Job description
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 integral 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 oppo

📌 Principal Researcher (Laza)
🏢 Nacar Careers
📍 Laza