Principal UX Researcher Job at Social Finance, Inc. (SoFi) in San Francisco

Shape a brighter financial future with us.

Together with our members, we’re changing the way people think about and interact with personal finance.

We’re a next-generation financial services company and national bank using innovative, mobile-first technology to help our millions of members reach their goals. The industry is going through an unprecedented transformation, and we’re at the forefront. We’re proud to come to work every day knowing that what we do has a direct impact on people’s lives, with our core values guiding us every step of the way. Join us to invest in yourself, your career, and the financial world.

The Role:

Join our dynamic team at SoFi as a Principal Researcher, working across the business to influence product decisions at various stages of product development. At SoFi, we\'re dedicated to helping our members achieve financial independence and reach their goals. We aim to be at the center of our members’ financial lives, offering a suite of products and services including credit score monitoring, banking, investing, credit cards, personal loans, student loans, home loans, and more.

What You\'ll Do:

• Lead research programs that span products and functions, setting direction and aligning teams with senior leadership.
• Build research systems and frameworks that scale across the company, ensuring consistency and clarity.
• Define and drive large, ambiguous initiatives with autonomy, from strategy through execution.
• Apply deep expertise across methods, adapting approaches to solve complex, multi-team problems.
• Create clear, durable deliverables that inform senior leadership decisions and guide multiple product areas.
• Anticipate misalignment, resolve tradeoffs across functions, and help prioritize at the organizational level.
• Represent research in senior forums, connecting user insights to company strategy and investments.
• Mentor and grow researchers, shape hiring, and set quality standards for the discipline.

What You\'ll Need:

• Degree in HCI, Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, or related field (advanced degree preferred).
• 15+ years of experience in user research, with a strong track record leading at the org or company level.
• Mastery of a broad range of research methods and the ability to design systems that scale.
• Strong skills in scoping, planning, and executing complex initiatives with minimal guidance.
• Exceptional communication and storytelling skills, comfortable influencing senior leadership.
• Experience resolving conflicts and guiding prioritization across multiple teams.
• Demonstrated leadership in mentoring, setting standards, and shaping hiring practices.
• Recognized for driving research quality and advancing the practice within a company or industry.

Compensation and Benefits

The base pay range for this role is listed below. Final base pay offer will be determined based on individual factors such as the candidate’s experience, skills, and location.

To view all of our comprehensiveand competitivebenefits, visit our Benefits at SoFi page!

Pay range: $185,600.00 - $319,000.00

Payment frequency: Annual

This role is also eligible for a bonus, long term incentives and competitive benefits. More information about our employee benefits can be found in the link above.

Pay range: $185,600.00 - $319,000.00 Payment frequency: Annual This role is also eligible for a bonus, long term incentives and competitive benefits. More information about our employee benefits can be found in the link above.

SoFi provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion (including religious dress and grooming practices), sex (including pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions, breastfeeding, and conditions related to breastfeeding), gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, ancestry, age (40 or over), physical or medical disability, medical condition, marital status, registered domestic partner status, sexual orientation, genetic information, military and/or veteran status, or any other basis prohibited by applicable state or federal law.

The Company hires the best qualified candidate for the job, without regard to protected characteristics.

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

SoFi is committed to an inclusive culture. As part of this commitment, SoFi offers reasonable accommodations to candidates with physical or mental disabilities. If you need accommodations to participate in the job application or interview process, please let your recruiter know or email accommodations@sofi.com.

Due to insurance coverage issues, we are unable to accommodate remote work from Hawaii or Alaska at this time.

Internal Employees

If you are a current employee, do not apply here - please navigate to our Internal Job Board in Greenhouse to apply to our open roles.

Apply for this position

Principal UX Researcher

Product Design

Terms and Conditions Apply. SOFI RESERVES THE RIGHT TO MODIFY OR DISCONTINUE PRODUCTS AND BENEFITS AT ANY TIME WITHOUT NOTICE. To qualify, a borrower must be a U.S. citizen or other eligible status and meet SoFi\'s underwriting requirements. Not all borrowers receive the lowest rate. Lowest rates reserved for the most creditworthy borrowers. If approved, your actual rate will be within the range of rates listed above and will depend on a variety of factors, including term of loan, evaluation of your creditworthiness, years of professional experience, income, and a variety of other factors. Rates and Terms are subject to change at anytime without notice and are subject to state restrictions. SoFi refinance loans are private loans and do not have the same repayment options that the federal loan program offers, or may become available, such as Income Based Repayment or Income Contingent Repayment or PAYE. Licensed by the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation under the California Financing Law License No. 6054612. SoFi loans are originated by SoFi Lending Corp. or an affiliate, NMLS # 696891. (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org)

︎ To check the rates and terms you qualify for, SoFi conducts a soft credit pull that will not affect your credit score. However, if you choose a product and continue your application, we will request your full credit report from one or more consumer reporting agencies, which is considered a hard credit pull and may affect your credit.