User Experience Research Fellow

Deadline to apply: Ongoing, with consideration being given to those who apply by September 7th
Location: Hybrid (317 Maynard, Ann Arbor, MI 48104)
Pay Rate: Undergraduate $17/hr, Master’s $20/hr, Doctoral $23/hr
Job Duration: 10-15 hours for the fall 2023 term, with the possibility of extending the fellowship
Hiring Manager: Sam Wood (cai-student-hiring@umich.edu)

Who we’re looking for:

The Research and Analytics (R&A) team is looking for thoughtful and motivated student fellows to help us conduct user/learner research for our educational tools and online learning experiences. Some of these applications enhance the residential education experience and facilitate engaged, personalized learning at the University of Michigan, while others pertain to online learning outside of campus.

What You’ll Learn:

The UX Research fellowship will help cross-functional teams understand user needs and experiences to drive innovation and improve usability for our educational tools. Fellows in this role will have the opportunity to apply a variety of methods in conducting user research and synthesize findings that translate into real improvements for CAI’s educational technology portfolio. Fellows will also practice their presentation and storytelling skills, tailoring communication to a range of technical and nontechnical audiences.

Required Qualifications:

• Pursuing a degree in Human-Computer Interaction / User Experience, or another field in human behavior or technology such as Cognitive Science, Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, Communication, Economics, or Computer Science
  • Priority will be given to those at the junior/senior undergraduate level and all graduate-level students
• Work well independently and as part of a multicultural and collaborative environment
• Excellent communication skills (oral, written, and listening) and attention to detail
• Experience with methods and artifacts commonly used in user research (e.g., in-depth interviews, contextual inquiries, affinity walls, usability tests, surveys, focus groups, competitive analyses, journey maps, personas, heuristic evaluations, card sorting, diary studies, and participatory design)
• Strong writing skills to support project documentation, research reports, and slide decks
• A portfolio that demonstrates experience with different research methods and communicates the context, process, findings, and outcomes of at least one project

Desired Qualifications:

• Understanding of when and how to apply different research methods by considering factors such as quantitative versus qualitative, behavioral versus attitudinal, and stages of the UX product cycle
• Some familiarity with tools commonly used in UX research such as Qualtrics, Adobe XD, Figma, Miro, Excel, Sheets, Airtable, Dovetail, Condens, Optimal Workshop, and Hotjar
• Interest in educational technology and research practices in higher education.

How to apply

To apply, complete and submit the Student Fellowship Application with your resume and portfolio (or portfolio site) and any other materials you would like us to consider.