Associate Designer

INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE

. Run design research in the field through interviews, observation, and time spent with clients and frontline workers .

Posted 11/2/2026full-timeAbuja • NigeriaJuniorMid-LevelWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Demonstrates expertise in conducting design research and prototyping within humanitarian settings, with strong skills in fieldwork, user testing, and effective communication of insights through visuals and documentation.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Design ResearchField Research SkillsPrototype TestingBilingual in French and EnglishExperience in Humanitarian Settings

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

EthnographyUX ResearchParticipatory ResearchAction ResearchPrototypingUser TestingFieldwork PlanningInterviewingObservationDocumentation

Soft Skills

CuriosityJudgmentAdaptability

Industry Keywords

HumanitarianHealthCommunity SettingsLow-Resource EnvironmentsVulnerable Populations

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Run design research in the field through interviews, observation, and time spent with clients and frontline workers
Remain close to one geography or work stream long enough to identify patterns over time
Interpret field observations and identify innovation in people's workarounds and ideas
Turn research into prototypes, test them with real users, and iterate based on learning
Present findings through clear notes, visuals, journey maps, and other useful formats
Collaborate with country program teams, technical leads, and frontline staff
Work across francophone West and Central Africa and other humanitarian settings as needed
Travel regularly, up to 40%, to humanitarian sites in the region and internationally
Conduct research or prototyping visits lasting up to two weeks in remote, low-resource, and sometimes insecure locations

Requirements

What you’ll need

Experience conducting research with people, including design research, ethnography, UX or product research, participatory research, action research, or other qualitative research
Experience building or setting up a service, pilot, tool, app, or rough paper prototype, testing it with users, and iterating based on learning
Portfolio, case study, research write-up, prototype photos, or another example demonstrating how you think
Strong field research skills, including planning and conducting fieldwork, interviewing, observation, ethical work with vulnerable people, and careful documentation
Strong prototype testing skills
Curiosity about why people behave as they do and judgment to identify ideas within observed behavior
Comfort spending two weeks at a stretch in a field site
Adaptability across cultures, languages, and changing plans
Working French and English sufficient to conduct research and work with teams elsewhere on the continent
Legal right to work in the country where the position is based
Experience in humanitarian, health, or community settings is preferred
Ability to communicate insights through visuals, maps, and simple presentations is preferred

Benefits

Comp & perks

Local employment contract according to local salary scale
Hybrid work arrangement
Professional development through hands-on design research and prototyping work
Opportunity to work with IRC's Airbel innovation lab
Exposure to international humanitarian settings and cross-country teams