Manager UX/UI Research and Strategy

About the role

The Manager, UX/UI Researcher & Strategist reports to the Director, Digital Strategy and Engagement and leads user experience research and strategy within the Digital team of the Department of Communications, Marketing, and Public Affairs. The role improves digital experiences across UT Southwestern's online channels, acting as a subject matter expert and internal consultant while balancing strategy with hands-on project work.

Key responsibilities

• Lead UX research and strategy for complex digital projects, setting methods, approaches, deliverables, schedules and quality standards.
• Manage, mentor and develop the UX/UI team, including the Sr. UX/UI Strategist, and coordinate cross-functional dependencies.
• Plan and run qualitative and quantitative research and usability activities such as interviews, surveys, contextual inquiry, usability testing, card sorting and tree testing, and turn findings into recommendations.
• Develop deliverables such as personas, journey maps, task flows, information architectures, prototypes, wireframes and site maps.
• Take part in discovery sessions and research workshops, and partner with strategists, developers, designers and other stakeholders to make digital experiences user-friendly, accessible and scalable.
• Review designs, prototypes, websites and applications to ensure UX requirements and accessibility are met, and contribute to design systems and reusable practices.
• Monitor analytics and digital trends, recommend improvements, and act as an internal consultant and subject matter expert.
• Coordinate UX research and strategy across concurrent initiatives, scope efforts, estimate resources and manage timelines and risks.

Required profile

• Bachelor's degree in HCI, information architecture, psychology, human factors, design, visual communications, digital media or a related field; additional years of UX design experience may be considered in lieu of the degree.
• 2 years managing UX/UI research and design teams, with 5 years progressively responsible experience in UX research, strategy, design, information architecture, usability or related work, including leading initiatives and mentoring or directing UX/UI professionals and teams.
• Preferred: experience in higher education, health care, academic medicine, government, agency or consulting, and with Agile, Scrum, Kanban or similar methodologies.

What we offer

• PPO medical plan available day one at no cost for full-time employee-only coverage, with 100% coverage for preventive care.
• Paid time off and paid parental leave benefit.
• Retirement programs through the Teacher Retirement System of Texas, wellness programs and tuition reimbursement.
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) qualified employer.