Principal UX Researcher

Upstart

18h•Remote

About The Position

Upstart's Product Experience team brings together product design, research, and content strategy to shape the future of lending. We focus on high-craft execution, deep customer insight, and measurable business impact, partnering across product areas to build experiences that are clear, trustworthy, and human. Content Design and User Research are cross-cutting craft specialties that serve every pillar — essential to journey quality and informed decision-making across the team. As the Principal UX Researcher reporting to the VP of Product Design, you will establish Upstart's dedicated UX research practice. Today, product designers conduct their own research as needed and the Consumer Insights team provides market and customer intelligence — but there's no shared UX research methodology or consistent way to connect customer behavior insights to product design decisions. You'll bridge that gap: defining how UX research gets done, equipping designers and PMs to conduct foundational research well, and leading the strategic studies that influence decisions across Upstart's lending products.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Human-Computer Interaction, Psychology, Sociology, Statistics, or a related field (or equivalent practical experience)
8+ years of experience conducting UX research using qualitative and quantitative methods
Experience building or scaling a UX research practice, including establishing processes, tools, or frameworks
Demonstrated experience leading research that influenced product strategy or roadmap decisions
Experience working in complex, multi-product environments

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of financial services, fintech, or consumer lending products
Experience working in regulated environments with sensitive user data
Ability to design and implement scalable research systems that enable non-researchers to conduct foundational research
Experience with AI-assisted research tools or workflows
Ability to influence cross-functional stakeholders and integrate research into product decision-making

Responsibilities

Establish and scale a UX research practice, including methodologies, standards, and tools used across product teams
Lead high-impact, cross-functional research initiatives that inform product strategy and roadmap decisions
Enable designers and product managers to conduct effective day-to-day research through toolkits, templates,and best practices
Build and maintain research infrastructure — participant recruiting pipelines, research repositories, and insight-sharing systems that make findings accessible and actionable across teams
Partner with Product, Engineering, and Consumer Insights leaders to ensure research has an informed and influential voice in product decisions — bridging horizontal insights across a multi-product lending portfolio
Define and promote best practices for conducting research in a regulated environment with sensitive borrower data
Balance speed and rigor by prioritizing research that drives timely, actionable insights

Benefits

Competitive compensation, including base pay, bonus opportunities, and annual equity grants that vest quarterly
Generous 401(k) plan with Upstart matching $2 for every $1 contributed, up to $15,000 per year
Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) with discounted stock purchase options for eligible employees
Affordable medical, dental, and vision coverage, with multiple plan options - Upstart covers 90% to 100% of the cost depending on the plans you choose
Health Savings Account contributions from Upstart for eligible plans
Income protection benefits, including company-paid Basic Life, AD&D, and Short- and Long-Term Disability coverage, with options to purchase supplemental coverage
Paid time off, sick and safe time, and company holidays
Paid family and parental leave to support caregiving and major life moments
Family-centered benefits through Carrot and Cleo, supporting fertility, parenthood, and caregiving
Employee Assistance Program (EAP) offering mental health support and life-centered resources
Financial wellness resources, including access to financial planning tools and a financial concierge service
Annual wellness allowance to support your physical and emotional well-being and personal development, based on what matters most to you
Annual productivity allowance to invest in relevant tools and resources you need to do your best work, no matter where you work from
Connection and community through team events and onsites, all-company updates, and employee resource groups (ERGs)
Onsite perks, including catered lunches and fully stocked micro-kitchens when working from one of our four offices, located in the Bay Area, Austin, Columbus, and New York City (opening Summer 2026!).