Strategist

Job Description

IA Collaborative is an award winning creative enterprise specializing in branding, graphic and interface design, product development, and strategic research. Through contextual research and validation, we uncover unmet consumer needs, define emerging business opportunities, and deliver game changing solutions. We do immersive research - not number crunching or surveys - we go into the world and observe people. If our client wants to design a better running shoe, we go out and hit the pavement with marathon runners, talk to triathletes and go shopping with fitness consumers. We gain insights from experiences, not focus groups. Every aspect of IA, from our open-office structure to our iterative strategic and creative process, results in user-centered design. IA has worked with some of the world’s most successful brands, including Adobe, Caterpillar, HP,GE and Nike.

At IA Collaborative you will have the opportunity to leverage and develop your existing talents and skills while being exposed to IA’s cutting-edge research, strategy, creative philosophies, and tools. You’ll work with a team of people who are passionate about learning, highly strategic in their approach, and deeply committed to creative excellence.

Currently we are looking for a Design Strategist who is passionate about transforming their client’s businesses and designing compelling solutions for their users.

As a Design Strategist at IA Collaborative you will:

• Serve as your clients’ strategic partner and guide. You will achieve this by becoming knowledgeable and passionate about your clients’ business. Along side IA’s account staff, you will inspire and shepherd clients through the research, design and experience process, facilitating and leading collaborative planning sessions, regularly scheduled meetings, ideation sessions and presentations.

• Lead the research and strategy development process. You will work with client and colleagues to analyze secondary research, identify key user, business and design trends, and frame opportunities and research plans. You will work with your team and colleagues to plan, recruit and conduct user research, lead and collaborate in the synthesis process to develop key insights, research summaries, design and business strategies, creative concepts, road maps and long term plans. This requires excellent research skills, analytical and creative thinking, organization, collaboration, writing, diagramming, and strategic communication.

• Manage research and strategy account relationships. This includes drafting research and strategic components of new business proposals, collaborating with account staff to manage and extend client relationships to garner new business.

• Collaborate with internal teams. You will work with teams of managers, designers, writers and fellow researchers to advance the entire research, strategy and creative process. Research and strategy development is critical at every point in the design process. Collaboration and participation with your colleagues will in ensure that all project deliverables are on strategy, all creative concepts are effective, expectations are understood, client objectives are achieved and deadlines are met.

Requirements:
• A four-year degree in a related field such as design research, anthropology, behavioral sciences, etc.
• At least one year of experience leading research projects, international research experience a plus!
• Adept research skills in the areas of: planning and conducting research methods, analyzing and synthesizing qualitative data to develop impactful design directives/recommendations.
• Enjoys playing the role of trusted advisor/educator to clients
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, ability to deliver compelling stories
• Good analytical skills
• Confidence is presenting materials to clients, ability to command the attention of a room.
• Video editing experience is a plus

NOTE: International candidates must hold a valid US working permit.