Sr Ux Researcher

Description & Requirements
Maximus Federal is growing our Total Experience Solutions and Services (TXSS) organization to better serve the needs of our federal customers, and to continually improve citizen services and experiences. The Total Experiences Solutions and Services team is a group of skilled practitioners who are laser-focused on solving the most complex 21st century government challenges to build trust people have in the federal government. We aim to deliver services that are simple, seamless, and secure for all people. We use approaches grounded in design thinking, lean, and agile to help solve customer challenges, and shape Maximus' Customer Experience (CX) go-to-market strategy across our federal services. Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
- Lead all phases of the user research process, including user recruitment, study design, data collection, analysis, and reporting. Utilize various qualitative and quantitative research methods, such as usability testing, surveys, interviews, A/B testing, card sorting, focus groups, task analysis, and competitive analysis, among others, to gain deep insights into user needs and behaviors.
- Validate feature and design direction through participatory design, early concept testing, formative and summative usability testing.
- Collaborate closely with product managers, designers, engineers, and other stakeholders to advocate for user-centered design principles. Act as a strategic partner, providing valuable insights and recommendations throughout the product development lifecycle.
- Analyze research data, identify patterns, and generate actionable insights that drive informed design decisions.
- Craft compelling stories and visual models to communicate insights and discoveries effectively and clearly, inclusive of diverse perspectives, ensuring resonance with diverse audiences through reports, presentations, and interactive workshops.
- Represent the diverse needs of end-users, customers, employees, and business stakeholders across the product and design lifecycle from discovery through design validation and customer adoption across a portfolio of products.
- Create research plans, interview/discussion guides, recruitment strategies, user personas, jobs-to-be-done insights, user/customer journey maps, and competitive analysis reports that clarify synthesized themes, pain points and articulate and address customer and business needs for a given service or product.
- Stay up to date with the latest research methodologies, tools, and industry trends. Continuously evaluate and improve research practices, ensuring your project team is equipped with the right resources and techniques to deliver impactful results.
- Foster a cross-disciplinary approach that utilizes design thinking concepts and embraces creativity, rigor, and data.
- Build strong and collaborative relationships with cross-functional teams to launch new products, features, and services on time and within budget.
The UX Researcher is expected to:
• Conduct typical UX research activities including but not limited to A/B testing, Benchmarking, Card sorting, Contextual enquiry, Data analysis, Ethnography, Eye tracking studies, Interviewing, Market Research, Focus Groups, Surveys, Task Analysis, Usability testing, User observations, User profiling, etc.
• Perform individual contributions as noted above, and also serve as a mentor for, but not necessarily lead, a team of highly talented and motivated UX Researchers and UX Designers.
• Foster a cross-disciplinary approach that utilizes design thinking concepts and embraces creativity, rigor, and data.
• Drive a user-centered design culture, innovation, and process improvements up, down, and across the organization.
• Lead highly collaborative "art of the possible" workshops for both internal and external customers through leveraging of design thinking concepts, brainstorming, and rapid prototyping.
• Build strong and collaborative relationships with cross-functional teams to launch new products, features, and services on time and within budget.
• Assist with other tasks and projects as assigned.
Minimum Requirements
Minimum Requirements:
Bachelor's Degree or equivalent experience.
- 7-10 years of related professional experience.
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in a creative or technical field. Graduate degree preferred.
• At least 4 years of experience working in a UX team in an agile, preferably SAFe, environment.
• Portfolio demonstrating extensive experience solving complex UX problems
• Exceptional collaboration skills. High degree of creativity, empathy, and passion.
• Stellar communication skills (storytelling, visualization, use of qualitative and quantitative data) to enlist support for initiatives and ignite enthusiasm to execute. Able to drive clarity on the largest and most difficult projects.
• Proficient in all of the following: Design Thinking, Agile, Lean methodologies.
• Proficient in all of the following: user research, interaction design, visual design, information architecture, front-end development.
• At least 6 years in a consulting or digital agency environment required
• Domain knowledge of health care, call center, or public sector preferred but not required.
Qualifications:
• Curiosity to learn about new businesses and industries, and ability to quickly grasp and make effective use of industry- and company-specific terminology
• Solid written and verbal communication skills and leadership
• Ability to summarize and convey information to stakeholders and sponsors
• Strong negotiation and objection handling skills
• Ability to influence others both within and outside of immediate team to achieve results
• Travel: Ability to travel as required up to 50%. Given the dynamic nature of the team and the need to be responsive to our customers' needs, some travel may be coordinated on short notice.
EEO Statement
Active military service members, their spouses, and veteran candidates often embody the core competencies Maximus deems essential, and bring a resiliency and dependability that greatly enhances our workforce. We recognize your unique skills and experiences, and want to provide you with a career path that allows you to continue making a difference for our country. We're proud of our connections to organizations dedicated to serving veterans and their families. If you are transitioning from military to civilian life, have prior service, are a retired veteran or a member of the National Guard or Reserves, or a spouse of an active military service member, we have challenging and rewarding career opportunities available for you. A committed and diverse workforce is our most important resource. Maximus is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. Maximus provides equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status or disabled status.
Pay Transparency
Maximus compensation is based on various factors including but not limited to job location, a candidate's education, training, experience, expected quality and quantity of work, required travel (if any), external market and internal value analysis including seniority and merit systems, as well as internal pay alignment. Annual salary is just one component of Maximus's total compensation package. Other rewards may include short- and long-term incentives as well as program-specific awards. Additionally, Maximus provides a variety of benefits to employees, including health insurance coverage, life and disability insurance, a retirement savings plan, paid holidays and paid time off. Compensation ranges may differ based on contract value but will be commensurate with job duties and relevant work experience. An applicant's salary history will not be used in determining compensation. Maximus will comply with regulatory minimum wage rates and exempt salary thresholds in all instances.