Senior Researcher, UX

BACKGROUND:

The National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA) is the leading national voice for dignity and fairness for domestic workers in the United States. Founded in 2007, NDWA works for the respect, recognition, and inclusion in labor protections of domestic and home care workers across the country. NDWA is winning improved working conditions while building a powerful movement rooted in the human rights, dignity and equality of domestic workers, home care workers, immigrant women, and Black women.

NDWA was founded in 2007 by domestic workers and organizers from around the country. Our national alliance has grown from this founding group of 13 organizations to now more than 70 affiliate organizations, and local chapters developed by NDWA. To date, the Alliance comprises more than 250,000 nannies, housekeepers, and home care workers in all 50 states.

At the core of NDWA’s work is a commitment to elevating the voices and perspectives of domestic workers themselves. That’s why NDWA is expanding the ways in which it engages with workers to form a dedicated User Research Group – to rigorously gather qualitative insights from domestic workers nationwide to guide the creation of and feedback on new policy practices, employer interventions, and products and tools developed to serve workers. Whether optimizing our own Know Your Rights programming or advising external partners like policymakers and tech companies, this new team will lead participatory research that puts domestic workers in the driver’s seat to shape the change they want to see.

POSITION SUMMARY:

As Researcher, UX, you will launch and scale our Domestic Worker User Research Group to become a core capability for NDWA. This new team will tap into our national network of domestic workers to regularly gather insights, validate new ideas, and guide the creation of improved resources, products, and policies. Your team’s qualitative, worker-centered research will directly strengthen interventions across our ecosystem – both within NDWA campaigns, services, and resources as well as external products and government policies aimed at elevating working conditions for domestic workers.

You will build out dedicated pools of domestic worker participants, manage a small team, develop internal protocols and offerings for external partners. By putting workers at the center and enabling them to shape the solutions meant to help them, you will provide invaluable intelligence for our programs while unlocking new revenue potential.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Establish and manage an engaged group of domestic worker participants for ongoing qualitative research, ensuring appropriate sampling for each research request
• Develop protocols, methods, and infrastructure to conduct qualitative user research and at scale with groups of domestic workers and care recipients
• Work in coordination with a small team in designing and conducting qualitative studies and managing worker recruitment and engagement
• Translate findings into recommendations for internal programs that leverage user insights across NDWA campaigns, products, and services to optimize impact
• Create offerings and build partnerships where external organizations can leverage our user research capabilities
• Ensure domestic worker participants are at the center of determining which resources improve their lives

QUALIFICATIONS:

• 4+ years conducting user/UX research and translating findings into personas, journey maps, workflows
• Proficiency with design tools like Figma, Sketch, and Adobe Creative Suite
• Solid grasp of UX best practices and service/product development processes
• Proven ability to translate research into strategic prototypes and recommendations
• Strong project management abilities and comfort working in fast-paced environments
• Adaptive and strategic thinking to drive long-term, systemic improvements while balancing short-term tradeoffs
• Innate curiosity and drive to deeply understand end-user needs, continuously asking why and unraveling the systemic issues users face
• Flexible, solutions-oriented mindset able to reframe problems and design creative ways to serve users better
• Skilled relationship builder across partners, staff and end-users, facilitating authentic collaborations
• Passion for elevating the voices and experiences of domestic workers
• Fluency in Spanish is a bonus

How to Apply: Please submit a resume and a cover letter that thoughtfully addresses your alignment with the position. Applications will only be accepted electronically, and solicitations to individual staff are unlikely to be responded to.

Women, People of Color, People with Disabilities, and LGBTQIA+ people are strongly urged to apply. NDWA is a union employer, this position is a bargaining unit position and salary is determined by the collective bargaining agreement.

Students who are applying should reach out to k.lucas@northeastern.edu with any questions or to discuss their application prior to submission.