Staff UX Research Lead

Staff UX Research Lead

HIGHLIGHTS
Location:San Francisco CA
Position Type: Contract / Full time
Hourly / Salary:BOE

Overview

A leading digital marketplace organization is seeking a Staff UX Research Lead to drive user research strategy customer insights and human-centered design initiatives across a multi-product ecosystem. This role is responsible for leading the UX research function partnering with product design engineering and business stakeholders to shape user experiences through qualitative and quantitative research methodologies.

This position will influence product strategy roadmap development and customer experience vision while building scalable research practices and fostering a data-driven user-centric culture.

Core Responsibilities

UX Research Strategy & Execution

• Design and conduct generative evaluative and usability research across multiple product verticals
• Lead end-to-end research initiatives including study design execution analysis and insight delivery
• Apply qualitative research methods (user interviews field studies diary studies usability testing)
• Conduct quantitative research (survey design data analysis segmentation behavioral insights)
• Translate research findings into actionable product and business recommendations

Product & Business Impact

• Influence product roadmap customer experience strategy and long-term vision through research insights
• Synthesize insights across studies to inform cross-product and enterprise-level initiatives
• Partner with stakeholders across product management design engineering marketing and operations
• Ensure research contributes to data-driven decision making and product innovation

Insights Storytelling & Communication

• Deliver research findings through presentations reports dashboards and workshops
• Use data storytelling and visualization techniques to communicate insights effectively
• Advocate for the voice of the user in strategic discussions and decision-making forums
• Build alignment and drive consensus through clear compelling narratives

Research Operations & Program Management

• Develop and maintain a UX research roadmap aligned to product and business goals
• Manage participant recruitment research logistics and panel operations
• Support development of research tools frameworks and scalable processes
• Ensure consistent execution of research best practices and methodologies

Leadership & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Establish and promote user research standards frameworks and best practices
• Mentor and guide team members on UX research methods and execution
• Collaborate cross-functionally to integrate research into product development lifecycles
• Foster a customer-centric culture across teams and business units

Qualifications & Experience

Experience

• 710 years of experience in UX research design research or customer insights
• Experience leading research initiatives across multiple product areas or business functions
• Proven ability to influence product strategy and business decision-making through research

Technical Competencies

• Expertise in qualitative and quantitative research methodologies
• Experience with usability testing user interviews surveys and behavioral research
• Strong understanding of human-centered design and product development lifecycle
• Experience with data analysis segmentation and research synthesis techniques
• Familiarity with research tools analytics platforms and collaboration tools

Professional Skills

• Strong communication presentation and storytelling skills
• Ability to translate complex data into clear actionable insights
• Excellent stakeholder management and cross-functional collaboration
• Advanced analytical thinking and problem-solving abilities
• Ability to manage multiple research projects in a fast-paced environment
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to data integrity and research quality

Education

• Bachelors degree in Anthropology Sociology Psychology Human-Computer Interaction Cognitive Science or related field
• Equivalent practical experience in UX research or human-centered design considered

Additional Information

• Hybrid work environment with in-office collaboration
• Full-time schedule aligned to standard business hours
• Contract engagement supporting a high-growth digital product organization
• Background check required

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