Lead UX Researcher

Work Location Type: Remote
Req Number 323529
About Grainger:
W.W. Grainger, Inc., is a leading broad line distributor with operations primarily in North America, Japan and the United Kingdom. At Grainger, We Keep the World Working® by serving more than 4.5 million customers worldwide with products and solutions delivered through innovative technology and deep customer relationships. Known for its commitment to service and award-winning culture, the Company had 2024 revenue of $17.2 billion across its two business models. In the High-Touch Solutions segment, Grainger offers approximately 2 million maintenance, repair and operating (MRO) products and services, including technical support and inventory management. In the Endless Assortment segment, Zoro.com offers customers access to more than 14 million products, and MonotaRO.com offers more than 24 million products. For more information, visit www.grainger.com.
Compensation
The anticipated base pay compensation range for this position is $120,400.00 to $200,700.00.
Rewards and Benefits:
With benefits starting on day one, our programs provide choice and flexibility to meet team members' individual needs, including:

• Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans with coverage starting on day one of employment and 6 free sessions each year with a licensed therapist to support your emotional wellbeing.
• 18 paid time off (PTO) days annually for full-time employees (accrual prorated based on employment start date) and 6 company holidays per year.
• 6% company contribution to a 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan each pay period, no employee contribution required.
• Employee discounts, tuition reimbursement, student loan refinancing and free access to financial counseling, education, and tools.
• Maternity support programs, nursing benefits, and up to 14 weeks paid leave for birth parents and up to 4 weeks paid leave for non-birth parents.

For additional information and details regarding Grainger's benefits, please click on the link below:
https://experience100.ehr.com/grainger/Home/Tools-Resources/Key-Resources/New-Hire
The pay range provided above is not a guarantee of compensation. The range reflects the potential base pay for this role at the time of this posting based on the job grade for this position. Individual base pay compensation will depend, in part, on factors such as geographic work location and relevant experience and skills.
The anticipated compensation range described above is subject to change and the compensation ultimately paid may be higher or lower than the range described above.
Grainger reserves the right to amend, modify, or terminate its compensation and benefit programs in its sole discretion at any time, consistent with applicable law.
Position Details:
At Grainger we keep the world working, and within the Grainger Technology Group we're creating systems to maintain and extend Grainger's market and service leadership.
We are looking for a Lead User Experience Researcher to support and inform design and development of Grainger's web, mobile, and vending device platforms through design thinking expertise and insightful user research with customers and team members.
As a Lead UX Researcher, you will be instrumental in helping technology and business partners build empathy and understanding of end users, their contexts, and their needs. You will collaborate with product managers, designers, and other product team roles to identify and prioritize research opportunities, plan and execute research studies, and deliver findings which will inform the experiences and services we build. The Lead UX Research role also contributes to continuous improvement of UX Research team operations and best practices.
This role will report to the Senior Manager, UX Research and Measurement.
You Will:

• Collaborate with UX Design, Product Management, Analytics, and Business Partners to translate business needs into research questions and hypotheses
• Utilize design thinking and user research techniques to plan and conduct exploratory, generative, and evaluative design research
• Synthesize research into frameworks, models, and actionable insights to inform the user experience and product roadmaps
• Plan and facilitate workshops to help uncover new ideas and drive alignment
• Mentor and guide junior team members on research best practices
• Contribute to UX Research team planning and continuous improvement efforts

You Have:

• Expertise in design thinking and design research methods and tools such as contextual inquiry, interviews, surveys, usability testing, journey mapping, service blueprints, and archetype development
• A deep understanding of experience design, usability, and research best practices for both in-person and remote settings
• Expertise in moderating research and facilitating workshops to support alignment, ideation, and planning
• Expertise in synthesizing data and research findings into artifacts, frameworks, and models
• Experience collaborating with and influencing cross-functional teams
• Experience with establishing UX Research capabilities and best practices within a product team
• A passion for exploring primary and secondary qualitative and quantitative data to make connections and generate insights
• Strong project management skills
• Strong verbal and visual communication skills
• A high bar for quality and attention to detail
• Formal education in Psychology, Design, Human Factors, or related field. Master's degree or equivalent experience is preferred
• 5+ years of experience focused on user experience and design research
• Work samples that demonstrate your expertise in user experience and design research
• Experience conducting research that informs both digital and physical interactions is a plus

We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or expression, protected veteran status or any other protected characteristic under federal, state, or local law. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace.
We are committed to fostering an inclusive, accessible work environment that includes both providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities during the application and hiring process as well as throughout the course of one's employment, should you need a reasonable accommodation during the application and selection process, including, but not limited to use of our website, any part of the application, interview or hiring process, please advise us so that we can provide appropriate assistance.