Lead Specialist, UX Designer

Lead Specialist, UX Designer 

Description: This role aligns to Staff User Researcher.

The Role 

We're looking for a Staff User Researcher who brings both exceptional craft and proven experience building research excellence at scale. You will be helping us understand teachers’ and students’ foundational needs as we shape the future of higher education. 
 

• You'll operate at the intersection of user needs, product development and business strategy, leading high-impact research initiatives that shape product direction and influence organizational decision-making.  

• Design and lead complex mixed-methods studies (ethnographic, longitudinal, usability testing, surveys, quantitative) as well as quick, scrappy evaluative research, synthesizing insights into compelling narratives and actionable recommendations for executive audiences 

• Partner with cross-functional teams to frame research questions that drive strategic decision-making, facilitate collaborative sessions that build shared understanding, and champion user-centered decisions across the organization 

• Mentor junior and mid-level researchers to accelerate their growth, establish research standards and frameworks that scale across teams, and build research literacy throughout the organization 

• Build systems to democratize research insights, continuously improve research operations, and advocate for research investment with leadership 

What You’ll Own 

You bring deep experience designing and conducting complex, multi-phase research initiatives across multiple platforms (web, mobile, native apps) and product surfaces, combined with strong strategic thinking that enables you to identify the right research questions, frame ambiguous problems, and connect research to business objectives and product strategy. Your exceptional storytelling and communication skills give you the confidence to present to executive audiences, influence senior stakeholders, and tailor insights effectively for diverse audiences. 

• Design and lead complex, generative and evaluative research across multiple platforms and user journeys as well as quick, scrappy evaluative research across multiple platforms and user journeys  

• Synthesize insights from diverse data sources into compelling narratives and present findings to executive audiences with actionable recommendations  

• Facilitate workshops and collaborative sessions that build shared understanding of user needs and drive consensus across stakeholders with competing priorities  

• Mentor junior and mid-level researchers, providing feedback and coaching that accelerates their growth and career development  

• Establish research standards, frameworks, templates, and processes that scale across teams and build research literacy throughout the organization  

• Build systems to democratize research insights, continuously improve research operations, and advocate for research investment with leadership  

About You 

You bring 7-10 years of user research experience with proficiency in both qualitative and quantitative methodologies and a portfolio that demonstrates a strategic impact o