Staff UX Researcher, Local Lab

Remote
Full Time
Mid Level

About New_ Public

We’re a nonprofit R&D lab that’s reimagining social media. Join us in building digital public spaces that connect people, embrace pluralism, and build community.

We are researchers, engineers, designers, and community leaders. We want more healthy, flourishing spaces on the internet. We have two main strategies to achieve this: helping local communities across America create more flourishing digital spaces and developing prototypes for digital conversation with public service media organizations.

We work by partnering and co-designing with community stewards (moderators, administrators) and public institutions. We’re in this to serve, remove obstacles to power, and make life significantly better for all people, especially folks from underestimated communities. We think this work is essential for democracy.

About the role

We are seeking a Staff UX Researcher, Local Lab to join our team! This role is an essential part of our Local Lab, a small, cross-functional product team dedicated to developing a new community platform for local connection while engaging in co-design with real communities along the way.

In this role, you will drive strategic research initiatives that shape our platform's direction while leading tactical studies to refine and evaluate our approach. You'll be the solo UX researcher on the Local Lab team—managing studies from beginning to end and collaborating closely with your product colleagues.

To succeed in this role, you must have exceptional user research skills, strategic thinking abilities, and a collaborative mindset. You should be rigorous in your approach while remaining adaptable in a fast-paced environment. If you're passionate about creating more engaging, inclusive, healthy, and impactful online communities, we want to hear from you!

Key responsibilities

  • Drive strategic UX research initiatives that shape early product direction through both rigorous desk research and hands-on user studies
  • Lead quantitative and qualitative user research, effectively communicating insights to internal and external collaborators
  • Create and maintain research infrastructure and documentation that enables cross-functional participation and knowledge sharing
  • Partner with product, design, and engineering to translate research insights into concrete product decisions and development priorities
  • Develop research plans and proposals that identify knowledge gaps and provide clear next steps for the team
  • Collaborate with the community engagement manager to build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders and research participants
  • Lead product-oriented, co-creation activities, including workshop development and facilitation, in collaboration with design peers
  • Adapt and rescope research initiatives based on evolving team needs and timelines
  • Build processes for ongoing user engagement, documentation, and insight synthesis

About you

  • A skilled and rigorous mixed methods researcher (usability and concept testing, in-depth interviews, survey design, and co-design/facilitation) who can work with diverse stakeholders and choose the best methods for any study
  • A strategic thinker who confidently shares perspectives and recommendations beyond pure research findings
  • A design-savvy researcher who can support designers with insights that power ideation, prototyping, and decision-making
  • Experienced in translating research into actionable product recommendations, evaluating new features with user needs in mind, and measuring social impact metrics like trust and belonging
  • Strong async communication skills with experience working in distributed teams
  • Proven track record of creating effective research infrastructure and documentation systems
  • Experience working on consumer product teams and collaborating with design and engineering – ideally in the context of a social or community product
  • Familiar with design justice frameworks and passionate about equitable design and research practices
  • Relevant experience or degree in a human behavior related field, such as human-computer interaction, psychology, sociology, anthropology, or media studies
  • Experience leading early-stage product research and strategy development
  • Relentlessly curious and excited to build a world with healthier digital public spaces where many kinds of people thrive

More information

  • Location: United States or Canada (fully remote)
  • Compensation: $130,000 - $150,000 USD per year. This is a full-time exempt position, expected through June 30, 2026
  • Perks and benefits: Health, dental, and vision insurance; 401(k); generous PTO policy and company-paid holidays; employee engagement and culture initiatives
  • Reports to: Local Lab Founder-in-Residence

The Process

  • Submission: Submit your application, including a cover letter and resume.
  • First Interview: After screening all applications, we will select candidates for Round 1 interviews, Those candidates will be contacted to interview with our Founder-in-Residence.
  • Second Interview: Selected Round 1 candidates move forward to Round 2 of our interview process. Those candidates will be invited to interview with a panel of at least two other members of the local team.
  • Assignment: Following Round 2, selected candidates will be asked to complete an assignment that evaluates their technical and practical skills. Candidates will be paid $250 for completing this assignment.
  • Reference Check: After reviewing assignment submissions, we will request contact information for three (3) professional references from selected candidates. If you need time to inform your references of our upcoming outreach, please let us know!
  • Offer: We will extend an offer to the candidate who best aligns with the key criteria for this role. 

If you’re not sure that you’re a perfect fit for the role and don’t meet every single qualification, we still encourage you to apply! We’re primarily interested in meeting candidates who are excited about contributing to the future of healthy digital public spaces, eager to learn, and ready to contribute to a diverse and inclusive work environment. Candidates who are from communities underrepresented in tech are especially encouraged to apply. 

Application window closes on September 22, 2025

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