NinjaTrader is hiring: Sr. UX Researcher in Chicago

Sr. UX Researcher

Join to apply for the Sr. UX Researcher role at NinjaTrader.

We are on a mission to become the #1 retail trading platform in the world. NinjaTrader is an industry‑leading trading platform and futures broker empowering traders to take control of their financial destiny. Over the last 20 years our user base has grown by 400% to over 1.9 million users and we have become the number one rated futures brokerage worldwide. We continue to innovate, modernize the futures industry, and provide dynamic tools, real‑time support, and a community of like‑minded traders.

What You’ll Do

In this role you will lead research initiatives that bridge the gap between complex trading workflows and intuitive product design. You will apply a variety of research methodologies—from generative to evaluative—to uncover user needs, validate solutions, and optimize the trading experience. Your insights will directly influence the design and development of NinjaTrader’s Futures Trading platform, ensuring it meets and exceeds the expectations of expert and new traders.

In This Role You Will

• Strategically select and apply research methods based on project needs
• Generative research to explore trader behaviors, workflows, and pain points
• Concept validation to refine ideas before development
• Evaluative research to assess the effectiveness of design solutions
• Behavioral and quantitative research to track user patterns and validate findings at scale
• Conduct deep research into trader psychology, decision‑making under pressure, and automation workflows, ensuring the platform supports both expert and new‑to‑futures traders
• Collaborate with designers, product managers, and engineers to translate insights into user‑centered solutions
• Develop personas and journey maps to align stakeholders on trader goals and pain points
• Advocate for research‑backed decision‑making, ensuring UX is grounded in user needs rather than assumptions
• Present findings in compelling ways through reports, workshops, and data‑driven storytelling
• Partner with market researchers and data analysts to triangulate user insights with behavioral data and market trends
• Establish and refine research frameworks, processes, and best practices to scale research impact across teams

What You’ll Need

• 5+ years of UX research experience in complex environments (fintech, trading, enterprise software, or similar domains)
• Expertise in a broad range of research methods, knowing when and how to apply each based on the research objective
• Experience conducting usability studies and optimizing workflows for high‑stakes decision‑making environments
• Ability to synthesize qualitative and quantitative insights to tell a clear and compelling user story
• Proficiency in UX research tools and behavioral analytics
• Strong collaboration skills, with the ability to work across design, product, data, marketing, and engineering teams to drive user‑centered solutions
• Excellent communication and storytelling abilities, with experience presenting insights to senior stakeholders

Bonus Points For

• Experience with futures trading platforms or other financial markets
• Background in behavioral economics or cognitive psychology
• Experience working in fast‑paced, agile environments
• Familiarity with trading platforms, real‑time data visualization, risk management tools, or trading concepts is a huge plus

Compensation

The salary range for this role will be $130,000 – $150,000 USD. In addition, this position will also receive an annual target bonus of 12%, split 50% based on individual performance and 50% on company/team performance. NinjaTrader offers a 401(k) plan through ADP with a company match up to 3.5% of employee contributions, 18 days of paid time off per year (plus additional days for qualifying employees), and seven paid holidays. Further benefit details are listed below.

Location

This role is based in Chicago, IL. Remote flexibility may be available for exceptional candidates in the following states: California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C.

Hybrid

For Chicago‑based employees, we follow a hybrid work schedule: in‑office Tuesday through Thursday, with remote work on Mondays and Fridays. We also offer 20 additional flexible remote days annually and 5 company‑wide office‑optional weeks tied to major holidays.

Our Core Benefits Include

• Generous PTO
• 7 paid holidays annually + 5 conditional holidays annually
• 1 service day annually
• 401(k) with 3.5% company match
• Paid parental bonding leave
• Health, vision, dental coverage
• Life and disability insurance covered 100% by NinjaTrader

We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender, gender identity or expression, or veteran status. We are proud to be an equal‑opportunity workplace.

Seniority level

Mid‑Senior level

Employment type

Full‑time

Job function

Information Technology