Senior UX Researcher

Discount Tire•Phoenix, AZ

5d•Hybrid

About The Position

Here at Discount Tire, we celebrate the spirit of our people with extraordinary pride and enthusiasm. Our business has been growing for more than 60 years and now is the best time in our history to join us. We are opening more locations every year and we are always looking for qualified individuals to join us in our growth. We are a company that promotes from within, both in our retail and corporate operations . The Senior UX Researcher is a strategic role responsible for driving research excellence and establishing user-centered practices across the organization. This role leads complex research initiatives that shape product strategy and business decisions for our digital to physical experiences, serving millions of customers nationwide. The Senior UX Researcher mentors junior researchers, partners with executive stakeholders, and champions the voice of the customer throughout the product development lifecycle.

Requirements

5+ years of professional UX research experience with demonstrated progression of responsibility
Extensive experience leading strategic research initiatives for complex physical and digital products and services
Expert-level proficiency across diverse research methodologies including ethnographic studies, in-depth interviews, diary studies, usability testing, card sorting, tree testing, surveys, and advanced analytics interpretation
Proven ability to design and execute mixed-methods studies that combine qualitative and quantitative approaches
Strong track record of influencing product strategy and business decisions through research insights
Exceptional presentation and storytelling skills with experience presenting to C-level executives
Experience mentoring researchers or designers and elevating team capabilities
Deep understanding of Lean UX, Agile, and Design Thinking methodologies
Proficiency with modern research and collaboration tools ( UserTesting , Optimal Workshop, Qualtrics, dscout , Figma, Atlassian suite)
Experience working across distributed teams and time zones
Outstanding organizational and project management skills with ability to balance multiple complex initiatives
Strategic thinker with strong business acumen and ability to connect research to ROI
Bachelor's degree in Human -Computer Interaction, Psychology, Anthropology, Cognitive Science, Sociology, or related behavioral science field required

Nice To Haves

Experience in automotive, retail, e-commerce, or service-oriented industries
Background researching omnichannel experiences that bridge digital and physical touchpoints
Experience with accessibility research and inclusive design practices
Experience in highly regulated industries (automotive, healthcare, finance)
Familiarity with advanced analytics platforms (Adobe Analytics, Quantum Metric)
Experience establishing research operations ( ResearchOps ) practices
Track record of driving customer experience transformation initiatives
Master's degree in HCI, Human Factors, or related field preferred
Equivalent professional experience at senior level will be considered

Responsibilities

Define and execute comprehensive research strategies that align with business objectives and inform product roadmaps across multiple teams and initiatives
Lead end-to-end research for complex, high-impact projects involving e-commerce, mobile applications, in-store digital experiences, and customer service touchpoints
Establish research frameworks, methodologies, and best practices that scale across the organization
Identify knowledge gaps and proactively initiate strategic research to address critical business questions
Build and maintain a research repository that democratizes insights and prevents redundant research efforts
Design and conduct sophisticated mixed-methods research studies combining qualitative and quantitative approaches to provide holistic customer understanding
Lead generative research to uncover unmet customer needs and identify innovation opportunities in the automotive service and retail space
Conduct evaluative research including usability testing, A/B testing analysis, and longitudinal studies to measure experience quality and business impact
Synthesize complex data from multiple sourcesuser research, analytics, customer feedback, market trendsinto compelling narratives that drive decision-making
Develop measurement frameworks and success metrics that connect UX improvements to business outcomes
Present research findings persuasively to executive leadership, translating insights into strategic recommendations and actionable roadmaps
Partner with Product, Design, Analytics, Marketing, and Operations leaders to integrate research into planning and decision-making processes
Facilitate collaborative workshops and design thinking sessions that align cross-functional teams around customer needs
Advocate for the customer in strategic discussions, using data to influence prioritization and resource allocation
Build strong relationships with stakeholders to position research as a critical business function
Mentor and coach UX Researchers and Designers, providing guidance on research methodology , analysis techniques, and stakeholder management
Foster a culture of continuous learning by sharing industry trends, methodologies, and case studies
Contribute to onboarding processes for research and design team members
Support training initiatives to build research literacy across product teams
Stay at the forefront of UX research methodologies, emerging technologies, and automotive retail trends
Experiment with innovative research approaches including remote testing tools and AI-assisted analysis
Drive adoption of inclusive research practices that ensure diverse customer perspectives inform our products
Regularly assess dashboards and communicate findings and assessment to stakeholders and leadership
Is informed of UXR and Segment level KPIs and uses data to drive tactical outcomes