User Insight Researcher

HATCI (Hyundai America Technical Center) is looking for an intermediate-/advanced-level UX design researcher who will run UX sprints for the advanced vehicle development. This User Insight Expert will identify the success metrics, listen to stakeholder/SME, design the user testing, requirement analysis, tracking issue reports, and draw insights from data to improve the upcoming future vehicle UX of Hyundai/Kia/Genesis.

This User Insight Researcher is expected to lead the regular UX sprint events with the cross-functional consortium of a wide range of SMEs in the Hyundai Moter Group. You define a clear goal of each sprint that can contribute to the whole design process by breaking down the UX issues; refine the discussion scope for the long-term mission as well as for the short-term action items; carefully curate the methods and produce instruments for evaluative/confirmative research; collect and analyze the data from the internal/external tests; derive requirements on how to improve the design with the specific target market/consumer/user characteristics; document the process and findings; and communicate with the stakeholders.

As a user insight researcher, you have a clear drive for the value of users. Before the data, you have a solid foundation of UX design principles and data visualization theories by training and practice not by name. You have a good story of your failure and how you learned from that experience. You will demonstrate design thinking that links marketing, engineering/ technology, and social/human science with the holistic approach to design in a fast-paced agile environment for the new mobility transition period involving electric vehicles, autonomous driving, and innovative transportation solutions.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities, including but not limited to:

• Regular updates of the sprint materials with the development team
• Track the history of issues, discussions, recommendations, and requirements
• Conduct diagnostic research to identify potential usability issues
• Plan the evaluative research with task analysis
• Conduct internal review and external testing
• Analyze the user data for design insight to resolve the issues
• Facilitate the discussion with SMEs for the design recommendation
• Interpret the design insight and recommendations into interactive prototypes
• Test and validate the effectiveness of design revision
• Report design requirements supported by user data

General Requirements

• Team player. You'll support a team culture of empathy and understanding of user needs & desires while balancing business decisions
• Design thinker. You will move fast in the iterative process -- listening, ideation, collecting data, analysis, and evaluation in Agile practice.
• Human-centered researcher. You will define the problems and create solutions from the user's perspective - and make a good judgment when to focus on the individual or when to look over the universal human needs.
• Data-driven researcher. You will derive the implications for the design concept based on the evidence, especially with empirical data.
• Excellent Communicator. As a UX researcher, you excel in communication about research data and design ideas for internal and external collaborators. Well-organized; excellent verbal, written, AND visual communication.

Occasional domestic/overseas travel is possible for user research & tech shows up to 20% of the time.

What We Offer:

• Zero-dollar employee premiums on Medical, dental, and vision for you and your family
• 100% employer-paid disability and Life insurance
• Generous paid Time Off including vacation, sick, and abundant holidays.
• A Global Environment that fosters diversity
• Competitive Salaries
• Retirement savings and planning benefits
• Flexible work hours, and hybrid work schedule options
• Access to Health savings accounts and flexible spending accounts

Compensation:

• $85,000 - $135,000

Qualifications and Requirements

• Passion for automobile UX for the future.
• Be open-minded and multicultural.
• Master's degree in HCI/ MBA (preferred)
• Evidence of work/ course on HCI/UX foundations.
• MUST: 3+ years of professional experience in the automobile industry.
• MUST: 5+ years of professional experience in UX research
• Candidates applying for positions with Hyundai and KIA must be legally authorized to work in the United States. Verification of employment eligibility will be required at the time of hire.
• HATCI is an Equal Opportunity Employer including Disabled and Veteran. VEVRAA Federal contractor
• The ability to be flexible and inventive, using analytic and creative problem-solving approaches to experiment with design concept testing, usability- and user- testing.
• Portfolio to demonstrate the excellent communication skills for the research report: verbal, written, visual, and presentation skills are essential.
• Good data visualization and information design foundation especially how to avoid chartjunk and how to keep the high quality in visual storytelling.

• Tools (inclusive but not exclusive)




• Basic documentation: MS Office - Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
• Basic analytical: Excel, MATLAB, R, Python or equivalent
• Basic prototyping: Figma
• **Please upload your UX portfolio with your application