Lead, User Research

If you’re passionate about building a better future for individuals, communities, and our country—and you’re committed to working hard to play your part in building that future—consider Craft Education as the next step in your career.

Craft Education is on a mission to solve skilled labor shortages by powering work-based learning pathways for all.  

At Craft, we’re revolutionizing the apprenticeship degree, combining on-the-job learning with accredited instruction to create innovative educational pathways that accommodate working professionals and meet employer needs.  Our flagship product - Craft Connect - helps organizations administer apprentice degree programs and address mission-critical data and reporting needs.  Through the same platform, Craft is also transforming how on-the-job learning converts into academic credits.

Our team of technology, education and workforce professionals also provides technical assistance to organizations looking to launch and manage apprenticeship degree programs.  We are working tirelessly to accelerate the expansion of these programs along with the data infrastructure that underpins them.  

If you’re looking to join the work-based learning revolution, we’d love to talk with you.  At Craft, you’ll have the opportunity to solve hard problems in a high-growth startup environment and make a lasting impact on the future of education and workforce development.  We couldn’t be more excited to advance this work as a team of innovative, collaborative and mission-oriented professionals - we hope you’ll consider joining us.

• Leads and conducts user research initiatives across various projects and product lines.
• Plans and executes research using diverse methodologies to understand user needs and use cases.
• Identifies and addresses key research problems, synthesizing qualitative and quantitative data into actionable insights.
• Develops and manages a comprehensive research repository to organize and share findings.
• Collaborates with cross-functional teams to inform product decisions and strategy.
• Works closely with UX designers and product managers to iterate and test solutions.
• Communicates research findings to stakeholders through clear, digestible documentation.
• Translates insights into actionable recommendations to influence company strategy.
• Establishes and refines research processes and methodologies as the company grows.
• Generates research initiatives aligned with business goals and user needs.
• Develops research strategies and roadmaps supporting product and business OKRs.
• Potentially mentors junior researchers and manage the expanding research team.
• Stays current with market trends, competitors, and research software (e.g., Datadog, Dovetail).
• Identifies data gaps and collaborate with the business to address them.
• Socializes UX research findings by sharing bit-size insights, UX watch parties / “lunch-and-learns,” or other methods to help our internal (non-customer-facing) teammates get inspired, learn about the problem space, and build user empathy.
• Performs other job-related duties as assigned.

This job description includes a general representation of job requirements rather than a comprehensive inventory of all required responsibilities or work activities.  The contents of this document or related job requirements may change at any time with or without notice.

Qualifications

• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to distill complex information into clear, actionable insights.
• Strong project management skills and ability to juggle multiple priorities.
• Strategic thinking skills to connect research insights to broader business goals.
•  In Proven ability to work autonomously and drive research initiatives with minimal guidance.
• Self-starter mentality with the ability to identify research opportunities independently.
• Adaptability and comfort with ambiguity, imperfect information, and rapid iteration.
• Collaborative spirit and ability to work cross-functionally.
• Seeks ways to work and communicate transparently.

• Bachelor's degree in a related field.

Experience

• 5+ years of experience in UX research, preferably in a fast-paced startup environment.
• Strong portfolio demonstrating impact of research on product decisions.
• Expertise in various research methodologies, both qualitative and quantitative.
• Experience in setting up and managing research repositories.

Experience in lieu of education

Equivalent relevant experience performing the essential functions of this job may substitute for education degree requirements.  Generally, equivalent relevant experience is defined as 1 year of experience for 1 year of education and is the discretion of the hiring manager.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with government employees (especially in Workforce Development, Department of Labor, or apprenticeship programs), higher education (LMS & SIS integrations), data platforms (data analytics and dashboards)
• Master’s Degree in a related field
• Experience using testing tools (Dovetail, User Testing, Maze, UserZoom, Optimal Sort or similar).
• Experience with survey design and tools (Typeform, Qualtrics or Survey Monkey).
• Experience with analytics tools (Datadog, Pendo, Adobe, Mixpanel, Google Analytics or similar).

Location Requirements:

Work location is determined by role and business needs. In addition to our headquarters in Salt Lake City, UT we have office locations across the US. Senior leadership, administrative functions, and technology teams are typically assigned to work in one of our office locations. While this position will begin with a Remote/Work-From-Home designation, we will be moving to an In-Office/Hybrid model once a dedicated office space in Nashville, TN is established.

#LI-MM1

The salary range for this position takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets; experience and training; licensure and certifications; and other business and organizational needs.

At WGU, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their position, and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. A reasonable estimate of the current range is:
 

How to apply: apply online

Full-time Regular Positions (FT classification, standard working hours = 40)

This is a full-time, regular position that is eligible for bonuses; medical, dental, vision, telehealth and mental healthcare; health savings account and flexible spending account; basic and voluntary life insurance; disability coverage; accident, critical illness and hospital indemnity supplemental coverages; legal and identity theft coverage; retirement savings plan; wellbeing program; discounted WGU tuition; and flexible paid time off for rest and relaxation with no need for accrual, flexible paid sick time with no need for accrual, 11 paid holidays, and other paid leaves, including up to 12 weeks of parental leave.

The University is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.