Sr. UX Researcher (Chicago)

Sr. UX Researcher

Join us on our mission to become the #1 retail trading platform in the world. As an industry-leading trading platform and futures broker, we're on a mission to empower traders to take control of their financial destiny. 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. Over the last 20 years, NinjaTrader has been dedicated to understanding and supporting traders on their journey toward trading triumph. In the last five years alone, our user base has grown by 400% to over 1.9 million users and we have become the number one rated futures brokerage worldwide. 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.

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 :

Bonus points for :

Compensation :

The salary range for this role will be $155,000 - $175,000 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.

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 :

Our Core Benefits Include :

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.