Summary Research Programs & Customer Engagement Lead (Contract) is a hands-on program management role focused on enabling research and design teams to run customer-facing programs effectively. This position supports customer engagement initiatives, customer panel management, workshop operations, cross-functional program coordination, reporting, and process improvement activities. The ideal candidate is proactive, highly organized, an excellent communicator, and comfortable collaborating with internal stakeholders and customers. This role requires the ability to anticipate needs, identify gaps, establish structure, and help teams remain aligned across multiple programs and initiatives.
Responsibilities
Build and maintain customer pipelines, customer panels, outreach lists, engagement trackers, calendars, and related program documentation.
Coordinate customer engagement activities, including outreach efforts, scheduling, and follow-up communications.
Support NDA tracking and follow-up processes associated with customer engagement programs.
Partner with customers, researchers, product teams, operations partners, and other stakeholders to ensure program activities progress effectively.
Support workshops, research programs, horizontal initiatives, and recurring program activities across multiple teams.
Create and maintain program playbooks, trackers, calendars, newsletters, report-outs, and other operational resources.
Improve visibility, communication, and follow-through across research and customer engagement programs.
Monitor dashboards, program health metrics, customer activity, risks, dependencies, and open action items.
Proactively identify program gaps and potential risks and help drive resolution.
Recommend and support workflow improvements that reduce manual effort and improve operational efficiency.
Assist with customer recruitment activities, including outreach, coordination, and follow-up communications for targeted customer segments.
Coordinate calendars, workshop logistics, stakeholder communications, and program reporting activities.
Support cross-functional collaboration across global teams and multiple disciplines.
Education Requirements
Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience preferred.
Experience Requirements
Minimum 8 years of experience in program management, research operations, customer programs, design operations, or a related field.
Required Skills
Strong program management and operational coordination experience.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Experience managing stakeholders across multiple teams and functions.
Ability to coordinate customer-facing activities and engagement programs.
Strong organizational skills with attention to detail.
Experience tracking program activities, dependencies, risks, and action items.
Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
Experience creating and maintaining operational processes, trackers, reporting mechanisms, and program documentation.
Strong collaboration and relationship management skills.
Preferred Skills
Experience building customer panels, research communities, customer engagement programs, or customer feedback programs.
Familiarity with Microsoft 365.
Familiarity with SharePoint.
Familiarity with Power BI.
Familiarity with Azure DevOps (ADO).
Experience working with dashboards, reporting tools, and automation platforms.
Experience supporting research, design, customer experience, or product-related programs.
