Strategic ResearcherAustin, TX - Product Design & Research - Product Design and UXR

About this role

• Overview: The Udemy Research team is seeking a Strategic Design Researcher with a background in design consultancy and innovation strategy to help shape the future of digital learning. This role blends human-centered research, design strategy, and creative problem-solving to inform product development and business decisions. You will lead research-driven design processes, facilitate workshops, and translate insights into strategic recommendations that drive innovation in EdTech.
• Our why: Research is at the heart of Udemy’s goal to be obsessed with our customers, bringing their point of view to the strategy, design, voice and innovation of our products. We work ceaselessly to understand consumer attitudes, goals and behaviors so that we can create the most delightful and innovative experiences for them. We focus on learning "why" people do the things they do when learning, or growing, pivoting or beginning a new career.
• Strategic approach: We strategize so that we apply the right research at the right time for the right problems. Our research informs and empowers our marketing, product, design and corporate strategy teams to create the best educational experiences for our customers.
• Customer understanding: As a Strategic Researcher, you will provide insights that drive the strategy and execution for Udemy’s global consumer and B2B learning products. You will be integral in uncovering the mental models, mindsets and behaviors of our customers and communicating that to our partners so that we can create the best learning products for our learners.
• Mentorship & Advancement: You will also play a critical role in guiding and mentoring fellow researchers in applying a strategic lens across all research efforts. You will be responsible for contributing to processes and programs for advancing strategic UX research methods and the impact the team has in defining our product strategy. You will work closely with other researchers to socialize a strategic approach for delivering impactful and actionable insights.
• Cross-functional bridge: Most importantly, you will serve as a bridge between product, product design and business-focused partners to ensure that user goals and needs are at the forefront of the organization’s business decisions.
• Strategic influence: As a user advocate, you will play a critical role in guiding and influencing the short and long-term product strategy. You have a deep passion for uncovering user needs and jobs and use them to create user empathy within the organization. As a strategic user researcher you are comfortable defining and conducting rigorous research efforts that translate into impactful insights and strategic solutions for the organization.
• Research translation: Working within a product design organization you will determine the best approach for translating research findings into actionable outputs.

What you’ll be doing

• Design research: Conduct design research (contextual inquiries, ethnographic studies, co-creation workshops) to uncover deep insights about learners, educators, and digital education experiences.
• Strategic thinking: Apply strategic design methodologies to frame problems, map ecosystems, and identify opportunities for innovation.
• Research synthesis: Synthesize research into strategic frameworks, journey maps, service blueprints and inspiring narratives to inform design and business strategy.
• Workshop facilitation: Facilitate design thinking workshops and collaborative strategy sessions with cross-functional teams.
• Insight communication: Translate research findings into compelling narratives, visual storytelling, and actionable recommendations for Product, UX, and Strategy teams.
• Human-centered advocacy: Advocate for human-centered, insight-driven design within the organization.
• Relationship building: Build trust and effective relationships with cross-functional teams by always seeking alignment via stakeholder interviews, workshops or other alignment activities.

What you’ll have

• Experience: 3+ years in strategic design research, service design, or innovation consulting, ideally in EdTech, learning experiences, or digital products, or equivalent education. Ability to navigate ambiguity, and drive clarity that brings the user, technology, and business together.
• Preferred background: Background in design or research strategy, innovation strategy, or design consulting. Experience working in complex, cross-functional environments.
• Language skills: Fluency in English
• Research tools: Familiar with design research tools (e.g., Miro, Figma, Notion, Adobe CC, visualization software).

At Udemy, we strive to be transparent around compensation. Actual compensation for this role is based on several factors, including but not limited to job-related skills, qualifications, experience, and specific work location due to differences in the cost of labor. In addition to a base salary, this role is also eligible for benefits and equity.Hiring Compensation Range$119,000—$149,000 USD

We understand that not everyone will match each of the above qualifications. However, we also realize that everyone has unique experiences that can add value to our company. Even if you think your background might not perfectly align, we'd love to hear from you!