Principal Design Researcher

The Trade Desk•San Francisco, CA

11h•$243,800 - $304,700•Onsite

About The Position

The Trade Desk is seeking a Principal Design Researcher to lead meaningful customer research that shapes our next-generation product vision — with a focus spanning the Kokai customer journey, our Core and Signature use cases, and emerging areas like AI. This is a senior individual-contributor research leadership role for someone who is energized by getting close to customers, uncovering what they truly need, and turning that understanding into a clear, evidence-based vision for where the product should go next. The Trade Desk is transforming the way advertising is bought, sold, and consumed as a global leader in the programmatic industry. As Kokai matures as the backbone of the end-to-end customer journey, and as our Core and Signature use cases continue to evolve, this role will build the customer understanding that informs what comes next: where our platform should go, what problems are worth solving, and how we know we're solving them well. Our industry is complicated, but we don't believe our platform should be. As Principal Design Researcher, you will own the end-to-end research vision and execution across a defined set of strategic priorities: Kokai customer journey mapping, Core and Signature use cases, and next-generation product exploration — including AI where it serves genuine customer needs. You will anchor this work in a clearly defined set of customer stories that keep the whole design organization grounded in real customer needs rather than assumptions. You will bring a rare combination of rigorous research craft and product thinking, with a genuine curiosity about how people work, decide, and navigate complexity within our platform. This is not a tooling or infrastructure role; it is a hands-on research leadership role focused on deeply understanding our customers and using that understanding to inform what we build next. You will serve as a strategic research partner to Product, Engineering, Data Science, and UX Leadership, bringing customer evidence into the room for major product direction decisions. This role reports directly to the Vice President of UX Design and is a key member of the UX leadership team at The Trade Desk, as well as a key member of our Core UX team — looking across all design initiatives for the team, including current and next-generation initiatives.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Human-Computer Interaction, Cognitive Science, Psychology, Design, or a related field (Master's or PhD preferred)
10+ years of experience in user research or design research, with a track record of shaping product vision and direction through research
Proven track record leading end-to-end research that shaped next-generation product direction, from early discovery through shipped product, in a complex enterprise or platform-based product
Demonstrated experience with customer journey mapping and defining core use cases and customer stories that anchor product and design decisions
Strong command of qualitative and quantitative research methods, used in service of building genuine customer understanding
Strong methodological instincts, with experience designing and running mixed-methods research programs that validate product direction
Strong executive presence, with experience presenting research findings and direction to VP-level and senior leadership
Exceptional communication and storytelling skills, with the ability to translate research findings into a clear, compelling vision for product direction
Experience partnering closely with Product, Data Science, and Engineering teams on shaping what gets built next
Ability to navigate ambiguity and drive clarity and alignment in complex, fast-moving environments

Nice To Haves

Some experience or working knowledge of research methods for AI-powered or intelligent product experiences (preferred, not required)
Experience in adtech, martech, or enterprise SaaS with complex, data-dense interfaces (preferred)
Published thought leadership, talks, or case studies on customer research or product direction (preferred)
Portfolio demonstrating research-driven product vision, customer journey mapping, and measurable impact on product direction and customer outcomes

Responsibilities

Lead research that uncovers what customers genuinely need, where they struggle, and where real opportunity lies — across the Kokai customer journey, Core and Signature use cases, and emerging areas like AI
Translate ambiguous problems and complex workflows into clear research questions, and clear research questions into a well-evidenced point of view on where the product should go next
Build and maintain a clearly defined set of customer stories that ground product and design decisions in real customer needs, not assumptions
Bring a grounded, evidence-based perspective on human-AI collaboration and complex customer journeys in advertising workflows, shaped by direct observation of real customer behavior
Partner with UX Leadership and Product to align the research agenda with broader product and company strategy
Lead hands-on, rigorous research across the Kokai customer journey, Core and Signature use cases, and next-generation product concepts, including AI — from early generative discovery through detailed evaluative research and post-launch measurement
Map the end-to-end Kokai customer journey, identifying moments of friction, delight, and opportunity across Core and Signature use cases
Test early concepts with customers to gather feedback and align stakeholders around a shared, evidence-backed direction before heavy investment
Design and drive research programs that explore how customers build trust, adopt new capabilities, and adapt their workflows as the product evolves
Maintain and evolve the team's set of customer stories, keeping them current as customer needs shift
Partner closely with Data Science and Engineering to ensure product direction and customer understanding evolve together, not in isolation
Share research methods, findings, and frameworks that help the broader design team ground their work in real customer evidence
Support fellow researchers and designers with methodological guidance on journey mapping, evaluative research, and generative discovery
Ensure research accounts for accessibility, inclusion, and usability across a wide range of customer sophistication and contexts
Contribute to a shared vocabulary and set of frameworks — including the team's customer stories — that help the broader design team make confident, customer-grounded decisions
Act as a primary research voice in strategy conversations with Product, Engineering, and Data Science leadership on the Kokai journey, Core and Signature use cases, and next-generation product opportunities
Identify high-value opportunities — including where AI genuinely serves customer needs — grounded in research evidence rather than technology for its own sake
Build trusted relationships with senior stakeholders and serve as a thought partner on where the product roadmap should go next
Represent the customer perspective in technical and data science discussions about product direction, journey design, and model behavior
Partner closely with existing research leadership to stay aligned on methodology, findings, and priorities across the broader research practice
Mentor researchers and designers across the UX organization on research practices, journey mapping methods, and how to build a compelling, evidence-based case for product direction
Lead by example through visible, hands-on research — modeling what deep customer understanding looks like in practice
Help the broader team build fluency in using customer stories and research evidence to guide their own decisions
Represent The Trade Desk at industry events and design conferences, sharing perspective on customer journey research and next-generation product thinking in adtech
Position TTD as a company that grounds its product direction in genuine customer understanding
Contribute to broader UX research community conversations, publications, and thought leadership

Benefits

Comprehensive healthcare (medical, dental, and vision) with premiums paid in full for employees and dependents
Retirement benefits such as a 401k plan and company match
Short and long-term disability coverage
Basic life insurance
Well-being benefits
Reimbursement for certain tuition expenses
Parental leave
Sick time of 1 hour per 30 hours worked
Vacation time for full-time employees up to 120 hours thru the first year and 160 hours thereafter
Around 13 paid holidays per year
Employees can also purchase The Trade Desk stock at a discount through The Trade Desk’s Employee Stock Purchase Plan
Competitive benefits package