Design Researcher - Principal Associate level

Overview

Design Researcher - Principal Associate level

Capital One’s Experience Design organization is focused on co-creating memorable, meaningful customer and associate experiences that build our brand with humanity and drive business advantage. The goal of Experience Design Research is to accelerate teams’ learning velocity. We do this by conducting primary research studies, assessments, and testing. Additionally, we oversee democratized research/testing conducted by others. A key aspect of our role is to find and synthesize existing research and data to help teams acquire the knowledge they seek to make informed decisions.

Role Overview

As a Design Researcher in Premium Design, you will be responsible for executing program-specific learning agendas by embedding directly with Product Managers and Design Leads. Your primary focus will be on the end-to-end research cycle: generating clear research roadmaps, conducting high-quality primary research, and synthesizing human behavior expertise to deliver pragmatic recommendations that eliminate knowledge gaps and drive measurable product recommendations. You will actively seek opportunities to scale the impact of your findings more broadly across Capital One.

Role Expectations

This role requires a blend of research proficiency, strategic thinking, and strong cross-functional collaboration.

Research Excellence and Delivery

• Learning Objective Clarity: Owns the process of generating and maintaining clear learning agendas, research roadmaps, and research objectives in consultation with Product teams. Defines primary research questions that align directly with business strategy to eliminate knowledge gaps.

• Research Execution: Owns the full execution process, including selecting the best research method, producing research plans, and identifying participant screening criteria. Creates high-quality research artifacts and conducts research sessions, providing touchpoints for cross-functional partners.

• Expert Analysis: Applies human factors and human behavior expertise to analyze and synthesize primary and secondary research data, surfacing relevant, actionable insights that answer research questions and produces the promised deliverables.

• Actionable Recommendations: Authors useful, pragmatic, and concrete recommendations that product teams can action. Actively follow up to ensure recommendation actioning is tracked and monitored throughout the Product Development Lifecycle.

• Scaled Impact: Opportunistically increase the altitude and aperture of your research to create additional leverage across Capital One.

• Enablement: Leads Consult Hours to advise non-researchers on method selection and research approach.

Strategic Influence & Collaboration

• Results Focus: Drives the delivery of significant design outcomes for a product area, influencing cross-functional teams to align on ambitious, measurable goals.

• Influence: Leverages strong relationships to influence strategic decisions and outcomes across product areas, guiding cross-functional partners and mid-level leadership to shape strategic roadmaps.

• Collaboration: Drives effective cross functional collaboration to influence shared outcomes, facilitates complex discussions, and guides teams toward common goals.

• Communication: Presents work to audiences across levels and job functions using a human-centered approach that to effectively articulate insights and recommendations

Basic Qualifications

• At least 3 years conducting user research

• At least 3 years conducting quantitative or qualitative primary research or data analysis (survey data, behavioral analytics, etc.)

Preferred Qualifications

• 7+ years conducting research in corporate enterprises

• Exceptional business communications (verbal and written)

• Experience working with and influencing senior level executives

At this time, Capital One will not sponsor a new applicant for employment authorization for this position.

The minimum and maximum full-time annual salaries for this role are listed below, by location. Please note that this salary information is solely for candidates hired to perform work within one of these locations, and refers to the amount Capital One is willing to pay at the time of this posting. Salaries for part-time roles will be prorated based upon the agreed upon number of hours to be regularly worked.

McLean, VA: $131,300 - $149,800 for Pr. Associate, Design

New York, NY: $143,200 - $163,500 for Pr. Associate, Design

Richmond, VA: $119,400 - $136,200 for Pr. Associate, Design

Candidates hired to work in other locations will be subject to the pay range associated with that location, and the actual annualized salary amount offered to any candidate at the time of hire will be reflected solely in the candidate’s offer letter.

This role is also eligible to earn performance based incentive compensation, which may include cash bonus(es) and/or long term incentives (LTI). Incentives could be discretionary or non discretionary depending on the plan.

Capital One offers a comprehensive, competitive, and inclusive set of health, financial and other benefits that support your total well-being. Learn more at the Capital One Careers website . Eligibility varies based on full or part-time status, exempt or non-exempt status, and management level.

This role is expected to accept applications for a minimum of 5 business days.

No agencies please. Capital One is an equal opportunity employer (EOE, including disability/vet) committed to non-discrimination in compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. Capital One promotes a drug-free workplace. Capital One will consider for employment qualified applicants with a criminal history in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable laws regarding criminal background inquiries, including, to the extent applicable, Article 23-A of the New York Correction Law; San Francisco, California Police Code Article 49, Sections 4901-4920; New York City’s Fair Chance Act; Philadelphia’s Fair Criminal Records Screening Act; and other applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations regarding criminal background inquiries.

If you have visited our website in search of information on employment opportunities or to apply for a position, and you require an accommodation, please contact Capital One Recruiting at 1-800-304-9102 or via email at [email protected] . All information you provide will be kept confidential and will be used only to the extent required to provide needed reasonable accommodations.

For technical support or questions about Capital One's recruiting process, please send an email to [email protected]

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Capital One Financial is made up of several different entities. Please note that any position posted in Canada is for Capital One Canada, any position posted in the United Kingdom is for Capital One Europe and any position posted in the Philippines is for Capital One Philippines Service Corp. (COPSSC).