UX Research Lead

Summary We are seeking a UX Research Lead to join our Design & User Experience organization — a role that carries both an operational delivery mandate and a strategic imperative to evolve how UX Research functions in an AI-enabled product environment. This leader will direct end-to-end research programs that generate high-confidence, actionable client intelligence to inform product priorities, design decisions, and business strategy across Citi's digital portfolio. Simultaneously, the UX Research Lead will define and champion the future state of the research practice — embedding AI-assisted tools, intelligent knowledge systems, and proactive insight generation into the product development lifecycle (PDLC). The ideal candidate brings deep methodological expertise across qualitative and quantitative research, proven ability to influence at the executive level, and a clear-eyed vision for how emerging AI capabilities can responsibly transform research at scale. This is not a role for those who adapt to change — it is a role for those who architect it. Key Responsibilities 🔹 Deliver & Operate Day-to-day and near-term research leadership that drives business outcomes through rigorous, credible insight. Lead and manage the full research lifecycle for assigned product domains from scoping and methodology design through execution, analysis, synthesis, and stakeholder delivery. Define and maintain an annual research roadmap aligned to business priorities, product roadmaps, and client experience goals; continuously reprioritize in response to emerging business needs. Oversee mixed-methods research programs, deploying the appropriate methodology, including survey research, in-product intercepts, behavioral analytics, usability studies, longitudinal panels, regression and driver analysis. Serve as the primary research partner to senior stakeholders across Product Management, Technology, Design, and Business leadership; build trust through rigorous methodology, reproducible findings, and consistent delivery. Champion the voice of the client in product and strategy discussions; synthesize complex, multi-source data into clear, actionable recommendations that influence product roadmaps and design direction. Ensure research quality and methodological integrity across all team outputs; establish peer review and documentation standards that maintain credibility at executive and regulatory levels. Manage and mentor junior and mid-level researchers, providing guidance on methodology, communication, and professional development; foster a high-performing, learning-oriented research culture. Track and communicate research impact, connecting insights to downstream product decisions, measuring the ROI of research investments, and reporting progress to leadership. Collaborate with Data, Analytics, and CX teams to integrate behavioral and quantitative signals with self-reported research data, enabling richer, more holistic client understanding. Present findings and recommendations to audiences ranging from product squads to Director-level and above; adapt communication style to build understanding and inspire action across functions. 🔸 Transform & Innovate Evolve the UX Research function in alignment with AI advancements and the digital delivery lifecycle. Define the strategic vision for AI-integrated UX Research at Citi, identifying where AI tools, intelligent knowledge repositories, and automated synthesis can meaningfully augment (not replace) human research judgment. Lead the design and implementation of a living research intelligence layer (e.g., a structured, queryable knowledge repository) that makes accumulated client insights accessible on-demand across the PDLC by shifting research from reactive to proactive. Establish a proactive research cadence, including always-on behavioral data ingestion, rapid weekly insight dispatch, and quarterly foundational studies so that client intelligence is generated ahead of demand,