Senior UX Researcher & Strategist

Confirmed live in the last 24 hours

Thrive

Atlanta GA

On-site

Posted February 23, 2026

Job Description

Hi, We're THRIVE!

We are a people-centered design and innovation firm partnering with ambitious brands to create meaningful experiences that win hearts and shape the future.

Our work gives leaders, teams, and organizations  the clarity, courage, and conviction to move confidently forward and design what’s next.

Why should you work with us?

You will lead client partners to achieve their business objectives by defining compelling human insights, actionable business opportunities, and user experiences that create new value, strengthen brands, and improve market share.

(1) You'll Be Challenged.
Every organization talks about development and evolving your career, but here, it’s part of the job description. You’re going to show us what you’re great at, and we’re going to help you break into all the other things you’ve always wanted to do, from Design to Strategy to Branding and on and on. If you’re insatiably curious and ready to give your career all you’ve got by stepping beyond the title on your business card, we’d love to chat.

(2) You'll Help Solve the Right Problems.
Our clients come to us because they have a problem. And boy, do we love a challenge, so we attack each and every one with incredible rigor, discipline, and a quality-or-die attitude. Work with THRIVE, and you’ll get a chance to make a real difference for businesses and people through the products and services they interact with every day.

(3) You'll Work With People As Passionate (I.E. Crazy Dedicated) As You Are.
There’s no shame in being mega-enthusiastic about what you do, especially if that’s code for entrepreneurial. If this sounds like you, you’re going to fit in just fine around here. Here’s the thing: We’re growing. And if your idea of a good time is being a part of something big, then this is the place—and the team—for you.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Plan, lead, and manage end-to-end UX research programs—from defining research questions and selecting methods to executing fieldwork, synthesizing findings, and delivering strategic recommendations.
Design and conduct qualitative research, including user interviews, contextual inquiry, ethnographic observation, diary studies, think-aloud usability sessions, and participatory co-design workshops—matching method to question with precision.
Develop and execute usability evaluation plans, including formative and summative testing, heuristic analysis, cognitive walkthroughs, and task analysis to assess and improve product experiences across complex workflows.
Translate raw behavioral data and user insight into UX strategy artifacts: experience principles, design criteria, UX frameworks, mental model diagrams, journey maps, and service blueprints that directly inform design direction.
Lead the development of comprehensive UX strategy documents that define the user experience vision, interaction philosophy, and design priorities for a product or platform—connecting human needs to measurable business outcomes.
Architect and map end-to-end user journeys, ecosystem maps, and touchpoint analyses that expose pain points, unmet needs, and experience gaps across complex multi-stakeholder environments.
Define information architecture, navigation systems, and user flow logic in collaboration with interaction designers and product teams—grounding structural decisions in research evidence.
Lead UX research for regulated product development environments, including human factors engineering studies aligned with FDA guidance (IEC 62366, HE75) for medical device and healthcare technology clients.
Conduct competitive UX analyses and benchmark studies that evaluate the interaction patterns, design conventions, and experience standards shaping a client’s category.
Facilitate structured co-design and ideation workshops with client teams, end users, and cross-functional stakeholders to generate, pressure-test, and refine concepts grounded in user insight.
Deliver polished research reports, strategy briefs, and executive-level presentations that communicate complex insights with clarity, confidence, and visual impact.
Serve as the UX research and strategy lead on client engagements—managing timelines, client expectations, and deliverables with senior professionalism.
Build and maintain a strong network within the UX research, design, a