Lead, UX Designer

Role Title : Lead, UX Designer

Description : This role aligns to UX Research Lead.

Location: Hoboken (Hybrid)

The Role

We're looking for a UX Research Lead who brings both exceptional craft and proven experience building research excellence at scale. You will be helping us understand teachers’ and students’ foundational needs as we shape the future of higher education.

• You'll operate at the intersection of user needs, product development and business strategy, leading high-impact research initiatives that shape product direction and influence organizational decision-making.
• Design and lead complex mixed-methods studies (ethnographic, longitudinal, usability testing, surveys, quantitative) as well as quick, scrappy evaluative research, synthesizing insights into compelling narratives and actionable recommendations for executive audiences
• Partner with cross-functional teams to frame research questions that drive strategic decision-making, facilitate collaborative sessions that build shared understanding, and champion user-centered decisions across the organization
• Mentor junior and mid-level researchers to accelerate their growth, establish research standards and frameworks that scale across teams, and build research literacy throughout the organization
• Build systems to democratize research insights, continuously improve research operations, and advocate for research investment with leadership

What You’ll Own

You bring deep experience designing and conducting complex, multi-phase research initiatives across multiple platforms (web, mobile, native apps) and product surfaces, combined with strong strategic thinking that enables you to identify the right research questions, frame ambiguous problems, and connect research to business objectives and product strategy. Your exceptional storytelling and communication skills give you the confidence to present to executive audiences, influence senior stakeholders, and tailor insights effectively for diverse audiences.

• Design and lead complex, generative and evaluative research across multiple platforms and user journeys as well as quick, scrappy evaluative research across multiple platforms and user journeys 
• Synthesize insights from diverse data sources into compelling narratives and present findings to executive audiences with actionable recommendations 
• Facilitate workshops and collaborative sessions that build shared understanding of user needs and drive consensus across stakeholders with competing priorities 
• Mentor junior and mid-level researchers, providing feedback and coaching that accelerates their growth and career development 
• Establish research standards, frameworks, templates, and processes that scale across teams and build research literacy throughout the organization 
• Build systems to democratize research insights, continuously improve research operations, and advocate for research investment with leadership 

About You

You bring 7-10 years of user research experience with proficiency in both qualitative and quantitative methodologies and a portfolio that demonstrates a strategic impact on product and business decisions. You have deep experience designing and conducting complex, multi-phase research initiatives across multiple platforms (web, mobile, native apps) and product surfaces. Additionally, you have a (an):

• Strong strategic thinking ability to identify the right research questions, frame ambiguous problems, and connect research to business objectives—balancing rigor with speed to deliver impact
• Exceptional storytelling and executive presence with confidence presenting to senior leadership, influencing strategic decisions, and tailoring insights for diverse audiences across the organization
• Track record of effective cross-functional partnership with design, product, and engineering leaders, building trust, navigating organizational complexity, and understanding when to push versus compromise
• Experience mentoring researchers and building research capability across teams through training, knowledge sharing, and servant leadership with genuine passion for developing others
• Proficiency in research tools (UserTesting, Qualtrics), analytics platforms (Tableau, Mixpanel), design tools (Figma), and understanding of research ethics, data protection, and cross-cultural research methods

What You'll Get

Pearson is on a mission to build a direct, lifelong relationship with millions of learners around the world.

As the world’s leading learning company, with 18,000+ employees across 70 countries, we reach learners at critical moments of growth, through content, assessment, and digital experiences that shape education, careers, and opportunity at a global scale.

Now, Higher Education is entering its next chapter. We’re in the midst of a deep digital and AI transformation...reimagining learning as agentic, adaptive, and human-centered. Our teams are designing intelligent learning products that don’t just deliver information, but actively coach, challenge, and partner with learners, grounded in Socratic principles, critical thinking, and pedagogical rigor.

This is a rare moment to shape the future of learning. Designers at Pearson are helping define how AI shows up in education with intention, ethics, and craft. We are creating experiences that evolve alongside tomorrow’s students, instructors, and institutions. From agentic study companions to AI-powered course creation tools, we’re building systems that amplify curiosity, agency, and impact on a global scale.

If you believe great design can unlock human potential and AI should deepen learning, then this is where you can do the most meaningful work of your career. Because when learning flourishes, people do too.

Ready to make an Impact?

Apply now and help shape the future of learning.

Compensation at Pearson is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, and specific location. As required by the California, Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York State, New York City, Vermont, Washington State, and Washington DC laws, the pay range for this position is as follows:

The minimum full-time salary range is between $130,000 - $155,000.

This position is eligible to participate in an annual incentive program, and information on benefits offered is here.

Applications will be accepted through 19th February . This window may be extended depending on business needs.

Who We Are

At Pearson, our purpose is simple: to help people realize the life they imagine through learning. We believe that every learning opportunity is a chance for a personal breakthrough. We are the world's lifelong learning company. For us, learning isn't just what we do. It's who we are. To learn more: We are Pearson.

Pearson is an Equal Opportunity Employer and a member of E-Verify. Employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit and business need. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status or any other group protected by law. We actively seek qualified candidates who are protected veterans and individuals with disabilities as defined under VEVRAA and Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act.

If you are an individual with a disability and are unable or limited in your ability to use or access our career site as a result of your disability, you may request reasonable accommodations by emailing [email protected].

Job: UX Design

Job Family: PRODUCT

Organization: Higher Education

Schedule: FULL_TIME

Workplace Type: Remote

Req ID: 22607

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