Born and based in Barcelona, Nacar is an

award-winning

Strategic Design Agency, impassioned by our

agile and international team

composed of over 90 creative professionals (design strategists, researchers, product and UX / UI designers, engineers, and overall creatives).

We work with all-size clients from across multiple industries, collaborating in

innovation

and establishing

solutions and product strategies

that apply to Industrial, Digital, Brand and Service Design.

We also contribute to their digitalization, by conceptualizing and prototyping new, human centered products and services around technological capabilities.

With a

hybrid-work

model and

flexible working hours , we are powered by a culture of communication, collaboration, proactivity and positivity, always aiming to

humanize technology experiences

and to transform into the

phygital

future.

Our offices, an urban oasis, are located in the beautiful

Palo Alto , an old factory in Poblenou, restored and converted into studios for designers and artists.

Nacar was made to be a place where people can

grow and impact the world , and we’re in continuous growth to always provide our best.

Our team is connected by common challenges, eager to discover, envision and materialize new opportunities. Is this something you feel identified with?

We're currently looking for a

Principal Design Researcher

to lead the research practice for one of our top-tier clients — a general leader in the Health industry — shaping the products and services that empower clinicians, patients and care teams at the moments that matter most.

This is not a coordination role — it is a leadership role. You will define how we understand the people we design for, orchestrate a portfolio of research initiatives, and ensure that human insight drives decisions from discovery through to delivery.

Job requirements -What will your day to day be like?- You will:

Define and own the

research

agenda,



aligned with product and business priorities.

Establish a multi-horizon

research roadmap

spanning generative, evaluative and strategic studies.

Champion a

human-centred lens

across the entire product lifecycle.

Lead ,

mentor

and

develop

a team of design researchers embedded across product squads — coordinating capacity and prioritisation across concurrent initiatives.

Foster a culture of

rigour ,

curiosity

and

inclusive

research

practice.

Lead complex, ambiguous

research programme s from brief to insight, applying mixed methods (ethnographic, contextual, participatory, evaluative) appropriate to each challenge.

Ensure

regulatory

and

ethical

compliance in all research activities.

Translate research into actionable

insights

that shape strategy — not just design — presenting findings and recommendations to senior stakeholders and leadership.

Partner

with product management, design, clinical affairs and marketing to embed research throughout discovery and development.

Define shared research

frameworks

and

artefacts

(personas, journey maps, opportunity spaces).

Build and steward a living research repository, developing standards, templates and methodological guidance for the team.

-What are we looking for?- 5-8 years

of design

research

or UX research experience, with at least 3 years in a

principal ,

lead

or

staff-level role.

Demonstrated ability to define and execute

strategic research

programmes in complex, regulated environments — healthcare, medtech or diagnostics experience strongly preferred.





Deep expertise across

qualitative

methods, and comfortable integrating

quantitative

signals and working with data science partners.

Proven track record of

leading and growing research teams , with strong coaching and mentoring skills.

Ability to navigate

clinical

and hospital environments; familiarity with care workflows, patient safety and regulatory frameworks (IVD, MDR) is a plus.

Exceptional

communication

and storytelling skills — able to make research compelling for executive audiences and product teams alike.

Fluency in

English ; additional European languages are a plus.

What makes you stand out: Proven experience operating at the

nexus

of diagnostics, chronic care management or acute clinical environments.

Deep familiarity with

systems thinking ,

service design frameworks

or strategic

foresight

methodologies.

A track record of establishing and scaling organisational

research

maturity from the ground up.

-Why should you join?- This is a unique opportunity for someone looking for a challenge in the design research area and to be part of a center of innovation that is impacting clients all over the world — with genuine strategic impact, where your insights direct products used in life-critical settings globally :).

We also offer:

Permanent contract.

Competitive salary - with an yearly job performance appraisal.

Hybrid working model - you can either work from home or enjoy our beautiful studio (with free coffee and a great garden!).

Join a dynamic +15 nationalities community and enjoy our team-building activities.

Keep challenging yourself with our Nacar Academy training program, aligned with the creation of personalized career paths.

Monthly allowance for internet costs and a budget for working-from-home materials.

Health Insurance.

Free tickets for the Palo Alto Market

#J-18808-Ljbffr

📌 Principal Researcher (Madrid)
🏢 Nacar Careers
📍 Madrid