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UI User Centered Design - Consultant

Remote | New York City | Islamabad

  • Organization: IRC - International Rescue Committee
  • Location: Remote | New York City | Islamabad
  • Grade: Consultancy - Consultant - Contractors Agreement
  • Occupational Groups:
    • Information Technology and Computer Science
    • Design (digital, product, graphics or visual design)
  • Closing Date: 2025-08-31

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world's largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 50 countries and more than 25 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you're a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.

Background

The International Rescue Committee (IRC), one of the world’s largest humanitarian agencies, provides relief, rehabilitation, and post-conflict support to victims of oppression and violent conflict in 42 countries. IRC is committed to bold leadership, innovation, and creative partnerships.

The Airbel Impact Lab is the research and innovation department of IRC. Airbel aims to design, test, and scale life-changing, cost-effective solutions with people affected by conflict and disaster. With over 100 million people displaced, the world is facing an unprecedented crisis. To address the evolving and growing nature of this crisis requires not just more aid, but new thinking. Airbel works to develop breakthrough solutions by combining creativity and rigor, openness and expertise, and a desire to think afresh with the experience of a large-scale implementing organization.

The Airbel Malnutrition GRIP (Global Research and Innovation Priority) team is partnering with the Airbel User-Centered Design team and the Pakistan country team to design, develop, and test a user-friendly, web-based malnutrition scenario analysis tool. This tool would allow Ministry of Health as well as IRC country staff users to (1) input costs and program specifics such as number of staff, medications, and treatment supplies, and (2) create different malnutrition scenarios by specifying different program variables such as inclusion of high-risk moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) treatment, change in patient discharge criteria, coverage variables, and various simplified approaches. The output of the tool will be generated scenarios that the user created including cost, how cost-efficiency changes based on scale and coverage of treatment, and resource requirements. Each scenario will be comparable visually and dynamically against the other scenarios to allow users to make optimal decisions.

A simple version of this tool currently exists in an Excel spreadsheet format. It allows users to input data in data fields to generate different program scenarios that include simple graphs and charts.

Scope of work

The IRC seeks to hire a user-centered design consultant to work part-time on a 2-phase project. Phase 1 will run from May 1 2024 to July 31 2024; and phase 2 will run from November 1 2024 to August 31 2025 for a total project duration of 13 months. Primary activities will take place in-person in Pakistan. Additional user-testing may take place in one additional context (*TBD, likely in Sub-Saharan Africa), and may require some travel, contingent upon results of design-research, applicant’s availability, and feasibility of global travel.

Phase 1 will be dedicated to exploratory research with users in Pakistan and local and global stakeholders in order to iterate the existing Excel version of the tool. Key activities include developing the user research plan including key research questions, research methodologies and tools, and targeted participants; executing the user research; developing qualitative guides for stakeholder interviews, focus group discussions, and workshops; and leading data synthesis. The consultant will be expected to use insights and recommendations from user research and stakeholder engagement to develop a design brief and blueprint of a web-based scenario analysis tool.

Phase 2 will kick off once a developer is recruited and onboarded. During this phase, the designer will work closely with the developer to build an interactive prototype to test with users and iterate on the product design. The designer will then work with the developer to outline technical specifications of the product before taking on a light-touch supporting role to the developer during the product development stage. Once the MVP is developed, the designer will be expected to lead usability testing to validate the product and make necessary adjustments based on user and stakeholder feedback.

The designer will be part of the project team which will include the Pakistan country program focal contact and Airbel staff – Best Use of Resources Advisor for Malnutrition GRIP, Malnutrition Data Science Lead, Malnutrition project manager, User-Centered Design advisor, and product manager.

Deliverables for Phase 1: May 1 2024 – July 31 2024

  • Develop a user-centered design activity workplan: In consultation with the project stakeholders, the project manager, product manager, and the design advisor, develop and validate a workplan of design activities that meet our project objectives and operational constraints.
  • Deliverable:Feasible work plan with list of activities
  • Develop user research plan and tools: Solicit, refine, and priorities key research questions that we seek to answer during user research. Based on the research questions and in consultation with the country program staff and the project team, develop a user research plan that includes specific areas of research focus, data collection methodologies and agenda, targeted research participants, and other operational and environmental considerations to ensure high-quality research data. Develop research tools such as interview guides and card sorts.
  • Deliverable: Research questions, calendar of events, user-center design activities and tools, data capture tools, clear criteria for user recruitment
  • Conduct user research and data synthesis: Coordinate logistics with IRC Pakistan colleagues to conduct user research activities. Document research data and lead analysis to draw out common themes, learnings, and recommendations on improvements to the scenario analysis tool
  • Deliverable: Artifacts and data capture of UCD research activities; insights and learnings from user research activities that are documented in presentation decks, miro boards, and/or other assets to share the outcome of the design research with the project team and stakeholders to identify areas of tool improvement; identification of different user segments and their specific needs
  • Plan and conduct stakeholder engagement: Plan and conduct interviews, focus group discussions, and/or workshops with key stakeholders to design product attributes based on user learnings.
  • Deliverable: Design brief that outlines core details and scope including prioritized features for the digital tool development; incorporation of insights and recommendations from user research into the existing Excel version of the tool

Deliverables for Phase 2: November 1 2024 – August 31 2025

  • Develop a design activity workplan: In consultation with the developer, project stakeholders, the project manager, product manager, and the design advisor, develop and validate a workplan of design activities that meet our project objectives and operational constraints.
  • Deliverable: Validated work plan and schedule of deliverables
  • Develop a user-flow diagram: Develop a visual representation of the end-to-end user interaction flow with the web-based scenario analysis tool. Seek out and incorporate feedback from IRC stakeholders on the user flow diagram.
  • Deliverable: Validated user flow diagram for each targeted client segment
  • Develop wireframes for the web-based tool interface: In close collaboration with the developer, product manager, and design advisor, develop detailed wireframes on Figma or a similar platform that lays out each webpage format, content, and interface elements.
  • Deliverable: Wireframes in Figma and/or similar tools, documentation of wireframes including annotations, notes, labels, and other information that explain the purpose, functionality, and logic of each element and interaction
  • Plan and conduct prototyping: Plan and conduct at least two rounds of wireframe testing with users. After each prototyping round, document learnings and make appropriate adjustments to the wireframe.
  • Deliverable: Prototyping plan including metrics of success, data collection methodologies and tools, and a calendar of events; documentation of prototype learnings and how that translates to adjustments in the wireframe design; development of a high-fidelity interactive interface design
  • Support development of technical specifications document: Support the developer in developing a document that outlines software requirements, features, and technology stack for both backend and frontend development. The document will be used by the developer and product manager to develop a product roadmap and launch the product development stage.
  • Deliverable: Technical specifications document
  • Plan and lead usability testing on the developed MVP: Once the scenario analysis tool version 1 is developed, plan and lead usability testing of the MVP to surface pain points, moments of delight and general performance of the product.
  • Deliverable: Usability testing plan that includes metrics of success, data collection methodologies and tools, and a calendar of events; documentation of usability test learnings and recommendations for product iteration
  • Iterate the scenario modeling tool: Based on the usability test learnings and recommendations, work closely with the developer and product manager to make necessary adjustments to the product.
  • Deliverable: A validated and iterated scenario modeling analysis tool and supporting documentation on why the specific elements were changed

Minimum Qualifications:

Requirements

Work experience:

  • Leadership of at least 2 user-centered design research projects for digital work
  • Leadership of UX/UI of at least 2 for digital products under development
  • Led at least 3 digital prototyping project development and testing
  • Developed at least 2 design briefs for digital products
  • Developed at least 3 user flow diagrams to visualize end-to-end user interaction with a digital product
  • Developed at least 3 wireframes for an application interface
  • Experience in Figma or other similar interface design tools
  • English written and oral fluency

Demonstrated skills and competencies:

  • Visual Design: Ability to create presentation decks and miro boards for internal and external audiences
  • Qualitative Research: Creation of guides and data collection forms for semi-structured and structured interviews and focus group discussions; create card sort exercises and user guides; documentation and synthesis of qualitative research
  • Communication: Empathetic, respectful, and culturally sensitive verbal, written, and visual communication skills. Ability to communicate design concepts and activities effectively and clearly with non-design colleagues. Seeks out and incorporates feedback into their work.
  • Flexibility: Creates contingency plans and is able to adjust quickly and with good humor when things don’t go according to plan

Working conditions

  • The consultant is expected to work remotely with exception to in-person work during user engagement activities -specifically the user research during phase 1, and at least 2 prototyping rounds and usability testing in phase 2.
  • The consultant is expected to adhere to all IRC safety and security standards. They are expected to have internet capabilities that allow them to participate in calls, upload/download project files, and use email with ease. They are expected to communicate and act in a manner that is respectful of colleagues and clients in all ways.
  • The consultant is expected to be on time to scheduled meetings and to submit deliverables on time.

Standard of Professional Conduct:The IRC and the IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way – our Code of Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Accountability, and Equality.

Commitment to Gender, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion: The IRC is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, respectful, and safe work environment where all persons are treated fairly, with dignity and respect. The IRC expressly prohibits and will not tolerate discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or bullying of the IRC persons in any work setting. We aim to increase the representation of women, people that are from country and communities we serve, and people who identify as races and ethnicities that are under-represented in global power structures.
We do our best to provide you the most accurate info, but closing dates may be wrong on our site. Please check on the recruiting organization's page for the exact info. Candidates are responsible for complying with deadlines and are encouraged to submit applications well ahead.
Before applying, please make sure that you have read the requirements for the position and that you qualify.
Applications from non-qualifying applicants will most likely be discarded by the recruiting manager.