Senior Design Researcher

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Design Researcher

Company: Philips

Location: Eindhoven, Netherlands / Amsterdam, Netherlands

Job Type: Part-Time

Category: Service Experience Design / User Research

Date Posted: 2025-12-22

Experience Level: Mid-Senior Level (Estimated 5-10 years)

Remote Status: Hybrid (Minimum 3 days in office)

🚀 Role Summary

• Spearhead user research and usability testing initiatives within the Service Experience Design team to uncover deep customer and employee insights.

• Drive service innovation by translating research findings into actionable strategies that enhance end-to-end healthcare experiences for partners, staff, and behind-the-scenes roles.

• Apply a holistic, customer-first mindset to assess and improve digital design solutions and service ecosystems, ensuring effectiveness and user satisfaction.

• Foster cross-functional collaboration by championing user understanding and co-creation approaches with design, business stakeholders, and service teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned within Philips' award-winning Design community, focusing on the critical intersection of user research, service design, and usability within the healthcare technology sector. The emphasis on "Service Experience Design" and "customer lifecycle" indicates a strategic need for a researcher who can connect user needs to tangible service improvements and business outcomes, particularly within complex healthcare environments. The hybrid work model with a minimum of 3 days in-office signals a preference for collaborative, in-person ideation and feedback sessions.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Initiate, plan, and execute comprehensive user research activities, including qualitative and quantitative methods such as interviews, surveys, and contextual inquiries, to define user needs and service system opportunities.

• Lead and conduct usability testing on digital design solutions, prototypes, and live service elements to identify areas for improvement and validate design decisions.

• Develop and refine user personas, journey maps, and service blueprints to visualize complex service ecosystems and communicate user insights effectively to cross-functional teams.

• Analyze research data, synthesize findings, and translate them into clear, compelling insights and recommendations that directly inform service design and product development strategies.

• Collaborate closely with UX designers, service designers, product managers, business stakeholders, and engineering teams to ensure a cohesive and user-centered approach throughout the design and development lifecycle.

• Present research findings and strategic recommendations to diverse audiences, including senior leadership, influencing decision-making and driving organizational alignment around a customer-first philosophy.

• Contribute to the continuous improvement of design methodologies and research practices within the Philips Design community, sharing knowledge and best practices.

• Manage research projects within defined constraints, including budget and timelines, while upholding high-quality research standards.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a senior-level role requiring not just execution but also strategic initiation and leadership in research. The emphasis on "framing opportunities," "holistic approach for service ecosystems," and "influencing the organization at scale" suggests the need for a candidate who can operate with a high degree of autonomy and strategic foresight, moving beyond tactical research execution to strategic impact.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

Experience:

• 5-10 years of progressive experience in user research, service design research, or UX research within complex product or service environments, preferably in the healthcare technology sector.

• Demonstrated experience leading end-to-end research projects from framing the problem to delivering actionable insights.

Required Skills:

• Proficiency in a wide range of qualitative and quantitative user research methodologies (e.g., in-depth interviews, usability testing, surveys, ethnographic studies, diary studies, card sorting).

• Strong ability to understand and map complex service ecosystems, including user journeys, touchpoints, platforms, and interdependencies.

• Expertise in developing user personas, journey maps, and service blueprints to articulate user needs and service flows.

• Excellent analytical and synthesis skills, with the ability to translate raw data into strategic insights and compelling narratives.

• Exceptional communication, presentation, and storytelling skills, with the ability to influence stakeholders at all levels.

• Experience facilitating co-creation workshops and driving collaborative design processes.

• A deep understanding of user-centered design principles and design thinking methodologies.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience within the healthcare technology industry, with an understanding of clinical workflows, patient journeys, and healthcare provider needs.

• Familiarity with digital design tools (e.g., Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD) for prototyping and concept visualization.

• Experience with advanced statistical analysis or data visualization tools.

• Knowledge of service design frameworks and principles.

• Experience working in agile development environments.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "5-10 years" estimation for experience level is derived from the "Senior" title and the breadth of responsibilities, which imply a need for significant autonomy and strategic input. The emphasis on impacting "programs" and influencing "organization at scale" further supports this. The inclusion of "health services" as a key skill and the desire to "never accept the status quo" point to a need for a researcher who is both technically adept and strategically driven.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrate a robust portfolio showcasing end-to-end user research projects, from initial problem framing and research design to synthesis and actionable recommendations.

• Include detailed case studies that clearly articulate the user research methodologies employed, the challenges faced, and the impact of your research on design decisions and business outcomes.

• Showcase examples of how you have mapped complex service ecosystems, including user journeys, personas, and service blueprints, highlighting the interdependencies and touchpoints.

• Present evidence of your ability to conduct and analyze usability testing, with clear examples of how test findings led to design improvements and enhanced user satisfaction.

Process Documentation:

• Provide examples of how you document research plans, user interview scripts, survey questions, and usability test protocols to ensure rigor and reproducibility.

• Showcase your ability to synthesize complex research data into clear, concise, and actionable reports, presentations, and visualizations suitable for diverse audiences.

• Illustrate how you have integrated user research findings into iterative design and development cycles, demonstrating a process for continuous feedback and improvement.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Senior Design Researcher role, a portfolio is crucial for demonstrating practical application of research skills. The requirements emphasize not just the outputs (personas, journey maps) but also the process, the strategic thinking behind the research, and the demonstrable impact on product/service development and business objectives within a complex service ecosystem.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

Benefits:

• Comprehensive health insurance plans, often including dental and vision coverage.

• Generous paid time off (vacation days, national holidays).

• Pension scheme contributions.

• Opportunities for professional development, training, and conference attendance.

• Employee assistance programs for mental and physical well-being.

• Potential for performance-based bonuses.

• Discount programs on Philips products.

Working Hours:

• The role is listed as Part-Time, but the "40" hours per week derived from typical full-time expectations for such roles suggests this might be a typo or a misunderstanding of the employment_type field. If truly part-time, it would be less than 36-40 hours. Assuming the common interpretation for similar roles in the Netherlands, a standard full-time week is 36-40 hours. The hybrid model allows for flexibility in structuring these hours, with a requirement for at least 3 days per week in the designated office location.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary estimation for the Netherlands is based on general market rates for senior-level design research roles, adjusted for location and industry. The "Part-Time" employment type appears contradictory to the typical demands of a "Senior" role and the implied 40-hour work week. It's crucial for candidates to clarify the exact working hours and compensation structure with Philips.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Health Technology. Philips is a global leader in health technology, focusing on improving people's health and well-being through meaningful innovation. This sector demands a deep understanding of user needs, regulatory environments, and complex operational workflows.

Company Size: Large Enterprise (Philips is a multinational corporation with tens of thousands of employees globally). This means structured processes, established career paths, and a wide array of resources, but also potentially more layers of bureaucracy.

Founded: 1891. With a long history, Philips has a strong heritage of innovation and adaptation, building a culture that values both tradition and forward-thinking.

Team Structure:

• The Service Experience Design team is a multi-disciplinary unit within the larger Philips Design community, comprising UX designers, service designers, user researchers, and usability experts.

• This team likely operates with a matrixed reporting structure, with researchers reporting to a Design Research Lead or Head of Design, while also being embedded within specific project teams for client engagements.

Methodology:

• Philips Design likely employs a blend of established design thinking and agile methodologies, emphasizing user-centered approaches, iterative development, and data-driven decision-making.

• Emphasis is placed on creating solutions that scale and can be implemented across various service experiences and delivery contexts, requiring robust research and validation.

• Cocreation and stakeholder engagement are crucial for ensuring buy-in and successful implementation of innovative service solutions.

Company Website: https://www.philips.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: Philips' long history and focus on health technology suggest a culture that values rigorous research, ethical considerations, and long-term impact. The "Design community" structure implies a strong internal network for design professionals to share knowledge and best practices.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Senior Design Researcher role, indicating a position of significant responsibility and autonomy. It requires independent project leadership, strategic input into research direction, and the ability to mentor junior team members. The scope extends beyond tactical research execution to influencing program strategy and organizational understanding of user needs.

Reporting Structure: The Senior Design Researcher will likely report to a Design Research Manager or the Head of Service Experience Design. They will also work closely with cross-functional teams, including product managers, UX designers, service designers, and business stakeholders, requiring strong stakeholder management and communication skills.

Operations Impact: The primary impact of this role is driving service innovation and enhancing customer and employee satisfaction within Philips' healthcare solutions. By providing deep user insights and validating design solutions, the Senior Design Researcher directly influences the effectiveness, usability, and adoption of services, contributing to Philips' mission of improving lives through health technology. This impact can translate into improved patient outcomes, increased operational efficiency for healthcare providers, and stronger market positioning for Philips.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in specific areas of health tech research, service design, or advanced qualitative/quantitative methodologies.

• Leadership: Transition into a Design Research Lead or Managerial role, overseeing research teams and strategy.

• Cross-Functional Mobility: Move into roles within UX Design, Service Design, Product Management, or Strategy within Philips.

• Global Exposure: Work on international projects and collaborate with diverse teams across Philips' global operations.

• Continuous Learning: Access to Philips' learning and development programs, industry conferences, and opportunities for certifications.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Senior" designation and the emphasis on influencing strategy and scale suggest a clear growth path towards leadership or specialized expert roles within Philips' extensive design and innovation functions.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: This is an office-based role with a hybrid work arrangement. Philips has a strong emphasis on collaborative, in-person work, requiring employees to be in the office at least 3 days per week. This suggests a dynamic and interactive workspace designed to foster teamwork and co-creation.

Office Location(s): The role can be based out of Philips' office in Amsterdam or their High Tech Campus in Eindhoven. Both locations are major hubs for innovation and offer modern facilities. Access to public transportation is generally good in these areas.

Workspace Context:

• The workspace is expected to be collaborative, with ample opportunities for interaction with UX designers, service designers, researchers, and business stakeholders.

• Access to necessary research tools, software, and technology will be provided to support user research and usability testing activities.

• The environment likely encourages knowledge sharing, brainstorming sessions, and cross-pollination of ideas, crucial for innovation in service design.

Work Schedule: While listed as Part-Time, assuming a standard full-time week (36-40 hours), the schedule will be hybrid. This allows for flexibility in structuring working hours, with the expectation of being present in the office for at least three days per week to facilitate collaboration and team integration. The nature of research often involves flexible scheduling to accommodate user availability.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model implies a need for strong self-management and communication skills to ensure seamless collaboration between in-office and remote work periods. The emphasis on office days suggests a culture that values face-to-face interaction for ideation and relationship building.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter or hiring manager will review applications and conduct a brief screening call to assess basic qualifications and cultural fit.

• Portfolio Presentation & Deep Dive: Candidates will be invited to present their portfolio, showcasing 2-3 key projects that demonstrate their expertise in user research, service design, and impact. This will be followed by in-depth questions about their research process, methodologies, and problem-solving approach.

• Case Study/Challenge: A practical exercise may be assigned, such as analyzing a hypothetical service scenario and outlining a research plan, or critiquing an existing design. This assesses problem-solving skills and research strategy.

• Cross-Functional Interviews: Interviews with team members (UX Designers, Service Designers, Product Managers) to evaluate collaboration skills, communication style, and ability to integrate research into the design process.

• Hiring Manager Interview: A final discussion with the hiring manager to assess overall fit, strategic thinking, and alignment with team and company goals.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Focus on Impact: Clearly articulate the "so what?" of your research. Quantify results whenever possible (e.g., "reduced task completion time by X%", "identified critical usability issues leading to Y design changes").

• Show Your Process: Walk interviewers through your thought process, from understanding the initial problem to defining research questions, selecting methodologies, conducting research, synthesizing data, and presenting findings.

• Highlight Collaboration: Demonstrate how you worked with cross-functional teams, incorporated their feedback, and communicated insights effectively to drive action.

• Tailor to Philips: Emphasize projects relevant to healthcare technology, complex service systems, or customer experience within large organizations. Show an understanding of Philips' mission.

• Be Ready for Questions: Anticipate questions about challenging research situations, how you handle conflicting feedback, and how you prioritize research efforts.

Challenge Preparation:

• Research Planning: Practice outlining research plans for ambiguous problems, including defining objectives, target users, methodologies, and key deliverables.

• Service Ecosystem Analysis: Prepare to analyze and discuss complex service interactions and identify potential user pain points or areas for innovation.

• Ethical Considerations: Be ready to discuss ethical considerations in user research, particularly within the healthcare context.

• Communication: Practice articulating your findings and recommendations clearly and concisely, as if presenting to a diverse group of stakeholders.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on portfolio presentation and a potential case study highlights the practical, hands-on nature of this role and the company's desire to see tangible evidence of research skills and strategic thinking.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• User Research Platforms: Tools for managing user interviews, surveys, and panel recruitment (e.g., UserTesting.com, Qualtrics, SurveyMonkey, Lookback, Maze).

• Prototyping & Design Tools: Familiarity with tools used by design teams for wireframing and prototyping to understand their output and facilitate testing (e.g., Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD).

• Collaboration Tools: Platforms for team communication and project management (e.g., Slack, Microsoft Teams, Jira, Confluence).

Analytics & Reporting:

• Data Analysis Software: Proficiency in tools for analyzing qualitative data (e.g., Dovetail, NVivo) and potentially quantitative data (e.g., Excel, SPSS, R for statistical analysis).

• Presentation Software: Advanced skills in creating compelling presentations (e.g., PowerPoint, Google Slides, Keynote) to communicate research findings.

CRM & Automation:

• While not directly a CRM role, understanding how user data flows into CRM systems or how service interactions impact customer relationships is beneficial. Familiarity with how user insights can inform customer journey mapping and automation strategies is a plus.

📝 Enhancement Note: The tool stack focuses on research execution, data synthesis, and communication. A Senior Researcher is expected to be proficient with a variety of research platforms and analytical tools, and to understand how their insights integrate with design and business processes.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Customer First: A deep commitment to understanding and advocating for user needs in all aspects of service design and delivery. This translates to rigorous research and a focus on user satisfaction.

• Innovation: A culture that encourages challenging the status quo, exploring new ideas, and driving meaningful improvements in healthcare technology and services.

• Collaboration: Strong emphasis on teamwork, co-creation, and open communication between diverse disciplines to achieve shared goals.

• Impact-Driven: A focus on delivering tangible value and making a positive difference in people's lives through health technology. Research outcomes are expected to lead to measurable improvements.

• Integrity & Care: A commitment to ethical research practices and a genuine care for the well-being of users and patients.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: Researchers are integral members of project teams, working closely with designers, product managers, and business stakeholders from discovery through to implementation.

• Constructive Feedback: An environment where design quality is elevated through regular, constructive feedback loops, with researchers playing a key role in providing user-centric perspectives.

• Knowledge Sharing: A proactive approach to sharing research insights, best practices, and learnings across the design community and wider organization to foster collective growth and learning.

📝 Enhancement Note: Philips' values, particularly "Customer First" and "Impact-Driven," align directly with the core purpose of a Senior Design Researcher. The emphasis on collaboration and constructive feedback suggests a dynamic and supportive team environment.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Navigating Complex Service Ecosystems: Understanding and researching intricate healthcare service flows involving multiple stakeholders, devices, and digital touchpoints can be challenging. Preparation involves deep dives into health tech and service design frameworks.

• Driving Organizational Change: Influencing a large organization to adopt user-centered insights and shift established practices requires strong communication, persuasion, and strategic partnership skills.

• Balancing Research Rigor with Project Constraints: Delivering high-quality research within tight deadlines and budgets requires efficient planning, prioritization, and adaptability.

• Staying Ahead of Evolving Technologies: The rapid pace of technological advancement in health tech necessitates continuous learning and adaptation of research methods.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Research Techniques: Opportunities to train in specialized research methodologies (e.g., AI-driven research insights, advanced quantitative analysis, longitudinal studies).

• Industry Conferences & Certifications: Support for attending leading UX, service design, and health tech conferences, and pursuing relevant certifications.

• Mentorship Programs: Access to mentorship from senior leaders within Philips Design or related fields to guide career development.

• Internal Workshops & Knowledge Sharing: Regular sessions within the Philips Design community to share best practices, case studies, and emerging trends.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are typical for senior roles in large, complex organizations, particularly in the health tech sector. The growth opportunities are robust, reflecting Philips' commitment to employee development within a global enterprise.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to frame a research opportunity for a complex service system. What was your approach, and what insights did you uncover?" (Focus on your structured approach, stakeholder engagement, and the strategic value of your findings.)

• "How do you ensure user needs are understood and acted upon across a diverse group of stakeholders (e.g., business, engineering, design)?" (Highlight your communication, persuasion, and collaborative techniques, emphasizing building empathy.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What attracts you to Philips and our mission in health technology?" (Research Philips' recent innovations, their purpose, and connect it to your passion for user-centered design.)

• "How do you approach challenging the status quo or providing constructive feedback when you disagree with a design direction?" (Show your confidence, assertiveness, and ability to provide user-backed rationale respectfully.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Select High-Impact Projects: Choose 2-3 projects that best showcase your senior-level capabilities, diverse methodologies, and demonstrable impact on service design and business outcomes.

• Tell a Story: Structure your presentations as narratives. Clearly define the problem, your role, your approach (methodologies), key findings, the resulting design/service changes, and the ultimate impact.

• Visualize Your Process: Use visuals (journey maps, personas, wireframes, quotes) to illustrate your research process and findings.

• Quantify Where Possible: Include metrics or data that demonstrate the success or impact of your research recommendations.

• Be Prepared for Q&A: Anticipate detailed questions about your methodology, decision-making, and how you handled challenges.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview preparation advice focuses on demonstrating strategic thinking, impact, and collaborative skills, which are critical for a senior-level role in a company like Philips.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Design Researcher position:

• Submit your application through the official Philips careers portal linked in the job posting.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 of your most impactful user research projects, specifically highlighting those involving complex service ecosystems, healthcare technology, or significant business impact. Ensure your portfolio clearly demonstrates your process from research design to actionable insights.

• Tailor Your Resume: Update your resume to emphasize your experience in user research, service design, usability testing, and stakeholder management. Use keywords from the job description and quantify achievements whenever possible.

• Prepare Your Presentation: Practice presenting your portfolio projects concisely and compellingly, focusing on the story, your role, the methodologies used, and the impact of your work. Be ready to articulate your strategic thinking and problem-solving approach.

• Research Philips: Familiarize yourself with Philips' mission, recent innovations in health technology, and their approach to design and user experience. Understand their commitment to "meaningful innovation" and "customer first."

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details, particularly regarding salary, exact working hours for a Part-Time role, and specific benefits, should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.