Sr. UX Researcher

Career Area: Business Technologies, Digital and Data Job Description: Your Work Shapes the World at Caterpillar Inc. When you join Caterpillar, you're joining a global team who cares not just about the work we do – but also about each other. We are the makers, problem solvers, and future world builders who are creating stronger, more sustainable communities. We don't just talk about progress and innovation here – we make it happen, with our customers, where we work and live. Together, we are building a better world, so we can all enjoy living in it. JOB PURPOSE: As a Lead UX Researcher, this position will drive the complete research process and collaborate closely with cross-functional counterparts in Product Management, Design, Web Development, Marketing and Engineering to influence key strategy and execution decisions. The research will be instrumental in defining next-generation products, spearheading a customer-centered decision-making process, and develop the most useful and usable product and service experiences for a global audience. This position will conduct independent research, analyze real user behavior and work with User Interface Designers, Product Managers and Engineers to improve our product and service features and develop new ones. The work spans across all products and services, and this position is encouraged to identify new opportunities for user experience improvements. The position will strive to connect users to Caterpillar products and services, and make that connection intuitive and accessible. JOB DUTIES: Partner with design, product / services and marketing colleagues to understand business needs and design appropriate research studies to generate focused insights. Design and conduct user research studies, including surveys, in-depth interviews, field studies, focus groups, and concept/prototype testing. Foster collaboration with designers, product and service managers, marketers and sales to translate insights into actionable recommendations that inform execution. Work in partnership with other researchers and organizations (e.g., data analytics) to create comprehensive and coordinated research strategies that triangulate data from different sources/methods to develop recommendations. Cleverly deliver research findings with strong recommendations. Collect and analyze user behavior through server logs, online experiments (A/B testing), benchmark studies, lab studies, surveys, etc., to understand how users experience online searches. Work with designers, product and service managers, engineers, and research managers to prioritize research opportunities in a fast-paced, rapidly changing environment. Identify and prioritize research questions based on analysis of existing product and service designs, business needs, project goals and risks. Communicate results and opportunities in clear, concise, and compelling ways to all levels of management. Drive impact, as measured by changes to the product and service design and development roadmap. The Marketing & Digital Division is leading Caterpillar and our industry with the utilization of data analytics, innovation, digital channels and techniques to drive profit, create more efficient revenue growth, unlock new revenue streams and provide more durable competitive advantages for the business through unexpectedly great experiences for our customers.　 Skill Descriptors Creativity: Knowledge of the approaches, tools, and techniques for promoting creative, original thinking and ability to apply it to a variety of business situations. Decision Making and Critical Thinking: Knowledge of the decision-making process and associated tools and techniques; ability to accurately analyze situations and reach productive decisions based on informed judgment. Web Software Design: Knowledge of web software design; ability to design, develop, maintain and enhance web-based or web-enabled software. Human-Centered Design (HCD): Knowledge of Human-Centered Design model, principle, and concepts; ability to understand the perspective of people who experience a problem, their needs, and provide them with a solution which truly meets their needs effectively. User Experience Design: Knowledge of user experience design tools, techniques and approaches; ability to design applications that are valued, positively perceived and used by clients. User Interface Design: Knowledge of activities, practices, deliverables and considerations; ability to design effective graphic user interfaces for delivery of information to the client's desktop workstation. BACKGROUND/EXPERIENCE: Required Qualifications: A Bachelor’s degree in Market Research, Anthropology, Psychology, Sociology, Cognitive Science, Information Science or related field or equivalent practical experience is required. Requires 4 to 6 years of relevant work experience, including experience integrating user research into product and service designs and design practices. A strong portfolio demonstrating past work experience, deliverables, and the ability to extract actionable insights from qualitative data. Desirable Qualifications: A balanced understanding of strategy, research, and interaction is a must for the role. Must be able to thrive in a fast-paced, collaborative, team-oriented, cross-functional environment. Experience conducting customer research in an applied setting. Strong command of quantitative, behavioral analysis and statistics. Experience using standard market research tools. Strong in both physical and digital customer research. Excellent working knowledge of statistics and the principles of experiment design is desired. Excellent interpersonal, communication, and collaboration skills. Ability to create compelling presentations and confidently convey insights and design solutions through storytelling across all levels. Familiarity with quantitative methods is preferred. Desirable is flexibility / adaptability (ability to change direction based upon team and stakeholder consensus). The preferred location is Peoria, IL, Chicago, IL, Dallas, TX, or Denver, CO #BI #LI Compensation & Benefits: Base salary for this role ranges from $104,112 to $156,168. Actual salary will be based on experience. The total rewards package, beyond base salary includes: Annual incentive bonus plan* Medical, dental and vision coverage starting day 1 Paid time off plan (Vacation, Holiday, Volunteer, Etc.) 401(K) Savings Plan including company match Health savings account (HSA) Flexible spending accounts (FSA) Short and long term disability coverage Life insurance Paid parental leave Healthy Lifestyle Programs Employee Assistance Programs Voluntary Benefits and Employee Discounts (Ex: Accident, Identity Theft Protection) Career Development *Subject to annual eligibility and incentive plan guidelines Visa Sponsorship is not available for this position. This employer is not currently hiring foreign national applicants that require or will require sponsorship tied to a specific employer, such as, H, L, TN, F, J, E, O. As a global company, Caterpillar offers many job opportunities outside of the U.S which can be found through our employment website at www.caterpillar.com/careers. Summary Pay Range: $104,112.00 - $169,182.00 Compensation and benefits offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, job level, market location, job-related knowledge, skills, individual performance and experience. Please note that salary is only one component of total compensation at Caterpillar. Benefits: Annual incentive bonus plan* Medical, dental, and vision coverage Paid time off plan (Vacation, Holiday, Volunteer, Etc.) 401k savings plan Health savings account (HSA) Flexible spending accounts (FSAs) Disability benefits Life Insurance Parental leave Healthy Lifestyle Programs Employee Assistance Programs Voluntary Benefits and Employee Discounts Tuition Reimbursement Career Development *Subject to annual eligibility and incentive plan guidelines. EEO/AA Employer. All qualified individuals - Including minorities, females, veterans and individuals with disabilities - are encouraged to apply. Not ready to apply? Join our Talent Community. There’s more to work at Caterpillar than just the work itself. We hire smart, friendly people and it shows in our culture. We hold ourselves to high standards and make sure our values of integrity, excellence, teamwork, commitment and sustainability come to life in the way we work. We make sure our employees feel continuously challenged while also supported. We provide professional growth opportunities, including leadership programs. We celebrate the diversity of our team, while also working together as one Caterpillar. Our culture, like everything at our company, is made possible by each employee’s contribution. Person by person, we create the environment we work in, and we are proud of the Caterpillar we’ve built.