Senior Staff UX Design Researcher

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Staff UX Design Researcher

Company: GE Aerospace

Location: Livonia, Michigan, United States (Remote)

Job Type: Full-time

Category: User Experience (UX) Research / Design Research

Date Posted: April 27, 2026

Experience Level: Mid-Senior to Staff Level (5-10 years)

Remote Status: Remote Solely

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead comprehensive, end-to-end user research initiatives, from initial discovery and planning through analysis, synthesis, and communication of findings to drive product, service, and technology decisions within GE Aerospace's STS Hosting organization.

• Establish and champion industry-leading standards, policies, and best practices for product and UX research, ensuring alignment with technology visions and critical operational goals across internal teams and external stakeholders.

• Centralize and manage data and analytics needs for internal services, operational health, and product/service performance, developing scalable standard visualizations to provide research-backed insights that enable data-driven decision-making.

• Act as a key influencer and coach, enabling cross-functional teams and leadership to effectively apply UX research and CX standards, integrating customer-centricity into technology development and operational processes.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is pivotal in bridging the gap between Design and Technology for STS Hosting, focusing on internal services and operational health. While not directly owning costs, the researcher's insights are crucial for prioritization and resource allocation, demanding a strong ability to influence without direct authority. The remote nature of the role necessitates exceptional asynchronous communication and collaboration skills.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Conduct and lead end-to-end user research studies, including discovery, planning, execution, analysis, synthesis, and communication of findings for both internal teams and external stakeholders.

• Translate complex research findings into actionable insights, frameworks, and clear recommendations that directly inform product, service, and technology development decisions.

• Provide accurate, research-backed information to enable data-driven decisions on prioritization and resource effectiveness for internal services and operational health.

• Partner closely with Customer Delivery teams to translate Voice of Customer (VOC) and UX research findings into tangible process improvements, updated training materials, and enhanced customer experiences across Hosting shops.

• Centralize data and analytics needs related to internal services, operational health, product/service performance, and UX research, ensuring data quality, consistency, and traceability for critical decision-making.

• Develop, support, and evolve robust standards, policies, and best practices for product and UX research across STS and related teams, fostering consistency and quality.

• Coach and enable cross-functional teams on the application of UX research and CX standards in their projects, providing guidance on methods, tools, and measurement approaches.

• Collaborate across STS to identify strategic opportunities for customer experience consistency and codify best practices across various operational shops.

• Facilitate iterative research and experimentation cycles that combine UX and lean best practices to effectively reduce risk and accelerate learning in product development.

• Create, maintain, and manage comprehensive documentation repositories for internal processes, key research artifacts, and CX/UX standards to support knowledge sharing and consistency.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of hands-on research execution and strategic influence. Emphasis on "centralizing data and analytics needs" and "enabling internal teams to deliver a customer experience aligned with technology visions" suggests a focus on operationalizing research insights and building scalable systems for research and data utilization, rather than just isolated research projects.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university or college with a minimum of 5 years of professional experience; OR

• Associate’s degree with a minimum of 8 years of professional experience; OR

• High School Diploma with a minimum of 10 years of professional experience.

Experience:

• Minimum of 5 years of professional experience specifically in UX Design or Design Research roles.

• Demonstrated experience leading end-to-end research initiatives, from discovery to delivery, particularly in complex environments.

Required Skills:

• Deep expertise in both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies, including but not limited to interviews, contextual inquiry, ethnography, surveys, usability testing, and log/behavioral analysis.

• Strong skills in data analysis and visualization, with the ability to synthesize information from multiple sources and present insights clearly in scalable dashboards or reports.

• Proven ability to translate Voice of Customer (VOC) and UX research findings into measurable process, training, and product improvements.

• Demonstrated success in coaching, mentoring, or enabling teams to adopt UX/CX practices and apply research methods independently.

• Excellent communication and storytelling skills, with the ability to convey complex research findings effectively to both technical and non-technical audiences.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with visual collaboration tools such as Miro.

• Experience working in technology-driven product or platform environments, particularly with internal tools, services, or operational systems.

• Experience defining and operationalizing UX research standards, policies, and best practices across multiple teams or organizations.

• Proficiency in process documentation and knowledge management, including organizing and maintaining shared repositories of research and CX artifacts.

• Ability to influence without direct authority, guiding prioritization and strategy through evidence and customer insight.

📝 Enhancement Note: The experience requirements are structured to accommodate various educational backgrounds, emphasizing extensive professional experience as a key differentiator. The "Staff/Principal level" designation indicates a need for strategic thinking, leadership, and the ability to drive change across organizational boundaries, often requiring experience in influencing without direct authority.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrate end-to-end ownership of complex research initiatives, showcasing the entire research lifecycle from discovery and planning to analysis, synthesis, and actionable recommendations.

• Provide examples of how research findings were translated into tangible product, service, or process improvements that measurably impacted customer experience or operational efficiency.

• Showcase experience in developing and implementing research standards, policies, or best practices, ideally across multiple teams or projects.

Process Documentation:

• Include examples of creating, maintaining, or managing documentation for internal processes, research artifacts, or CX/UX standards to support knowledge sharing and consistency.

• Showcase experience in defining and operationalizing UX research standards, policies, and best practices.

• Demonstrate how you have coached or enabled teams to adopt UX/CX practices and apply research methods independently.

• Highlight instances where you collaborated with customer-facing teams or Customer Delivery to translate VOC and UX findings into process enhancements.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Senior Staff level role, the portfolio should emphasize strategic impact, leadership in process definition, and the ability to scale research practices. Candidates should be prepared to discuss not just what research they did, but how it was integrated into broader organizational processes and decision-making frameworks, with a focus on operationalizing insights.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

Benefits:

• Health & Wellbeing: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance; prescription drug coverage; access to a Health Coach; and a 24/7 confidential Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

• Retirement Planning: GE Aerospace Retirement Savings Plan (401k) with company matching contributions and additional company retirement contributions, plus access to Fidelity resources and planning consultants.

• Financial & Personal Support: Tuition assistance, adoption assistance, paid parental leave, disability insurance, and life insurance.

• Time Off: Paid time-off for vacation and illness.

• Additional Programs: HealthAhead program for physical, emotional, financial, and social wellbeing.

Working Hours:

• Standard working hours are expected to be 40 hours per week, typical for a full-time role. The remote nature may offer some flexibility in scheduling, but core availability for collaboration with US-based teams will be necessary.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range provided is specific to the US market and reflects a senior-level position. The benefits package is extensive, covering health, retirement, financial planning, and personal support, which are common offerings for large, established aerospace and technology companies like GE Aerospace. The explicit mention of "no direct cost ownership" for the researcher implies their role is advisory and insight-driven, rather than budget-holding.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Aerospace & Defense, Aviation Technology

Company Size: GE Aerospace is a large, global company with tens of thousands of employees, operating as a significant player in the aerospace industry. This implies a structured environment with established processes, but also opportunities for impact within specialized divisions.

Founded: General Electric was founded in 1892. GE Aerospace (formerly GE Aviation) has a long history within the company, indicating a deep-rooted culture of engineering excellence, innovation, and operational rigor.

Team Structure:

• The role sits within the STS Hosting organization, which likely focuses on internal IT services, cloud infrastructure, or platform operations critical for GE Aerospace's global operations.

• The UX Design Researcher will be an active member of a team that bridges Design and Technology, suggesting close collaboration with product managers, engineers, designers, and potentially operations specialists.

Methodology:

• The role emphasizes a data-driven approach, centralizing data and analytics needs for internal services and operational health.

• Expect a focus on establishing and championing standards, policies, and best practices for product and UX research, driving consistency and efficiency.

• Lean best practices and iterative research/experimentation cycles are encouraged to reduce risk and accelerate learning.

Company Website: https://www.geaerospace.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: GE Aerospace's legacy in engineering and innovation suggests a culture that values technical expertise, rigorous analysis, and continuous improvement. The specific focus on "STS Hosting" and "internal services" indicates this role is critical for optimizing the company's internal operational backbone and user experience for employees, rather than external customer-facing products.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a "Senior Staff" level position, indicating a high degree of expertise, autonomy, and influence. It signifies a professional who can operate independently on complex problems, mentor others, and contribute to strategic direction, often seen as a technical leader or expert within their domain.

Reporting Structure: The role will likely report to a Director or Senior Manager of UX Design or Product Management within the STS Hosting organization. Collaboration will be extensive with cross-functional teams, including engineering, product management, and customer delivery.

Operations Impact: The primary impact of this role is to enhance the efficiency, effectiveness, and user satisfaction of internal services and operational systems through research-backed insights. This indirectly impacts productivity, cost savings, and the ability of other GE Aerospace teams to achieve their objectives by providing them with better tools and systems.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization & Leadership: Deepen expertise in specific research methodologies or focus on scaling UX research practices across a larger segment of the STS Hosting organization, potentially leading to a Principal or Director-level UX Research role.

• Strategic Influence: Grow into a role with greater influence on product roadmaps, technology strategy, and operational process definition, leveraging research insights to shape business decisions.

• Mentorship & Enablement: Develop leadership skills by coaching and mentoring junior researchers and enabling non-researchers to adopt user-centered practices, potentially leading to formal team leadership roles.

• Cross-Functional Expertise: Gain a deep understanding of aerospace operations and internal technology systems, opening doors to roles in product management, program management, or operational strategy within GE Aerospace.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Senior Staff" title implies a path beyond individual contributor individual contributor research and towards strategic influence, process improvement leadership, and potentially mentorship on a larger scale. Growth is likely tied to expanding the scope of research impact and embedding user-centered design principles more deeply within the STS Hosting organization.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: This is a fully remote position, allowing employees to work from their home office.

Office Location(s): While the primary listed location is Livonia, Michigan, other potential locations derived include Atlanta (Georgia), Cheltenham (England), Evendale (Ohio), and potentially Livonia, New York. However, the explicit "#LI-Remote - This is a remote position" tag confirms the role is not tied to a specific office, but residency within the United States is likely required for administrative and tax purposes.

Workspace Context:

• As a remote role, the candidate will be responsible for establishing their own productive home office environment.

• Expect to utilize a range of digital collaboration tools (e.g., Miro, Slack, Teams, Zoom) to connect with colleagues and conduct research.

Work Schedule:

• Standard 40-hour work week is assumed. While remote work offers flexibility, availability during core business hours for collaboration with US-based teams will be crucial. Meetings may span across different time zones, requiring adaptability.

📝 Enhancement Note: The remote-first nature of this role necessitates strong self-discipline, time management, and proactive communication skills. While the company is headquartered in the US, the derived locations suggest a global presence, but the remote designation and US visa requirement mean candidates should be based within the United States.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter or hiring manager will likely review applications and resumes, assessing alignment with minimum and desired qualifications, particularly the years of experience and core research skills.

• Hiring Manager/Team Interview: This stage will delve deeper into your experience, focusing on specific research projects, methodologies used, and how you've translated findings into actionable insights. Expect behavioral questions related to collaboration, influence, and problem-solving.

• Portfolio Review & Presentation: Candidates will likely be asked to present a portfolio showcasing 2-3 key research projects. This is a critical stage to demonstrate your process, impact, and communication skills. Be prepared to discuss your role, the challenges faced, the methods employed, and the outcomes achieved.

• Cross-functional Stakeholder Interviews: Interviews with potential peers and key stakeholders from engineering, product, and customer delivery teams to assess collaboration style, technical understanding, and cultural fit.

• Final Interview: Potentially with senior leadership to discuss strategic alignment, long-term vision, and overall fit for the Senior Staff role.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Focus on Impact: Select projects that clearly demonstrate the impact of your research on product decisions, process improvements, or operational outcomes. Quantify results whenever possible (e.g., "led to a 15% reduction in support tickets," "informed a feature that increased adoption by 20%").

• Showcase the Process: Clearly articulate your research process for each project, from defining research questions and recruiting participants to analysis methods and synthesizing findings. Emphasize your end-to-end ownership.

• Highlight Influence: For a Staff-level role, demonstrate how you influenced stakeholders and decision-makers through your research. Provide examples of how you translated complex data into compelling narratives.

• Tailor to the Role: Emphasize projects related to internal tools, services, operational health, or B2B/enterprise user research if possible, given GE Aerospace's context.

• Prepare for Questions: Anticipate questions about challenges, trade-offs, ethical considerations, and how you handle conflicting stakeholder input.

Challenge Preparation:

• While not explicitly mentioned, be prepared for potential case study exercises or scenario-based questions where you might be asked to outline a research plan for a hypothetical problem relevant to internal services or operational efficiency within GE Aerospace.

• Practice articulating your research strategy and methodology concisely and clearly.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "staff/principal level" and "influencing cross-functional teams" means the interview process will heavily scrutinize your ability to drive strategic initiatives and communicate complex insights effectively. A well-curated portfolio demonstrating tangible impact and strategic thinking is paramount.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• UX Research Platforms: Tools for designing, distributing, and analyzing surveys, usability tests, and other research instruments (e.g., Qualtrics, SurveyMonkey, UserTesting.com, Maze).

• Collaboration Tools: Visual collaboration tools are explicitly mentioned, with Miro being a key example. Other tools like Mural, Figma (for design collaboration), or digital whiteboarding solutions are likely utilized.

• Data Analysis & Visualization: Proficiency in tools for analyzing quantitative data and creating visualizations. This could include tools like Excel, Tableau, Power BI, Python (with libraries like Pandas, Matplotlib), or R.

• Communication & Project Management: Standard enterprise tools such as Microsoft Teams, Slack, Zoom, Jira, Confluence, Asana, or Trello for communication, project tracking, and documentation.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Experience with tools for analyzing operational health, product performance, and user behavior data. This may involve SQL for database querying, or specialized analytics platforms.

CRM & Automation:

• While not directly a CRM role, understanding how user behavior data integrates with CRM systems or enterprise resource planning (ERP) tools can be beneficial for understanding the broader operational context. Familiarity with how data feeds into operational workflows is key.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of Miro points to a strong need for skills in collaborative ideation and workshop facilitation in a remote setting. Proficiency in data analysis and visualization tools is critical, especially given the role's responsibility for centralizing data and building scalable dashboards. Understanding how research insights connect to broader operational metrics and enterprise systems will be advantageous.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Customer Focus: A strong commitment to understanding and improving the experience of internal users and external stakeholders through research and data.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Emphasis on using research findings and analytics to inform strategy, prioritization, and resource allocation.

• Excellence & Rigor: A culture that values thoroughness, accuracy, and the application of robust research methodologies.

• Collaboration & Influence: A collaborative spirit is essential, with an expectation to influence without direct authority and work effectively across diverse teams.

• Continuous Improvement: A drive to establish and evolve best practices, champion standards, and foster iterative learning through lean experimentation.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Proactive engagement with engineering, product management, customer delivery, and other operational teams to ensure research is relevant and insights are actionable.

• Evidence-Based Advocacy: A style that relies on data and user insights to advocate for product and process improvements, building consensus through clear communication and compelling evidence.

• Mentorship & Enablement: A willingness to share knowledge, coach colleagues on research methods, and empower teams to adopt user-centered approaches.

• Asynchronous Communication: Given the remote nature and potential for distributed teams, a strong emphasis on clear, concise asynchronous communication via documentation and digital platforms.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's long history in aerospace suggests a culture that values engineering precision and operational efficiency. For this role, translating that into a user-centric approach for internal tools and services will be key. The ability to foster a collaborative environment remotely, emphasizing clear communication and shared understanding, will be critical.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Influencing without Direct Authority: As noted, the role requires driving change and impacting decisions without direct budget or personnel control. This necessitates strong communication, negotiation, and relationship-building skills.

• Data Silos & Integration: Centralizing data and analytics needs for internal services may involve navigating disparate systems and data sources, requiring strategic data integration and standardization efforts.

• Balancing Research Depth with Speed: Facilitating small research and experimentation cycles requires balancing thoroughness with the need for rapid iteration and learning in a potentially fast-paced environment.

• Scaling Research Practices: Establishing and championing standards across multiple teams means overcoming inertia, ensuring adoption, and demonstrating ongoing value to diverse groups with varying levels of UX maturity.

• Remote Collaboration: Maintaining strong team cohesion, effective communication, and deep collaboration in a fully remote setting requires deliberate effort and skilled facilitation.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Research Methodologies: Opportunities to deepen expertise in specialized qualitative or quantitative methods, or explore emerging research techniques.

• Data Science & Analytics: Enhance skills in advanced data analysis, statistical modeling, and building sophisticated dashboards and reporting tools.

• Strategic Product Development: Gain deeper insights into the aerospace industry, GE Aerospace's technology roadmap, and the strategic drivers behind internal service development.

• Leadership & Mentorship: Develop formal leadership and coaching skills through mentoring junior team members and enabling broader adoption of UX principles.

• Process Optimization: Contribute to the definition and refinement of operational processes and standards within the STS Hosting organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are typical for a senior individual contributor role that aims to drive organizational change. The growth opportunities are substantial, offering a clear path for career advancement within GE Aerospace by leveraging specialized research skills to solve complex operational problems and influence strategic direction.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to influence a cross-functional team or leadership to adopt a user-centered approach or a specific product recommendation based on your research. How did you build consensus and what was the outcome?" (Focus on influencing without authority, storytelling, and evidence-based arguments.)

• "Outline your approach to defining research standards and best practices for a new or evolving team or organization. What steps would you take to ensure adoption and drive consistency?" (Focus on process definition, change management, and enablement.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "Based on your understanding of GE Aerospace and this role, how do you see UX research contributing to the success of internal STS Hosting operations?" (Research the company's mission, values, and the specific challenges of internal operations in aerospace.)

• "How do you typically collaborate with engineers, product managers, and customer delivery teams? Describe a successful collaboration and any challenges you've overcome." (Highlight communication style, cross-functional partnership, and problem-solving.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure is Key: For each project, clearly outline: 1) The Problem/Opportunity, 2) Your Role & Responsibilities, 3) The Research Methods Used, 4) Key Findings & Insights, 5) Recommendations & Actions Taken, 6) The Impact & Outcomes (quantified if possible).

• Emphasize Strategic Contribution: For a Staff-level role, highlight how your research informed strategic decisions, influenced roadmaps, or drove significant process improvements, not just usability fixes.

• Showcase Data Synthesis: Be prepared to discuss how you synthesized qualitative and quantitative data, and how you presented complex information in an accessible way.

• Be Ready for Deep Dives: Anticipate detailed questions about your methodology choices, participant selection, analysis techniques, and how you handled ambiguity or unexpected findings.

• Connect to GE Aerospace: Where possible, draw parallels between your past work and the potential challenges or opportunities within GE Aerospace's STS Hosting.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process will likely test your strategic thinking, ability to influence, and your practical application of research methodologies in a complex, enterprise environment. A strong portfolio that demonstrates tangible impact and strategic contribution is essential for a Senior Staff role.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Staff UX Design Researcher position:

• Submit your application through the GE Aerospace careers portal via the provided URL.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 of your most impactful research projects that best demonstrate your end-to-end research capabilities, ability to influence stakeholders, and experience with data analysis and operational improvements. Tailor your portfolio to showcase relevant experience in enterprise environments or internal tools if possible.

• Optimize Your Resume: Ensure your resume clearly highlights your years of professional experience in UX Design/Research, your proficiency in qualitative and quantitative methods, your experience with data analysis and visualization, and any examples of influencing cross-functional teams or establishing research best practices. Use keywords from the job description.

• Prepare for the Interview: Practice articulating your research process, findings, and impact using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result). Be ready to discuss your approach to influencing without authority, scaling research practices, and collaborating remotely. Research GE Aerospace and the STS Hosting organization.

• Understand the Role's Impact: Be prepared to discuss how your skills and experience align with GE Aerospace's need to drive data-driven decision-making, improve internal services, and champion customer experience standards within a leading aerospace technology company.

⚠️ 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.