VP, Design Research Manager, Consumer Banking Group

Business Function As the leading bank in Asia, DBS Consumer Banking Group is in a unique position to help our customers realise their dreams and ambitions. As a market leader in the consumer banking business, DBS has a full spectrum of products and services, including deposits, investments, insurance, mortgages, credit cards and personal loans, to help our customers realise their dreams and aspirations at every life stage. Our financial solutions are not only the best in the business - they were made just right for you. About the role You are an experienced designer researcher tasked to take on leadership responsibility. You have 8-10 yrs experience in leadership roles, and min 3-5 yrs experience directly managing teams of various sizes. You deeply understand the design process and take on leadership of quality standards, leading critique and developing the careers of those in your team. Your time will be divided approximately 70/30 between managerial work and design research craft and mentoring. You establish a quality bar for your team while valuing delivery over perfection. What we're looking for in a Research Manager:

• Balance: As a manager you can balance quality with delivery, good enough with perfection.
• Setting clear expectations: For junior members be clear expectations in improving craft and learning process, for the more senior, expectations around delivery, impact and influence. Set clear goals and objectives.
• Eager to grow people: They are actively engaged in the professional development of their team members - help them be the best they can be. Balance scope, workstreams, ownership, timeliness and quality with the ability to influence and engage more senior executives. Tailor growth plans to individuals.
• Empathy and compassion: you find the 'messiness' of people and emotions interesting, learn from your people, empowering them daily. You dig deep into the softer skills.
• Design Researcher at heart: You are still actively engaged in research and keep your hand in creative research work - while you are not expected to devote as much time you 'balance' management with creative leadership.
• Culture: You build an effective and successful team. You provide motivation and the development needed for every designer to be the best they can be. You can foster creative friction and psychological safety, and build a collective purpose for your team.

• Experience identifying, framing and respectfully challenging (where appropriate) customer and business problems.
• Strong design research practice and process.
• Mentorship including delivery of feedback both professional and creative. Coaching less experienced researchers and continually improving practice. Be willing to spend time to help others.
• Planning and project management: ability to balance quality and delivery- including the sizing of opportunities to deliver to a strategy or vision.
• Create and use of design artefacts (prototypes, blueprints, wireframes) to build shared understanding.
• Proven experience leading others to deliver great work.
• Confidence, decisiveness in ambiguity - helping to bring clarity and deliver impactful and actionable insights, and encouraging others to join you in the process.
• Demonstrate skill in research practice.

• Create the team you need: Understand the work that needs to be done, and work with your team to define problem spaces, prioritise and drive productivity.
• Promote accountability - support don't manage: Encourage autonomy and accountability, helping designers build their own plans to achieve expectations.
• Help remove obstacles: Help your team members engage in better conversations, build empathy to others' perspectives and coach them on productive conversations.
• 'Go to the mat' when necessary: Sometimes your people will find themselves unfairly or inappropriately challenged. When necessary stand up for and gain support for your team, rolling up your sleeves to help.
• Frequent feedback: Provide small professional feedback often. This is a key task of the manager. Share feedback on the researchers' membership of the team, what is working and what is not. This is not creative feedback (which happens in the critique and review process).
• More than design research - help your team understand the role of design research in DBS: Our goal is to deliver a powerful product and service experience in a profitable manner. Illuminate the role design research plays and that it is one function of many. Help them to understand DBS strategy and goals.
• Get to know your design researchers as people: Help your team bring their whole selves to work. Build culture, create social events and hold space for them to be their authentic selves. Build trust and respect within your team and with the outside organisation.
• Transparency: Create a critique culture among your team, where work is shared, the team knows what others are working on and process, methodology and design choices are articulated.