Role Description We’re looking for an AI first Senior User Researcher to lead and modernize our research team across product, marketing, brand and lead the AI transformation for Research. This role is for a seasoned, full-stack researcher who brings mastery of qualitative and quantitative methods, deep experience in both product and marketing research, and the experience to leverage AI to accelerate the scale and quality of research at Study.com. You’ll be responsible for leading our most important research initiatives across college credit and professional test prep segments to equip the company with strategic and actionable customer insights. You will also be responsible for internal voice of the customer programs, managing contractors and conducting your own research on high priority business areas. This is a full-time contract position. You will be expected to work during Study.com's Pacific Time business hours Monday through Friday. Additionally, you will use your own computer and have reliable access to high-speed internet. What You’ll Do - Lead and scale high-impact research across product development, brand strategy, and marketing. - Independently conduct complex generative and evaluative studies that uncover unmet needs, inform product vision, and de-risk decisions at scale. - Implement advanced AI-native practices and embed AI into research workflows to ensure speed, quality, and impact. - Define what it means to work AI-natively across research internally and for our customers. - Stay up to date on the latest AI-based research techniques and tools. - Connect the dots, patterns and connections across teams. Ensure insights are shared across teams and inform decisions. - Partner with senior leadership to identify and evangelize the highest-impact opportunities for our customers. - Be the in-house expert across all core research methods, including usability testing, ethnographic research, surveys, segmentation, message testing, brand tracking, and concept validation. - Coach designers, marketers, product managers and other employees on conducting research, reviewing their projects and adapting the AI first workflow based on needs. - Lead and moderate company-wide Voice of the Customer (VoC) sessions, interviewing real customers in live forums to bring their perspectives directly to cross-functional teams. - Manage external research contractors and vendors, including scoping, quality control, and budget alignment. - Build and scale a research enablement model, coaching designers, marketers, and product managers to run self-serve research with confidence and consistency. - Develop tools, templates, and guidance that scale research capabilities and impact. - Collaborate with cross-functional leadership to build and prioritize a unified, impact-driven research roadmap. - Be a skilled communicator to peers to executives. Articulate effective customer stories to drive change and inform strategy of product initiatives to business strategy. Qualifications - 5+ years in user research roles, with experience spanning product, marketing, and brand research. - Deep fluency in all major research methodologies, qualitative and quantitative, statistical analysis, generative and evaluative. - Hands-on experience moderating user interviews is required. - Experience managing contractors, vendors, and agencies across multiple workstreams. - Expert knowledge of AI tools to support the end-to-end research workflow. - Expert knowledge of UserTesting and SurveyMonkey for usability testing, survey design, and rapid feedback collection. - Strong leadership and enablement skills to equip non-researchers to conduct reliable, lean research. - Fluent in English (written and verbal). Company Description At Study.com, we know that strong communities are built on the power of our diversity, and we respect and strive to understand for the diverse identities, race, ethnicities, backgrounds, and perspectives of our team members. Our work and company culture have been consistently recognized, including: - Inc. Best Place to Work - Fortune Great Places to Work – Best Workplaces in the Bay Area - Golden Bridge Awards – Gold Winner, Corporate Social Responsibility - San Francisco Business Times & Silicon Valley Business Journal – Best Places to Work Study.com provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, veteran or disability status. In addition to federal law requirements, Study.com complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. Additionally, qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records will be considered for the position in accordance with applicable state and local laws.

• Build digital products and services 0-1 • Lead end-to-end design process for a startup idea or topic of your choice • Lead product scoping and feature scoping, as well as entire project management • Identify target market for product and position product for launch success • Develop a business model for the product or service and demonstrate how the product/service will scale as the business model scales • Lead discovery research by managing user recruitment, creating research plans, writing interview guides, leading 8-16 discovery interviews, and synthesizing interview insights • Deliver a compelling UX design and business pitch for your startup idea, showcasing both qualitative and quantitative data to justify the problem space and the solution • Tell a compelling story about users by showcasing user types, personas, stakeholder maps, journey maps, process maps, service blueprints, ideation matrixes, sketches, wireframes, UX workflows, prototypes and other visual deliverables • Lead user testing of wireframes and prototypes to improve product/service usability and constantly iterate on your startup idea • Design a unique design system for your solution from scratch, creating components, a style guide, and branding for your solution • Analyze direct and indirect competitors to clearly articulate your solution’s differentiators and why your solution is innovative and more likely to succeed over competing options • Consult with startups to create a scope of work and fulfill UX research, UX design, product design and service design work based on your scope of work.

Disclaimer: Please be advised that the most accurate and up-to-date information about our open roles—including job descriptions, compensation, and benefits—can only be guaranteed on our official job board. For the latest listings and details, please visit: https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/ninjatrader. JOIN US ON OUR MISSION TO BECOME THE #1 RETAIL TRADING PLATFORM IN THE WORLD Welcome to the dynamic world of NinjaTrader! As an industry-leading trading platform and futures broker, we're empowering traders to take control of their financial destiny. How do we do it? We provide cutting-edge products and services that enhance the trading journey. Whether a seasoned pro or just starting out, NinjaTrader equips traders with award-winning software and brokerage services to navigate the world's leading financial markets with confidence. Our growth story is nothing short of exhilarating. Since 2003, NinjaTrader has been dedicated to understanding and supporting traders on their journey toward trading triumph. Through those efforts, our user base has grown to over 2 million users and we have become the number one rated futures brokerage worldwide. But we're not stopping there. We're constantly evolving, pushing boundaries, and modernizing the futures industry. Our commitment to innovation means users will always have access to dynamic tools, real-time support, and a community of like-minded traders. So, why work at NinjaTrader? Here, you're not just part of a team; you're part of a movement. We empower employees to reach new heights in their careers by providing a dynamic culture focused on social connection, professional development, and employee recognition initiatives. Sounds too good to be true? Take it from our employees. Join us as we redefine what's possible in trading, advocate for our customers, and continue our journey toward becoming the world's top retail-focused trading platform in the world. What you'll do: In this role, you will lead research initiatives that bridge the gap between complex trading workflows and intuitive product design. You will apply a variety of research methodologies, from generative to evaluative, to uncover user needs, validate solutions, and optimize the trading experience. Your insights will directly influence the design and development of NinjaTrader’s Futures Trading platform, ensuring it meets and exceeds the expectations of expert and new traders. In this role you will: - Strategically select and apply research methods based on project needs - Generative research to explore trader behaviors, workflows, and pain points - Concept validation to refine ideas before development - Evaluative research to assess the effectiveness of design solutions - Behavioral and quantitative research to track user patterns and validate findings at scale - Conduct deep research into trader psychology, decision-making under pressure, and automation workflows, ensuring the platform supports both expert and new-to-futures traders - Collaborate with designers, product managers, and engineers to translate insights into user-centered solutions - Develop personas and journey maps to align stakeholders on trader goals and pain points - Advocate for research-backed decision-making, ensuring UX is grounded in user needs rather than assumptions - Present findings in compelling ways through reports, workshops, and data-driven storytelling - Partner with market researchers and data analysts to triangulate user insights with behavioral data and market trends - Establish and refine research frameworks, processes, and best practices to scale research impact across teams What you'll need: - 5+ years of UX research experience in complex environments (fintech, trading, enterprise software, or similar domains) - Expertise in a broad range of research methods, knowing when and how to apply each based on the research objective - Experience conducting usability studies and optimizing workflows for high-stakes decision-making environments - Ability to synthesize qualitative and quantitative insights to tell a clear and compelling user story - Proficiency in UX research tools and behavioral analytics - Strong collaboration skills, with the ability to work across design, product, data, marketing, and engineering teams to drive user-centered solutions - Excellent communication and storytelling abilities, with experience presenting insights to senior stakeholders Bonus points for: - Experience with futures trading platforms or other financial markets - Background in behavioral economics or cognitive psychology - Experience working in fast-paced, agile environments - Familiarity with trading platforms, real-time data visualization, risk management tools, or trading concepts is a huge plus Compensation: The salary range for this role will be $130,000 - $150,000 USD. In addition, this position will also receive an annual target bonus of 12%. Bonus pay at NinjaTrader is based on individual performance (50%) as well as company/team performance (50%). Salary and bonus earnings are only two components of the total compensation package offered by NinjaTrader. NinjaTrader offers a 401K plan through ADP under which the company will match up to 3.5% of employee contributions. Annual paid time off allowance accrues at a rate of 18 days per year (some positions may qualify for more) plus seven paid holidays. Additional details on our total compensation package and benefits are listed below. Location: This role is based in Chicago, IL. *There may be remote flexibility for exceptional candidates in the following states: California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C. Hybrid: For Chicago-based employees, we follow a hybrid work schedule: In-office Tuesday through Thursday, with remote work on Mondays and Fridays. In addition to these weekly remote days, we offer: - 20 additional flex remote days annually - 5 Company Wide Office-Optional weeks tied to major holidays Our Core Benefits Include: - Generous PTO - 7 Paid Holidays Annually + 5 Conditional Holidays Annually - 1 Service Day Annually - 401k with 3.5% Company Match - Paid Parental Bonding Leave - Health, Vision, Dental Coverage - Life and Disability Insurance Covered 100% by NinjaTrader We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender, gender identity or expression, or veteran status. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace.

We are seeking a senior mixed-methods researcher to join a multidisciplinary dynamic contractor team supporting a federal agency’s customer experience and human-centered design initiatives. In this role, you will lead research efforts that generate actionable, data‑driven insights to inform service design, digital product development, and policy decisions. You will work closely with stakeholders, CX strategists, designers, data analysts, engineers, and technologists to ensure that customer voices are embedded throughout the product and service lifecycle. Job Location: This position requires that the job be performed in the United States. If you accept this position, you should note that ICF does monitor employee work locations blocks access from foreign locations/foreign IP addresses and also prohibits personal VPN connections. Key Responsibilities: - Design and lead quantitative and qualitative research studies including surveys, interviews, usability tests, and ethnographic methods. - Lead survey strategy and creation, deployment, and analysis of results to uncover actionable insights and measure customer sentiment. - Ensure research practices comply with ethical standards, including informed consent and protection of personally identifiable information. - Synthesize qualitative and quantitative data into clear, compelling insights that inform design, product, and policy decisions. - Translate findings into research artifacts such as reports, personas, journey maps, service blueprints, and data visualizations. - Provide strategic direction to analysts on data visualization approaches, ensuring insights are understandable and actionable. - Present findings to stakeholders across government agencies, including senior leaders, advocating for customer-centered improvements. - Partner with CX strategists, service designers, data scientists, and technologist to validate concepts, improve usability, and enhance service delivery. - Apply Human-Centered Design and service design principles across digital and non-digital touchpoints. - Contribute to Voice of the Customer (VoC) programs by analyzing feedback channels, comment streams, and behavioral data. Contribute to a research strategy and roadmap aligned with program and agency priorities. - Collaborate with stakeholders to define CX success metrics and evaluate the impact of research‑driven recommendations on service quality and outcomes. - Support continuous improvement efforts by linking research insights to service performance and outcomes. - Thrive in a fast-paced contractor environment, adapting to evolving priorities and collaborating across multiple teams and disciplines. Required Qualifications: - US Citizenship is required by the federal government for this position - Must be able to obtain Public Trust clearance. - MUST RESIDE IN THE United States (U.S.) and the work MUST BE PERFORMED in the United States (U.S.), as this work is for a federal contract and laws do apply. - 7+ years of experience in UX/CX research, market research, human factors, behavioral science, or related disciplines. - Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, Human Factors, HCI, Behavioral Science, UX Research, Service Design, Public Policy, or related field. Preferred Qualifications: - Figma for collaborating, workshopping, prototyping and wireframing - Qualtrics for survey deployment and analytics - Usertesting.com or similar platforms for usability testing or interviews - Microsoft Office for analysis, reporting, and cross-team collaboration - Familiarity with Tableau, Power BI, or similar tools for data visualization - Demonstrated expertise in both qualitative and quantitative research methods, including advanced survey design and mixed-methods synthesis. - Proven experience conducting service design and customer experience research (e.g., journey mapping, VoC programs, pain‑point identification). - Demonstrated experience working with federal agencies. Working at ICF ICF is a global advisory and technology services provider, but we’re not your typical consultants. We combine unmatched expertise with cutting-edge technology to help clients solve their most complex challenges, navigate change, and shape the future. We can only solve the world's toughest challenges by building a workplace that allows everyone to thrive. We are an equal opportunity employer. Together, our employees are empowered to share their expertise and collaborate with others to achieve personal and professional goals. For more information, please read our EEO policy. We will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records. Reasonable Accommodations are available, including, but not limited to, for disabled veterans, individuals with disabilities, and individuals with sincerely held religious beliefs, in all phases of the application and employment process. To request an accommodation, please email Candidateaccommodation@icf.com and we will be happy to assist. All information you provide will be kept confidential and will be used only to the extent required to provide needed reasonable accommodations.  Read more about workplace discrimination rights or our benefit offerings which are included in the Transparency in (Benefits) Coverage Act. Candidate AI Usage Policy At ICF, we are committed to ensuring a fair interview process for all candidates based on their own skills and knowledge. As part of this commitment, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools to generate or assist with responses during interviews (whether in-person or virtual) is not permitted. This policy is in place to maintain the integrity and authenticity of the interview process.  However, we understand that some candidates may require accommodation that involves the use of AI. If such an accommodation is needed, candidates are instructed to contact us in advance at candidateaccommodation@icf.com. We are dedicated to providing the necessary support to ensure that all candidates have an equal opportunity to succeed.   Pay Range - There are multiple factors that are considered in determining final pay for a position, including, but not limited to, relevant work experience, skills, certifications and competencies that align to the specified role, geographic location, education and certifications as well as contract provisions regarding labor categories that are specific to the position. The pay range for this position based on full-time employment is: $119,323.00 - $202,850.00 Nationwide Remote Office (US99)