Manager UX/UI Research and Strategy

UT Southwestern Medical Center; Texas; On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

PPO medical plan from day one

Paid time off from day one

Retirement programs (TRS)

Parental leave

Wellness programs

Tuition reimbursement

PSLF eligibility

Job summary

UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, TX, is seeking a Manager of UX/UI Research and Strategy to lead user experience research within the Digital team. This on-site role oversees the UX/UI team and partners with stakeholders to deliver accessible, user-centered digital experiences.

You will manage strategy, plan qualitative and quantitative research, develop personas and journey maps, and ensure research findings drive design and development across complex projects.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Human-Computer Interaction, Information Architecture, Psychology, Human Factors, Design or related field.
• 5 years of experience managing UX/UI research and design teams.
• Experience leading UX initiatives and mentoring multidisciplinary teams.
• Familiarity with Agile, Scrum, Kanban or similar methodologies (preferred).

Responsibilities

• Lead UX research and strategy for complex digital projects, setting methods, strategies, usability approaches, and deliverables.
• Manage, mentor, and develop the UX/UI team, providing strategic direction and professional development.
• Plan and conduct qualitative and quantitative research activities and synthesize findings into actionable recommendations.
• Develop UX deliverables such as personas, journey maps, information architectures, prototypes and wireframes.
• Coordinate research across multiple concurrent initiatives and align with stakeholders.

Skills

UX research leadership

Team mentoring

Cross-functional collaboration

Usability testing

Information architecture

Web accessibility

Education

Bachelor's degree in related field

Job description

UT Southwestern Medical Center is a world-renowned academic medical and research institution based in Dallas, Texas, with over 75 years of history in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Ranked No. 1 hospital in the region by U.S. News & World Report, it combines patient care, research, and education at scale, and operates a broad digital presence managed through its Department of Communications, Marketing, and Public Affairs.

The role

The Manager, UX/UI Research and Strategy reports to the Director of Digital Strategy and Engagement and leads user experience research and strategy within the Digital team. The role oversees the Sr. UX/UI Strategist and manages cross-functional dependencies across digital projects. It balances strategic direction with hands-on project involvement, covering usability, accessibility, engagement, technical feasibility, and institutional brand standards.

What you would do

• Lead UX research and strategy for complex digital projects, setting research methods, experience strategies, usability approaches, mockups, deliverables, schedules, and quality standards in coordination with leadership and stakeholders.
• Manage, mentor, and develop the UX/UI team, providing strategic direction, coaching, feedback, workload guidance, and professional development.
• Plan and conduct qualitative and quantitative research activities, including interviews, surveys, contextual inquiry, usability testing, card sorting, and tree testing; synthesize findings into actionable recommendations.
• Develop and communicate UX deliverables such as research plans, personas, journey maps, task flows, experience maps, site maps, information architectures, prototypes, and wireframes.
• Attend discovery sessions and research workshops to identify user needs, business objectives, content requirements, and technical constraints, and facilitate alignment among multidisciplinary teams.
• Partner with digital strategists, developers, project managers, content professionals, designers, and institutional stakeholders to translate research into accessible, technically feasible digital experiences.
• Review designs, prototypes, websites, applications, and development builds throughout the project lifecycle to ensure UX requirements, research findings, and accessibility standards are implemented correctly.
• Contribute to UX research standards, methodologies, documentation, and reusable practices, including design systems and component patterns.
• Monitor digital analytics, user behavior, emerging UX practices, and digital trends to identify opportunities for improvement; evaluate tools, methodologies, and technologies to keep UTSW's digital experiences current and user-centered.
• Serve as a trusted internal consultant and subject matter expert, advocating for user-centered and inclusive design and communicating research findings to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Coordinate UX research and strategy across concurrent initiatives, scoping efforts, estimating resources, establishing priorities, managing dependencies and timelines, and communicating risks to leadership.

What they are looking for

• Bachelor's degree in Human-Computer Interaction, Information Architecture, Psychology, Human Factors, Design, Visual Communications, Digital Media, or a related field (additional years of experience may be considered in lieu of degree).
• 5 years of experience managing UX/UI research and design teams, with 5 years of progressively responsible experience in UX research, UX strategy, user experience design, information architecture, usability, or related digital work.
• Demonstrated experience leading UX initiatives and mentoring, managing, or directing UX/UI professionals or multidisciplinary teams.
• Preferred: experience in higher education, healthcare, academic medicine, government, agency, or consulting environments.
• Preferred: experience contributing to UX research practices, usability programs, experience standards, or design systems.
• Preferred: familiarity with Agile, Scrum, Kanban, or similar methodologies.

Working arrangements

The role is based on-site in an office setting at 5323 Harry Hines Blvd, Dallas, Texas 75390. Standard day-shift hours apply.

Pay and benefits

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

• Benefits include a PPO medical plan available from day one at no cost for full-time employee-only coverage, 100% coverage for preventive healthcare with no copay, paid time off from day one, retirement programs through the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), paid parental leave, wellness programs, tuition reimbursement, and eligibility for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF).