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User Experience Research Manager
Macmillan Publishers
Austin, TX, United States
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Description
Macmillan Learning is a part of the family-owned Holtzbrinck group of companies and is one of the leading educational technology companies. Through deep partnership with the world's best researchers, educators, administrators, and developers, we facilitate teaching and learning opportunities that spark student engagement and improve outcomes. We provide educators with tailored solutions designed to inspire student curiosity and measure progress. Macmillan Learning is comprised of renowned brands including Bedford/St. Martins, W.H. Freeman, Worth Publishers, Sapling Learning, SkyFactor, Intellus Learning, Late Nite Labs, and Hayden-McNeil.
We are an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to reflecting a broad representation of differences -- race, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, physical ability, age, family status, economic background and status, geographical background and status, and perspective-- in our workplace. The successful candidate for this position will become an employee of Bedford Freeman & Worth Publishing Group, LLC (“BFW”), d/b/a Macmillan Learning. Bedford Freeman & Worth Publishing Group, LLC has developed an affirmative action program in compliance with the NY Department of Education’s guidance. Portions of the affirmative action program are available for review by applicants and employees by contacting Human Resources.
Requirements
Purpose of the Role:
We are looking for a research lead to join our User Experience team. As the first dedicated UX Researcher on the team, you will be responsible for coordinating, leading, and conducting user research projects working closely with UX designers, product managers, learning & impact researchers, and data scientists. You will also manage and evolve our new Austin Learning Lab to be a hub for high quality research as well as a model for new lab spaces at other offices. The UX Research Manager will work across the entire Macmillan Learning portfolio, from academic course technology to data analytics tools for institutions.
We’re looking for someone who wants to use their research and leadership skills to shape meaningful and impactful learning tools. Good candidates are naturally curious, empathetic, and collaborative, and they approach their work and ideas with confidence and humility. They are inspiring and influential and believe in a user-centered culture. They love deeply understanding the people using our products: talking to them, hearing their stories, and learning the nuances of their behaviors and motivations. They love immersing themselves in data to pull out insights that can drive great product design. They have a strong curiosity about students on their higher education journey and are excited about the opportunity to define the future of education technology.
Responsibilities:
• Lead user research efforts and work closely with the design team members to establish research goals
• Create innovative ways of recruiting, collecting user data, and sharing out research results
• Contribute to the product definition and evaluation process utilizing multiple sources of information (field work, interviews, quantitative data mining, market literature, etc.)
• Synthesize research to frame problems, uncover insights, and tell stories that build alignment and buy-in with your team and stakeholders
• Work with users, designers, and impact researchers to evaluate concepts and existing products on the market for improvement opportunities
• Lead the evolution of our Austin Learning Lab and develop tools, standards, and frameworks to level up our ability to conduct and catalog high quality research
• Communicate your work to stakeholders; from fellow UX team members to executives
• Democratize research by making research insights easy to share and cite across the organization
• Work with your fellow UX team members to build and foster a human centered culture that impacts the organization as a whole
Requirements
• Extensive experience in methodologies for uncovering user needs and product opportunities
• Demonstrated experience as a research lead in both generative and evaluative capacities
• Experience with a variety of quantitative and qualitative research methods; demonstrated creative and flexibility in using the right method for the job
• Experience facilitating cross-functional working sessions and/or workshops with peers and stakeholders
• Comfortable working with agile and lean software development approaches as well as jumping from lead roles to supportive roles
About the UX Team:
Macmillan Learning is full of people who care deeply about education and our mission: improving lives through learning. The UX team is dedicated to achieving this mission by designing and executing world-class educational products for college students, instructors, and administrators. We believe that collaborative, human-centered, and lean methodologies result in both great product experiences and an energetic culture of creativity and respect. We care about continuous improvement, in our products, our work, and our professional development.
The UX team is part of the new Learning Science and Insights group at Macmillan Learning which also houses Learning Research, Analytics & Data Science, and Impact Research.