Lead UX Researcher

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Lead UX Researcher

Company: Thomson Reuters

Location: Eagan, Minnesota, United States (Hybrid)

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: User Experience (UX) Research / Product Development

Date Posted: 2026-06-11

Experience Level: 8+ Years (Implied 10+ from AI data)

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive the end-to-end User Experience (UX) research practice for complex, high-impact product portfolios within Thomson Reuters' Tax division.

• Lead both strategic generative research and evaluative studies to uncover and act on deep user insights, directly influencing product direction.

• Form key partnerships with product, engineering, and design leaders to identify impactful research opportunities and advocate for user-centered decisions in product roadmaps.

• Provide strategic and thought leadership on UX research practices, methods, and continuously raise the bar for research quality and influence.

• Coach and mentor less experienced researchers on the team through peer review and guidance, fostering a collaborative and supportive research environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The AI-generated experience level suggests "10+" years, which is a more senior indicator than the "8+ years" explicitly stated in the preferred qualifications. This role clearly leans into leadership and strategic influence, requiring a candidate who can operate autonomously and mentor others. The emphasis on "transforming Thomson Reuters into a truly Digital company" and "re-imagining our business by focusing on the individual user" indicates a significant strategic mandate for this UX research role, moving beyond tactical execution to shaping business strategy through user insights.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Own the full UX research lifecycle, from initial intake and scoping to execution, analysis, and demonstrating measurable business impact.

• Develop and execute comprehensive UX research approaches, including detailed test plans, participant recruitment strategies, and data collection methodologies, in partnership with Research Operations.

• Conduct strategic generative research to identify unmet user needs and long-horizon product opportunities, informing future product strategy.

• Lead evaluative studies to identify usability issues and validate design solutions, ensuring products meet user objectives and business goals.

• Synthesize complex data from multiple sources (qualitative and quantitative) into clear, compelling, and actionable recommendations for product, design, and engineering teams.

• Influence product and design decisions by translating research findings into prioritized, actionable recommendations and driving next steps with stakeholders.

• Craft persuasive presentations and communicate findings, recommendations, and potential design solutions clearly to diverse audiences, including C-level executives.

• Facilitate internal meetings to triage, manage, and prioritize research findings and their implications for product development.

• Demonstrate the tangible business impact of research through clear before/after framing, observable behavioral outcomes, or measurable product changes.

• Collaborate with other customer insight functions, such as Product Marketing and Customer Experience teams, to create a holistic research roadmap and triangulate data for deeper insights.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a strong emphasis on "demonstrating measurable business impact" and "influencing product and design decisions." This implies that candidates are expected to go beyond simply reporting findings and actively drive product strategy and improvements through user insights, linking research outcomes directly to business value. The mention of "complex workflows, visualization of large datasets, operating system-level tools, and both web and software environments" suggests the product portfolio is sophisticated and requires a researcher adept at understanding intricate user journeys.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in a Social Science, or a postgraduate degree in Social Sciences, Interaction Design, Human Factors, Cognitive Psychology, Cognitive Science, or a related field. Experience:

• 8+ years of experience applying research to high-volume, interactive B2B and B2C applications, rich web-based applications, or websites.

• Proven experience leading end-to-end UX research projects for complex product portfolios.

• Demonstrated ability to influence product roadmaps and advocate for user-centered decisions.

• Experience coaching or mentoring junior researchers. Required Skills:

• Deep knowledge and practical experience with a wide variety of qualitative and quantitative research methods, including:

  • Qualitative analysis and reporting
  • Interviewing and group facilitation techniques
  • Contextual Inquiries
  • Remote Usability Testing
  • Parallel Prototyping
  • Persona Development
  • Unmoderated feedback tools (e.g., UserZoom)
  • Ability to triangulate data from many sources
  • Other User-Centered Design (UCD) methods.

• Strong analytical problem-solving skills and decision-making capabilities.

• Deep understanding of user-centered design (UCD) principles.

• Ability to write clear, compelling, and self-contained research findings.

• Proficiency in collaborative sketching to illustrate flows or make points.

• Experience structuring user needs through fundamental UX frameworks such as Jobs to Be Done (JTBD) and Customer Experience Outcomes (CXO).

• Ability to maintain a strategic perspective while working within agile testing cycles.

• Experience partnering with product, engineering, and design leaders.

• Experience building, using, or experimenting with AI tools (e.g., Claude and other AI platforms) to accelerate research efficiency and impact.

• Experience building prototypes with AI tools that pull directly from insights to illustrate recommendations.

• Mindset focused on responsible and thoughtful adoption of AI. Preferred Skills:

• Familiarity with SharePoint and project management tools such as Jira.

• Familiarity performing studies in a virtual lab environment.

• Familiarity with data-logging tools and systems such as Tableau, Qualtrics, Adobe Analytics, or other BI analytic programs.

• Experience with design or research projects involving complex workflows, visualization of large datasets, operating system-level tools, and both web and software environments.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirements emphasize a blend of deep methodological expertise, strategic thinking, leadership capabilities, and a forward-looking approach to AI integration in research. The inclusion of "Jobs to Be Done (JTBD)" and "Customer Experience Outcomes (CXO)" points to a strategic application of research frameworks, aiming to connect user needs directly to business objectives and product decisions, rather than just describing user behavior. The explicit mention of AI tools like Claude indicates a desire for candidates who can innovate and improve research efficiency.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase a portfolio demonstrating end-to-end UX research leadership on complex, high-impact product portfolios.

• Include case studies that clearly articulate the research problem, methodology, user insights, and the resulting product or business impact.

• Highlight your ability to influence product roadmaps and drive user-centered decisions with concrete examples.

• Demonstrate experience in structuring user needs using frameworks like JTBD and CXO, and how these insights translated into product strategy.

• Provide examples of how you've mentored or coached junior researchers, showcasing leadership and team development contributions. Process Documentation:

• Portfolios should include documentation illustrating your approach to defining research scope based on business objectives and customer needs.

• Showcase examples of developing UX research approaches, detailed test plans, and participant recruitment strategies.

• Include how you have synthesized and transformed data into prioritized, actionable recommendations with clear before/after framing or measurable outcomes.

• Demonstrate your ability to communicate complex research findings persuasively for diverse audiences, including C-level executives.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Lead UX Researcher role, the portfolio is critical for demonstrating strategic impact. Candidates should focus on showcasing projects where their research directly influenced product direction, business outcomes, and how they led or mentored others. The emphasis on "measurable business impact" and "influence" means case studies should quantify results where possible and clearly articulate the candidate's role in driving those outcomes.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• US Locations (excluding specific high-cost areas): $127,400 USD - $236,600 USD per year.

• Specific US High-Cost Locations (e.g., NYC, SF, LA, McLean, DC): $146,800 USD - $272,600 USD per year.

• Ontario, Canada: $132,800 CAD - $182,800 CAD per year.

Benefits:

• Hybrid Work Model: Flexible hybrid environment (2-3 days/week in office).

• Flexibility & Work-Life Balance: "Flex My Way" policies, including up to 8 weeks of "work from anywhere" per year.

• Career Development: Culture of continuous learning, "Grow My Way" programming, skills-first approach, and AI-enabled future readiness.

• Health & Wellness:

  • Comprehensive benefit plans: Health, Dental, Vision, Disability, Life Insurance.
  • 401k plan with company match (US).
  • Competitive vacation, sick and safe paid time off.
  • Paid holidays, including two company Mental Health Days off.
  • Access to the Headspace app.
  • Fitness reimbursement.
  • Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
  • Optional Hospital, Accident, and Sickness Insurance (employee-paid).
  • Optional Life and AD&D Insurance (employee-paid).
  • Flexible Spending Account (FSA) and Health Savings Account (HSA).

• Family Support: Parental Leave, Sabbatical Leave, Adoption & Surrogacy Assistance.

• Educational Support: Tuition Reimbursement, access to 529 Plan.

• Financial Benefits: Employee Incentive Programs, Employee Stock Purchase Plan, Group Legal Identity Theft Protection (employee-paid).

• Commuter Benefits.

• Social Impact: Two paid volunteer days off annually, pro-bono consulting, ESG initiatives.

Working Hours:

• Standard 40 hours per week. The hybrid model and "Flex My Way" policies offer flexibility in managing work schedules and personal responsibilities.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary ranges provided are specific and vary by location, with higher ranges for major US metropolitan areas. The extensive benefits package emphasizes work-life balance, career growth, and well-being, which are attractive to experienced professionals. The "Flex My Way" and "work from anywhere" policies are significant perks for flexibility. The AI data confirms the 40-hour work week, with the hybrid arrangement and flexible policies providing the structure for work-life integration.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Information Services, Technology, and Professional Services. Thomson Reuters serves professionals in legal, tax, accounting, compliance, government, and media.

Company Size: 26,000+ employees globally.

Founded: Thomson Reuters has a long history, with its modern iteration formed through mergers and acquisitions, tracing roots back over a century. The company emphasizes its role in providing trusted content and technology to empower professionals.

Team Structure:

• The UX Team is part of a larger digital transformation effort within Thomson Reuters, focusing on user-centricity.

• This role is within the Tax UX Research Team, indicating specialization within a specific business unit.

• The team operates in an agile, collaborative, and supportive environment, welcoming diverse thinking and experimentation.

• The structure supports strong partnerships with Product, Engineering, and Design teams, suggesting a matrixed or embedded model where UX researchers work closely with product teams.

• Collaboration extends to other customer insight functions like Product Marketing and Customer Experience. Methodology:

• Emphasis on agile methodologies for testing and development.

• User-Centered Design (UCD) principles are fundamental.

• Strategic generative and evaluative research methods are employed.

• Data triangulation from multiple sources is a key analytical approach.

• Focus on connecting research insights directly to business and product decisions.

• AI tools are being integrated to accelerate research efficiency and impact.

Company Website: thomsonreuters.com

📝 Enhancement Note: Thomson Reuters positions itself as a company transforming through digital innovation, driven by user needs. The UX team's mission is to make doing business with Thomson Reuters easy by focusing on the individual user. The emphasis on "transformational efforts" and "re-imagining our business" suggests a dynamic environment where UX research plays a pivotal role in strategic growth and innovation, particularly within the Tax division.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Lead UX Researcher. This role signifies a senior-level position with significant responsibilities for strategic direction, execution leadership, and mentorship. It's a critical individual contributor role that also involves leadership and influence.

Reporting Structure: While not explicitly detailed, the "embedded model" and emphasis on partnering with Product, Engineering, and Design leaders suggest integration within product teams. The Lead Researcher likely reports into a UX Research Manager or Director, with dotted lines of reporting or strong collaboration with Product Management and Engineering leads for specific product portfolios.

Operations Impact: The UX Research team's impact is framed around transforming Thomson Reuters into a digital company, making it easier for customers to do business, and informing strategic business decisions through deep user insights. The Lead role is expected to demonstrate "measurable business impact" of research, directly linking user understanding to product success and revenue.

Growth Opportunities:

• Operations Skill Advancement: Opportunities to deepen expertise in generative and evaluative research methods, AI integration in research, and strategic frameworks like JTBD/CXO.

• Leadership Development: Mentoring junior researchers, providing thought leadership, and potentially leading research initiatives for larger or more complex product areas.

• Cross-Functional Influence: Growing influence across Product, Engineering, and Design, and potentially other insight functions, shaping strategic roadmaps.

• Industry Exposure: Working on complex B2B and B2C applications within a global information services leader.

• Continuous Learning: Access to "Grow My Way" programming, AI-enabled future readiness initiatives, and tuition reimbursement encourages ongoing professional development.

• Potential for advancement to Senior Lead, Managerial roles in UX Research, or related product strategy/insights leadership positions.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a significant step for a seasoned UX Researcher looking to move into a leadership capacity. The emphasis on strategic influence, mentorship, and demonstrating business impact suggests a clear path for growth within Thomson Reuters' evolving digital landscape, particularly for those who can leverage AI to enhance research effectiveness.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid work model, requiring 2-3 days per week in the office. This suggests a blend of in-person collaboration and remote flexibility.

Office Location(s): Primary location listed is Eagan, Minnesota, USA. However, the job description mentions Eagan, Frisco (Texas), New York (New York), Toronto (Ontario), and Ann Arbor (Michigan) as potential locations for hybrid work. Specific office hubs are available for collaboration.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative environment designed to foster teamwork and innovation.

• Likely equipped with standard office technology and potentially specialized UX research tools.

• Opportunities for direct interaction with product, design, and engineering teams, facilitating seamless collaboration.

• The hybrid model allows for focused individual work at home and collaborative sessions or team meetings in the office. Work Schedule:

• Standard 40-hour work week.

• The hybrid model and "Flex My Way" policies offer significant flexibility in managing personal and professional responsibilities, allowing for a better work-life balance.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid nature of the role balances the need for in-person collaboration and team synergy with the desire for flexibility. The mention of specific office locations implies that candidates will be expected to work from one of these hubs, with the flexibility to work remotely for part of the week. This setup is designed to maximize productivity and collaboration.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Likely involves a review of resume and application, potentially with AI assistance to match against core requirements.

• Hiring Manager/Recruiter Screen: A conversation to assess basic qualifications, role fit, and interest.

• Portfolio Presentation & Deep Dive: A crucial stage where candidates present their work, detailing case studies, research methodologies, insights, and impact. This will likely involve a panel of stakeholders (Product, Design, Engineering, other UX Researchers).

• Skills/Problem-Solving Assessment: May include a take-home exercise or a live problem-solving session related to UX research challenges within Thomson Reuters' domain.

• Final Interviews: Discussions with senior leadership to assess strategic thinking, leadership potential, and cultural fit.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Focus on Impact: Emphasize projects where your research led to demonstrable business outcomes or significant product improvements. Quantify impact whenever possible.

• Strategic Storytelling: Structure your case studies to tell a compelling story: the problem, your approach, key insights, recommendations, and the resulting actions/outcomes.

• Methodological Depth: Clearly articulate why you chose specific research methods and how they best addressed the research questions.

• Leadership & Mentorship: Include examples of how you've led initiatives, influenced stakeholders, and mentored junior researchers.

• AI Integration: Showcase any experience using AI to accelerate research processes or generate insights, highlighting responsible and effective application.

• Tailor to Thomson Reuters: Research Thomson Reuters' products, target users (professionals in legal, tax, etc.), and company values to tailor your presentation and examples.

Challenge Preparation:

• Anticipate Scenarios: Be prepared for hypothetical research challenges related to complex B2B applications, data visualization, or workflow optimization.

• Methodology Justification: Be ready to defend your research approach and methodology choices under scrutiny.

• Stakeholder Management: Practice articulating your recommendations and managing differing opinions or trade-offs with product and engineering partners.

• AI Application: Be ready to discuss how you would leverage AI tools to tackle specific research problems efficiently and effectively.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process heavily emphasizes the candidate's ability to demonstrate strategic impact through their portfolio. Candidates should prepare to articulate not just what they did, but why it mattered and how they influenced outcomes. The AI component suggests a forward-thinking approach, so candidates should be ready to discuss their experience and perspective on AI in research.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• UX Research Platforms: UserZoom (explicitly mentioned), potentially others for unmoderated testing and feedback collection.

• Project Management: Jira (familiarity preferred), SharePoint (familiarity preferred).

• AI Tools: Claude (explicitly mentioned), and other AI platforms for research acceleration, prototyping, and insight generation.

Analytics & Reporting:

• BI & Analytics Platforms: Tableau (familiarity preferred), Qualtrics (familiarity preferred), Adobe Analytics (familiarity preferred), or other BI analytic programs.

• Data Logging Tools: General familiarity expected.

CRM & Automation:

• While not explicitly listed for UX Research, Thomson Reuters likely uses enterprise CRM and automation tools. Understanding how UX research integrates with these systems (e.g., customer feedback loops, user segmentation) would be beneficial.

📝 Enhancement Note: The core tools mentioned are those directly related to UX research execution and analysis. The preference for Jira and SharePoint indicates familiarity with common enterprise project management and collaboration tools. The explicit mention of AI tools like Claude signifies a strong interest in candidates who can leverage emerging technologies to enhance research efficiency and impact.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Obsess over our Customers: A core value that aligns directly with the UX Research team's mission to understand and serve user needs.

• Compete to Win: Suggests a drive for excellence and achieving impactful results in the market.

• Challenge (Y)our Thinking: Encourages innovation, critical evaluation, and embracing new approaches, such as AI in research.

• Act Fast / Learn Fast: Supports an agile approach to research and development, prioritizing quick iteration and learning.

• Stronger Together: Emphasizes collaboration, teamwork, and leveraging diverse perspectives.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Seamless collaboration with Product, Engineering, and Design is paramount, forming key partnerships.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Insights from research are used to inform and influence product and business decisions.

• Mentorship and Peer Review: A supportive environment where experienced researchers guide and elevate less experienced team members.

• Holistic Approach: Partnering with other customer insight functions to create a unified understanding of the customer.

• Agile and Iterative: Working within agile frameworks to deliver research insights quickly and adapt to evolving needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's stated values strongly support the mission and operational style of a UX Research team. The emphasis on customer obsession, collaboration, and continuous learning creates an environment where UX researchers can thrive and have a significant impact. The "Challenge (Y)our Thinking" value is particularly relevant to the integration of AI into research practices.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Strategic Impact with Agile Pace: Effectively conducting deep, strategic research while operating within fast-paced agile development cycles.

• Demonstrating Tangible ROI: Quantifying and clearly articulating the business value and ROI of UX research to stakeholders, especially C-level executives.

• Influencing Complex Organizations: Navigating trade-offs and advocating for user needs within a large, established enterprise like Thomson Reuters.

• Integrating AI Responsibly: Leveraging AI tools for research acceleration while ensuring data privacy, ethical considerations, and maintaining research rigor.

• Understanding Diverse User Needs: Researching for complex B2B professional users with intricate workflows and high stakes.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Research Methodologies: Deepening expertise in generative and evaluative techniques, particularly for complex B2B domains.

• AI in UX Research: Gaining hands-on experience and thought leadership in applying AI tools to enhance research efficiency and insights.

• Strategic Product Influence: Developing skills in translating user insights into actionable product strategy and roadmap prioritization.

• Leadership & Mentorship: Formal and informal opportunities to coach junior researchers and influence team practices.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Enhancing ability to partner effectively with Product Management, Engineering, and other insight functions.

• Industry Conferences & Certifications: Potential support for attending industry events and pursuing relevant certifications.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are typical for senior research roles in large organizations, requiring a blend of technical expertise, strategic acumen, and strong interpersonal skills. The growth opportunities are designed to help candidates overcome these challenges and advance their careers within Thomson Reuters' digital transformation initiatives.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you led a complex, end-to-end UX research initiative. What was the product context, what was your approach, what were the key insights, and what was the ultimate business impact?"

• "How do you balance the need for deep, strategic generative research with the demands of fast-paced agile development cycles?"

• "Explain your process for identifying unmet user needs and translating them into actionable product opportunities. How do you use frameworks like JTBD or CXO in this process?"

• "How do you measure and demonstrate the ROI of your UX research efforts to stakeholders, including C-level executives?"

• "Describe your experience with AI tools in UX research. How have you used them to accelerate research, and what are your thoughts on their responsible adoption?" Company & Culture Questions:

• "How do Thomson Reuters' company values (e.g., 'Obsess over our Customers,' 'Challenge (Y)our Thinking') align with your approach to UX research?"

• "How would you foster collaboration between UX research, Product, and Engineering teams in a hybrid work environment?"

• "How do you approach mentoring and coaching junior UX researchers?"

• "Based on your understanding of Thomson Reuters, what do you see as the biggest UX research opportunities or challenges for our Tax professionals?" Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Select 3-4 impactful projects that showcase your breadth of skills, leadership, and impact.

• For each project: clearly state the business/product context, your specific role and responsibilities, the research questions, your methodology (and why), key findings, actionable recommendations, and the measurable outcomes or impact.

• Highlight your strategic thinking and how you influenced decisions.

• Be prepared to discuss trade-offs you made and challenges you overcame.

• Showcase your ability to communicate complex information clearly and concisely to different audiences.

• Demonstrate your understanding of AI in research, if applicable, by discussing relevant projects or hypothetical applications.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating strategic thinking, leadership, and a clear understanding of how UX research drives business value. Candidates need to be ready to articulate their thought process, justify their methodological choices, and quantify their impact. The emphasis on AI also means candidates should be prepared to discuss their experience and perspective on this evolving area.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Lead UX Researcher position:

• Submit your application through the Thomson Reuters career portal link provided.

• Tailor your resume: Highlight your 8+ years of experience in UX research, focusing on B2B/B2C applications, complex workflows, and your leadership/mentorship experience. Integrate keywords from the job description and AI-generated skills list (e.g., Generative Research, Evaluative Studies, JTBD, AI tools).

• Curate your portfolio: Select 3-4 of your most impactful projects that demonstrate end-to-end research leadership, strategic influence, and measurable business outcomes. Ensure case studies clearly articulate your process, insights, and impact.

• Prepare for the interview process: Practice articulating your experience with strategic research questions, company values, and leadership scenarios. Be ready to present your portfolio confidently and discuss your approach to AI in research.

• Research Thomson Reuters: Understand the company's mission, its products (especially in the Tax domain), and its commitment to user-centricity and digital transformation. This will help you tailor your responses and demonstrate genuine interest.

⚠️ 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.