Lead Research User Experience Specialist 

• Job Level : Any
• Level of Education : Masters Degree
• Job Type : Full-Time/Regular
• Date Updated : 02/02/2026
• Years of Experience : Not Applicable
• Will this position have direct reports? : No
• Salary : TBD

• Adhere to ethical standards and comply with the laws and regulations applicable to the job function
• Responsible for designing complex assessment and learning applications that are visually engaging, accessible, and easy to use. Working closely with Research scientists and Assessment specialists, the applicant will develop and/or guide the development of prototypes to convey the visual look and/or interface design of new assessments and applications. The applicant will also work closely with programmers to turn the prototype into a functioning program.
• Translate clients' ideas into visually engaging, accessible, and highly usable designs through audience and needs analyses.
• Create sophisticated prototypes for new assessment ideas that measure specific knowledge and skills, while allowing test takers to easily understand the task and how to use any required interface tools to complete it.
• Design and conduct usability studies to test and revise prototypes during the development cycle.
• Advise other ETS groups on user experience and/or graphic design processes.
• Analyze existing large-scale applications, software, and websites, and redesign them to improve usability, graphic design, and/or accessibility for diverse audiences, and to enhance operational effectiveness.
• Assist senior management in keeping abreast of trends and latest research in human-computer interaction and/or graphic design as well as usability and accessibility guidelines that change with evolving technologies
• Collaborate with software engineers and designers, and outside consultants as needed, to ensure that the finished product adheres to the design vision and conforms to ETS technical and architectural standards.
• Provide coaching and training in user- centered or graphic design concepts, principles, and practices to other design functions within ETS.

• A Masters or PhD in learning engineering, design, instructional design, or related area
• At least 5 years of experience applying learning science and design principles to the development of technology enhanced teaching and learning solutions. At least 3 years of managing user experience researchers and designers.
• Technological Acumen: Demonstrate understanding of industry standard UI frameworks and UI implementation. Demonstrate understanding of industry standard design and specifications for fixed or responsive user interfaces for all common platforms, devices, and browsers.
• Working Across Organizational Lines: Requires understanding the interrelationships among key events by learning how problems fit into the bigger picture and confronting interdepartmental issues.
• Effectively working and communicating across functional boundaries. Influencing others without authority or direct control.
• Relationship Management: Collaborate with client and development teams to interpret user stories, scenarios, and specifications based on client feedback and design guidelines. Collaborate with design team and provide feedback towards maintaining a core aesthetic based on fresh design principles and best practices. To develop and manage long-term and/or trusting relationships with internal or external customers, areas where a relationship is crucial to on-going success. Doesn’t show frustration when resisted or blocked.
• Business Acumen: Must possess an understanding of the functionality and business value provided by the existing products within the SBUs/FCEs supported. Keeps an overall big picture understanding of the business and its interrelationships enabling a person to make better business decisions.
• Problem Solving: Define the problem, can see hidden problems, searches for information, uses logic to test a series of solutions until the problem is solved. Understands where to probe for answers, uses critical thinking, analysis and persistence.
• Negotiation: The ability to prepare and plan. To compromise in a cooperative effort to reach mutually satisfactory conclusions and results. Can both compromise and win concessions without damaging a relationship. Can be direct and forceful while being diplomatic. Must gain trust and be able to focus listening to the valued concessions.
• Consultative Skills: The capability to influence others, manage relationships and deliver results for a client in a professional manner. Relates well to all kinds of people, inside and outside the organization; builds appropriate rapport; builds constructive and effective relationships; uses diplomacy and tact; can diffuse even high-tension situations comfortably.
• Communication: Must be able to effectively converse with SBUs/FCEs to elicit scope and requirements of the project. Ability to negotiate with client and successfully express solutions with expressed design justification. he ability to communicate clearly, diplomatically and effectively both verbally and written. Judgment Makes good decisions based on a mixture of analysis, wisdom, experience, and judgment; sought out by others for advice and solutions.
• Adhere to ethical standards and comply with the laws and regulations applicable to your job function
• Experience engaging with target market and user segments to understand their needs and aligning solutions with those needs
• Ability to work collaboratively and effectively in agile teams
• Ability to work collaboratively and effectively with cross-divisional stakeholder groups Strong oral and written communication skills

• We are passionate about hiring innovative thinkers who believe in the promise of education and lifelong learning.
• We are energized by cultivating growth, innovation, and continuous transformation for the next generation of rising professionals as leaders. Â In support of this ETS offers multiple Business Resource Groups (BRG) for you to learn and advance your career growth!
• As a not-for-profit organization we will encourage you to lean in to your passion for volunteering. Â At ETS you may qualify for up to an additional 8 hours of PTO for volunteer work on causes that are important to you!
• The base salary range advertised represents the low and high end of the anticipated salary range for this position. The base pay actually offered will take into account internal equity and also may vary depending on the candidate's geographic region, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience among other factors. The base pay is only one aspect of the Total Rewards Package that will be offered to the successful candidate.