Job Summary
At Invitation Homes, we believe understanding our users is key to continuously enhancing our residents' living experience. As part of our Technology team, you’ll play a critical role in driving product innovation and user satisfaction forward. The UX Research Lead will be responsible for formalizing a centralized practice of User Experience and Product Research for all of our digital platforms. We are looking for a UX Research Lead with demonstrated success leading, implementing, and delivering high-quality mixed-method research in partnership with Product Design and Product Management teams and ensuring that the desired outcomes are achieved by taking a user and data-driven approach to research across multiple digital products. This role will be responsible for creating short and long-term program research strategies, proposing and implementing research plans, and completing top-tier user-based virtual and in-person research and testing.

Essential Job Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead one or more research projects simultaneously
• Be the go-to, hands-on associate and customer UX research expert for your assigned products and initiatives
• Lead in the creation of personas, journey maps, storyboards, process flows, and other artifacts that help communicate the context of people, situations, and challenges that will shape and influence our associate and customer design and product solutions
• Mature UX Research practice at IH to prepare for future growth, demand, and operational efficiency
• Collaborate with Product, Design, Experimentation, and Marketing teams to creatively uncover and investigate new opportunities to help define product roadmaps, vision, and strategy that directly relate to prioritized business initiatives.
• Design and conduct foundational, formative, and evaluative qualitative and quantitative user research, including field observations and interviews, remote and in-person usability studies, and other methods as needed for existing and future features.
• Analyze research data to derive actionable insights, and communicate the research and propose solutions and rationale to stakeholders and executives
• Be an advocate for the customer, and the product expert - ensuring that user needs and perspectives are considered in UX design decisions/prototypes, product development initiatives, VOC success metrics/tools, and long-term business strategy
• Deliver high-quality insights in a fast-paced work environment.
• Educate the organization on opportunities revealed by your research and ensure the right research questions are being asked and answered
• Assist in the creation and delivery of user training materials where appropriate

Education and/or Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree in a relevant field, or equivalent work experience
• 5+ years of professional experience conducting user research
• An understanding of the research method's strengths and weaknesses and experience planning and conducting small, mid, and large-scale research projects across various product phases
• Ability to conduct qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods research and problem-solve for research instances where insights are few and user constraints are many
• Demonstrated effectiveness in written, verbal, and visual communication skills; ability to distill complex ideas into concise and accurate narratives that enlighten and inspire.
• Ability to concisely and persuasively communicate research and findings through presentations, user journeys, flows, etc.

Required Licenses or Certifications

• Nielson Norman and/or other UX Certification(s) preferred but not required
• Portfolio of work required for consideration
   

Skills/Specialized Knowledge

• Strong communication, collaboration, and presentation skills, particularly in a largely distributed work environment.
• Ability to thrive under pressure and function effectively in a fast-paced work environment
• Ability to gracefully accept feedback, and ensure data-driven insights remain at the forefront
• Exhibit sound judgment and swift decision-making skills
• Exhibit strong attention to detail and accuracy
• Ability to collaborate and build consensus with others
• Previous experience conducting research at scale
• Experience with mixed methods – both qualitative and quantitative – with a focus on more strategic research including
• Usertesting.com, Maze, Lyssna, etc.
• Able to appropriately prioritize projects based on business impact and level of effort
• Passion for understanding the latest tools in behavioral science, research methods, and UX design and applying these to your work.
• Strong understanding of usability principles, web standards, UI patterns, and their application, as well as mobile app usage and design a plus
• Home leasing industry knowledge a plus

*A portfolio of relevant work is required for consideration

Salary Range

$98,640.00 - $170,976.00

Compensation and Benefits

To attract and retain top talent, we're pleased to offer competitive compensation and benefits, including:

• Annual bonus program

• Health, dental, vision, and life insurance

• Long-term and short-term disability insurance

• Generous paid time off plans include vacation accrual, sick time, standard holidays and floating holidays

• 401(k) with company matching contributions

• Awesome work environment with casual dress

• Team events and gatherings (Pre- and Post-Covid)

Invitation Homes is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive and innovative environment with the best associates. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, Veteran status or any other factor protected by applicable federal, state or local law. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please contact us at [email protected].

To all recruitment agencies: Invitation Homes does not accept agency resumes.  Please do not forward resumes to Invitation Homes employees.  Invitation Homes is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes.