Director, UX Research

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Director, UX Research (Maternity Leave Coverage - 12 months)

Company: Loblaw Companies Limited

Location: Toronto, ON, Canada

Job Type: Full-time, Temporary (Fixed Term)

Category: User Experience Research Operations

Date Posted: May 21, 2026

Experience Level: 8+ Years Leading Research Initiatives

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead and evolve a high-performing mixed-methods UX Research practice to drive customer-centric decision-making across Loblaw Digital's digital retail and health product ecosystem.

• Manage, mentor, and inspire a team of approximately 10 UX Researchers, fostering a culture of collaboration, growth, and excellence within the research function.

• Oversee a diverse portfolio of high-impact research projects, ensuring the delivery of actionable insights that directly influence product strategy, design decisions, and overall customer experience.

• Champion the evolution of AI-native UX Research practices by integrating AI-powered synthesis, automation, and scalable insight-sharing approaches to accelerate research impact and organizational decision-making.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is specifically for maternity leave coverage, indicating a temporary, but senior-level engagement. The focus on "AI-native UX Research" suggests a forward-thinking approach to research operations, integrating advanced technologies for efficiency and impact within a large-scale digital environment. The emphasis on "mixed-methods" points to a need for researchers with a broad skill set in both qualitative and quantitative approaches.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Lead and inspire a team of approximately 10 mixed-methods UX Researchers, fostering a collaborative, inclusive, and growth-oriented environment.

• Champion a strategic vision for UX Research, maximizing its impact on product strategy, design decisions, and the overall customer experience for millions of Canadians.

• Oversee a portfolio of high-impact research projects, guiding the team to deliver actionable insights that drive product innovation across digital retail, loyalty, and health.

• Guide and evolve Loblaw Digital's Voice of Customer programs, ensuring rigorous collection, analysis, and integration of customer feedback into the product development lifecycle.

• Partner closely with cross-functional stakeholders, including Product, Engineering, Merchandising, and Marketing, to embed customer-centricity throughout the entire product lifecycle.

• Act as a primary advocate for the customer, ensuring their needs and perspectives are consistently represented at all organizational levels.

• Lead the adoption and evolution of AI-native UX Research practices, leveraging AI tools for accelerated synthesis, insight sharing, and operational efficiency while upholding research rigor.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a strong leadership component, emphasizing team management and strategic vision setting. The integration of AI in research operations is a key differentiator, requiring a leader who can strategically implement these technologies to enhance efficiency and insight delivery. The scope covers a broad digital ecosystem, necessitating a researcher capable of navigating complex product portfolios.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While not explicitly stated, a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Human-Computer Interaction, Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, Statistics, or a related field is typically expected for senior research roles.

Experience: 8+ years of experience leading research initiatives, with a preference for experience across multiple business verticals and within a fast-paced, large, digital product environment.

Required Skills:

• Proven experience as a People Leader: Hiring, managing, mentoring, and inspiring high-performing research teams.

• Strong collaborative abilities: Building productive relationships through clear communication, mutual respect, and shared success.

• Expertise in Mixed-Methods Research: Deep understanding of both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies.

• AI-Native Research Acumen: Comfort and excitement in leveraging AI-powered tools for research synthesis, automation, and insight sharing.

• Strategic Thinking: Exceptional critical thinking skills to dissect complex problems and develop innovative research strategies.

• Accountable Execution: Ability to hold self and team accountable for high-quality deliverables and impactful outcomes.

• Inclusive Champion: Commitment to fostering an inclusive, equitable, and supportive work environment.

• Excellent communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience in digital retail, eCommerce, or loyalty program research.

• Demonstrated experience influencing product strategy and design decisions through impactful research insights.

• Experience leveraging AI-enabled research, synthesis, automation, or insight management tools to scale research impact.

📝 Enhancement Note: The qualifications emphasize leadership and strategic influence, with a strong requirement for expertise in mixed-methods research and a forward-looking embrace of AI in research operations. The minimum experience level suggests a senior role with significant responsibility for team and practice development.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase a history of leading significant UX Research initiatives from conception to impact.

• Demonstrate expertise in both qualitative (e.g., interviews, usability testing, ethnographic studies) and quantitative (e.g., surveys, A/B testing analysis, data analysis) research methodologies.

• Provide examples of how research insights were translated into actionable product or strategy recommendations and the resulting business impact.

• Highlight experience in managing research operations, including team leadership, project prioritization, and resource allocation.

Process Documentation:

• Evidence of establishing or refining research processes and workflows for scalability and efficiency.

• Examples of how Voice of Customer programs were implemented, analyzed, and integrated into product development cycles.

• Documentation showcasing the application of AI tools for research synthesis, data analysis, or insight dissemination.

• Case studies demonstrating the impact of research on key business objectives such as customer acquisition, retention, or engagement.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the senior level and focus on evolving research practices, a robust portfolio is crucial. It should not only demonstrate research expertise but also leadership capabilities, strategic influence, and a clear understanding of how to operationalize research within a large digital organization, with a specific emphasis on AI integration.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $145,000.00 - $195,000.00 CAD per year.

Benefits:

• Full-time employment benefits package (details not specified, but typically includes health, dental, vision).

• Opportunity to work on impactful projects for a leading Canadian retailer.

• Professional development opportunities within a dynamic digital environment.

• Maternity leave coverage for a 12-month period.

• Potential to influence product strategy and customer experience for millions of Canadians.

Working Hours: Full-time, typically 40 hours per week.

📝 Enhancement Note: The provided salary range is competitive for a Director-level UX Research role in Toronto. The "Temporary (Fixed Term)" nature of the role for 12 months should be clearly understood by candidates. While specific benefits aren't detailed, standard full-time benefits are implied. The mention of AI use in hiring suggests a tech-forward approach.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Retail, eCommerce, Health & Pharmacy Technology. Loblaw Digital operates within the fast-paced and evolving sectors of online retail, loyalty programs, and digital health solutions, catering to millions of Canadians.

Company Size: Loblaw Companies Limited is a large, established Canadian retail giant. Loblaw Digital, as its digital arm, likely operates with a dynamic, startup-like agility within the larger corporate structure, fostering innovation and rapid development.

Founded: Loblaw Companies Limited was founded in 1919, with Loblaw Digital being a more recent, innovative expansion. This blend of established trust and digital innovation shapes its culture.

Team Structure:

• The UX Research team at Loblaw Digital is approximately 10 mixed-methods researchers.

• This role will report to a senior leader within the Digital product or design organization.

Methodology:

• A strong emphasis on data-driven decision-making and customer-centricity.

• Mixed-methods research approach to gain comprehensive insights.

• Agile development methodologies are likely employed, requiring rapid research cycles and iterative feedback loops.

• Integration of AI to enhance research efficiency and strategic impact.

Company Website: https://www.loblaw.ca/, https://www.loblawdigital.ca/ (assumed for digital arm)

📝 Enhancement Note: Loblaw Digital aims to blend the stability of a large corporation with the innovation of a tech company. The UX Research team is integral to embedding customer needs into this digital transformation, working cross-functionally to ensure human-centered design. The mention of AI in hiring suggests a culture that embraces technological advancements.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Director of UX Research. This is a senior leadership position responsible for setting the strategic direction and operational excellence of the UX Research function within Loblaw Digital. It involves managing a team, influencing product strategy, and driving significant organizational change.

Reporting Structure: The Director will report to a senior executive (e.g., VP of Product, Head of Design) within Loblaw Digital, providing high-level visibility and direct impact on executive decision-making.

Operations Impact: The role's impact is substantial, directly influencing the user experience of millions of Canadians across critical services like online grocery shopping, pharmacy, and loyalty programs. By ensuring customer-centricity and operational effectiveness, this role contributes significantly to customer satisfaction, retention, and business growth.

Growth Opportunities:

• Strategic Leadership: Opportunity to shape the future of UX Research practices at a major Canadian retailer, particularly in the emerging field of AI-native research.

• Skill Development: Deepen expertise in managing large research teams, influencing executive stakeholders, and leveraging advanced AI research tools.

• Cross-Functional Influence: Gain extensive experience collaborating with and influencing various departments, enhancing understanding of the broader digital retail and health ecosystem.

• Career Advancement: Potential to move into higher leadership roles within Loblaw Digital or other large organizations, particularly those focused on digital transformation and customer experience.

📝 Enhancement Note: As this is a maternity leave coverage role, direct long-term career progression within this specific position might be limited. However, the experience gained in leading a substantial team, driving strategic research initiatives, and integrating AI technologies would be highly valuable for future leadership opportunities within Loblaw or the broader industry.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is based at Loblaw's office at 500 Lake Shore Blvd W, Toronto, ON, indicating a requirement for on-site presence. This is likely a modern office environment designed for collaboration.

Office Location(s): 500 Lake Shore Blvd W, Toronto, ON, Canada. This location is in the heart of Toronto, offering accessibility and proximity to urban amenities.

Workspace Context:

• A collaborative office setting designed to foster interaction between Product, Design, Engineering, and other business units.

• Access to modern tools and technology necessary for UX research and team collaboration.

• Opportunities for direct engagement with research team members and cross-functional partners.

• The environment is expected to be fast-paced, dynamic, and focused on innovation within the digital retail and health sectors.

Work Schedule: Full-time, 40 hours per week. While the role is on-site, the company culture may offer some flexibility for operations work, though adherence to core business hours is expected.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role is explicitly on-site in Toronto. This requires candidates to be comfortable working from the office, likely engaging in in-person collaboration and team activities, which is common for senior leadership roles focused on driving team cohesion and strategic alignment.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Likely involves HR and potentially a hiring manager to assess basic qualifications and cultural fit. AI tools may be used for initial candidate assessment.

• Hiring Manager/Team Interview: Deeper dive into leadership experience, mixed-methods expertise, and strategic thinking. This stage may include behavioral questions and scenario-based assessments.

• Cross-Functional Stakeholder Interviews: Conversations with peers and leaders from Product, Design, Engineering, and Marketing to evaluate collaboration skills and ability to influence.

• Portfolio Review & Presentation: Candidates will likely present a selection of their most impactful research projects, demonstrating leadership, methodology, insights, and business impact. This is a critical step for assessing research depth and strategic contribution.

• Final Interview: May involve senior leadership to make a final decision, focusing on strategic vision and cultural alignment.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Select impactful case studies: Choose projects that clearly demonstrate your leadership in UX Research, strategic influence, and tangible business outcomes.

• Showcase mixed-methods expertise: Present examples that highlight your ability to integrate qualitative and quantitative data for robust insights.

• Detail your leadership approach: Explain how you managed, mentored, and grew research teams, fostering a positive and productive environment.

• Emphasize AI integration: If possible, include examples of how you've leveraged AI or advanced technologies to scale research impact, synthesize data, or improve efficiency.

• Quantify impact: Whenever possible, use metrics to demonstrate the success of your research initiatives and their contribution to business goals.

• Prepare for deep dives: Be ready to discuss your process, rationale, challenges, and learnings for each project presented.

Challenge Preparation:

• Be prepared for scenario-based questions related to managing research teams, prioritizing projects, and influencing stakeholders.

• Practice articulating your strategic vision for UX Research and how you would evolve Loblaw Digital's practice, especially with AI integration.

• Prepare to discuss how you foster a customer-centric culture and embed user insights across an organization.

• Familiarize yourself with Loblaw's brands and digital offerings to better contextualize your responses.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on AI in the job description suggests that candidates should be ready to discuss their experience or understanding of AI-powered research tools and methodologies during the interview process. A strong portfolio showcasing leadership and strategic impact is paramount for this Director-level role.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• UX Research Platforms: Tools for user interviews, usability testing, surveys, and data analysis (e.g., UserTesting.com, Qualtrics, SurveyMonkey, Lookback, Maze).

• Collaboration & Project Management: Tools for team collaboration and project tracking (e.g., Jira, Confluence, Asana, Trello).

• Data Analysis Software: Tools for statistical analysis and data visualization (e.g., SPSS, R, Python libraries like Pandas/NumPy, Tableau, Power BI).

• AI-Powered Research Tools: Emerging platforms for automated synthesis, sentiment analysis, insight generation, or research operations scaling.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Web Analytics: Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics for understanding user behavior on websites and apps.

• BI Tools: For creating dashboards and reports to communicate research findings and impact to stakeholders.

CRM & Automation:

• While not core to UX Research, familiarity with CRM systems (like Salesforce) can provide context for customer data and segmentation.

• Understanding of marketing automation platforms might be beneficial for understanding customer journeys.

📝 Enhancement Note: The job description explicitly mentions "AI-native UX Research practices" and "AI-powered synthesis, automation, and scalable insight-sharing." Candidates should be prepared to discuss their familiarity with and experience using AI tools relevant to UX Research, such as AI-driven synthesis platforms, sentiment analysis tools, or tools that automate aspects of the research workflow.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Customer Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and advocating for the customer's needs in all product development decisions.

• Collaboration: Working effectively across diverse teams (Product, Design, Engineering, Marketing, Merchandising) to achieve shared goals.

• Innovation: Embracing new technologies and methodologies, particularly AI, to enhance research effectiveness and impact.

• Impact & Accountability: Driving tangible business outcomes through rigorous research and taking ownership of deliverables.

• Growth & Development: Fostering a culture where team members are encouraged to learn, grow, and advance their skills.

• Inclusivity & Equity: Creating a supportive and equitable environment where all team members feel valued and respected.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Seamless collaboration with product teams to embed research insights at every stage of the product lifecycle.

• Data-Driven Storytelling: Communicating research findings in compelling ways that influence strategic decisions.

• Feedback Culture: Open to giving and receiving constructive feedback to drive continuous improvement within the team and across departments.

• Knowledge Sharing: Actively sharing insights and best practices to elevate the research maturity of the organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture appears to value a blend of innovation (especially with AI) and a strong customer focus, underpinned by collaborative and inclusive practices. This is crucial for any leader aiming to integrate and lead a research team effectively within Loblaw Digital.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Scaling Research Impact: Effectively managing and scaling a team of 10 researchers to meet the demands of a large, complex digital ecosystem while maintaining high quality.

• Integrating AI: Successfully implementing and evolving AI-native research practices, ensuring ethical use, rigor, and genuine insight generation, not just automation.

• Influencing Stakeholders: Consistently embedding customer insights into decision-making processes across various departments, some of which may have competing priorities.

• Measuring Research ROI: Clearly demonstrating the value and return on investment of UX Research initiatives to leadership.

• Rapid Pace of Digital Retail: Keeping pace with the fast-evolving digital retail landscape and customer expectations.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• AI in Research: Opportunity to become a leader in AI-native UX Research, shaping best practices and driving innovation in this emerging field.

• Strategic Leadership: Developing advanced strategic planning, team management, and executive communication skills.

• Cross-Disciplinary Expertise: Deepening understanding of eCommerce, digital health, and loyalty program dynamics through close collaboration.

• Mentorship: Gaining experience mentoring a team of researchers, fostering their professional growth and career development.

📝 Enhancement Note: The primary challenges revolve around leadership in a complex, AI-integrated environment and demonstrating research's strategic value. The growth opportunities are significant, particularly for those looking to specialize in the cutting edge of AI in UX Research and senior leadership within a major retail organization.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you define success for a UX Research team at Loblaw Digital, particularly in the context of AI integration and a multi-brand digital ecosystem?"

• "Describe your approach to developing a strategic vision for UX Research that aligns with business objectives and drives customer-centricity."

• "How do you ensure that AI-powered research tools enhance, rather than replace, critical human judgment and empathy in research insights?"

• "Walk us through a time you successfully influenced product strategy using mixed-methods research. What was your process, and what was the outcome?"

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What do you know about Loblaw's brands and digital offerings, and how do you see UX Research contributing to their success?"

• "How would you foster an inclusive and growth-oriented culture within your UX Research team?"

• "Describe a challenging situation where you had to collaborate with a difficult stakeholder. How did you navigate it?"

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure: Organize your presentation with a clear narrative: Problem/Opportunity -> Your Approach (Methodology, Team Management) -> Key Insights -> Recommendations/Impact -> Business Outcomes.

• Highlight Leadership: Emphasize your role in leading the research, managing the team, and influencing stakeholders.

• Showcase AI: If you have relevant experience, explicitly point out how AI tools were used to enhance the process or outcomes.

• Quantify Impact: Use specific numbers and metrics to demonstrate the business value of your work.

• Anticipate Questions: Be ready to elaborate on your methodology choices, decision-making processes, and any challenges faced.

📝 Enhancement Note: Candidates should prepare to discuss their leadership philosophy, strategic approach to UX Research, and specific experience with AI tools. Demonstrating an understanding of Loblaw's business context and a passion for customer advocacy will be key.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Director, UX Research position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on the Loblaw careers portal.

• Tailor your resume: Highlight your leadership experience, mixed-methods research expertise, and any experience with AI in research operations. Quantify achievements where possible.

• Prepare your portfolio: Select 2-3 of your most impactful projects that showcase your leadership, strategic influence, and research execution. Be ready to present these in detail.

• Research Loblaw Digital: Understand their brands (PC Express, Shoppers Drug Mart, Joe Fresh, etc.) and their digital presence to better articulate how your skills align with their needs.

• Practice your narrative: Rehearse your presentation for the portfolio review, focusing on clear communication, strategic insights, and demonstrated impact. Be prepared to discuss your approach to AI in research.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.

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