UX Research Lead

Sidley Austin LLP•Chicago, IL

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The UX Research Lead is a hands-on individual who leads and executes discovery, definition, and validation efforts across product initiatives. This role is responsible for planning and conducting research activities, leading discovery workshops, producing core discovery artifacts, and running user testing to validate product direction and usability. The UX Research Lead partners closely with Product, Engineering, and Design to ensure user insights meaningfully inform prioritization and delivery.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Human-Computer Interaction, Psychology, Design, Research, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience
A minimum 4 years of experience in UX research or related roles
Demonstrated ability to transform ambiguity into meaningful insights
Experience conducting qualitative research and usability testing
Strong analytical and synthesis skills
Demonstrated ability to plan and run stakeholder workshops
Experience with enterprise level applications
Experience using research and collaboration tools such as Figma, Miro, or similar
Strong organizational skills
Strong attention to detail
Good judgment
Strong interpersonal communication skills
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
Able to work harmoniously and effectively with others
Able to preserve confidentiality and exercise discretion
Able to work under pressure
Able to manage multiple projects with competing deadlines and priorities

Nice To Haves

Background in or exposure to professional services industries (legal, financial, consulting, etc.).

Responsibilities

Define and conduct user interviews, contextual inquiries, and observational research to understand current workflows, pain points, and constraints
Lead one or more discovery and definition workshops through research preparation, documentation, synthesis, and follow-up
Own documentation of current-state journeys that capture how users accomplish tasks across systems and touchpoints
Maintain and contribute to discovery artifacts including pain point logs, personas, and workshop summaries
Assist in developing future-state journeys, user flows, and early art-of-the-possible concepts in collaboration with UX and Product
Plan and conduct usability testing and concept validation sessions to evaluate product direction
Execute test scripts, facilitate testing sessions, and document findings
Synthesize user testing results into clear insights and actionable recommendations
Partner with Product Management, Engineering, and Design to ensure research findings inform iteration and prioritization
Maintain organized research documentation to support traceability and reuse of insights