Design Operations Specialist - User Research

Cochlear is the global market leader in implant hearing solutions. Cochlear's mission is to help people hear and be heard. Around the world, more people chose a Cochlear-branded hearing implant system than any other. A Cochlear Implant is an electronic device that is surgically implanted under the skin near the ear that restores hearing to those who suffer from severe hearing loss. It's an incredible piece of engineering and the only product in the world that restores a sense through technology. Imagine using your experience to help people around the world to hear again. We can offer a unique opportunity to join Cochlear, an iconic Australian company, leading the world in implantable hearing solutions. Our mission is to help more people to hear.

The Opportunity

Cochlear is offering a 12-month fixed-term position for a Design Operations Specialist focused on User Research. This role is pivotal in building and managing a global user testing panel across multiple regions and time zones, supporting product teams in user research operations, and ensuring those teams can conduct rapid, safe, repeatable testing. We're looking for someone who can work asynchronously and independently across three time zones (Australia, Europe and America). The position is remote-friendly and emphasizes operationalizing user research to inform product decisions and enable innovation across our customer software portfolio.

Responsibilities include:

• Establish and manage high-quality customer research panels across multiple user groups and markets.
• Support product teams in planning and executing user research, including participant recruitment, research logistics, and data management.
• Optimise tools and infrastructure for panel management and research operations (e.g., Maze, UserTesting, Dovetail, etc).
• Develop standardised research processes, templates, and documentation to improve consistency, efficiency and visibility of the process and research outcomes.
• Ensure compliance with global data privacy regulations (e.g., GDPR, CCPA, Australian privacy laws).
• Track and report research operations metrics, while continuously improving workflows and stakeholder engagement.

What makes this opportunity unique?

This role offers the chance to contribute to life-changing technology while working in a truly global, cross-functional UX team. You'll also have the opportunity to build operational systems from the ground up, shaping how Cochlear scales its user research practice globally.

About You

As we grow our operations, we are looking for people who share our passion for delivering quality hearing solutions to our customers. To add value to Cochlear in this role, you'll be able to demonstrate the following skills and experience:

Essential skills:

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, HCI, Psychology, or related field
• Experience with user research tools (e.g., UserTesting, Qualtrics, Maze)
• Skilled in project and collaboration tools (e.g., Jira, Asana, Confluence)
• Strong process mindset and problem-solving skills
• Highly organised with attention to detail
• Clear communicator with strong written and presentation skills
• Proven stakeholder engagement and relationship-building ability
• Collaborative, proactive, and independent
• Comfortable with data analysis; knowledge of Tableau or Power BI is a plus
• AI agent creation, training, monitoring and refinement is a plus

Work Experience (3-5 years):

• Proven experience in a Product Operations, User Research Operations, or similar role with a focus on supporting product development.
• Direct experience with establishing, managing, or significantly contributing to customer research panels or communities, ideally in a large organisation.
• Demonstrable experience working with and enabling multiple product teams.
• Experience with various user research methodologies (e.g., usability testing, interviews, surveys, concept testing).
• Demonstrable experience working with AI / Agents and process automation to optimise workflows is a plus.

Cochlear's mission is to help people hear and be heard. As the global leader in implantable hearing solutions, Cochlear is dedicated to helping people with moderate to profound hearing loss experience a life full of hearing. We aim to give people the best lifelong hearing experience and access to innovative future technologies. We collaborate with the industry's best clinical, research and support networks. That's why more people choose Cochlear than any other hearing implant company. Learn and grow with us as we tackle the most complex challenges in helping more people to hear and experience life's opportunities.

If you feel that you have the skills and experience to be successful in this role and take on new challenges to build your career with Cochlear, please start your application by clicking the apply button below.

#CochlearCareers

How we recognise your contribution

We want Cochlear to be a place where our people truly enjoy coming to work. Through our internal programs and employee benefits, we aim to create an environment where our people will feel value and supported. Whether your focus is on continuous learning, professional development or simply finding an environment which enables you to thrive whilst balancing family or personal life commitments, then we have several programs in place to support you.

For more information about Life at Cochlear, visit www.cochlearcareers.com.

At Cochlear we value and welcome the unique contributions, perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds of our employees and aim to build a culture that celebrates and leverages these differences, creating a sense of belonging and enabling our people to realise their full potential. We offer flexible working arrangements, and we understand flexibility is not the same for everyone. We're open to a conversation about what flexibility means for you.