Principal UX Research Lead Job at Keelworks in Oak Harbor

Position Overview

Principal UX Lead to help build the foundation of our UX research practice—blending operational leadership with deep expertise in research. The Principal UX Research Lead partners with the UX Design Lead to oversees user experience research activities and methodologies including interviews, usability testing and surveys. Facilitates the development of insights about behaviors and needs, and effectively partnering with UX Research to help develop a research-informed, human-centered approach, shaping the organization’s long-term UX design strategy.

As a principal, you are expected to utilize and leverage a deep understanding of user psychology and behavioral frameworks and to translate user insights into actionable design strategies, bridging the gap between theory and practical product design. This includes, but not limited to, presenting findings to stakeholders, mentoring and guiding junior researchers and developing, as well as maintaining narrative techniques and journey mapping.

Key Responsibilities

Practice Building & Operational Leadership

Build upon and implement unified UX Research processes and methodologies.

Partner with the UX Research Practice Lead to build a single-team, collaborative structure and align design and research processes, ensuring evidence-based decision making at every stage.

Create metrics and reporting for UX quality, accessibility, and impact, presenting results to operational leadership.

Research Leadership & Delivery

Provide principal-level mentoring and guidance across multiple projects and internal software products.

Provide structural support and guidance for the building of a research-driven design system from the ground up.

Lead quantitative and qualitative research efforts and initiatives.

Team Growth & Mentorship

Recruit, mentor, and coach UX researchers, fostering an inclusive and growth-oriented culture.

Guide, support and develop UX researchers in line with individual and organizational expectations.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Work closely with Engineering, Product, Program, and Data teams to embed UX milestones in agile roadmaps.

Champion accessibility and inclusive design to ensure our internal tools serve marginalized communities, staff, volunteers, and diverse people from all backgrounds equitably.

Qualifications

Significant UX/product design experience, with several years in senior or principal-level roles.

Proven success in establishing, maintaining and/or scaling UX practices involving UX Research.

Advanced skill in human-centered design methods, user psychology, interaction design, and information architecture.

Strong experience demonstrating UX research projects that provide measurable impact.

Expertise in inclusive research methods and data-driven design decisions.

Excellent facilitation and communication skills for executive and cross-functional audiences.

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Design related field or equivalent professional experience and education.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience with related internal enterprise applications, training/learning systems, or technology platforms.

Advanced familiarity with UX and Research principles.

Comfort with open-source tools and cost-conscious research operations.