Principal UX Researcher Jobs
Principal UX Researcher jobs are open across technology, healthcare, financial services, and enterprise software, at every level from senior researcher to staff and principal, with specializations in generative research, mixed-methods studies, and strategic insights. See the openings below and apply to the ones that match your experience.
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Responsibilities
CapCut is an all-in-one video editing app that empowers creators to express themselves and transform videos into creative masterpieces. In addition to its basic features, such as video editing, text, stickers, filters, colors and music, CapCut offers free advanced features, including keyframe animation, smooth slow-motion effects, chroma key, Picture-in-Picture (PIP), and stabilization to help you capture and snip moments. The CapCut USDS team is a fully functional business team in the TikTok USDS Joint Venture. It provides support to all the CapCut family apps, including CapCut, Dreamina, Hypic and Pippit, in terms of technical solutions, including but not limited to -- reliability assurance, ML and algorithm customizations, quality assurance, data pipelines, metrics establishment, A/B tests -- which enable these apps to fully function in the US with complete compliance; daily operations and customer support to US-based users and creators; strategic planning and execution of: US user growth, marketing activities and user research.
- Serve as a key US research partner for the Capcut team
- Partner with both in-office and global stakeholders to define the research agenda, ensuring alignment between our vision and evolving customer needs
- Work closely with cross-functional leaders to deepen understanding. Leverage user insights to enhance stakeholders' knowledge and support well-informed strategic decisions through data-driven research findings.
- Manage end-to-end research activities and resources, synthesizing findings into impactful insights that empower stakeholders with practical guidance.
- Stay up-to-date on industry trends, best practices, and emerging methodologies, continually advancing the research process.
Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree or above in Psychology, Statistics, Sociology, Marketing Research, Human Computer Interaction, or other related fields
- Proficiency applying both qualitative and quantitative methods such as usability testing, focus groups, interviews, concept evaluation, diary studies, surveys, data analysis (SPSS, R or Python), A/B testing etc, with priority given to strong quantitative capabilities
- Self-driven, be able to work with cross-functional teams
- Strong written and oral communication skills to influence product partners and major decisions.
Preferred Qualifications
- Masters or PhD degree
- Direct experience in social media and creator economy, with a solid grasp of emerging trends, creator needs, and user behaviors
- 3+ years experience in user experience research, design research, or product research in the technology industry, preferably in consumer tech or content
About USDS
TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC is dedicated to the safety and security of millions of Americans who create, discover, and connect with what they love on the apps we operate. The Joint Venture has been established in compliance with the Executive Order signed by President Trump on September 25, 2025. Our foundation is a comprehensive data privacy and cybersecurity program we operate under defined safeguards to protect national security and secure U.S. user data, apps and the algorithm. We safeguard the U.S. content ecosystem, holding decision-making authority for trust and safety policies and moderation. USDS Joint Venture helps ensure Americans can continue to express their creativity, discover new hobbies and interests, and build thriving communities and businesses on a global scale.
On-site presence across teams allows the company to operate with greater speed, alignment, and agility — especially in areas like real-time decision-making, team development, and integrated execution. As such, the company is shifting from a hybrid work model to a fully in-person schedule up to 5 days a week.
Why Join Us
Inspiring creativity is at the core of TikTok's mission. Our innovative product is built to help people authentically express themselves, discover and connect – and our global, diverse teams make that possible. Together, we create value for our communities, inspire creativity and bring joy – a mission we work towards every day. We strive to do great things with great people. We lead with curiosity, humility, and a desire to make impact in a rapidly growing tech company. Every challenge is an opportunity to learn and innovate as one team. We're resilient and embrace challenges as they come. By constantly iterating and fostering an "Always Day 1" mindset, we achieve meaningful breakthroughs for ourselves, our company, and our users. When we create and grow together, the possibilities are limitless. Join us.
Diversity & Inclusion
TikTok is committed to creating an inclusive space where employees are valued for their skills, experiences, and unique perspectives. Our platform connects people from across the globe and so does our workplace. At TikTok, our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy. To achieve that goal, we are committed to celebrating our diverse voices and to creating an environment that reflects the many communities we reach. We are passionate about this and hope you are too.
USDS Reasonable Accommodation
USDS is committed to providing reasonable accommodations in our recruitment processes for candidates with disabilities, pregnancy, sincerely held religious beliefs or other reasons protected by applicable laws. If you need assistance or a reasonable accommodation, please reach out to us at https://tinyurl.com/USDS-RA
Job Information
【For Pay Transparency】Compensation Description (Annually) The base salary range for this position in the selected city is $120249 - $211787 annually. Compensation may vary outside of this range depending on a number of factors, including a candidate’s qualifications, skills, competencies and experience, and location. Base pay is one part of the Total Package that is provided to compensate and recognize employees for their work, and this role may be eligible for additional discretionary bonuses/incentives, and restricted stock units.
Benefits may vary depending on the nature of employment and the country work location. Employees have day one access to medical, dental, and vision insurance, a 401(k) savings plan with company match, paid parental leave, short-term and long-term disability coverage, life insurance, wellbeing benefits, among others. Employees also receive 10 paid holidays per year, 10 paid sick days per year and 17 days of Paid Personal Time (prorated upon hire with increasing accruals by tenure).
The Company reserves the right to modify or change these benefits programs at any time, with or without notice.
For Los Angeles County (unincorporated) Candidates: Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with all federal, state, and local laws including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act. Our company believes that criminal history may have a direct, adverse and negative relationship on the following job duties, potentially resulting in the withdrawal of the conditional offer of employment:
1. Interacting and occasionally having unsupervised contact with internal/external clients and/or colleagues;
2. Appropriately handling and managing confidential information including proprietary and trade secret information and access to information technology systems; and
3. Exercising sound judgment.
Principal UX Researcher Jobs by Experience Level
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Who's Hiring



Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software13
- Retail3
- Staffing & Recruiting2
- Consumer Goods1
- Electronics & Hardware1
What Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in principal UX researcher jobs.
- 8 or more years of UX research experience with demonstrated leadership across product cycles
- Expertise in both qualitative and quantitative research methods including usability testing and surveys
- Experience presenting research findings and influencing decisions with senior product and design leadership
- Proficiency with research tools such as user testing platforms, survey software, and analysis tools
- Ability to define and own the research roadmap for a product area or business unit
- Bachelor's or master's degree in human-computer interaction, psychology, cognitive science, or a related field
Tips for Your Principal UX Researcher Job Search
Reframe your portfolio around influence
Principal-level hiring panels want to see how your research shaped product direction, not just your methods. For each case study, lead with the decision it enabled and the outcome it produced, not the study design.
Distinguish strategic from executional work
Many researchers with strong portfolios lose principal roles because their resume reads like a senior IC, not a strategic partner. Call out explicitly where you set the research agenda, defined the roadmap question, or advised leadership rather than responding to requests.
Apply early to roles that fit
Migrate Mate lists principal ux researcher openings from across the United States in one place, so you can find roles that match and apply directly to each listing.
Target companies with dedicated research functions
Principal roles are almost always created in organizations where research is a standalone discipline, not embedded in design. Filter for companies that list a head of research, a research operations team, or multiple researcher levels in their org structure before applying.
Prepare a research strategy presentation
Many principal ux researcher interviews include a whiteboard or take-home exercise asking you to scope a research plan under constraints. Practice articulating trade-offs between generative and evaluative work, timelines, and stakeholder alignment out loud before you get in the room.
Negotiate scope alongside compensation
At the principal level, your ability to shape what research gets done matters as much as title or pay. In final-round conversations, ask directly about research prioritization authority, team size trajectory, and whether the role has a seat at product planning.
Principal UX Researcher Jobs: Frequently Asked Questions
Which companies are hiring the most principal ux researchers?
The companies hiring the most principal ux researchers right now include Amazon, Amazon Web Services, and Meta, with the largest share of openings in California, Texas, and Washington, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Technology and enterprise software companies consistently account for the highest volume of principal-level research roles.
How many principal ux researcher jobs are remote?
About 68% of principal ux researcher openings are fully remote or hybrid as of November 2026, reflecting the strong demand for experienced researchers who can operate independently without on-site oversight. Strategic and generative research roles, which require fewer in-person lab sessions, tend to be the most remote-friendly at this level.
How do you become a principal ux researcher?
You typically reach the principal level by progressing through senior researcher roles, building a portfolio that shows strategic impact rather than just study execution, and developing the ability to define research agendas without being handed a brief. Demonstrating cross-functional influence, mentoring junior researchers, and connecting research outputs to measurable business outcomes are the factors that most often drive promotion or successful lateral hiring at this level.
Can you get hired as a principal ux researcher without direct principal-level experience?
Yes, but you need to close the framing gap on your resume and portfolio. Hiring managers at this level look for evidence of strategic ownership and organizational influence, so if your title has been senior researcher, restructure your case studies to highlight moments where you set the research direction, advised product leadership, or shaped roadmap decisions rather than responding to scoped requests from above.
What does the principal ux researcher interview process look like?
The process typically moves through a recruiter screen, a hiring manager conversation focused on your research philosophy and leadership approach, a portfolio presentation to a cross-functional panel, and a research exercise or whiteboard session testing how you scope and prioritize under constraints. Final rounds often include conversations with product and design directors to assess strategic alignment, and some organizations ask for a written research strategy document as a take-home component.
Where can I find and apply to principal ux researcher jobs?
You can find and apply to principal ux researcher jobs on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings from across the United States. Search the roles available, find the ones that match your experience and research focus, and apply directly to each listing that fits.
See All 112+ Principal UX Researcher Jobs
Find roles that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Principal UX Researcher Jobs