Kenya - Social Researcher

About ThinkPlace

We are a strategic design consultancy, working with leaders to create new and better futures – vibrant communities, strong economies, sustainable environments and trusted institutions.  We believe in a positive future world that balances the needs of the collective and those of the individual. To find out more, visit www.thinkplaceglobal.com

About the role

Our ThinkPlace Kenya Studio are looking for an experienced designer to work on a project based in Burkina Faso for approximately 6 months. You will be fluent in French and part of a collaborative, dynamic and creative team of people who are passionate and committed to creating social change. Your role will be varied and challenging, focussing on the culmination of your human centred design and social research strengths to inform a large design led project based in Burkina Faso.

What you will be doing:

• Amplify the voice of those in need: You give voice to real people and share authentic credibility. You are well known for bringing authentic user voices into policy, service, digital and strategic design conversations. In all areas you work you build understanding, knowledge and acceptance of diversity.
• Social Behavior Change: You will be driven to achieve social impact demonstrating your resourcefulness to work around obstaclses in both an Australian and international context
• Innovation leadership: Demonstrate innovation and co-design/collaborative practioner skills on projects that will make a demonstrable impact on services and organisations.
• Facilitation: You can facilitate strategic and senior people confidently and instil confidence through expert judgement in navigating workshop dialogues.
• Working in teams: Build cohesion within the project teams you work in. You can inspire people and work well with autonomy and space to be imaginative and innovative.
• Project management: You know how to lead projects, inspire confidence in clients, create a sense of vision and direction for teams. You can dive into an agile process process and make sure it does what it needs to do, and makes what it needs to make.
• Client Engagement: You can work with a wide range of people, including senior government officials, and NGO/business executive groups. You seek to understand their needs, their strategic context, and deliver things that will further their mission, and you are trusted by them.

What we are looking for:

• A designer who is Fluent in French is a must for this position
• At least five years' design or social research experience
• You are a design thinker with experience working with complex systems and/or innovation challenges. You have worked as part of a team to take initiatives through a whole cycle, from setting the project intent and exploratory research, to solution formulation and implementation. Formal qualifications are preferred however not strictly required.
• Your understanding of design thinking is deep and nuanced, you are able to articulate this simply and effectively in order to work with others.
• Your visual communication and storytelling skills are excellent. You make insights and ideas visible early. You develop outstanding user experience models to bring to life current experience insights, and future visions.
• Deep social research with cross cultural expertise delivering Social Behaviour Change and Human Centred Design projects.
• Be willing to travel domestically

Submission details:

Please include in your application:

• A covering letter, telling us a bit about yourself and why would like to work at ThinkPlace
• In two pages or less describe your three key strengths you would bring to this role and identify any challenges you may encounter
• your resume