Company AnswerLab
Location San Francisco, CA
URL www.answerlab.com
Opportunity snapshot
This Usability Consultant position offers you the opportunity to own consulting projects from start to finish, exercising both the analytical and creative sides of your mind in the role of trusted advisor to clients. You will expand your experience and expertise using a variety of qualitative and quantitative methods to support diverse clients from multiple industries. Because we are a growing company, you'll be able to make significant contributions to our success and direction. Our goal is to hire people who can grow with us and take on new challenges as opportunities emerge.
You'll drive all aspects of projects, including understanding the client's needs, developing a plan and moderator guide, running user sessions, conducting analysis, and developing targeted recommendations. To be a good fit for this opportunity, you will have experience directly running qualitative usability research studies, including significant time in lab sessions. Testing usability of websites or web-based applications is strongly preferred, as is experience consulting with clients. We're looking for a professional with strong initiative and the drive to succeed in a growing client-focused business.
At AnswerLab our mission is to be the most trusted source for research on the experience of online customers. Our clients include industry leaders such as Yahoo!, eBay, General Motors, Nissan, Intuit, FedEx, Turner Broadcasting, and Autodesk. Example research methods include online customer experience evaluations, one-on-one usability sessions, field studies, and online surveys. Our offices -- complete with exposed brick walls, high ceilings and skylights -- are just two blocks from the Montgomery Street BART station.
What else you'll bring to the table
We understand that outstanding candidates can come from a variety of backgrounds. The ideal candidate will likely meet many or most of the criteria listed below.
Experience with:
- Developing solutions, discussing options, and writing proposals for clients.
- Leading consulting engagements with clients.
- Conducting qualitative usability research studies, ideally on large-scale websites or web-based applications.
- Designing and writing discussion guides, screeners, test protocols, and questionnaires.
- Moderating one-on-one usability sessions and conducting other types of usability studies.
- Using online/remote usability tools and survey software.
- Conducting presentations with senior-level business managers.
- Working with the Internet.
A demonstrated ability to:
- work independently and drive towards deadlines,
- produce high-quality deliverables for clients,
- think creatively and solve problems.
- A college degree. It's a plus to have education or training in Experimental Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, Human Factors, Human Computer Interaction, or other related discipline with a solid foundation in research-based design using both quantitative and qualitative methods.
- Consulting experience, either in research specifically or with a management consulting firm that uses analytical data to support conclusions.
- The ability to engage with business and research managers in Fortune 1000 companies.
- A healthy sense of humor.
- Excellent communication skills and the ability to facilitate discussions.
- Solid presentation skills, including building PowerPoint presentations and presenting results and recommendations to clients.
What's in it for you
Diverse, intriguing projects -- you'll find that no two projects are the same. Some companies specialize in only one or two research methods. At AnswerLab we use a variety of qualitative and quantitative research methods to uncover user attitudes, preferences and behaviors. In addition to using a wide variety of methods, you'll consult with an array of companies, from smaller entrepreneurial firms to Fortune 1000 corporations, representing a broad range of industries.
Quality is not a buzzword with us -- it is a core value and daily practice, and it helps drive our rapid growth, which has come primarily from repeat business and referrals. We contract with an independent firm to conduct a quality and satisfaction survey after every project. On a scale of 1 to 10, we average a 9+ in satisfaction and likelihood to recommend. In contrast to other research firms, we focus exclusively on online customer experience, enabling us to offer deep expertise.
Lose the grind, keep the fun -- if you're currently working as an independent consultant, with AnswerLab you can leave behind the administrative burdens and focus on what you love doing: creating and conducting studies targeted to business needs, analyzing the results, and developing practical recommendations.
Great work environment -- as a smaller company we are short on bureaucracy and long on collaboration. Our South of Market site is within walking distance of countless restaurants and coffee shops. The Metreon is nearby as is SFMOMA and other museums.
Excellent compensation -- in addition to a competitive salary, you will earn bonuses based upon client satisfaction and the overall success of the company.
More about your role
You will join a team that includes the two Managing Partners (who are also the co-founders) and other Researchers/Consultants. The team members cross-check one another's work and brainstorm ideas and solutions, but you'll interact most extensively with clients and study participants. You'll also coordinate with external partners such as labs and participant recruiters.
In a nutshell, you will partner with clients to understand their needs and then craft solutions accordingly, directly conducting and delivering usability projects. You can expect to have one to three projects, in various stages, on your plate at any given time, and a typical project lasts four to six weeks.
Much of our work is in the Bay Area. At the same time, you may travel occasionally to southern California, other parts of the country, or even internationally. Since much of our work is done from our office, we don't expect your travel to be more than 10% to 20% of the time.
We'll look to you to build trust with clients by:
- Responding quickly to client requests.
- Understanding the client business issues that are driving the need for research.
- Helping to define and creatively address client needs.
- Providing the most appropriate research methods and tools to meet each need.
- Providing clients with high-quality, accurate information and business insights derived from customer input.
Keys to success
To excel in this role you will bring business knowledge and the ability to relate all your efforts to business outcomes. We provide clients with data, but more importantly, we deliver savvy, practical recommendations targeted to each client's unique needs. In addition, in order to be an outstanding Usability Consultant, you will:
- Embrace our four brand pillars: Trust, Quality, Responsiveness, and Flexibility.
- Leverage your interpersonal skills to build relationships with clients that will keep them coming back.
- Assume the role of trusted advisor, striking an appropriate balance between diplomacy and assertiveness.
- Fit in well with our culture, which is down to earth and attitude-free.
If this sounds like the right mix of challenge and opportunity for you, and you meet the minimum qualifications, we want to hear from you!
Who we are
AnswerLab helps companies measure and improve their online presence by providing a unique combination of strategic and tactical insights. We develop customized research studies that uncover key findings about our clients' web presence through several methods including online user experience evaluations, in-person usability sessions, surveys and traffic analysis. Our founders built the company to address a need in the market for a trusted customer experience partner, who could provide high-quality online consumer research via multiple research tools and methodologies.
Learn more: www.answerlab.com
Apply at: careers@answerlab.com
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