Manager, UX Design

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Manager, UX Design

Company: Cox Enterprises

Location: Atlanta, GA, United States

Job Type: Full time

Category: UX Research Management / Operations

Date Posted: 2026-09-11

Experience Level: 5-10 years

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead a team of User Researchers to deliver high-quality, actionable insights that enhance product outcomes and mitigate delivery risks.

• Translate complex product objectives into structured learning agendas and robust research roadmaps.

• Implement and manage mixed-methods research studies, ensuring ethical standards, privacy compliance, and operational excellence.

• Partner closely with Product, Design, and Engineering leaders to influence prioritization, remove impediments, and drive data-informed decision-making.

• Foster a culture of continuous improvement within the research team, focusing on people development, process optimization, and measurable impact.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title is "Manager, UX Design," the core responsibilities and requirements clearly indicate a focus on User Research leadership and operations, rather than hands-on UI/UX design. The role emphasizes managing researchers, setting research strategy, and operationalizing research processes within an agile product development framework.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Develop and execute research roadmaps aligned with business and product objectives, defining clear goals, hypotheses, and success metrics.

• Oversee the scoping, staffing, and scheduling of research studies, effectively managing team workload, priorities, and interdependencies across multiple projects.

• Review and approve study plans, research instruments, and analysis methodologies to ensure rigor, quality, and reproducibility of findings.

• Ensure the consistent and appropriate application of diverse research methodologies, including but not limited to interviews, usability testing (moderated/unmoderated), card sorting, tree testing, diary studies, surveys, and ethnography, with strategic sample selection.

• Integrate qualitative insights with quantitative survey and behavioral data to drive deeper understanding and formulate clear, actionable recommendations.

• Collaborate with Research Operations to scale high-quality research practices, focusing on efficient participant recruitment, incentive management, informed consent, privacy compliance, and accessibility standards.

• Establish and maintain issue logs, risk assessments, and evidence trails that clearly link research insights to strategic decisions, product enhancements, and key performance indicators (KPIs).

• Actively partner with Design, Product Management, and Engineering teams to ensure research activities are synchronized with product release cycles, transparently communicating progress, potential risks, and necessary trade-offs.

• Maintain the integrity and usability of the research repository through effective tagging, metadata management, and insight durability strategies to promote knowledge reuse and minimize redundant research efforts.

• Responsibly leverage agentic AI tools for tasks such as note-taking, data coding, pattern clustering, and initial synthesis, always ensuring human oversight, quality assurance, and bias mitigation.

• Set clear performance expectations, provide consistent coaching and timely feedback, and conduct effective one-on-one meetings and growth plan discussions with direct reports.

• Cultivate interviewing and facilitation excellence within the team through calibration sessions, peer reviews, and by modeling inclusive and ethical research practices.

• Lead the recruitment, onboarding, and ongoing development of research talent, recognizing high performance and proactively addressing any skill or performance gaps.

• Drive improvements in research cycle time, the adoption rate of research-backed decisions, and the reduction of post-release defects attributable to UX issues.

• Transparently track and report on key operational metrics such as repository reuse rates, study cycle times, and stakeholder satisfaction levels.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a strong emphasis on operationalizing research, integrating AI, and driving measurable impact, which are critical for a leadership role in a sophisticated operations environment. The expectation to "integrate survey data and behavioral data with qualitative insight" points towards a data-driven approach common in revenue and sales operations contexts.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Psychology, Cognitive Science, Human Factors, or a closely related field.

• Advanced degree (Master’s or Ph.D.) in a related field is preferred and may substitute for some experience. Experience:

• Minimum of 6 years of hands-on experience in applied User Experience (UX) research.

• At least 1-2 years of experience in a formal or informal leadership capacity, including mentoring researchers or leading cross-functional research initiatives.

• Proven ability to operate effectively within agile product development lifecycles, demonstrating a strong capacity to influence prioritization and scope decisions. Required Skills:

• Deep proficiency across a range of generative and evaluative UX research methods.

• Working knowledge of survey design principles and foundational statistical concepts.

• Demonstrated ability to translate business and product objectives into comprehensive research plans and learning agendas.

• Strong communication, presentation, and storytelling skills, with the ability to articulate complex findings clearly to diverse audiences, including senior leadership.

• Experience leveraging general-purpose Large Language Model (LLM) tools for user behavior analysis, pattern identification, and opportunity prioritization.

• Practical experience using AI to accelerate research discovery, experimentation, development cycles, and to recommend product improvements.

• Experience in Research Operations, including participant recruitment, privacy compliance, and ethical research practices.

• Ability to manage team workload, priorities, and dependencies in a fast-paced, agile environment. Preferred Skills:

• Experience with mixed-methods research design and data triangulation.

• Familiarity with advanced statistical analysis techniques and tools.

• Proven track record of managing research repositories and ensuring insight durability.

• Experience with accessibility best practices in research and design.

• Familiarity with data visualization tools for presenting research findings.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for experience with "agentic AI" and "general-purpose LLM tools" is a significant differentiator, aligning with modern trends in operations and data analysis. The educational background requirements are standard for UX research leadership, but the emphasis on applied experience and leadership is key.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase examples of research roadmaps developed from business objectives, demonstrating strategic planning and alignment with product goals.

• Present case studies of mixed-methods research projects, detailing the methodologies used, the challenges encountered, and the actionable insights generated.

• Include evidence of how research findings directly influenced product decisions, design iterations, and measurable business outcomes (e.g., improved KPIs, reduced defects).

• Demonstrate experience in operationalizing research processes, such as participant recruitment strategies, consent management, or repository organization. Process Documentation:

• Examples of research plans that clearly define goals, hypotheses, participant criteria, and methodological approaches.

• Documentation illustrating how research insights were synthesized, triangulated with other data sources, and communicated to stakeholders.

• Evidence of how research findings were translated into actionable recommendations or validated against key performance indicators (KPIs).

• Documentation of processes for ensuring ethical research conduct, privacy compliance, and data security.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a management role in operations, a portfolio should not just show research outputs but also the processes and strategies used to achieve them, particularly how research is operationalized, scaled, and integrated into the product lifecycle. The focus on measurable impact and AI integration is crucial.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

The anticipated base salary range for this position is $122,600.00 - $204,400.00 annually. This range is subject to adjustment based on factors such as the candidate's ultimate work location, as well as their specific knowledge, skills, and abilities. The selected candidate may also be eligible for additional compensation through an incentive program.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive health care insurance, including medical, dental, and vision coverage.

• Retirement planning options, including a 401(k) plan.

• Paid time off, including:

  • Flexible vacation policy.

  • Seven paid holidays per calendar year.

  • Up to 160 hours of paid wellness leave annually for personal or family wellness.

  • Bereavement leave.

  • Time off for voting.

  • Jury duty leave.

  • Volunteer time off.

  • Military leave.

  • Parental leave. Working Hours:

This is a full-time position, typically requiring approximately 40 hours per week. The role is designated as "Day" shift.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is provided, and the note explains potential variations based on location, skills, and abilities, which is standard practice. The benefits package is extensive, covering health, retirement, and a generous PTO policy that includes wellness and parental leave, reflecting a commitment to employee well-being.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Automotive Technology / Media / Business Services. Cox Automotive operates within a dynamic sector focused on transforming the automotive industry through technology, data, and innovative solutions for consumers and dealers alike. This industry context implies a need for agility, data-driven decision-making, and a forward-thinking approach to customer experience.

Company Size: Cox Enterprises is a large, privately held corporation. Cox Automotive, as a division, is substantial, employing thousands of individuals. For operations professionals, a large company size often means established processes, cross-functional collaboration opportunities, and potential for career advancement, but also requires navigating larger organizational structures.

Founded: Cox Enterprises was founded in 1898, indicating a long history of stability and evolution. Cox Automotive, as a modern entity, has grown through acquisitions and organic development, building a portfolio of well-known brands. This history suggests a company culture that values long-term vision, innovation, and adaptability.

Team Structure:

• The UX Design team, within which this role sits, likely includes UX Designers, UX Researchers, and potentially UX Writers. This specific role manages a team of User Researchers, suggesting a dedicated research function.

• The reporting structure likely places the Manager, UX Design/Research, under a Director or VP of Product Design/User Experience, who in turn reports to senior product or technology leadership.

• Cross-functional collaboration is essential, with frequent interaction expected between researchers, product managers, designers, engineers, and potentially marketing and data analytics teams. Methodology:

• Data Analysis & Insights: Emphasis on synthesizing qualitative research findings with quantitative data (behavioral, survey, sales metrics) to provide holistic insights.

• Workflow Planning & Optimization: Focus on integrating research seamlessly into agile product development cycles, optimizing the research-to-decision pipeline.

• Automation & Efficiency: Utilizing AI tools and Research Operations best practices to streamline research processes, improve time-to-insight, and ensure scalability.

Company Website: https://www.coxenterprises.com/ (and specific brands like Cox Automotive: https://www.coxauto.com/)

📝 Enhancement Note: Understanding Cox Automotive's position in the industry is key. As a leader in automotive technology, data-driven insights and efficient product development are paramount. The company's size and history suggest a stable environment with opportunities for impact and growth within a structured framework.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned at a "Manager - People Leader" level. For operations professionals, this signifies a transition from individual contribution to team management, strategic planning, and operational oversight. It involves developing and executing research strategies, managing a team's performance, and influencing broader product development processes. The scope includes not only research execution but also the operational efficiency and strategic alignment of the entire research function.

Reporting Structure: The Manager, UX Design (Research) will report to a higher-level leader within the Product Design or User Experience organization, likely a Director or VP. They will directly manage a team of User Researchers. This structure allows for strategic direction from above and tactical execution through the managed team.

Operations Impact: The primary impact of this role is on improving product outcomes by ensuring that development is guided by deep user understanding. This translates to reduced delivery risk, higher product adoption, increased customer satisfaction, and ultimately, better business performance (e.g., higher conversion rates, reduced churn, increased revenue). By operationalizing research effectively, the role also contributes to the efficiency and scalability of the product development process.

Growth Opportunities:

• Operations Skill Advancement: Develop expertise in Research Operations, AI-driven research synthesis, and advanced quantitative-qualitative integration techniques.

• Leadership Development: Progress into senior leadership roles (e.g., Director of UX Research, Head of Product Insights) with broader strategic responsibilities and larger team oversight.

• Cross-functional Influence: Deepen partnerships with Product, Engineering, and Data Science leaders, potentially leading strategic initiatives that span multiple departments.

• Industry Specialization: Become a recognized expert in UX research within the automotive technology sector, contributing to industry best practices.

📝 Enhancement Note: The growth analysis focuses on how a UX Research Manager role fits into a broader operations and GTM strategy. The emphasis is on developing both people management and operational leadership skills, with a clear path toward broader strategic influence and potential advancement into higher-level operational leadership roles.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The job is described as "Hybrid," with the ability to work remotely part of the week. This indicates a modern work environment that balances the benefits of in-office collaboration and team cohesion with the flexibility of remote work. The office location is in Atlanta, GA.

Office Location(s): The primary specified location is Atlanta, GA, at 6305 Peachtree Dunwoody Rd Bldg B. This suggests a physical office presence is required, with the expectation of working from the office a portion of the week.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The hybrid model encourages in-office days for team meetings, brainstorming sessions, and cross-functional workshops, fostering strong team dynamics and knowledge sharing.

• Operations Tools & Technology: Researchers will have access to standard UX research tools, analytics platforms, and collaboration software. The role specifically mentions the use of AI tools (LLMs) for research synthesis, indicating investment in cutting-edge technology.

• Team Interaction: Opportunities for direct interaction with direct reports, peers in design and product, and senior leadership during in-office days. Remote days allow for focused individual work.

Work Schedule: The role is a "Day" shift position, implying standard business hours, with an expectation of approximately 40 hours per week. The hybrid nature allows for some flexibility in how those hours are structured between remote and in-office work.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid work arrangement is a key detail for operations professionals who often value flexibility. The context suggests a structured yet adaptable work environment, with specific office locations and an emphasis on collaborative tools and in-person interaction for strategic alignment.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter or hiring manager will review applications, focusing on alignment with core requirements (experience, leadership, research methods).

• Hiring Manager Interview: A deeper dive into your experience, leadership philosophy, research methodology, and approach to operationalizing research. Expect behavioral questions.

• Team/Peer Interviews: Interviews with potential direct reports and peers (e.g., Product Managers, Design Leads, Senior Researchers) to assess collaboration style, technical expertise, and cultural fit.

• Portfolio Review & Presentation: A dedicated session where you will present case studies from your portfolio, showcasing your strategic thinking, research execution, operational impact, and ability to drive decisions. This is a critical step.

• Final Round: May involve senior leadership for final assessment of strategic alignment and leadership potential.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 3-4 high-impact projects that demonstrate your leadership, strategic planning, mixed-methods expertise, operational contributions, and ability to drive measurable business outcomes.

• Structure for Impact: For each case study, clearly articulate the business problem, your role and team structure, the research questions, the methodologies employed (and why they were chosen), key findings, the insights derived, the recommendations made, and the resulting impact (quantified where possible).

• Highlight Operations & AI: Emphasize how you operationalized research, managed team workload, or improved research processes. Showcase any use of AI tools in your research workflow and the benefits realized.

• Tell a Story: Frame your presentations as compelling narratives that highlight your problem-solving skills and leadership. Be prepared to discuss trade-offs, challenges, and lessons learned.

• Be Ready for Deep Dives: Anticipate detailed questions about your methods, your reasoning, and your leadership approach.

Challenge Preparation:

• Operational Challenge: Be prepared for a hypothetical scenario where you need to scope research for a complex product initiative with limited resources or tight deadlines. Focus on prioritization, methodology selection, and resource allocation.

• Leadership Scenario: Discuss how you would handle a team conflict, motivate a team member, or manage stakeholder expectations when research findings are challenging.

• Strategic Thinking: Be ready to discuss your vision for the UX Research function within Cox Automotive and how you would align it with broader business goals.

📝 Enhancement Note: The application process emphasizes practical demonstration of skills through a portfolio and case studies. Candidates should prepare to articulate not just what they did, but how they did it, the operational considerations, and the business impact, especially relating to AI and team leadership.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• UX Research Platforms: Familiarity with tools for surveys, unmoderated testing, participant recruitment, and analytics (e.g., UserTesting.com, Qualtrics, SurveyMonkey, Maze, UserZoom/Rev).

• AI & LLM Tools: Proficiency with general-purpose LLMs for data analysis, synthesis, and note-taking (e.g., ChatGPT, Claude, Bard, or similar enterprise-grade AI assistants). Experience with AI tools designed for research acceleration is a plus.

• Collaboration Suites: Tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Google Workspace for communication and collaboration.

• Project Management Software: Familiarity with agile project management tools such as Jira, Asana, or Trello for managing research tasks and timelines.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Survey & Data Analysis Software: Tools like SPSS, R, Python (with libraries like Pandas, NumPy), or advanced Excel for statistical analysis of survey and behavioral data.

• Business Intelligence (BI) Tools: Experience with platforms like Tableau, Power BI, or Looker for data visualization and dashboard creation to report on research findings and impact.

• Web Analytics: Understanding of tools like Google Analytics to integrate user behavior data with qualitative insights.

CRM & Automation:

• While not directly managing a CRM, understanding how CRM data (e.g., customer segmentation, interaction history) can inform research is beneficial.

• Familiarity with automation concepts within research operations (e.g., automated participant scheduling, data collection workflows) is advantageous.

• Repository Management Tools: Experience with systems designed for organizing, tagging, and retrieving research findings and assets.

📝 Enhancement Note: The specific mention of "agentic AI" and "general-purpose LLM tools" is a critical requirement. Operations roles increasingly require familiarity with AI for efficiency and analysis. The broader stack reflects a need for robust data analysis, reporting, and project management capabilities.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Data-Driven Decision Making: A core value expected in operations roles. Decisions are informed by rigorous research, data analysis, and measurable outcomes, not just intuition.

• Efficiency and Scalability: A commitment to optimizing research processes for speed, quality, and the ability to scale as the company grows. This includes leveraging technology and strong operational practices.

• Collaboration and Transparency: Fostering an environment where research findings are shared openly, and collaboration with product, design, and engineering is seamless and proactive.

• User-Centricity: A deep-seated commitment to understanding and advocating for the user, ensuring their needs and experiences are at the forefront of product development.

• Continuous Improvement: A culture that encourages learning, experimentation, and adaptation, particularly in the rapidly evolving fields of UX research and AI.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Researchers are expected to be embedded within product teams, working closely with Product Managers, Designers, and Engineers throughout the product development lifecycle.

• Process Feedback: An open feedback loop where research processes are regularly reviewed and refined based on team input and performance data.

• Knowledge Sharing: Practices that encourage the sharing of research methodologies, insights, and best practices across the team and with broader stakeholders. This includes contributing to and utilizing the central research repository.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on data-driven approaches, efficiency, and collaboration aligns perfectly with the core tenets of Revenue Operations and Sales Operations. These values are critical for any leader aiming to demonstrate strategic impact.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Strategic vs. Tactical Research: Effectively managing a team that needs to deliver both foundational, strategic insights and tactical, in-flight project support under tight deadlines.

• Driving Adoption of Insights: Overcoming potential organizational inertia or competing priorities to ensure research findings are consistently acted upon and influence product decisions.

• Scaling Research Operations: Implementing and refining processes that allow a growing research team to maintain high quality and efficiency without becoming a bottleneck.

• Integrating AI Responsibly: Navigating the ethical considerations and practical implementation of AI tools in research, ensuring human oversight and mitigating potential biases.

• Measuring Research Impact: Developing robust frameworks to quantify the ROI of UX research and demonstrate its value to the business beyond qualitative feedback.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced AI in Research: Deepen expertise in leveraging AI for complex data analysis, predictive modeling, and user behavior forecasting.

• Operations Leadership: Develop advanced skills in process optimization, strategic planning, and people management within a large corporate structure.

• Industry Trends: Stay abreast of emerging UX research methodologies, tools, and ethical considerations through conferences, publications, and professional networks.

• Mentorship: Opportunity to mentor and develop a team of talented researchers, fostering their growth and contributing to the field of UX research.

📝 Enhancement Note: The identified challenges are common for operations leaders. The growth opportunities are framed to enhance both operational capabilities and leadership acumen, with a specific focus on the evolving landscape of AI in research.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe how you would translate Cox Automotive's business objectives for a new vehicle subscription service into a comprehensive UX research roadmap for your team." (Focus on strategic planning, hypothesis generation, and methodology selection).

• "How do you ensure that research insights are not only delivered but are also acted upon by product and engineering teams, especially when faced with tight deadlines or conflicting priorities?" (Focus on stakeholder management, communication, and driving adoption).

• "Imagine a scenario where your team is struggling to keep up with research requests from multiple product teams. What steps would you take to prioritize, allocate resources, and potentially leverage AI or Research Operations to improve efficiency?" (Focus on operational problem-solving, resource management, and AI utilization). Company & Culture Questions:

• "Based on your understanding of Cox Automotive and the automotive tech industry, what do you see as the biggest UX challenges or opportunities for our products, and how would you prioritize research in those areas?" (Focus on company research and strategic alignment).

• "How would you foster a collaborative and inclusive research environment within your team and with our cross-functional partners (Product, Design, Engineering)?" (Focus on team dynamics and collaboration style).

• "How do you measure the success and impact of your UX research team? Can you provide an example of how you've demonstrated the ROI of research to leadership?" (Focus on impact measurement and data-driven justification). Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Context is Key: For each case study, clearly articulate the business problem, the product context, and the specific user challenge you aimed to address.

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals (e.g., key findings slides, quotes, sample personas, journey maps) to illustrate your work.

• Focus on Your Role & Impact: Clearly define your leadership contributions, how you guided the research process, and the tangible outcomes achieved (e.g., improved conversion rates, reduced support tickets, increased user satisfaction scores). Quantify impact whenever possible.

• Process & Operations Emphasis: Highlight how you operationalized research, managed your team's workflow, or utilized AI tools to enhance efficiency and quality.

• Anticipate Questions: Be ready to discuss alternative methodologies, trade-offs made, and lessons learned.

📝 Enhancement Note: These interview questions are designed to probe strategic thinking, operational acumen, leadership capabilities, and the practical application of research within a business context, with a specific nod to AI integration.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Manager, UX Design (Research) position:

• Submit your application through the provided career portal link.

• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your resume and portfolio to highlight your experience in UX research leadership, mixed-methods research, operationalizing research processes, and leveraging AI tools for insight generation and efficiency. Select 3-4 key projects that best demonstrate your strategic impact and operational excellence.

• Resume Optimization: Ensure your resume clearly articulates your years of experience, leadership responsibilities, specific research methodologies employed, and quantifiable achievements related to influencing product decisions and driving business outcomes. Integrate keywords like "UX Research," "People Management," "Agile," "Research Operations," and "AI" naturally.

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your leadership philosophy, research strategy, and operational approach. Prepare to present your portfolio case studies using a structured narrative that emphasizes problem, solution, process, and impact. Rehearse responses to potential strategy and leadership questions.

• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with Cox Automotive's brands, mission, and recent industry news. Understand their commitment to technology and customer experience, and consider how your role as a research leader can contribute to their strategic goals.

⚠️ 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.