Design Researcher PK-12 Education - 10+ YOE

Hord Coplan Macht, Inc.•Conshohocken, PA

28d•Onsite

About The Position

Excellent design can’t happen without exceptional people. This value continues to guide our growth. We hire talented people, inspire them with work that they love and build a team to achieve something special. HCM’s PK12 Market Sector is looking for a Design Researcher in our Conshohocken office who can integrate educational strategy with evidence-based environmental psychology and neuroarchitecture. This role will work within an interdisciplinary team of architects, interior designers, landscape architects and school leaders and stakeholders. You'll conduct and translate research into spatial strategies that enhance student learning and emotional well-being in school environments.

Requirements

M.A./M.S./Ph.D. in Cognitive Science, Neuroscience, Psychology, Educational Psychology, Environmental Psychology, Architecture or related fields.
10+ years of experience in applied research pertaining to architecture, education, workspace design, or environmental psychology.
Technical research skills: Experimental design, sensor deployment, statistical modeling, data visualization.
Effective communication skills and the ability to present to non-technical audiences and craft compelling, evidence-based narratives.
Has a collaborative mindset and experience working across disciplines like architecture, education, human factors.

Nice To Haves

Proficient in Revit and Adobe Creative Suite—preferred if integrated into cognitive modeling and prototyping workflows.
Experience with research dissemination, peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations, or public engagement on neuroarchitecture themes.
Preferred experience in K‑12 design, and familiarity with regulatory standards related to educational environments (e.g., acoustics, lighting, IEQ).

Responsibilities

Lead and conduct research studies focused on the cognitive, emotional, and physiological impacts of built environments on students—especially related to attention, stress, memory, and social cognition.
Design and deploy experimental tools, from behavioral protocols and psychometric surveys to sensor-driven data collection (e.g., EEG, eye-tracking, or physiological monitoring).
Analyze quantitative and qualitative data—using statistical software packages (R, SPSS, MATLAB)—and craft actionable insights for design teams.
Translate research into design guidelines: sensory-rich classroom layouts, daylighting and acoustics strategies, outdoor environments and wellbeing zones informed by neuroarchitecture principles for all ages.
Collaborate with educators, administrators, and design committees to align design decisions with pedagogical objectives and neurodevelopmental insights.
Communicate research outcomes through internal workshops, client presentations, peer-reviewed publications, and community-facing exhibits.
Mentor junior team members and help grow the firm’s internal capacity for user-based research methods and cognitive design tools.
Work closely with Principals and leaders in the Pk12 Studio to set priorities for research topics and strategies
Work with internal design teams to incorporate research into design solutions.