Design Insights & Validation Research Lead

Key Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end research initiatives (qualitative + quantitative) from problem definition to insight delivery across multiple workstreams.
• Design and execute advanced research studies (e.g., in-depth interviews, usability testing, surveys, concept validation, journey evaluation, and behavioral analytics) for complex and ambiguous problem spaces.
• Synthesize insights into strategic recommendations, connecting user needs to product, design, and business decisions.
• Drive customer centric mindset with exploration & validation of concepts, prototypes, and live experiences, ensuring clarity, usability, trust, and value of experiences.
• Partner with cross-functional stakeholders (Design, Product, Engineering, Business) to influence roadmaps and decision-making with objectivity and actionable insights.
• Determine priorities, align stakeholders, and ensure methodological rigor on projects as a research lead.
• Contribute to and evolve research frameworks, tools, and best practices, including scaling insights across teams.
• Mentor junior researchers or guide designers on research best practices, where applicable.
• Ensure insights continuity through documentation, repositories, and reusable knowledge systems.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Human Factors, Psychology, Social Sciences, HCI, Design Research, or related field.
• Typically 3–6 years of experience in UX research, design research, or market research.

Knowledge & Skills

• Strong expertise in mixed-method research (qualitative + quantitative) and selecting appropriate methodologies for complex problems.
• Curiosity to understand human behavior, especially with shifts in technology (physical and digital interactions) and evolving AI attitudes & behaviors.
• Ability to frame ambiguous problems into structured research approaches and actionable outputs.
• Advanced analytical and synthesis skills, translating data into clear, decision-oriented insights.
• Strong understanding of user-centred design, validation frameworks, and experience metrics.
• Experience influencing stakeholders and driving decisions through insights.
• Proficiency with research platforms (e.g., UserTesting, Suzy, Qualtrics, or similar).
• Familiarity with AI-assisted research tools (e.g., synthesis, survey generation, insight scaling) and curiosity to continuously learn more AI tools.
• Experience with remote, unmoderated, and scaled research methods.
• Exposure to behavioural analytics or eye-tracking tools is a plus.
• Strong communication and storytelling skills, with ability to present to senior stakeholders.

Impact / Scope

• Leads research across multiple projects or a workstream, handling diverse and complex problem areas.
• Influences design and product decisions through insights and recommendations.
• Collaborates with cross-functional teams, including senior stakeholders and external partners.
• Acts as a key contributor to research strategy, quality, and scalability within the organization.

Pay & Benefits

The pay range for this role is $93,400 to $143,800 USD annually with additional opportunities for pay in the form of bonus and/or equity (applies to United States of America candidates only).

The compensation and benefits information is accurate as of the date of this posting. The Company reserves the right to modify this information at any time, with or without notice, subject to applicable law.

The benefits offered include:

• Health insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• Long term/short term disability insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Flexible spending account
• Life insurance
• Generous time off policies, including; 4-12 weeks fully paid parental leave based on tenure 11 paid holidays
• Additional flexible paid vacation and sick leave

(US benefits overview [https://hpbenefits.ce.alight.com/])