Information Architect

Senior Researcher This is a remote position. JOB ID #942 Ad Hoc is a technology company that empowers organizations to deliver scalable, impactful digital services. Using modern, agile methods, our team creates products that meet people’s needs and transform their experience of government. Work on things that matter Our collaborations have shaped some of the defining moments in public-sector service delivery. We’ve helped build products that connect Veterans to tailored services, help millions access affordable health care, and support important programs like Head Start. As we work with agencies to deliver critical services, we’re also changing how the government approaches technology. Built for a remote life Our culture, communications, and tools are built for remote work, enabling us to bring together top talent nationwide. At Ad Hoc, remote life empowers our teams to design work environments that fit their lives and that foster flexibility and collaboration to achieve positive outcomes for our customers. Committed to high expectations and a welcoming culture Ad Hoc values acceptance, accountability, and humility. We aren’t heroes. We learn from our mistakes and improve the process for the next time. We build small, inclusive teams to collaborate closely with our partners to solve the right problems and deliver software that works. The Veterans Affairs business unit helps transform the VA into a modern digital services organization where Veteran outcomes are at the center of every effort. We partner with the VA to design and deliver seamless user experiences for Veterans, their families and caregivers, and VA employees. By applying better practices in service design, product management, and technology, we enable the VA to increase the use, quality, and reliability of services and decrease the time Veterans spend waiting for outcomes. Primary Responsibilities The Senior Researcher serves as an experienced individual contributor within a team, with the expectation of continuing to develop leadership, guidance, and mentoring skills. With minimal oversight from leadership, you will support the team in meeting scope, schedule, and delivery requirements. A Senior Researcher contributes to the long-term goals of the program and the development of the program’s research strategy. You may serve as the discipline’s primary lead when working with stakeholders and use strong influencing skills to drive improvements in research processes and practices. Primary expectations of a Senior Researcher include: Builds strong relationships with team members, government and company stakeholders, and program management Leads cross-functional efforts with team members and team leads Navigates ambiguous requirements and environments to support successful delivery Plans, conducts, analyzes, and shares research based on team questions, needs, and goals Prioritizes research projects based on team needs, goals, and research capacity Plans and facilitates collaboration between researchers, product team members, and stakeholders Influences and communicates the research strategy for the program Coaches and mentors researchers, providing actionable feedback that supports growth within the research discipline Participates in evaluating candidate homework assignments and panel interviews Identifies risks, communicates them to leadership, and provides recommendations to mitigate identified risks Oversees research scope and the development of recommendations, effectively communicating results to internal and external stakeholders Contributes to the planning, execution, and synthesis of research IA standards stewardship: Upholds and interprets VA.gov information architecture (IA) and design component standards, ensuring products align with established structural patterns, naming conventions, and experience expectations Cross-team IA guidance: Helps product teams understand IA standards, how to apply them, and when to engage the Content & Information Architecture team during early phases of product design Structural evaluation: Reviews the implementation of IA structures, navigation elements, and content hierarchy to ensure they align with documented IA decisions and support clarity, predictability, and usability Issue identification and documentation: Identifies structural issues, assesses their severity, and clearly documents findings so teams understand what needs to be addressed and why Governance checkpoint engagement: Participates in collaboration cycle checkpoints, providing an IA perspective on product readiness, structural coherence, and alignment with experience standards Standards feedback loop: Surfaces large or systemic IA issues to the Content & IA team and provides insight into gaps or emerging problem areas based on patterns observed across products Governance internal contribution: Contributes to internal Governance initiatives, including research on Collaboration Cycle effectiveness, sprint-based process improvements, and updates to documentation and guidance materials Basic Qualifications Bachelor’s degree and 7+ years of relevant experience Relevant years of experience may be substituted for education Prior experience mentoring junior-level team members Extensive experience with research principles, methodologies, and relevant technologies Strong understanding of adjacent disciplines and how research work impacts product, program, and business goals Preferred Qualifications N/A Benefits Company-subsidized health, dental, and vision insurance Flexible PTO 401K with employer match Paid parental leave after one year of service Employee Assistance Program Ad Hoc LLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, age, pregnancy, disability, work-related injury, covered veteran status, political ideology, marital status, or any other factor that the law protects from employment discrimination. We value the unique skills gained through military service and encourage veterans and transitioning service members to apply. In support of various state and city equal pay transparency laws, Ad Hoc job descriptions feature the starting range we reasonably expect to pay to candidates who would join our team with little to no need for training on the responsibilities we've outlined above. Actual compensation is influenced by a wide range of factors including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, and responsibility. The range of starting pay for this role is $100,000 - $130,000 Our recruiters will be happy to answer any questions you may have, and we look forward to learning more about your salary requirements. job reference: #J-18808-Ljbffr