UX Research Lead Jobs
UX Research Lead jobs are open across tech, healthcare, finance, and consumer products, from mid-level researcher to principal and director, with specializations in mixed-methods research, usability testing, and strategic insights. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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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.
UX Research Lead Jobs by Experience Level
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Who's Hiring



Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software23
- Retail2
- Staffing & Recruiting2
- Insurance1
- Consumer Goods1
What Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in UX research lead jobs.
- 5 or more years of UX research experience with at least one year in a lead or senior role
- Proficiency in both qualitative and quantitative research methods across the full product lifecycle
- Experience mentoring junior researchers and driving research operations at team scale
- Ability to present research findings and strategic recommendations to executive stakeholders
- Familiarity with usability testing platforms, survey tools, and research repository software
- Bachelor's or master's degree in human-computer interaction, cognitive science, psychology, or a related field
Tips for Your UX Research Lead Job Search
Tailor your portfolio to leadership impact
Hiring managers for lead roles want to see how your research shaped product decisions, not just the methods you used. For each case study, name the stakeholder, the research question, and the measurable outcome that followed.
Apply early to roles that fit
Migrate Mate lists ux research lead openings from across the United States in one place, so you can find roles that match and apply directly to each listing.
Signal cross-functional influence on your resume
Lead roles expect you to drive alignment across product, design, and engineering. Show where you facilitated synthesis workshops, ran readout sessions, or changed a product roadmap direction based on your findings.
Target companies by research maturity
A team with two researchers will expect you to build infrastructure, write screeners from scratch, and train non-researchers. A team of fifteen needs strategic direction. Reading job descriptions closely for team size and reporting structure helps you apply to roles that actually match your strengths.
Prepare a research ops narrative for interviews
Many lead candidates underestimate how often interviewers probe your ability to scale research operations. Be ready to discuss how you've standardized participant recruitment, managed research repositories, or improved turnaround time on a study cycle.
Negotiate scope alongside compensation
When you receive an offer, clarify what your decision-making authority covers: budget, vendor selection, hiring, and research prioritization. Leads who negotiate clear scope upfront avoid friction with product managers who assume research is a service function.
UX Research Lead Jobs: Frequently Asked Questions
Which companies are hiring the most ux research leads?
Amazon, Collabera, and Meta are hiring the most ux research leads right now, with openings concentrated in California, Washington, and New York, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Demand is especially strong at companies scaling their design teams or investing in enterprise product research.
How many ux research lead jobs are remote?
About 70% of ux research lead openings are fully remote or hybrid as of November 2026, reflecting the collaborative but location-flexible nature of research leadership. Roles focused on strategic synthesis and stakeholder reporting tend to be the most remote-friendly, while positions requiring in-person participant studies or lab facilitation more often require on-site presence.
How do you become a ux research lead?
Start by building a foundation in core research methods, both qualitative and quantitative, as an individual contributor. Progress to owning end-to-end research projects independently, then demonstrate leadership by mentoring teammates and presenting findings to product and executive stakeholders. Building a portfolio that shows business impact, not just research craft, is what moves candidates from senior researcher to lead.
Can you get hired as a ux research lead without direct leadership experience?
Yes, though you'll need to show equivalent responsibility from your current role. Hiring managers often accept informal leadership such as mentoring a junior colleague, running a cross-functional research program, or establishing a research ops process as evidence of readiness. Framing your portfolio around decisions you influenced rather than studies you completed also closes the experience gap.
What does the ux research lead interview process look like?
Most processes include an initial recruiter screen, a hiring manager conversation focused on your research philosophy and leadership approach, and a portfolio presentation where you walk through two or three case studies in depth. Later rounds typically involve cross-functional panels with product managers and designers, and sometimes a take-home exercise asking you to scope a research plan for a hypothetical product challenge.
Where can I find and apply to ux research lead jobs?
You can find and apply to ux research lead jobs on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings from across the United States. Search the listings to find roles that match your background, then apply directly to each one that fits.
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