Associate Design Researcher (Contract, Tokyo)

Moon is hiring an Associate Design Researcher (Contractor) who is passionate, self-driven, and open to deepening their skills within Design/UX Research as well as expanding their skills in different areas within Design (e.g. Strategic Design, UX/UI, Product Design, etc.). The ideal candidate is infinitely curious, analytical, and creative. You can work collaboratively with cross-disciplinary teams to bridge the gap between user needs/behaviors/aspirations, business priorities/strategy, and product development. As a contractor, you will work with Team/Design leads to define/refine and execute the scope of work across different stages of new product development/business creation for the project(s) at Moon. This is a part-time contract role based in Tokyo for an initial term of 3 months, requiring a minimum of 20 hours per week. There is a possibility of contract extension based on the business needs and performance. What You’ll Do at Moon Work closely with Design Leads, Business Creators, and Entrepreneurs in bringing a new product to life Assist with/execute various aspects of Research planning to address project goals, business/product decisions Execute various research types of research, included but not limited to Market Research, Qualitative Research and User Studies (emphasis on Qualitative Research) Synthesize research, identify key insights, and collaborate with the team to define implications for key business/product decisions Join brainstorming sessions, as needed, and be a thought partner to the broader team - expanding your thinking into different areas but bringing your unique POV/experience to the table (as both a researcher and beyond) Assist in defining opportunities for potential research projects and working with the team to prioritize what can/should be done Experiment with proven and develop new research studies While your main focus will be on supporting teams at moon on research you will also have a chance to experience: Design initial concepts, user flows, visual design, and prototypes on a small team Leverage design and prototyping tools to bring ideas to life Share experiences and tech know-how across project boundaries and team boundaries Experience an early-stage startup environment first-hand with the safety net of the broader venture studio Experience New Business Creation for large corporations Create human-centered future visions that enable stakeholders to experience the world we want to create Use creativity to inspire others and influence our way of working The Must-Haves A degree with course work relevant to Design, the Scientific Process/Methodology, the Human Condition (e.g. Product/Service Design, Psychology, Sociology, etc) OR relevant experience in Design Research, Strategic Design, or UX Research Experience with Secondary research methods (Desktop/Market Research) Proficiency in common design tools, like Adobe Creative Suite, Figma, Sketch A passion for human-centered design Proficiency in Google Suite, Slack, Figma Proactive attitude, fast paced and self motivated; ready to take on tasks outside of role with strong agility to change and to be flexible/resilientDesire to learn new things Exceptional listening skills and communication (written and verbal) skills. Strong Stakeholder management & Team collaboration skills. Understanding of foundational principles of Design Research/Qualitative Research and a strong desire to experiment Critical thinking and problem solving skills Experience creating actionable research “reports”/outcomes that can be leveraged/implemented by the team (willingness to break the mold of a classic report) Native level Japanese The Nice-to-Haves Previous experience with Exploratory Research in early stage product development/new business creation Experience with Quantitative Research Methodologies / Synthesis Experience experimenting AI tools effectively to conduct research Experience working in deep-tech / AI Experience working with a cross-cultural/internationa…