User Researcher (Volunteer – Unpaid)

Living Stones Foundation is seeking an analytical, empathetic, and mission-driven User Researcher to support the design and development of digital platforms, data-driven solutions, and social innovation initiatives. This volunteer role plays a critical part in ensuring that our digital products and programs are grounded in real user needs, behaviors, and community contexts. The position offers the opportunity to contribute to global social impact while working with an international, multidisciplinary, and multicultural team.

About Living Stones Foundation

Living Stones Foundation empowers nonprofits and communities through digital transformation, data-driven innovation, and sustainable social impact initiatives across Latin America, the United States, and Canada. Our volunteer team includes more than 70 professionals and graduate students from Top 20 U.S. and Canadian universities, specializing in AI, data science, UX/UI design, digital platforms, marketing, and international development.

Key Responsibilities

1. User Research Strategy

• Design and execute qualitative and quantitative user research strategies aligned with project goals.
• Define research objectives, methodologies, and success metrics.
• Identify user needs, pain points, behaviors, and motivations across diverse cultural contexts.
• Ensure research insights directly inform product, platform, and service design decisions.

2. Research Planning & Execution

• Conduct user interviews, usability testing, surveys, focus groups, and field research (remote).
• Develop research protocols, discussion guides, and questionnaires.
• Recruit and coordinate participants when needed, in collaboration with project teams.
• Ensure ethical, inclusive, and culturally sensitive research practices.

3. Data Analysis & Insights

• Synthesize qualitative and quantitative findings into clear, actionable insights.
• Create user personas, journey maps, experience maps, and research summaries.
• Identify patterns and opportunities to improve usability, accessibility, and user experience.
• Translate complex findings into practical recommendations for designers, developers, and leadership.

4. UX & Product Collaboration

• Work closely with UX/UI designers, product managers, data teams, and developers.
• Validate concepts, prototypes, and MVPs through iterative testing.
• Advocate for the user’s voice throughout the product lifecycle.

5. Documentation & Knowledge Sharing

• Prepare research reports, presentations, and documentation for internal stakeholders.
• Communicate insights clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Contribute to building internal research frameworks, templates, and best practices.

6. Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Collaborate with program managers, innovation teams, and leadership to align research with organizational priorities.
• Support research needs for social innovation projects, volunteer platforms, and community-focused initiatives.

Candidate Requirements

Education & Experience

• Background in User Research, UX Research, Human-Centered Design, Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, HCI, Data Science, or related fields.
• Experience conducting qualitative and/or quantitative user research.
• Experience working with digital products, platforms, or social impact projects is a plus.

Skills

• Spanish required (advanced).
• Bilingual English proficiency for international collaboration.
• Strong skills in user interviews, usability testing, survey design, and research synthesis.
• Ability to translate user insights into actionable design and product recommendations.
• Strong analytical thinking, communication, and storytelling skills.

Availability

• 10–15 hours per week (flexible, remote).
• Volunteer position.

Personal Attributes

• Strong empathy and user-centered mindset.
• Curiosity, critical thinking, and attention to detail.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in multicultural teams.
• Cultural sensitivity and adaptability across diverse communities.
• Strong alignment with social impact and mission-driven work.

Benefits of Volunteering with Us

• Contribute directly to user-centered digital solutions for global social impact.
• Collaborate with multicultural teams of highly skilled professionals and graduate students.
• Build advanced experience in user research, UX strategy, and human-centered design.
• Flexible remote schedule and global networking opportunities.
• Certificate of participation and international recognition.