User Experience Researcher (Extended Temporary Employment)

Posting Number

req16250

Department

UA Library Administration ADM

Department Website Link

https://lib.arizona.edu/about/organization

Location

Main Campus

Address

Tucson, AZ USA

Position Highlights

The User Experience (UX) Researcher is dedicated to improving the digital experience for library users. They partner with library employees to identify areas of improvement in the library’s online presence. They conduct UX research, identify themes and insights, and write research summaries. They may also use web analytics data to complement the research. They then present findings to stakeholders or project team members and recommend changes to library websites and digital products.In addition to working with users and library stakeholders, they also help advance the library’s UX research operations (ResearchOps) by leading two major components in the UX research toolkit, the Research Repository and the UX participant pool. They add new research projects to the Research Repo and organize past projects, ensuring that it functions as a hub for UX research projects in the library. They also coordinate maintenance efforts for the UX participant pool.

They work in close collaboration with the library’s UX team, including the UX Strategist, Content Strategist, UX Designer, and student assistants. As a team, they create user interface prototypes, content drafts, and UX documentation with knowledge from UX research findings, then coordinate with members of Technology Strategy & Services, Marketing & Communications, and other library departments and teams to make an impact on the library’s user experience.

The UX Researcher enjoys creative problem solving and is dedicated to improving the experience and success of UA students, faculty, and staff. They will serve as an organizer of the UX@UA community to mentor peer UX learners and professionals, help organize events, and contribute to website updates.

Outstanding UA benefits include health, dental, and vision insurance plans; life insurance and disability programs; paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays; UA/ASU/NAU tuition reduction for the employee and qualified family members; state and optional retirement plans; access to UA recreation and cultural activities; and more!

The University of Arizona has been recognized for our innovative work-life programs.

Duties & Responsibilities

CHARACTERISTIC DUTIES

Designing and conducting UX research

• Plan, develop, and coordinate user research projects to inform decision-making.
• Conduct research in the format of Tiny Café and talk-back boards, the library’s regular fixtures for lightweight UX research, while exploring alternative channels and structures such as remote usability testing through the participant pool.
• Lead UX research meetings where the UX team plans for upcoming research projects.
• Oversee the participant pool, the library’s online channel to recruit UX research participants. This includes recruiting new participants, cleaning up existing records, and responding to requests to use the pool from other library and campus departments.
• Partner with other library departments for ongoing projects, such as the Web Refresh project, website navigation & information architecture, and library discovery experience.

Synthesizing and communicating research findings

• Organize post-study debrief sessions and summarize research findings in research reports.
• Develop supporting tools such as personas, journey maps, and empathy maps to visualize research findings.
• Review analytics data in Siteimprove and Google Analytics and extract available insights to support recommendations.
• Identify design recommendations based on research insights.
• Present research findings to stakeholders of project teams and recommend changes.
• Contribute to Research Repo, the library’s shared database of UX research insights. This includes summarizing research projects, maintaining existing records, and sharing the work with a broad audience.
• Contribute to other DesignOps and ResearchOps projects.
• Communicate with key stakeholders of each project and regularly share updates on UX research findings.

UX team collaboration and supervision

• Work with the UX team to identify user research needs, prioritize projects, improve existing services, and make decisions in the best interest of our users.
• Partner with the Content Strategist and User Experience Designer to identify ways to implement research outcomes on the library website and in library services.
• Create draft website content that incorporates the library’s content principles and content style guide.
• Create user interface prototypes that incorporate accessibility and design standards.
• Create and maintain internal documentation for workflows and best practices.
• Supervise and mentor student workers.

Campus engagement and professional development

• Consult with campus departments and explore potential partnerships on research projects, such as the Student Voice Initiative.
• Contribute to the UX@UA community by helping organize events, providing mentorship and consultation to members of the community, and contributing to website updates.
• Attend training events such as online workshops and webinars to improve skills in UX research, design, content strategy, and more.
• The UA Libraries support the UA’s diversity and inclusiveness strategic initiatives designed to create an inclusive environment for all faculty, staff, and students. The candidate is expected to support diversity and inclusiveness efforts in the department and college.
• Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Science, Human-Computer Interaction, Psychology, English, Computer Science, or related field.
• One year of relevant work experience planning and conducting user research.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience designing and conducting UX research in higher education or libraries.
• Experience with user-focused and human-centered research methods including usability testing, journey mapping, and persona development.
• Experience collaborating with software development teams that include developers, designers, and project/product managers.
• Experience synthesizing research findings and communicating with a broad audience.
• Experience using prototyping tools such as Figma and Adobe XD.
• Experience working in collaborative document management tools such as Notion and Airtable.

FLSA

Exempt

Full Time/Part Time

Full Time

Number of Hours Worked per Week

40

Job FTE

1.0

Work Calendar

Fiscal

Job Category

Information Technology

Benefits Eligible

Yes - Full Benefits

Rate of Pay

$48,976 - $63,991

Compensation Type

salary at 1.0 full-time equivalency (FTE)

Grade

7

Career Stream and Level

PC1

Job Family

Web Sites & Applications

Job Function

Information Technology

Type of criminal background check required:

Name-based criminal background check (non-security sensitive)

Number of Vacancies

1

Target Hire Date

6/26/2023

Expected End Date

12/31/2023

Contact Information for Candidates

Armando Cruz
armandocruz@arizona.edu

Open Date

5/25/2023

Open Until Filled

Yes

Documents Needed to Apply

Resume and Cover Letter

Special Instructions to Applicant

This posting will remain open until filled. To ensure your application is considered, please submit your application materials by the first review date of June 5, 2023.

Diversity Statement

At the University of Arizona, we value our inclusive climate because we know that diversity in experiences and perspectives is vital to advancing innovation, critical thinking, solving complex problems, and creating an inclusive academic community. As a Hispanic-serving institution, we translate these values into action by seeking individuals who have experience and expertise working with diverse students, colleagues, and constituencies. Because we seek a workforce with a wide range of perspectives and experiences, we provide equal employment opportunities to applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or genetic information. As an Employer of National Service, we also welcome alumni of AmeriCorps, Peace Corps, and other national service programs and others who will help us advance our Inclusive Excellence initiative aimed at creating a university that values student, staff and faculty engagement in addressing issues of diversity and inclusiveness.

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