Sr. UX Researcher/Research Lead

Role Summary

We are seeking a Senior UX Research Lead to establish and scale a strategic research function that influences enterprise strategy, digital product direction, service design, and AI innovation initiatives. This is a highly visible leadership opportunity for a research professional who excels at translating customer, employee, and market insights into actionable business decisions.

In this role, you will define the research vision, operating model, standards, and long term roadmap while leading a team of researchers and driving complex research programs. You will partner with executive leaders, product teams, designers, engineers, and business stakeholders to embed research into strategic planning and ensure decisions are informed by reliable evidence rather than assumptions.

Key Responsibilities

• Establish and scale an enterprise research function, including processes, governance, standards, and research operations

• Develop and execute a strategic research roadmap aligned with digital experience, product, innovation, and AI priorities

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of UX researchers while fostering a culture of research excellence and continuous growth

• Design and oversee mixed method research programs across customers, prospects, employees, operational teams, and leadership stakeholders

• Translate qualitative and quantitative findings into actionable recommendations that influence product roadmaps, investment decisions, and service strategies

• Build research operations capabilities including participant recruitment, vendor management, templates, repositories, knowledge management, and performance metrics

• Establish standards for research quality, privacy, accessibility, ethics, informed consent, and responsible AI enabled research practices

• Partner with business, technology, product, design, analytics, and executive stakeholders to identify high value opportunities and guide strategic decision making

Key Requirements

• 8+ years of progressive experience in UX Research, Customer Research, Design Research, Service Design Research, or a related discipline, including leadership experience

• Demonstrated success building, scaling, or significantly maturing a research function, enterprise research program, or research operations capability

• Advanced expertise in qualitative and quantitative research methodologies, including interviews, field studies, journey mapping, surveys, usability testing, and behavioral analysis

• Experience leading research for enterprise platforms, B2B products, service organizations, operational environments, or complex customer ecosystems

• Strong knowledge of research governance, privacy practices, accessibility standards, research ethics, and responsible AI considerations

• Experience connecting research findings to product strategy, service design, innovation initiatives, portfolio planning, and business outcomes

• Exceptional ability to synthesize complex information into clear insights and executive level recommendations

• Proven leadership, stakeholder management, communication, coaching, and change management skills

Preferred Qualifications

• Graduate degree in Human Computer Interaction, Psychology, Anthropology, Sociology, Behavioral Science, Design, Business, or a related field

• Experience integrating customer research, market intelligence, analytics, and operational data into a unified insights framework

• Experience researching AI powered, conversational, predictive, automated, or agent driven experiences

• Background supporting operationally complex industries, enterprise technologies, workforce solutions, or service based organizations

• Experience managing external research agencies, recruitment partners, and specialized research vendors

• Familiarity with digital product strategy, experience architecture, customer experience, and service design practices

Leadership Profile

• Strategic advisor who connects research to enterprise priorities and long term business outcomes

• Builder who creates structure, standards, and momentum within a growing function

• Player coach who remains hands on while developing people and capabilities

• Influential communicator who transforms complex findings into compelling business recommendations

• Pragmatic leader who balances rigor, speed, risk, and business needs without compromising quality

• Collaborative partner who builds trust across product, technology, design, operations, and executive teams

Why Join This Opportunity

• Build and shape a research function from the ground up

• Directly influence enterprise strategy, product innovation, and AI initiatives

• Partner with senior leaders across business, technology, and design organizations

• Lead high impact research programs that drive measurable business outcomes

• Create lasting improvements in customer and employee experiences through evidence based decision making