User Experience Researcher, AI-Augmented Research

Nelnet Servicing•Madison, WI

12h•Hybrid

About The Position

Nelnet is seeking a curious, experienced User Experience Researcher to join our internal design team. Beyond running best-in-class research, this role owns and extends our agentic UX synthesis pipeline — tooling that drafts plans, synthesizes qualitative and quantitative data, and produces reports under the direction of an expert researcher who ensures every input and output is relevant, accurate, and free of bias. The AI accelerates the work; it doesn't replace the judgment. As a UX researcher, you'll immerse yourself in a close-knit team to solve design challenges through data and analysis, turning what you find into a story stakeholders act on rather than just a report they read. You'll employ a wide range of research methodologies — including surveys, journey maps, interviews, and task-based usability tests — and know when to reach for each: distinguishing what you can observe (behavior) from what participants report (attitudes), and designing studies that don't blur the two. Our team works directly with stakeholders who oversee Nelnet's diverse range of internal and external products and services, with a focus on Nelnet's #1 value of creating exceptional customer experiences.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in a user research-related discipline (human-computer interaction, cognitive science, human factors, psychology, etc.) or equivalent experience.
Deep expertise in UX research methodologies for software/web-based products, with demonstrated impact on the products you've worked on and a track record of driving innovation and moving projects forward in ambiguous, not-yet-defined situations.
Experience with a variety of UX research methods such as card sorts, usability testing, A/B testing, user interviews, surveys, diary studies, contextual observations, first click testing.
Demonstrated experience incorporating AI to appropriately assist with research activities — building or maintaining agents, or automating parts of the research process to improve speed, depth, or quality, while knowing where human judgment must stay in the loop.
Distinguishes behavioral evidence from attitudinal/self-report data, and judges when a research task calls for a human vs. an AI agent.
Experience critically evaluating how to integrate AI into research work — this may include using AI-powered tools, automating parts of the research process, or exploring where AI can responsibly strengthen research quality and speed.
Thinks strategically about where automation can strengthen the team's research practice — and can turn that thinking into something built, not just proposed.
Skilled at turning data into narrative — connecting findings to the "so what" for the business, not just reporting numbers and quotes.
Outgoing and comfortable interviewing clients and stakeholders.
Excellent written, verbal communication and presentation skills.
Extremely organized and capable of juggling multiple projects at the same time.
Desire to dig into complex problems and help solve those problems for our users.
Eagerness to partner across business lines on shared tooling and research practices.
Strong analytical skills with a proven ability to grasp, contextualize, apply, and synthesize research findings across multiple sources.
This position requires work in support of the Company’s contract with the United States Department of Education (“ED”). As such, the United States Government requires that any applicant for this position must complete United States Government security clearance. Effective June 1, 2018, ED has informed Nelnet that security clearance applications for foreign nationals are not being accepted or processed. In light of this direction from ED, Nelnet will be unable to hire applicants without United States citizenship for such positions.

Responsibilities

Work collaboratively within a cross-functional team, and with other analytical teams, to develop a holistic understanding of customers' needs, values, and experiences.
Extract key experience, customer, and usability insights from large sets of quantitative experience data.
Identify the best research approaches to get the right answers based on research questions, timing, and resources.
Practice problem-finding — recognize when stakeholders don't yet know what they don't know, bring the right people together, and propose the research needed to close that gap before being asked.
Own and extend our agentic UX synthesis pipeline — maintaining existing agents, building new ones, and identifying where research tasks can move to an AI-first or AI-assisted workflow, while personally validating that agent-generated inputs and outputs are relevant, accurate, and unbiased before they inform a decision.
Turn research and synthesis work into reusable templates and standards that both people and agents can apply consistently.
Work in accordance with the UX team's established methods, while also helping us grow and evolve those methods — bring your ideas.
Transform raw scores into practical numbers and figures.
Prepare clear research reports and synthesize findings into actionable insights and recommendations for stakeholders, using AI tooling to accelerate turnaround without sacrificing rigor.
Translate research findings into implications for product roadmap and company priorities, helping stakeholders see not just what was found, but what it means for what comes next.
Travel periodically to other Nelnet offices for team collaboration and to conduct on-site research.