Senior UX Researcher

ActBlue is a nonprofit that builds tech and infrastructure for Democratic campaigns, progressive-aligned causes, and people trying to make an impact in order to fuel long-term, people-powered change. If you’ve ever given online to a Democrat or progressive organization, chances are you’ve used our powerful online fundraising platform.

We put power in the hands of small-dollar donors and help thousands of groups — from presidential candidates to environmental organizations — build grassroots movements. We envision a democracy where everyone looking to make progressive people-powered change can easily and effectively deploy their resources, energy, and creativity to shape our country and futures. Each and every one of us, from the political activists to the tech innovators to the customer service pros, is fully committed to our mission.

As a Senior UX Researcher II, you will lead end-to-end qualitative and quantitative studies across teams to inform UX and Product decisions. This will include designing, conducting, and leading studies as well as delivering actionable insights to the organization. You will work with agency and in concert with our Design, Product Management, Engineering, and Internal teams to ensure our products and services are built with a user-first approach, with a continual  focus on delivering value and seamless experiences to our users. 

• Lead planning and strategy for research projects identified by cross-functional teams as well as proactively identify the need for UX research across product spaces. Prioritize, scope, and conduct high-impact research projects that involve stakeholders across teams and that are aligned with and support Product strategy and roadmaps.

• Independently design UX research studies, determining appropriate methodologies for individual studies. Lead the analysis and delivery of studies to provide actionable insights and identify areas of opportunity for the organization. 

• Independently craft reports and share findings with audiences at every level of the organization.  Evangelize what you learn, acting as an advocate for our users as well as for the efficacy of our products and services.

• Actively advocate to implement industry best practices and pull from personal experience to improve the standard of work of the Research team.

• Be a key participant in Design team crits, providing designers with constructive feedback and research-based insights and guidance. Employ a variety of communication styles to support effective collaboration.

• Mentor and possibly manage 1-2 junior researchers.

• Act as an advocate for our user-centered design culture, ensuring we lead with research insights when we define and design products.

• Actively maintain a research roadmap for individual projects, including projects belonging to  researchers you might manage, while ensuring input and visibility across the organization. Actively participate in scoping discussions to bring alignment, focus, and clarity to the work, and proactively raise trade-off and reprioritization conversations when needed. 

• Experience leading projects that guide complex products and product features from conception to launch. 

• Experience leading research projects across teams and with different levels and types of stakeholders throughout an organization. Demonstrated ability to effectively manage different needs and requirements across teams.

• Experience applying a broad spectrum of qualitative and quantitative UX research methodologies, frameworks, and best practices (such as surveys, user interviews, usability testing, JTBD, field studies, etc.) with a demonstrated ability to flex between guerilla and formal methods as needed. 

• Experience using mixed method studies as well as data analysis to uncover user insights. 

• Ability to manage a research budget. Experience determining tooling that balances team and budget needs.

• Effective written and verbal communication skills with a demonstrated ability to deliver unbiased, actionable insights across different levels of the organization. 

• Ability to effectively communicate and collaborate across stakeholder groups to manage timelines and expectations. Skill with building strong relationships across the organization and approaching conflict with curiosity. 

• Dedication to fostering a collaborative and inclusive work environment and not just welcoming, but centering and amplifying, backgrounds and points of view that differ from yours.

• Experience mentoring and/or managing junior researchers and sometimes designers. 

• Passion for progressive causes and politics and the desire to spend your time making a meaningful impact by doing what you do best.    

• A solid understanding of the tools of the trade, as well as the courage to dive in and expand your understanding, whether of technical architecture, obscure campaign finance regulations, or political jargon.Comfort asking questions to fill gaps in your knowledge.

• Remote research and recruiting tools such as UserZoom, UserTesting, Respondent.io, Optimal and Miro

• Survey tools such as Qualtrics, SurveyMonkey and Typeform

• Data analysis tools such as Looker and Airtable

This posting is for a full-time, remote, salaried position. ATS is currently authorized to support remote work employees in California, Connecticut, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Washington D.C. and Wisconsin.

Salary Range: $162,000- $170,000

ActBlue is committed to consistent compensation practices across our organization.  Final salary offers will take into account factors such as candidate experience, interview performance and current team salary parity.

• Flexible work schedules and an unlimited time-off policy

• Fully paid and trans-inclusive health, dental, and vision insurance for employees and their families; plus fully-paid health reimbursement arrangement to use for out of pocket expenses and fully-paid short- and long-term disability 

• Fully paid basic and AD&D life insurance and a voluntary supplemental life insurance option

• Dependent and health care flexible spending account options

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) benefits for employees 

• Automatic 2% Employer-paid 401K contribution, plus up to an additional 6% match on employee contributions

• A minimum of three months paid medical, family and parental leave (for all new parents, adoptions included)

• Commuter or home-office benefits, including a $1,000 home-office setup allowance for all new full-time remote employees

• Additional perks including quarterly snack deliveries and digital subscriptions to the Boston Globe & New York Times

ActBlue is unable to sponsor work visas at this time.

Bargaining Unit Position: The terms and conditions of this position may be subject to a collective bargaining agreement with the Communications Workers of America, the exclusive bargaining agent of covered ActBlue Technical Services employees.

ActBlue is deeply committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity. We commit to retaining, developing, recruiting, and hiring a diverse staff community. We honor the dignity of all. We celebrate their unique qualities. And we recognize the wide range of human differences, backgrounds, and intersectional identities that enrich the workspace and help us better meet our mission. If you feel a connection to our mission and see your interests reflected in this job description we encourage you to apply - even if you don’t meet every requirement. 

ActBlue is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities throughout the interview and employment process, including using our online system to apply for a position. If you would like to request an accommodation, please contact us at [email protected] to get started.