Senior Design Researcher

DLR Group is an integrated design firm with a promise to elevate the human experience through design. This fuels the work we do around the world and inspires our mission to improve the lives of our clients our communities and our planet. If this sparks your interest youre in the right place.

This position is available in the following locations:

• Omaha
• Lincoln
• Kansas City
• Houston
• Dallas
• Phoenix
• Washington DC

Role Summary

TheSenior Design Researcherwill work with integrated design teams clients and stakeholders to ideate plan and execute research for design and topics related to the built environments impacts on education teaching learning and training. Their strongest partners will be designers and leaders in our Higher Education and K-12 Education but the Senior Design Researcher will be expected to support and grow relationships across the firm to crosspollinate information and support the design of training spaces across DLR Groups portfolio.

A Senior Design Researcher plays an important role in DLR Groups integrated evidence-based design culture. They are a trusted advisor to designers clients and stakeholders on how to prioritize and translate research for practice. Anyone in this role is a part of building the firms culture of innovation and curiosity. All members of the Design Research team can participate in and grow to leadership; Design Researchers can explore various project types and specialize in areas that interest them as they gain experience in the firm.

Position Responsibilities

Senior Design Researchers may work on a combination of client projects and stand-alone research projects with internal or external partners. They may also work with cross-functional internal partners for research that benefits the firm. This person will collaborate with others on the Design Research team and cross-functional partners to:

• Present research findings to a variety of audiences including clients stakeholders and designers
• Participate in project interviews with integrated design teams
• Develop thought leadership writing and presentations and collaborate on shared writing and presentations with others at DLR Group to benefit the firms practice
• Learn DLR Groups existing tools and activities for research related to teaching learning and training and consider ways to expand research tools
• Maintain current certification in Human Subjects Research Protection and Institutional Review Board requirements related to research with participants under the age of 18 and student data privacy
• Maintain and update a research library of current literature benchmarks and reports relevant to educational or training topics
• Manage time and workload across multiple projects to ensure high quality timely and ethical work
• Represent DLR Groups research expertise in the home office when traveling to other locations and through participation in professional organizations
• Mentor within and beyond the Design Research team to create a culture of continuous improvement through knowledge sharing discussion and learning

Required Qualifications

• Masters degree from a program with a focus on: research methodologies; social science; design research; statistics; education; or similar
• 3-5 years of relevant professional or academic work experience related to the purpose planning design or management of educational/training facilities
• Direct experience with fundamental quantitative and qualitative research tools including surveys interviews and focus groups observations and case studies
• Direct experience with mixed-methods research related to the built environments impacts on education teaching learning and training
• Direct experience communicating research concepts and findings to non-expert audiences verbally in writing and visually
• Experience working with or facilitating diverse stakeholder groups as part of the research process
• Awareness of current Human Subjects Research practices (current HSRP certification is not required but will be a priority for those starting in this role) for research involving legal minors
• Travel may be required up to 25%

Preferred Qualifications

• PhD or additional training focused on: research methodologies; social science; design research; statistics; education; or similar
• Relevant professional experience related to the planning design or management of educational/training facilities
• Certifications relevant to design thinking design research or evidence-based design
• Peer-reviewed publications and/or speaking engagements related to the built environments impact on education learning or training concepts
• Experience writing or managing research grants and projects

DLR Group is an integrated design firm delivering architecture engineering interiors planning and building optimization for new builds renovations and adaptive reuse projects.

We are 100% employee-owned: every employee is literally invested in our clients success. At the core of our firm are interdisciplinary teams engaged in every step of project lifecycles. Our teams champion true collaboration open information sharing shared risk and reward value-based decision making and proficient use of technology to deliver exceptional design. We are pursuing the goals of the 2030 Challenge the ME2040 and the SE2050 and are an initial signatory of the China Accord and the AIA 2030 Commitment.

Through our values commitment creativity environmental stewardship fun integrity ownership sharing teamwork we elevate the human experience through design together.

DLR Group follows a four-day in-office work model with employees having the flexibility to work somewhere other than the office on Fridays.

We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action/M/F/Veteran/Disabled employer.