UX Research & Design Lead

UX Research & Design Lead (Contract-to-Hire) Location: Fort Worth, TX (Hybrid) LRS Consulting Services is seeking an experienced UX Research & Design Lead to join our client's Experience Design team in Fort Worth, Texas. This is an exciting contract-to-hire opportunity for a UX leader who is passionate about driving user-centered design, leading impactful research initiatives, and mentoring high-performing teams. In this role, you'll partner with product, marketing, technology, and business leaders to uncover meaningful customer insights and transform them into intuitive, engaging digital experiences. You'll help elevate UX maturity across Agile teams while influencing strategic decisions that improve the customer journey and deliver measurable business outcomes. What You'll Do As the Research & Design Lead, you will: Lead UX research and design initiatives across multiple Agile teams and product portfolios. Elevate UX maturity by championing user-centered design principles and best practices. Conduct and oversee qualitative and quantitative research using methods such as user interviews, usability testing, surveys, field studies, ethnographic research, card sorting, and analytics. Partner with business stakeholders to define research objectives, methodologies, project plans, and success metrics. Analyze research findings and communicate actionable insights through compelling presentations and reports. Design and prototype user experiences in Figma, validating concepts through user testing and iterative feedback. Facilitate workshops that align stakeholders around user needs, business goals, and product strategy. Advocate for UX research and design throughout the software development lifecycle - from discovery through delivery. Collaborate with Product Managers, Marketing, IT, Data Science, and Engineering teams to ensure research drives meaningful business impact. Develop research strategies that improve end-to-end customer journeys. Mentor and coach UX researchers and designers, fostering professional growth and design excellence. Influence stakeholders at all levels by building empathy for customer needs and promoting data-informed decision-making. What We're Looking For Education Bachelor's degree in Human-Computer Interaction, Interaction Design, Cognitive Science, Psychology, Data Science, or a related field—or equivalent professional experience. Experience 5-10+ years of experience in UX research, UX design, or a related user experience role. Proven experience leading qualitative and quantitative research projects, including complex, multi-phase initiatives. Strong proficiency with Figma for wireframing, prototyping, and interface design. Experience with UX research platforms such as Qualtrics, User Testing, or similar tools. Familiarity with customer experience and usability metrics, including Net Promoter Score (NPS), Customer Satisfaction (CSAT), Customer Effort Score (CES), and System Usability Scale (SUS). Demonstrated ability to transform research findings into strategic recommendations and compelling narratives that influence product direction and business decisions. We're looking for someone who: Is passionate about mentoring others and helping teams grow. Builds collaborative, psychologically safe environments where ideas can thrive. Champions UX best practices and promotes design maturity across the organization. Stays current on UX trends, emerging methodologies, and industry best practices.Communicates effectively with executives, business stakeholders, and cross-functional teams. Thrives in ambiguous environments and approaches complex problems with creativity and curiosity. Balances user needs, business objectives, and technical considerations to deliver impactful solutions. Enjoys working alongside researchers, designers, product owners, engineers, marketers, and data scientists to create exceptional customer experiences. Why Join This Opportunity? This role offers the opportunity to influence enterprise-level digital experiences, lead meaningful UX initiatives, mentor talented professionals, and shape products that make a real difference for customers. If you're energized by solving complex problems, collaborating with diverse teams, and turning research into impactful design, this is an opportunity to make your mark. LRS is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants for employment will receive consideration without unlawful discrimination based on race, color, religion, creed, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital status, gender identity, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, genetic information, citizenship, status or protected veteran status. #J-18808-Ljbffr Levi, Ray & Shoup, Inc. (LRS)