Lead UX Researcher

Jobtailor; Atlanta (KS); On-site; USD 130,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Jobtailor seeks a senior research leader to set portfolio strategies, guide programs, and shape roadmaps across product lines. You will apply agentic AI to build repeatable insights and mentor senior researchers, while influencing executives with data-backed storytelling.

You will collaborate across research operations and governance to ensure ethical practices and scalable processes, with cross-site travel as needed.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree with 6+ years in a related field or equivalent.
• Proven success leading large multi-team research programs.
• Deep ethnography, journey mapping, concept testing and synthesis.
• Ability to architect insight frameworks and operations models.

Responsibilities

• Set research strategies and guide programs across multiple products or portfolio areas.
• Develop portfolio-level research roadmaps and standards.
• Coordinate multi-team initiatives and shape long-term product direction.
• Apply advanced agentic AI to build repeatable insight systems and automations.
• Lead cross-functional workshops with senior leaders, using Miro/Mural.
• Mentor Senior Researchers and ensure long-term insight durability.

Skills

Leadership

Ethnography

Research strategy

Synthesis

AI in product design

Stakeholder influence

Facilitation

Data storytelling

Mentoring

Cross-functional leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree in related field

Master’s degree

PhD in related field

Tools

Miro

Mural

LLM Tools

Collaborative tools

Job description

• Set research strategies and guide programs across multiple products or portfolio areas
• Develop portfolio-level research roadmaps
• Coordinate multi-team initiatives and shape long-term product direction
• Establish research standards and drive methodological consistency
• Partner with Research Operations on scalable research processes
• Apply advanced agentic AI to build repeatable insight systems, automate synthesis, and support insight durability
• Define portfolio-level research strategies with measurable success criteria
• Lead multi-team, multi-method research programs across product lines
• Identify cross-domain insights influencing long-term product direction
• Develop and supervise personas, journey architectures, ecosystem maps, and opportunity landscapes
• Develop repeatable insight pipelines and quality controls using advanced agentic AI
• Partner on governance, research frameworks, panel strategy, vendor selection, and tooling decisions
• Facilitate alignment workshops with senior product and UX leaders using collaborative tools such as Miro and Mural
• Provide expert guidance on method selection for ambiguous or high-risk projects
• Mentor Senior Researchers and serve as a method-of-record reviewer
• Oversee repository consistency and long-term insight durability
• Influence roadmaps by communicating evidence-backed opportunity areas
• Develop capacity plans and guide resource allocation across research programs
• Champion ethical research practices and participant safety
• Travel cross-site for portfolio alignment and fieldwork as needed

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required and 6 years’ experience in a related field; alternatives include a master’s degree and 4 years’ experience, a Ph.D. and 1 year of experience, or 10 years’ experience in a related field
• Proven success leading large, multi-team research programs
• Deep command of ethnography, journey mapping, concept testing, and synthesis
• Ability to architect insight frameworks, research operations models, and standards
• Strong influence skills and ability to advise Directors, VPs, and senior leadership
• Excellent cross-functional leadership and facilitation skills
• Strong understanding of product strategy and business-level decision frameworks
• Demonstrated ability to manage complexity and ambiguity at scale
• Ability to coach and elevate multiple senior researchers
• Expertise in data-backed storytelling and strategic communication
• Familiarity with analytics, experimentation, and modeling workflows
• Experience using general-purpose LLM tools to analyze and synthesize user behavior, identify patterns, and prioritize opportunities
• Ability to use AI throughout the product design process
• 6–10 years of applied research experience
• Must pass a pre-employment drug test
• Must currently be authorized to work in the United States for any employer without current or future sponsorship
• No OPT, CPT, STEM/OPT, or visa sponsorship now or in the future

Core Competencies

Demonstrates expertise in leading large-scale, multi-team research programs while applying advanced agentic AI to develop insight frameworks and research roadmaps. Capable of influencing product direction through data-backed storytelling and strategic communication.

Highest-signal resume keywords

• Advanced Agentic AI Application
• Ethnography and Journey Mapping
• Cross-Functional Leadership
• Data-Backed Storytelling
• Research Operations Model Architecture

ATS Optimization Keywords

Hard Skills

• Research Strategy Development
• Insight Framework Architecture
• Method Selection for Research
• Persona Development
• Journey Architecture
• Ecosystem Mapping
• Opportunity Landscape Development
• Quality Control in Research
• Synthesis of User Behavior
• Complexity Management

Soft Skills

• Influence Skills
• Facilitation Skills
• Coaching and Mentoring
• Communication Skills
• Collaboration Skills

Industry Keywords

• Research Standards
• Ethical Research Practices
• Participant Safety
• Product Strategy
• Business‑Level Decision Frameworks

Tools & Technologies

• Miro
• Mural
• General-Purpose LLM Tools
• Collaborative Tools