Principal UX Researcher

Join SoFi as a Principal Researcher to influence product decisions and lead research programs across the business.

Responsibilities

• Lead research programs that span products and functions, setting direction and aligning teams with senior leadership
• Build research systems and frameworks that scale across the company, ensuring consistency and clarity
• Define and drive large, ambiguous initiatives with autonomy, from strategy through execution
• Apply deep expertise across methods, adapting approaches to solve complex, multi-team problems
• Create clear, durable deliverables that inform senior leadership decisions and guide multiple product areas
• Anticipate misalignment, resolve tradeoffs across functions, and help prioritize at the organizational level
• Represent research in senior forums, connecting user insights to company strategy and investments
• Mentor and grow researchers, shape hiring, and set quality standards for the discipline

Requirements

• Degree in HCI, Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, or related field (advanced degree preferred)
• 15+ years of experience in user research, with a strong track record leading at the org or company level
• Mastery of a broad range of research methods and the ability to design systems that scale
• Strong skills in scoping, planning, and executing complex initiatives with minimal guidance
• Exceptional communication and storytelling skills, comfortable influencing senior leadership
• Experience resolving conflicts and guiding prioritization across multiple teams
• Demonstrated leadership in mentoring, setting standards, and shaping hiring practices
• Recognized for driving research quality and advancing the practice within a company or industry

Key Skills

• Degree in HCI, Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, or related field
• 15+ years of experience in user research
• Mastery of a broad range of research methods
• Strong skills in scoping, planning, and executing complex initiatives
• Exceptional communication and storytelling skills
• Experience resolving conflicts and guiding prioritization across multiple teams
• Demonstrated leadership in mentoring, setting standards, and shaping hiring practices
• Recognized for driving research quality and advancing the practice

Benefits

• Comprehensive and competitive benefits
• Equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to protected characteristics
• Reasonable accommodations to candidates with physical or mental disabilities