Director, User Research

Copart•San Francisco, TX

5d•$230,000 - $290,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Director, User Research, will lead the strategy and practice for understanding customer and user needs across Copart's digital products and experiences. This leader will establish a scalable research capability that brings the perspectives of Members, sellers, employees, and other users into product strategy, discovery, design, and prioritization. The role ensures product decisions are grounded in a deep understanding of user behaviors, motivations, pain points, and unmet needs. The Director will partner closely with Product Management, Design, Engineering, Data, Operations, Marketing, and other business teams to translate research findings into actionable insights and measurable improvements. The position is based in Copart's San Francisco office and requires travel to operating locations, Dallas headquarters, and customers as needed.

Requirements

8+ years of experience in user research, UX research, customer insights, product management, or related disciplines, with significant experience supporting digital products.
Experience leading research programs that influenced product strategy and measurable customer or business outcomes.
Demonstrated ability to synthesize complex research into clear, actionable recommendations.
Experience partnering closely with Product Management, Engineering, Design, Data, Analytics, Operations, and other business stakeholders.
Clear, influential communication and sound judgment with senior technical and business leaders.
Ability to work from Copart's San Francisco office and travel to operating locations, Dallas headquarters, and customers as needed.

Responsibilities

Introduce the User Research practice at Copart and define and communicate its vision, purpose, and measurable outcomes.
Build understanding of user behaviors, motivations, pain points, and purchasing journeys through research, analytics, experimentation, and direct feedback.
Identify high-value research opportunities based on product priorities, customer needs, business impact, and strategic importance.
Ensure research is incorporated early in product strategy, discovery, concept development, and prioritization.
Develop frameworks to turn customer observations and feedback into actionable product opportunities.
Lead and oversee research across the product lifecycle, including development, launch, measurement, and continuous improvement.
Develop customer journey maps, personas, behavioral insights, and other frameworks that help teams understand users.
Identify patterns across research findings, customer feedback, product analytics, and operational insights.
Select appropriate research methodologies based on business questions, product maturity, and user population.
Establish processes for research planning, participant recruitment, documentation, synthesis, and sharing.
Ensure research practices are scalable, reliable, secure, accessible, and supportable.
Translate research findings into clear insights, opportunities, and recommendations for Product and Business Leaders.
Combine qualitative research with behavioral and product data to develop a more complete understanding of users.
Partner with Data and Analytics teams to connect user sentiment and behavior to measurable product outcomes.
Establish mechanisms for tracking recurring customer pain points and emerging needs over time.
Evaluate the impact of product changes on customer experience and behavior.
Communicate performance, decisions, risks, recommendations, and learnings clearly to senior leadership.
Help teams translate research insights into clear product requirements and priorities.
Lead, coach, and develop User Researchers and related customer insight professionals.
Build a scalable process that enables a lean team to work across the organization's top priorities.