UX Research Director, AI-Driven Partner Tools

Expedia, Inc.; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 224,000 - 338,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical/Dental/Vision

Paid time off

Employee Assistance Program

Wellness and travel reimbursement

Travel discounts

IATAN membership

Job summary

Expedia Group is seeking a Research Director to lead the vision, strategy, and execution of research across our Partner Tools portfolio — spanning Hotel and Vacation Rental Partner Experiences, APIs, and Partner Advertising, from established products to AI-powered experiences.

This player/coach role leads a small, senior team while remaining hands-on and partnering with engineering, design, product, and data science to ensure research is central to the future of partner tools and informed by

Qualifications

• 15+ years of relevant professional experience without an advanced degree, or 5–10 years with an advanced degree.
• Demonstrated expertise in qualitative research methodologies and integrating AI into research planning, execution, or delivery.
• Proven experience leading and developing high-performing research teams across multiple locations.
• Ability to influence senior stakeholders and translate insights into strategic decisions.
• Experience building and scaling research programs across complex, multi-disciplinary organizations, preferably with B2B.

Responsibilities

• Define and lead the research strategy across our Partner Tools portfolio.
• Operate as a player/coach for a small, senior research team — setting strategy and craft standards while remaining directly involved in research execution.
• Partner with engineering, design, product, and data science to translate insights into strategic, business-impactful decisions.
• Champion rigorous AI-informed research methodologies and integrate AI tools into the research workflow.
• Build scalable research frameworks and reusable insight systems across a complex organization.
• Integrate qualitative and quantitative research to deliver complete partner insights.

Skills

Qualitative research methodologies

AI in research

Leadership of research teams

Stakeholder influence

B2B research experience

Education

Bachelor’s or advanced degree in HCI / Psychology / Anthropology / Cognitive Science

Tools

Cursor

Claude

GPT

Job description

Expedia Group is seeking a Research Director to lead the vision, strategy, and execution of research across our Partner Tools portfolio — spanning Hotel and Vacation Rental Partner Experiences, APIs, and Partner Advertising, from established products to AI-powered experiences.

This player/coach role leads a small, senior team while remaining hands-on and partnering with engineering, design, product, and data science to ensure research is central to the future of partner tools and informed by