UX Researcher & Designer

Position Title: UX Researcher & Designer

Salary Range: $58K - $72K

Department: Research & Evaluation (988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline)

Reports to: Director, Research & Evaluation

Location: (Remote/In-House): Remote

Schedule: 35 hours weekly

Formerly the Mental Health Association of New York City (MHA-NYC), Vibrant Emotional Health’s groundbreaking solutions have delivered high quality services and support, when, where and how people need it for over 50 years. Through our state-of-the-art technology-enabled services, community wellness programs, and advocacy and education work, we are building a society in which emotional wellness can be a reality for everyone.

Position Summary:

This position is primarily responsible for conducting and coordinating UX research to understand the needs, expectations, and experiences of users of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (a network of 200+ independently owned crisis centers across the country). The UX Designer will manage user research activities, including usability testing of the Lifeline’s services which will involve recruiting users to test services and collect data on their experiences, including any issues they encounter and suggestions for improvement. The UX Designers will work closely with various Lifeline departments to share research findings with recommended changes to improve the user experience. Finally, the UX Designer will be responsible for staying up to date on the latest trends and best practices in user experience research and design. This involves attending conferences and training sessions, as well as reading industry publications and applying insights from other research areas to user experience research and usability studies of Lifeline services (e.g., disaster science).

Duties/Responsibilities:

• Coordinate and assist in the development and implementation of user research focused on user behavior, preferences, needs/expectations, pain points, and feedback.
• Conduct usability testing of the Lifeline’s services, including recruiting users to test the services and collecting data on their experiences.
• Gather feedback from users and incorporate this feedback into the development of new or improved Lifeline services.
• Analyze usability test results to identify issues and suggest improvements to the user experience.
• Stay up to date on the latest trends and best practices in user experience research and design by attending conferences and training sessions, reading industry publications, and participating in online forums.
• Prepare reports and presentations to share with internal departments and key stakeholders on the results of any user research and usability testing.
• Manage relationships with external vendors and contractors involved in user research projects.
• Maintain a research repository of all user research for reference and future analysis.
• Ensure that all user research and usability testing projects comply with relevant regulations and ethical standards.
• Participate in the design and development of Lifeline services by providing insights and recommendations based on user research and usability testing results.
• Participate in Research & Evaluation Department strategic planning and department-led processes (e.g., external data request reviews, manuscript reviews, etc.).
• Assist the Research & Evaluation Department with other projects as needed.

Required Skills/Abilities:

• Strong knowledge of user experience research methods and techniques, both qualitative and quantitative, such as usability testing, interviews, card sorting, and surveys.
• Excellent organizational and project management skills to coordinate research and usability testing projects from conception to completion.
• Knowledge of the principles and best practices of human-centered design and the ability to apply these principles to the design and development of Lifeline services.
• Ability to communicate research findings and insights to stakeholders, including non-technical audiences.
• Familiarity with industry-standard research and usability testing tools, such as SurveyMonkey, UserTesting, or comparable software.
• Genuine curiosity about people and experiences.
• Strong interpersonal skills to collaborate effectively with other Lifeline departments and external vendors and contractors.
• Comfortable with ambiguity, able to manage multiple projects (both small and large) and adjust to changing priorities.
• Knowledge of the latest trends and best practices in user experience research and design, including emerging technologies and new research methods.
• Understanding of ethical considerations in conducting user research and usability testing.
• Ability to synthesize insights from multiple sources, including user feedback, industry research, and other areas of research, to inform the development of Lifeline services.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field such as Information Sciences, Anthropology, Social Science, Human-centered design (HCD), Psychology, Human Factors, or related field
• At least 2-3 years working in user experience or a related field.
• Experience designing, conducting, and/or assisting with research studies and usability tests.
• Candidate will have an interest in mental health/suicide prevention, and some familiarity with the nonprofit sector.

Excellent comprehensive benefits, including medical, dental, vision, supplemental income insurance, pre-tax transit/parking, pre-tax FSA for medical and dependent care, and 401K available. 4 weeks’ vacation, plum benefits, etc.

Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply for jobs unless they believe they are able to perform every task in the job description. We are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job, and that candidate may be one who come from a less traditional background. Vibrant will consider any equivalent combination of knowledge, skills, education and experience to meet minimum qualifications. If you are interested in applying, we encourage you to think broadly about your background and skill set for the role.

Vibrant Emotional Health is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants are considered for positions without regard to veteran status, uniformed service member status, race, creed, color, religion, gender, gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, citizenship status, national origin, marital status, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, caregiver status or any other category protected by applicable federal, state or local laws.

VIBRANT EMOTIONAL HEALTH DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). VIBRANT DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS NOR WILL YOU BE REACHED OUT TO FOR SENSITIVE INFORMATION BY EMAIL OR PHONE DURING THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS.

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