Deputy Director of Design Research at YLabs – Remote Opportunity in Africa -2026
YLabs is hiring a Deputy Director of Design Research to lead its Deep Listening function and shape the organisation’s global approach to design research, user research and ethnographic fieldwork.
This is a full-time, senior-level remote position within YLabs’ Design Department. The role is ideally suited to an experienced design researcher with strong leadership, research methodology, ethics, fieldwork and strategic communication experience.
The position is ideally based in East Africa, although candidates located within the GMT+0 to GMT+4 time zones on the African continent may also apply.
About YLabs
YLabs is a global design and research organisation focused on improving health and economic opportunities for young people aged 10–24.
Founded in 2016 at the Harvard Innovation Lab, YLabs works across Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and Central America, partnering with young people to develop products and services addressing challenges such as sexual and reproductive health, HIV/AIDS, mental health, financial inclusion and climate resilience.
The organisation uses design and research to understand young people’s experiences and turn those insights into practical solutions.
About the Deputy Director of Design Research Role
The Deputy Director of Design Research will provide strategic leadership for YLabs’ Deep Listening function.
The successful candidate will help establish the organisation-wide vision, methodology and operational systems for user and ethnographic research.
This is an end-to-end research leadership role. It involves everything from developing research concepts and designing protocols to managing fieldwork, synthesising findings and presenting strategic recommendations to senior executives, donors and other stakeholders.
The role also involves building research systems across teams, managing Institutional Review Board processes, recruiting and overseeing local Principal Investigators and directing field research teams across complex regional environments.
Key Responsibilities
Research Strategy and Systems Leadership
The Deputy Director will help shape and implement YLabs’ research strategy, ensuring that research activities align with organisational priorities and impact goals.
They will build and standardise research systems, toolkits and operational frameworks that can be used across different teams.
The role will also involve synthesising qualitative and quantitative research findings to inform strategic decisions, programme design and organisational growth.
As a subject matter expert, the successful candidate will advocate for the importance of evidence-based and grounded design research.
IRB, Ethics and Governance
A significant part of the position will involve overseeing Institutional Review Board (IRB) submissions, research protocol adaptations and ethics compliance.
The Deputy Director will help develop rigorous research protocols covering literature reviews, sampling strategies and informed-consent procedures.
They will also work with local Principal Investigators, ethics committees and research approval bodies to navigate regulatory requirements and cultural considerations.
Ensuring compliance with human-subject protection standards, safeguarding policies and data protection requirements will be another important responsibility.
Field Research Leadership
The successful candidate will design and lead rapid-cycle research sprints using methods such as immersive observation, semi-structured interviews and participatory focus groups.
They will build pipelines for recruiting and training community researchers and youth field listeners.
The role will involve overseeing field debriefs, addressing researcher bias and applying reflexivity and positionality checks.
Because field research can involve unpredictable circumstances, the Deputy Director will also need to adapt research approaches when security concerns, logistical obstacles or changing group dynamics arise.
Research Synthesis and Senior Engagement
The role requires the ability to transform complex qualitative research into clear analytical frameworks.
These may include:
- Root-cause analyses
- Ecosystem maps
- Personas
- User journey maps
- Strategic recommendations
- Executive summaries
- Research reports
- Senior-level presentations
The Deputy Director will work collaboratively with field teams and community partners to develop research narratives and translate youth perspectives into actionable opportunities for innovation.
Required Skills and Competencies
YLabs is seeking a highly experienced research leader who can work independently on complex organisational initiatives.
Candidates should demonstrate strong expertise in design research, qualitative research, quantitative synthesis and ethnographic methods.
Strategic decision-making, system building and team leadership are also essential.
Applicants should have deep knowledge of ethical research practices, informed consent, IRB processes and human-subject protection.
Strong emotional intelligence and mentoring skills are important because the role involves managing researchers, supporting staff development and navigating sensitive interpersonal situations.
YLabs also emphasises Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI). Candidates should demonstrate culturally competent approaches to research and an ability to create safe environments that elevate marginalised voices.
Qualifications and Experience
Applicants must have a minimum of seven years of professional experience in areas such as:
- Design research
- User research
- Qualitative field research
- Ethnographic research
Experience in the economic empowerment sector is considered an advantage.
Candidates must also have experience leading research initiatives from field immersion and protocol development through to executive-level presentations.
Experience preparing and managing IRB applications and working with local Principal Investigators, ethics committees or research approval boards is required.
YLabs also expects substantial experience supervising, training and mentoring researchers and cross-functional teams.
Exceptional verbal, written and visual communication skills are required, along with a portfolio demonstrating the ability to turn complex research into clear and actionable frameworks.
Candidates should be comfortable using collaborative research and synthesis tools such as Miro, Mural, Figma, Dedoose or NVivo.
Preferred Qualifications
A Master’s degree or PhD in Anthropology, Design Research, Human-Centered Design, Sociology, UX Research or a related discipline would be an advantage.
Experience living and working in Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly East Africa, is also desirable.
Experience working with vulnerable or marginalised youth populations would further strengthen an application.
Location, Salary and Working Arrangements
This is a remote full-time position within YLabs’ Design Department.
The position is ideally based in East Africa, although candidates elsewhere on the African continent within the GMT+0 to GMT+4 time zones may apply.
The role requires the successful candidate to be willing to travel up to 50% of the time for field research and stakeholder engagement across Sub-Saharan Africa.
The initial contract is for 12 months, with the possibility of extension.
The advertised compensation range is $48,500–$72,143. YLabs states that salaries are benchmarked regionally and paid in the local currency of the employee’s permanent work location.
How to Apply
The position is open until filled, with applications reviewed on a rolling basis. YLabs expects the successful candidate to start as soon as possible.
Applicants should be prepared to demonstrate their experience in design research, field research, research leadership, ethics and stakeholder engagement.
A strong portfolio showing how complex research has been transformed into practical and strategic insights will be particularly important for this senior position.
Job Summary
Job Title: Deputy Director of Design Research
Organisation: YLabs
Department: Design
Location: Remote
Preferred Region: East Africa / African continent, GMT+0 to GMT+4
Employment Type: Full-Time
Experience: Minimum 7 years
Travel: Up to 50%
Initial Contract: 12 months, with possibility of extension
Compensation: $48,500–$72,143
Application Deadline: Open until filled
Start Date: As soon as possible
View YLabs job openings and apply
Who Should Apply?
This opportunity is particularly relevant to senior design researchers, UX researchers, ethnographers, human-centered design professionals and qualitative research leaders with extensive experience managing complex research projects.
Candidates with experience across Sub-Saharan Africa, youth-focused programmes, international development, research ethics and multidisciplinary teams may be especially well positioned for the role.
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