed within proximity of a Visa office location. Remote positions may be required to be present at a Visa office with scheduled notice.

Basic Qualifications
•2 or more years of work experience with a Bachelor’s Degree or an Advanced Degree (e.g. Masters, MBA, JD, MD, or PhD)

Preferred Qualifications:
•3 or more years of work experience with a Bachelor’s Degree or more than 2 years of work experience with an Advanced Degree (e.g. Masters, MBA, JD, MD)
• Agency or consultive experience in a role with responsibility for design research, product design and design research planning, as well as execution and client management for complex UX research projects.
• Experience and understanding of Product Management and Innovation in the payments space a plus.
• Qualitative expertise a must, quantitative skills a plus.

Work Hours: Varies upon the needs of the department.

Travel Requirements: This position requires travel 5-10% of the time.

Mental/Physical Requirements: This position will be performed in an office setting.  The position will require the incumbent to sit and stand at a desk, communicate in person and by telephone, frequently operate standard office equipment, such as telephones and computers.

Visa is an EEO Employer.  Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or protected veteran status.  Visa will also consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with EEOC guidelines and applicable local law.

Visa will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with applicable local law, including the requirements of Article 49 of the San Francisco Police Code.

U.S. APPLICANTS ONLY: The estimated salary range for a new hire into this position is 94,100 to 166,150 USD per year, which may include potential sales incentive payments (if applicable). Salary may vary depending on job-related factors which may include knowledge, skills, experience, and location. In addition, this position may be eligible for bonus and equity. Visa has a comprehensive benefits package for which this position may be eligible that includes Medical, Dental, Vision, 401 (k), FSA/HSA, Life Insurance, Paid Time Off, and Wellness Program.