Aquent is hiring: User Design Specialist in New York

Overview

Join to apply for the User Design Specialist role at Aquent.

This is a fully remote, part-time (20 hours per week), temporary role intended to last 3-6 months from the start date.

Base pay range

$65.00/hr - $75.00/hr

What you’ll do

• Own end-to-end recruitment for research projects, including screening, informed consent, scheduling, and incentives.
• Draft accessible, plain-language consent and communication materials in collaboration with legal and compliance teams.
• Craft screeners and other materials to ensure inclusive and successful sessions.
• Conduct initial screening conversations to ensure participants are prepared and informed for innovative research methods.
• Act as a thought partner to user researchers and service designers, providing guidance on recruitment, logistics, study design, and resource planning.
• Develop and implement inclusive recruitment strategies, especially for underrepresented populations and beyond traditional pathways.
• Advise on recruitment and research practices that balance student privacy and long-term engagement with communities.
• Identify gaps in research workflows and implement lightweight, scalable processes for inclusive, ethical, and collaborative research across innovation teams.
• Establish toolkits, templates, and repeatable processes for recruitment, planning, and data handling.
• Advise on privacy, consent, and data protection procedures aligned with relevant legal standards.
• Evaluate research tools and vendor platforms; recommend fit-for-purpose solutions and sustainable practices that support equitable research at scale.
• Co-design an early iteration of a research repository with innovation designers, including recommended tooling and scaling strategies.

Must-have qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in research operations, UX research, or related program management roles.
• Experience in research enablement—creating documentation, templates, and leading internal workshops.
• Experience across the research lifecycle, including recruiting participants, managing a participant panel, and training teams on matching participants to studies.
• Experience supporting qualitative and quantitative research methods across multiple teams and products.
• Experience with data collection and analysis, including taking notes on qualitative studies and preparing data for analysis.
• Experience with various research and project management tools and driving decisions on tool selection.
• Strong project management and systems design skills; ability to build scalable processes.
• Excellent organizational, collaboration, and communication skills.
• Creative, proactive, entrepreneurial mindset; able to bring new ideas to improve research practice.
• Deep respect for ethical research practices and user data privacy.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment with shifting priorities.

Nice-to-have qualifications

• Experience with mission-driven organizations, public education, or nonprofits.
• Experience supporting research involving youth, families, or vulnerable populations.
• Experience creating inclusive research frameworks and protocols.
• Experience with visual storytelling to bring research to life.

Additionally, all roles within the organization require

• A passion for expanding educational and career opportunities and mission-driven work.
• Curiosity and enthusiasm for emerging technologies and AI-driven solutions; comfort with learning and applying new tools independently.
• Clear, concise written and verbal communication.
• A learner’s mindset and commitment to growth; welcoming diverse perspectives and feedback.
• A drive for impact and excellence; data-informed decisions and prioritization of what matters most.
• A collaborative and empathetic approach across differences; contribute to a culture of shared success.

About Aquent Talent

Aquent Talent connects the best talent in marketing, creative, and design with the world’s biggest brands. Eligible talent gain access to benefits such as subsidized health, vision, and dental plans, paid sick leave, and retirement plans with a match. Aquent is an equal-opportunity employer and values diverse backgrounds and perspectives.

Additional details

• Seniority level: Mid-Senior level
• Employment type: Temporary
• Job function: Design, Art/Creative, and Information Technology
• Industries: Retail, Online and Mail Order Retail, and Retail Apparel and Fashion