Manager UX/UI Research and Strategy

UT Southwestern; Dallas (TX); On-site; USD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

PPO medical plan day one

Paid Time Off

Retirement Programs TRS

Paid Parental Leave

Tuition Reimbursement

Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)

Job summary

UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas seeks a Manager, UX/UI Researcher & Strategist to lead usability research, UX strategy, and design teams within the Digital Strategy group. You’ll balance strategic thinking with hands-on work across projects, ensuring accessibility and brand standards.

You’ll mentor the UX/UI team, collaborate with developers, content professionals, and institutional stakeholders, and translate research into user-friendly, scalable digital experiences across channels.

Qualifications

• 5 years experience managing UX/UI Research and Design teams with five(5) years progressively responsible experience in UX research, UX strategy, user experience design, information architecture, usability, or related digital experience work.
• Experience leading UX initiatives and mentoring, managing, or providing direction to UX/UI professionals or multidisciplinary teams.
• Preferred experience in higher education, health care, academic medicine, government, or complex organizations; familiarity with Agile/Scrum/Kanban is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead UX research and strategy for complex digital projects, establishing research methods, experience strategies, and usability approaches with stakeholders.
• Manage, mentor, and develop the UX/UI team, setting direction and ensuring collaboration across dependencies.
• Plan and conduct qualitative and quantitative research, synthesize findings, and translate insights into actionable recommendations.
• Develop and communicate UX deliverables (plans, personas, journeys, IA, prototypes) aligned with project needs.
• Attend discovery sessions and coordinate with multidisciplinary teams to align user needs with objectives.
• Partner with digital strategists, developers, project managers, and stakeholders to produce accessible, scalable digital experiences.
• Provide oversight throughout the project lifecycle to ensure UX requirements and accessibility standards are met.
• Contribute to design systems and reusable practices to promote consistency in digital projects.

Skills

UX Research

UX Strategy

Team Leadership

Mentoring

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Human-Computer Interaction or related field

Job description

WHY UT SOUTHWESTERN?

With over 75 years of excellence in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, UT Southwestern is committed to excellence, innovation, teamwork, and compassion. As a world-renowned medical and research center, we strive to provide the best possible care, resources, and benefits for our valued employees. Ranked as the No. 1 hospital in Dallas-Fort Worth according to U.S. News & World Report, we invest in you with opportunities for career growth and development to align with your future goals. Our highly competitive benefits package offers healthcare, PTO and paid holidays, on-site childcare, wage, merit increases and so much more. We invite you to be a part of the UT Southwestern team where you'll discover a culture of teamwork, professionalism, and a rewarding career!

JOB SUMMARY

The Manager, UX/UI Researcher & Strategist, reporting to the Director, Digital Strategy and Engagement, provides leadership and oversight for user experience research and strategy within the Digital team in the Department of Communications, Marketing, and Public Affairs. The position leads user research, usability, interaction design, and UX strategy to improve digital experiences across UT Southwestern's online channels. Working within the broader digital strategy and priorities established by departmental leadership, the Manager serves as a subject matter expert and internal consultant for UX research and strategy. The role balances strategic thinking with hands‑on involvement in projects and supports usability, accessibility, engagement, technical feasibility, and institutional brand standards.

BENEFITS

UT Southwestern is proud to offer a competitive and comprehensive benefits package to eligible employees. Our benefits are designed to support your overall wellbeing, and include:

• PPO medical plan, available day one at no cost for full‑time employee‑only coverage
• 100% coverage for preventive healthcare-no copay
• Paid Time Off, available day one
• Retirement Programs through the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS)
• Paid Parental Leave Benefit
• Wellness programs
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Qualified Employer
• Learn more about these and other UTSW employee benefits!

EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION

Required

• Education
  Bachelor's Degree in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Information Architecture, Psychology, Human Factors, Design, Visual Communications, Digital Media, or a related field.
  May consider additional years of experience in User experience design in lieu of degree.

• Experience
  5 years experience managing UX/UI Research and Design teams with five(5) years progressively responsible experience in UX research, UX strategy, user experience design, information architecture, usability, or related digital experience work, including experience leading UX initiatives and mentoring, managing, or providing direction to UX/UI professionals or multidisciplinary teams.

Preferred

• Experience
  Experience in higher education, health care, academic medicine, government, agency, consulting, or another complex organizational environment; experience contributing to UX research practices, usability programs, experience standards, or design systems; experience with Agile, Scrum, Kanban, or similar methodologies.

JOB DUTIES

• Lead UX research and strategy for complex digital projects, establishing appropriate research methods, experience strategies, usability approaches, mockups, deliverables, schedules, and quality standards in coordination with departmental leadership and project stakeholders.
• Manage, mentor, and develop UX/UI team, including the Sr. UX/UI Strategist, providing strategic direction, coaching, feedback, workload guidance, and professional development; manage cross-functional dependencies and systems to ensure effective collaboration, alignment and delivery initiatives.
• Plan and conduct qualitative and quantitative research and usability activities, including interviews, surveys, contextual inquiry, usability testing, card sorting, tree testing, and related methods; synthesize findings, analytics, behavioral data, and stakeholder input into actionable recommendations.
• Develop and communicate UX deliverables, including research plans, personas, journeys, task flows, experience maps, site maps, information architectures, prototypes, wireframes, and strategic recommendations appropriate to project needs.
• Attend discovery sessions and research workshops to identify user needs, business objectives, content requirements, technical constraints, and opportunities, and facilitate alignment among multidisciplinary project teams.
• Partner with digital strategists, developers, project managers, content professionals, designers, and institutional stakeholders to translate research and UX strategy into user‑friendly, accessible, technically feasible, scalable, and sustainable digital experiences.
• Provide UX research and strategy oversight throughout the project lifecycle and review designs, prototypes, websites, applications, and development builds to ensure approved UX requirements, research findings, accessibility considerations, and experience standards are appropriately implemented.
• Contribute to UX research and strategy standards, methodologies, documentation, and reusable practices; support the development and consistent application of design systems, component patterns, and other approaches that promote consistency and efficiency across digital projects.
• Monitor digital analytics, user behavior, research findings, emerging UX practices, and evolving digital trends to identify opportunities for continuous improvement and innovation; evaluate tools, methodologies, accessibility practices, technologies, and industry trends to ensure UTSW's digital experiences remain current, innovative, user-centered, and competitive; and recommend strategic improvements to leadership.
• Serve as a trusted internal consultant and UX/UI subject matter expert, advocating for user-centered and inclusive design, communicating research and recommendations to technical and non-technical audiences, and advising stakeholders on experience challenges.
• Coordinate UX research and strategy across concurrent initiatives, helping scope efforts, estimate resources, establish priorities, manage dependencies and timelines, and communicate risks and opportunities within the established strategic direction of the department.
• Participate in digital planning and project discussions as the UX research and strategy subject matter expert and build strong relationships across the institution through transparency, collaboration, responsiveness, and a focus on improving the digital experience.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS/WORKING CONDITIONS

Physical Requirements

• Talking

Working Conditions

• Indoors
• Office Setting

Salary Information

Salary is commensurate with education, skills, and relevant experience.

SECURITY AND EEO STATEMENT

Security

This position is security-sensitive and subject to Texas Education Code 51.215, which authorizes UT Southwestern to obtain criminal history record information.

EEO

UT Southwestern Medical Center is committed to an educational and working environment that provides equal opportunity to all members of the University community. As an equal opportunity employer, UT Southwestern prohibits unlawful discrimination, including discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, disability, genetic information, citizenship status, or veteran status.