Nonprofit Remote Digest - Issue #725

Dec 14, 2021

The nonprofit Wikimedia Foundation provides the essential infrastructure for free knowledge.

Celebrate 20 years of Wikipedia and the humans who make it possible → — wikimediafoundation.org Visit the post for more.

Design Research Manager

Summary

The Wikimedia Foundation’s Product Design Strategy Group is seeking an experienced Design Research Manager to manage our team of researchers. The primary focus of this role is the well being and productivity of the design research team, that supports research needs across four platforms and twenty-one product teams. The design research team provides all product-related research support from evaluative to generative, and works across multiple geographies to reach our diverse and global community.

The design research team and the design team together comprise the Design Strategy team of researchers and designers that support product development needs across the Wikimedia Foundation. The Design Research Manager will work closely with the Design Research Principal to provide direction, mentorship, and support for the research team. In addition, this manager will collaborate with the Sr. Design Manager to develop team dynamics between designers and researchers.

Wikipedia and the other Wikimedia projects are complex places, both socially and technically — this position requires enthusiasm for learning about new communities, processes, and cultural norms.

Must be willing to work with manager in timezone UTC-8 and collaborate with team spread across timezones UTC-8 to UTC-4 to ensure collaboration.

Responsibilities:

Establish and maintain rapport with each individual team member
Maintain and develop positive team dynamics by designing meaningful team experiences and offsites, driving recognition, and evangelizing shared wins
Collaborate with reports to develop and track individual career growth plans
Help reports navigate expectations and accountabilities for their role and level of responsibility
Support direct reports during times of need
Represent and advocate for reports for professional development and career advancement
Manage hiring and onboarding of new team members
Develop annual research plan and budget planning collaboratively with the design principal
Manage annual research budget
Provide input to design research principal and design program manager to identify and build research operations process
Work with other members of the design strategy leadership team to build a collaborative atmosphere between designers and researchers

Requirements:

Outstanding written and verbal communication skills
Strong time-management skills with an ability to multitask and prioritize
Self sufficiency and problem solving skills
Demonstrated collaborative work style (willingness to make collaboration across time zones via remote functionality work, as well as in person collaboration)
A willingness to work non-standard hours in order to collaborate with a global team
3+ years of professional experience in a research role, ideally on a product-focused team
3+ years managing other researchers
Masters Degree or PhD in a related field, or equivalent experience

Additionally, we’d love it if you have:

Experience living/working outside the US
Experience conducting research in international contexts
Experience managing international and/or remote teams
Experience working in interdisciplinary teams with data scientists and designers
Ability to speak 2 or more languages
A history of social activism, volunteering, and/or open source contribution
Experience contributing to Wikimedia projects

About the Wikimedia Foundation

The Wikimedia Foundation is the nonprofit organization that operates Wikipedia and the other Wikimedia free knowledge projects. Our vision is a world in which every single human can freely share in the sum of all knowledge. We believe that everyone has the potential to contribute something to our shared knowledge, and that everyone should be able to access that knowledge freely. We host Wikipedia and the Wikimedia projects, build software experiences for reading, contributing, and sharing Wikimedia content, support the volunteer communities and partners who make Wikimedia possible, and advocate for policies that enable Wikimedia and free knowledge to thrive.

The Wikimedia Foundation is a charitable, not-for-profit organization that relies on donations. We receive donations from millions of individuals around the world, with an average donation of about $15. We also receive donations through institutional grants and gifts. The Wikimedia Foundation is a United States 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization with offices in San Francisco, California, USA.

As an equal opportunity employer, the Wikimedia Foundation values having a diverse workforce and continuously strives to maintain an inclusive and equitable workplace. We encourage people with a diverse range of backgrounds to apply. We do not discriminate against any person based upon their race, traits historically associated with race, religion, color, national origin, sex, pregnancy or related medical conditions, parental status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, genetic information, or any other legally protected characteristics.

If you are a qualified applicant requiring assistance or an accommodation to complete any step of the application process due to a disability, you may contact us at recruiting@wikimedia.org or (415) 839-6885.

U.S. Benefits & Perks*

Health Care Benefits Covered at 100%: We cover 100% of premiums for medical, dental and vision plans for all full time employees and eligible dependents
Wellness Reimbursement Program: Up to 1,800.00 USD per year for reimbursement for staff wellness expenses, such as gym fees, educational expenses, and more
Technology and Equipment Stipend: In addition to receiving a brand new laptop, monitor, & docking station, all new hires receive 600.00 USD stipend to set up their space for working virtually
Professional Development Program: Up to 750.00 USD reimbursement per year to encourage continuous learning through attending conferences, courses, workshops and the purchase of educational materials
401(k) Retirement Plan: Employer match of up to 4% of employee contributions dollar for dollar with no vesting period
Paid Time Off: Generous paid time off policy of over 45 days, which includes: vacation days, at least one observed holiday a month, sick leave, and volunteer days
Flexible Schedules: Options available to balance your personal and remote-work life
Silent Fridays: No scheduled meetings so you can get caught up at the end of each week
New Parent Leave: Fully paid new parent leave for seven weeks plus an additional five weeks for pregnancy, and flexible options as you embark on your return to work
Fertility and Adoption Reimbursement Plan: Reimburses staff up to 5,000.00 USD in expenses per year, with a lifetime maximum of 10,000.00 USD
Assistance for those unexpected life events: Long and short term disability, life insurance, and an employee assistance program
Pre-tax Savings Plans: Generously funded health savings accounts (HSAs), pre-tax contribution options for health care, child care & elder care, public transportation and parking expenses