Lead UX Researcher: AI-Driven Insight Leader

Cox Automotive; Mission (KS); On-site; USD 135,000 - 225,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Seven paid holidays

Wellness time off (up to 160 hours)

Flexible vacation policy

Job summary

Cox Automotive invites a Lead User Researcher to set research strategies across multiple products and guide programs with advanced UX research methods. You will develop portfolio roadmaps, coordinate multi-team initiatives, and shape long-term product direction while partnering with Research Ops to enable scalable, high‑quality research.

You will mentor senior researchers, apply agentic AI to automate synthesis, ensure ethical practices, and influence roadmaps with evidence-backed opportunities.

Qualifications

• 6–10 years applied research experience.
• Proven success leading large, multi-team research programs.
• Deep command of ethnography, journey mapping, and synthesis.
• Ability to architect insight frameworks, research operations models, and standards.
• Strong influence skills; trusted advisor to Directors, VPs, and senior leadership.

Responsibilities

• Define portfolio-level research strategies with measurable success criteria.
• Lead multiteam, multimethod research programs across product lines.
• Develop advanced personas, journey architectures, and ecosystem maps.
• Supervise development of personas, journey architectures, ecosystem maps, and opportunity landscapes.
• Apply advanced agentic AI to develop repeatable insight pipelines and quality controls.
• Partner with Research Operations on governance, research frameworks, panel strategy, vendor selection, and tooling decisions.
• Facilitate alignment workshops with senior product and UX leaders using collaborative tools.
• 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.

Skills

Ethnography

Journey mapping

Synthesis

Leadership

Influence skills

Facilitation

Product strategy

Ambiguity management

Mentoring

Data storytelling

LLM tooling

Education

Bachelor's degree

Advanced degree preferred

PhD

Tools

Miro

Mural

LLM tools

Job description

Cox Automotive invites a Lead User Researcher to set research strategies across multiple products and guide programs with advanced UX research methods. You will develop portfolio roadmaps, coordinate multi-team initiatives, and shape long-term product direction while partnering with Research Ops to enable scalable, high‑quality research.

You will mentor senior researchers, apply agentic AI to automate synthesis, ensure ethical practices, and influence roadmaps with evidence-backed opportunities.