Manager, User Experience (UX) Research

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Manager, User Experience (UX) Research

Company: onX

Location: Missoula, Montana, United States (with remote options across various US locations)

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: User Experience Research / Product Development Operations

Date Posted: February 25, 2026

Experience Level: 10+ Years

Remote Status: Remote OK (Hybrid/Office options available in specific locations)

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead and mature a growing UX Research practice within a multi-product consumer technology ecosystem, focusing on strategic impact and operational excellence.

• Develop and manage a team of UX Researchers, establishing research standards, ethical guidelines, and scalable operating models to ensure high-quality, impactful research.

• Drive evidence-informed decision-making by integrating user insights into product strategy, prioritization, and business outcomes through strong cross-functional partnerships.

• Explore and implement innovative research methodologies, including the thoughtful incorporation of AI, to enhance efficiency and rigor in research workflows.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a leadership opportunity within a maturing UX Research function. The emphasis on "Research Operations & Enablement" and "democratization" suggests a strategic focus on scaling research capabilities beyond a dedicated team, requiring strong process design and enablement skills. The "Manager" title, coupled with 8+ years of research experience and 2+ years of management, indicates a senior individual contributor with significant scope for shaping the practice.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Define and evolve the overarching UX Research strategy across onX's diverse product portfolio, ensuring research is strategically embedded throughout the product development lifecycle.

• Translate complex customer needs and product challenges (e.g., trust, safety, usability, offline performance) into robust research plans and deliver actionable insights, including trade-offs and strategic implications.

• Design, implement, and refine a scalable research operating model, establishing clear standards, quality guardrails, and best practices for research execution.

• Develop and coach a team of UX Researchers, fostering a high bar for craft, judgment, and practical relevance in their work, while also managing hiring and performance.

• Empower non-researchers (Product Managers, Designers) to conduct effective evaluative research through toolkits, training, and ongoing coaching, ensuring quality and ethical standards are maintained.

• Integrate AI tools and methodologies into research workflows to enhance efficiency and uncover deeper insights, while rigorously maintaining methodological integrity.

• Foster strong collaborative relationships with Product Management, Design, Engineering, Data, and Marketing teams to champion user-centricity and reduce friction from inconsistent research practices.

• Proactively identify opportunities to strengthen the company's understanding of user needs and translate these into concrete product strategy, prioritization, and business decisions.

• Step into complex or high-impact research initiatives as needed, modeling best-in-class research practices and ethical considerations.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a dual focus on people leadership and operational strategy. The emphasis on "democratization" and enabling non-researchers suggests a need for strong process design and training development skills, crucial for scaling research operations effectively in a growing organization. The requirement to "translate complex customer and product questions" points to the need for strong analytical and strategic thinking skills.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's or Master's degree in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, Information Science, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

Experience:

• Minimum of eight (8) years of hands-on experience conducting primary user research across the entire product lifecycle.

• Minimum of two (2) years of direct experience managing and developing a team of UX Researchers.

Required Skills:

• Research Methodology Mastery: Strong command of a wide range of qualitative and mixed-methods research approaches (e.g., ethnography, in-depth interviews, usability testing, surveys, diary studies, concept testing), with sound judgment on selecting appropriate methods for various research questions.

• Team Leadership & Development: Demonstrated ability to lead, coach, mentor, and develop a team of researchers, fostering a culture of excellence, collaboration, and continuous learning.

• Research Operations & Strategy: Experience in designing, implementing, and refining research operating models, including establishing standards, processes, and quality guardrails for research execution at scale.

• Strategic Impact & Influence: Proven ability to connect research insights directly to product direction, strategic decisions, and measurable business outcomes, effectively influencing cross-functional stakeholders.

• Research Enablement: Experience designing and delivering systems, toolkits, and training programs to enable non-researchers (e.g., Product Managers, Designers) to conduct responsible and effective evaluative research.

• AI in Research: Practical experience incorporating Artificial Intelligence (AI) into research workflows to improve efficiency, uncover deeper insights, or automate tasks, while maintaining methodological rigor and ethical standards.

• Communication & Influence: Exceptional communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills, with a proven ability to articulate complex findings clearly and influence stakeholders without formal authority.

• Ambiguity Navigation: Comfort and effectiveness in working within evolving environments, managing ambiguity, and driving clarity and direction.

• US Work Authorization: Permanent US work authorization is a mandatory condition of employment.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience in mobile-first and/or real-world, field-based environments, particularly those involving low- or no-connectivity conditions.

• Experience building robust research operations infrastructure, including participant recruitment systems, tooling, and vendor management.

• Expertise in defining and implementing research quality standards, particularly within distributed or hybrid organizational structures.

• Experience developing and implementing measurement frameworks, such as usability benchmarks, Net Promoter Score (NPS) integration, or other key performance indicators (KPIs).

• Experience coaching Product Managers and Designers in evaluative research practices and best practices.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "10+" years of experience is derived from the combination of "8+ years of experience conducting primary user research" and "2+ years of experience directly managing and developing UX Researchers," suggesting a senior leadership profile. The emphasis on "democratization," "AI integration," and "operating models" points towards a need for strong process and systems thinking, akin to operations roles.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrated Impact: A portfolio or collection of case studies is mandatory, clearly showcasing how your research insights have directly translated into measurable business outcomes and product improvements.

• Methodological Breadth: Showcase a diverse range of research projects utilizing various qualitative and mixed methods, highlighting your strategic approach to method selection.

• End-to-End Process: Present case studies that illustrate your involvement across the entire product development lifecycle, from foundational research to evaluative testing and iteration.

• Strategic Linkage: Clearly articulate how your research findings informed product strategy, prioritization decisions, and influenced key business objectives.

• Leadership Examples: Include examples that demonstrate your leadership in maturing research practices, developing researchers, or establishing research operations.

Process Documentation:

• Operating Model Design: Be prepared to discuss your experience in designing and documenting scalable research operating models, including standards, guidelines, and workflows.

• Enablement Frameworks: Detail your approach to creating and implementing toolkits, training materials, and coaching programs for enabling non-researchers in research activities.

• Quality Assurance: Showcase how you have established and maintained quality standards and ethical considerations within research practices, especially in democratized or distributed environments.

• AI Integration Strategy: Be ready to present your thought process and practical examples of how AI can be thoughtfully integrated into research processes to enhance efficiency and insight generation.

📝 Enhancement Note: