Manager UX/UI Research and Strategy

UT Southwestern Medical Center•Dallas, TX

About The Position

The Manager, UX/UI Researcher & Strategist reports to the Director, Digital Strategy and Engagement, and provides leadership and oversight for user experience research and strategy within the Digital team in the Department of Communications, Marketing, and Public Affairs. The role leads user research, usability, interaction design, and UX strategy to improve digital experiences across UT Southwestern’s online channels. Within the broader digital strategy and priorities established by departmental leadership, the Manager serves as a subject matter expert and internal consultant for UX research and strategy. The position balances strategic thinking with hands-on project involvement and supports usability, accessibility, engagement, technical feasibility, and institutional brand standards. The Manager leads and develops the UX/UI team, plans and conducts qualitative and quantitative research, translates findings into actionable recommendations and UX deliverables, and partners with multidisciplinary teams and institutional stakeholders. The position provides UX oversight throughout project lifecycles, contributes to standards and reusable practices, and recommends strategic improvements to leadership. Salary is commensurate with education, skills, and relevant experience.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Information Architecture, Psychology, Human Factors, Design, Visual Communications, Digital Media, or a related field; additional years of experience in user experience design may be considered in lieu of a degree.
Five years of experience managing UX/UI Research and Design teams.
Five years of progressively responsible experience in UX research, UX strategy, user experience design, information architecture, usability, or related digital experience work.
Experience leading UX initiatives and mentoring, managing, or providing direction to UX/UI professionals or multidisciplinary teams.
Ability to conduct qualitative and quantitative research and usability activities, synthesize findings and data, and communicate actionable recommendations.
Ability to develop UX research and strategy deliverables and collaborate with multidisciplinary teams and institutional stakeholders.

Nice To Haves

Experience in higher education, health care, academic medicine, government, agency, consulting, or another complex organizational environment.
Experience contributing to UX research practices, usability programs, experience standards, or design systems.
Experience with Agile, Scrum, Kanban, or similar methodologies.

Responsibilities

Lead UX research and strategy for complex digital projects, establishing appropriate research methods, experience strategies, usability approaches, mockups, deliverables, schedules, and quality standards with departmental leadership and project stakeholders.
Manage, mentor, and develop the UX/UI team, including the Sr. UX/UI Strategist, by providing strategic direction, coaching, feedback, workload guidance, and professional development; manage cross-functional dependencies and systems to support collaboration and delivery.
Plan and conduct qualitative and quantitative research and usability activities, including interviews, surveys, contextual inquiry, usability testing, card sorting, and tree testing; synthesize findings, analytics, behavioral data, and stakeholder input into actionable recommendations.
Develop and communicate UX deliverables such as research plans, personas, journeys, task flows, experience maps, site maps, information architectures, prototypes, wireframes, and strategic recommendations.
Attend discovery sessions and research workshops to identify user needs, business objectives, content requirements, technical constraints, and opportunities, and facilitate alignment among multidisciplinary project teams.
Partner with digital strategists, developers, project managers, content professionals, designers, and institutional stakeholders to translate research and UX strategy into user-friendly, accessible, technically feasible, scalable, and sustainable digital experiences.
Provide UX research and strategy oversight throughout project lifecycles, reviewing designs, prototypes, websites, applications, and development builds to ensure UX requirements, research findings, accessibility considerations, and experience standards are implemented.
Contribute to UX research and strategy standards, methodologies, documentation, and reusable practices; support development and consistent application of design systems and component patterns.
Monitor digital analytics, user behavior, research findings, emerging UX practices, and digital trends to identify opportunities for continuous improvement and innovation; evaluate tools, methodologies, accessibility practices, technologies, and industry trends; recommend strategic improvements to leadership.
Serve as an internal consultant and UX/UI subject matter expert, advocate for user-centered and inclusive design, communicate research and recommendations to technical and non-technical audiences, and advise stakeholders on experience challenges.
Coordinate UX research and strategy across concurrent initiatives by helping scope efforts, estimate resources, establish priorities, manage dependencies and timelines, and communicate risks and opportunities within the department’s strategic direction.
Participate in digital planning and project discussions as the UX research and strategy subject matter expert and build institutional relationships through transparency, collaboration, responsiveness, and a focus on improving the digital experience.
Perform other duties as assigned.

Benefits

PPO medical plan available day one at no cost for full-time employee-only coverage.
100% coverage for preventive healthcare with no copay.
Paid Time Off available day one.
Retirement programs through the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS).
Paid Parental Leave Benefit.
Wellness programs.
Tuition Reimbursement.
Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Qualified Employer.
Competitive and comprehensive benefits package for eligible employees, including healthcare, PTO, and paid holidays.
On-site childcare.