About us

designaffairs is a strategic design consultancy with the brains, hands, hearts and guts to rock the future. We believe only exploration beyond boundaries will spark truly new ideas that enable our clients to grow and create a sustainable future.

Your Responsibilities

• As the Director of Research & Strategy (m/f/d) you will be the in-house expert on Research methodologies and business practices for both the Research & Strategy unit and the wider team

• You work closely with our passionate team of business developers to craft cutting edge approaches to tackle our client’s toughest challenges.

• You will ensure the injection of thoughtful user insights and strategic considerations into every step of a client initiative

• As often the architect of the early project vision, it is your responsibility to make clients feel both confident and engaged throughout our collaboration

• You will passionate about leading a team of talented strategists and researchers

• You will both mentor and guide our team in learning and executing Research methods and provide leadership that will inspire and develop our Shanghai team

• Your impact as the Director of Research & Strategy (m/f/d) will come through managing and overseeing cross unit (R&S, ID, UI/UX) collaboration (researchers, strategists and designers) through the “hazy front end” of an engagement, to unlock the path to innovation

Your Profile

• 8+ years of experience in one of the following areas: innovation, consumer research, management consulting, product development, corporate strategy, with a global perspective and solid experience working in China

• A master of crafting and facilitating thoughtful and engaging workshops with clients, extensive knowledge and experience of research and design theories and methods, both rigorous and creative in the conduction of research

• Experienced in identifying opportunities for and bringing to life disruptive products or services

• Possesses the business maturity and experience required to establish immediate credibility with our clients

• You have an expert awareness and appreciation for how organizations function, how decisions are made, and by whom, you can speak the various departmental languages including: design, engineering, marketing, brand and communications

• Proven ability to use human-centered insight to answer business questions

• Experience or knowledge of ID or UX design is advantageous

• Please note: Proficiency in German (min. C1) and English language is required for this position.

What we offer

Our agency advises successful brands worldwide and supports customers in the development of holistic product experiences. We think outside the box and change perspectives. Our dynamic team structure and flat hierarchies promote open exchange - we create innovative solutions that inspire. We are more than 100 creative minds: ergonomists, strategists, engineers, designers and ethnographers in Munich, Erlangen and Shanghai. Team spirit really matters to us! Together we enjoy cooking or barbecuing and love to relax on the rooftop terrace.