Sr. UX Researcher

What you'll do: 

In this role you will lead research initiatives that bridge the gap between complex trading workflows and intuitive product design. You will apply a variety of research methodologies from generative to evaluative to uncover user needs validate solutions and optimize the trading experience. Your insights will directly influence the design and development of NinjaTrader’s Futures Trading platform ensuring it meets and exceeds the expectations of expert and new traders. 

In this role you will: 

• Strategically select and apply research methods based on project needs 
• Generative research to explore trader behaviors workflows and pain points 
• Concept validation to refine ideas before development 
• Evaluative research to assess the effectiveness of design solutions 
• Behavioral and quantitative research to track user patterns and validate findings at scale 
• Conduct deep research into trader psychology decision-making under pressure and automation workflows ensuring the platform supports both expert and new-to-futures traders 
• Collaborate with designers product managers and engineers to translate insights into user-centered solutions 
• Develop personas and journey maps to align stakeholders on trader goals and pain points 
• Advocate for research-backed decision-making ensuring UX is grounded in user needs rather than assumptions 
• Present findings in compelling ways through reports workshops and data-driven storytelling 
• Partner with market researchers and data analysts to triangulate user insights with behavioral data and market trends 
• Establish and refine research frameworks processes and best practices to scale research impact across teams 

What you'll need: 

• 5+ years of UX research experience in complex environments (fintech trading enterprise software or similar domains) 
• Expertise in a broad range of research methods knowing when and how to apply each based on the research objective 
• Experience conducting usability studies and optimizing workflows for high-stakes decision-making environments 
• Ability to synthesize qualitative and quantitative insights to tell a clear and compelling user story 
• Proficiency in UX research tools and behavioral analytics 
• Strong collaboration skills with the ability to work across design product data marketing and engineering teams to drive user-centered solutions 
• Excellent communication and storytelling abilities with experience presenting insights to senior stakeholders 

Bonus points for: 

• Experience with futures trading platforms or other financial markets 
• Background in behavioral economics or cognitive psychology 
• Experience working in fast-paced agile environments 
• Familiarity with trading platforms real-time data visualization risk management tools or trading concepts is a huge plus 

Compensation: 

The salary range for this role will be $130000 - $150000 USD. In addition this position will also receive an annual target bonus of 12%. Bonus pay at NinjaTrader is based on individual performance (50%) as well as company/team performance (50%). 

Salary and bonus earnings are only two components of the total compensation package offered by NinjaTrader. NinjaTrader offers a 401K plan through ADP under which the company will match up to 3.5% of employee contributions. Annual paid time off allowance accrues at a rate of 18 days per year (some positions may qualify for more) plus seven paid holidays. Additional details on our total compensation package and benefits are listed below. 

Location:  

This role is based in Chicago IL. *There may be remote flexibility for exceptional candidates in the following states: California Colorado Florida Georgia Illinois Indiana Minnesota New York North Carolina Ohio Oregon South Carolina Texas Utah Virginia Washington Wisconsin New Jersey Pennsylvania Washington D.C. 

Hybrid:

For Chicago-based employees we follow a hybrid work schedule: In-office Tuesday through Thursday with remote work on Mondays and Fridays. In addition to these weekly remote days we offer:

• 20 additional flex remote days annually 
• 5 Company Wide Office-Optional weeks tied to major holidays 

What We Do

More than 2 million futures traders trust NinjaTrader's award-winning software and brokerage services to help them trade smarter. Since 2003 we've been building better futures for all traders by making futures trading more accessible scalable and user-friendly. As a bold innovative thought leader in the trading space we build products and services that empower active futures traders to easily analyze and react to data from the world's leading financial markets. Veteran and new futures traders alike look to us for our always-on support daily free education and analysis access to developer apps and much more. We believe in the power of innovation to drive futures trading forward. Together we continue to redefine what's possible in trading advocate for our customers and provide the best tools support and experiences to the fast-growing retail futures trading community. Located in Chicago our entrepreneurial employee-centric culture is inspiring innovative and inviting. We're committed to diversity equity and inclusivity so our team members feel at ease to be themselves and empowered to deliver the work they do best.

Why Work With Us

Our team members are our #1 asset and the signature ingredient to our success. When you join NinjaTrader you become part of an innovative forward-looking community that encourages creativity collaboration and camaraderie to deliver the best futures trading experience possible to our more than 1.8 million users. See why better futures start here.

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