Principal UX Researcher
at SoFi
CA-San Francisco, NY-New York, WA-Seattle
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Who we are:
Shape a brighter financial future with us.
Together with our members, we’re changing the way people think about and interact with personal finance.
We’re a next-generation financial services company and national bank using innovative, mobile-first technology to help our millions of members reach their goals. The industry is going through an unprecedented transformation, and we’re at the forefront. We’re proud to come to work every day knowing that what we do has a direct impact on people’s lives, with our core values guiding us every step of the way. Join us to invest in yourself, your career, and the financial world.
The Role:
Join our dynamic team at SoFi as a Principal Researcher, working across the business to influence product decisions at various stages of product development. At SoFi, we're dedicated to helping our members achieve financial independence and reach their goals. We aim to be at the center of our members’ financial lives, offering a suite of products and services including credit score monitoring, banking, investing, credit cards, personal loans, student loans, home loans, and more.
What You'll Do:
- Lead research programs that span products and functions, setting direction and aligning teams with senior leadership.
- Build research systems and frameworks that scale across the company, ensuring consistency and clarity.
- Define and drive large, ambiguous initiatives with autonomy, from strategy through execution.
- Apply deep expertise across methods, adapting approaches to solve complex, multi-team problems.
- Create clear, durable deliverables that inform senior leadership decisions and guide multiple product areas.
- Anticipate misalignment, resolve tradeoffs across functions, and help prioritize at the organizational level.
- Represent research in senior forums, connecting user insights to company strategy and investments.
- Mentor and grow researchers, shape hiring, and set quality standards for the discipline.
What You'll Need:
- Degree in HCI, Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, or related field (advanced degree preferred).
- 15+ years of experience in user research, with a strong track record leading at the org or company level.
- Mastery of a broad range of research methods and the ability to design systems that scale.
- Strong skills in scoping, planning, and executing complex initiatives with minimal guidance.
- Exceptional communication and storytelling skills, comfortable influencing senior leadership.
- Experience resolving conflicts and guiding prioritization across multiple teams.
- Demonstrated leadership in mentoring, setting standards, and shaping hiring practices.
- Recognized for driving research quality and advancing the practice within a company or industry.