Head of Design Research

Role overview

This position is for a senior design research leader in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The work is part of a company that is scaling quickly, so the role is expected to evolve as priorities shift. The environment values experimentation, collaboration, and making a meaningful impact on product direction and user experience.

Where you can work

The main campus is in Sydney. There is also a campus in Melbourne, plus co-working locations in Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide. Team members are given flexibility in how and where they work, with the expectation that they choose the arrangement that best supports their own effectiveness and their team’s goals.

What you will lead

• Guide, coach, and strengthen the design research team while building capability, encouraging psychological safety, and raising shared standards across both evaluative and generative research.
• Shape a forward-looking research direction that supports product vision, company objectives, and long-term opportunities in an AI-driven environment.
• Run evaluative research efforts that uncover user pain points across product surfaces and help close those gaps while maintaining a high quality benchmark.
• Equip product teams to carry out their own research confidently through training, templates, and common frameworks, without lowering the quality bar.
• Advance the design research specialty by improving methods, lifting craft standards, and using AI-enabled approaches to increase speed, quality, and scale.
• Maintain a strong research quality standard through direct research work, coaching, training, process design, and oversight.
• Set clear direction and priorities for the group, make trade-offs across multiple teams, and stay aligned with broader strategy.
• Communicate research progress and outcomes to the relevant stakeholders tied to company goals.
• Focus the team’s time on the highest-priority work and support effective prioritization.
• Define how research success is measured and ensure insights are communicated clearly and with impact.
• Manage the research tool stack, including AI-powered platforms that improve insight generation, collaboration, and organizational learning.

What the team is looking for

• A seasoned research leader with strong depth in generative, evaluative, and mixed-methods approaches.
• Someone who enjoys influencing product strategy, improving research craft, and applying emerging AI capabilities in practical ways.
• A fast learner who stays current with AI research methods and continuously adapts as the technology evolves.
• A capable leader who can set the right strategy, uphold quality, and deliver effectively through the team.
• A person who uses research to inform both high-level business direction and detailed product decisions.
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to partner with senior leaders and individual contributors across Product, Design, Engineering, and Data.
• A multiplier mindset, able to expand the impact of research by helping product teams across the company do research well themselves.

Benefits

• Equity participation so employees share in the company’s success.
• Parenting and carer leave that is designed to support all types of parents and caregivers.
• An annual allowance for wellbeing, social connection, office setup, and related needs.
• Flexible leave choices that help with rest, personal commitments, and doing good in the world.

Additional information

The hiring process considers experience, skills, passion, and the ways a candidate may contribute to the company culture. Applicants are asked to share the pronouns they use and note any reasonable adjustments needed during interviews. The company welcomes people from all backgrounds and encourages applications even from those who do not feel they match every listed requirement. Interviews are held online.

Work culture

The workplace is described as energetic, collaborative, and fun, with moments of connection woven through the work experience. The company emphasizes ambition, inclusivity, and a balance between hard work and wellbeing.