User Experience Researcher - FINRA

Sr. User Experience Researcher

Location: Rockville, MD / Tysons, VA Hybrid – local can commute 50, 70 miles

Duration: 12 months

Visa: USC. GC Pay: $70 to $75/hr. on c2c

Candidate from Financial services domain/ older LinkedIn GC above 11 yrs experience

Recent experience and expertise in UX Research Strategy & Discovery Methods, Qualitative & Quantitative Research Expertise, Stakeholder Workshop Facilitation (Design Thinking), Data Analysis & Insight Synthesis, User-Centered Design Advocacy, Cross-Functional Collaboration & Influence, Generative AI in Research

Job Description

Key Responsibilities

• Lead UX research strategy and execution for 2+ products within your scope, managing multiple projects simultaneously
• Design and facilitate workshops and collaborative sessions with stakeholders and product teams
• Conduct discovery research using diverse methodologies including user interviews, surveys, diary studies, focus groups, contextual inquiry, concept testing, usability testing, and log analyses
• Develop hypotheses by analyzing existing products, research, and user behavior data
• Collaborate with product managers and stakeholders to define success metrics and demonstrate research impact
• Synthesize findings into compelling narratives and actionable recommendations for diverse audiences, from agile teams to executives
• Leverage generative AI tools to enhance research processes, synthesis, and insight generation
• Champion user-centered design practices with teams at varying levels of UX maturity, balancing patience and empathy with proactive advocacy
• Contribute to and maintain research repositories, ensuring insights and best practices are accessible to the broader UX and PM community
• Partner with the UX community to align research strategies and cross-train team members on research methodologies

Required Qualifications

• 7-10 years of UX research experience with a strong focus on discovery and generative research methods
• Proven experience facilitating design thinking or systems thinking workshops with cross-functional stakeholders
• Expert-level proficiency in qualitative and quantitative research methods from fields including Anthropology, Psychology, Sociology, and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)
• Demonstrated ability to analyze complex information and present findings persuasively to stakeholders at all levels
• Portfolio or case studies required – must clearly demonstrate your research process, methodologies, strategic thinking, and impact on product decisions
• Confident, self-directed work style with the ability to influence and educate teams new to UX research processes
• Ability to balance rigorous research processes with agile, lean methodologies when speed-to-insight is critical
• Strong collaboration skills with the ability to work independently while leveraging team support when needed

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience developing strategic research plans and longer-term research roadmaps
• Familiarity with design systems and their application in product development
• Visual design skills or experience with design tools (e.g., FIGMA, Adobe XD)
• Experience building or contributing to research repositories
• Background working in financial services or regulated industries
• Experience with digital adoption and behavioral analytics tools (e.g. Pendo, Google Analytics)