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User Experience Research Lead

Brooklyn, NY (Rent the Runway HQ)

User Experience Research Lead

About Us:

Rent the Runway (RTR)  is transforming the way we get dressed by pioneering the world’s first Closet in the Cloud. Founded in 2009, RTR has disrupted the $2.4 trillion fashion industry by inspiring women with a more joyful, sustainable and financially-savvy way to feel their best every day. As the ultimate destination for circular fashion, the brand now offers infinite points of access to its shared closet via a fully customizable subscription to fashion, one-time rental or ownership. RTR offers designer apparel and accessories from hundreds of brand partners and has built in-house proprietary technology and a one-of-a-kind reverse logistics operation. Under CEO and Co-Founder Jennifer Hyman’s leadership, RTR has been named to CNBC’s “Disruptor 50” five times in ten years, and has been placed on Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies list multiple times, while Hyman herself has been named to the “TIME 100” most influential people in the world and as one of People magazine’s “Women Changing the World.”

About the Job:

As the User Experience Research Lead at Rent the Runway, you will influence teams to make customer-centric decisions across the product development lifecycle. You will utilize a variety of qualitative and quantitative research approaches to help Rent the Runway understand and advocate for our customers. You will craft research programs that bring team members answers to the most impactful customer challenges, driving Product Strategy forward. You will be a team of one with a broad scope and extreme influence and visibility with our executive team.

This is a full-time role reporting to our Chief Product Officer. Rent the Runway currently operates on an office-centric model, with employees working from our Brooklyn office 4-days per week, and working flexibly on Fridays.

What You’ll Do:

  • Be an influential member of a cross-functional product team(s) by identifying research opportunities, scoping program requirements, shaping the product roadmap, guiding the evolution of the design, and otherwise championing the voice of the customer across the organization.
  • Independently own and drive research programs from beginning to end: identify the right research questions, define the participant sample, choose the best methodology, design the study, and execute with attention to detail and a high level of rigor.
  • Skillfully and effectively present compelling insights and recommendations to multiple teams and leaders across the organization, leveraging strong storytelling skills to facilitate constructive debate and drive customer-centric decision-making.
  • Successfully leverage insights across various research functions and data sources (e.g. market research, product marketing, analytics, etc.) throughout the product development lifecycle.
  • Act as a vital liaison between design, product management, and business teams, driving alignment across all stakeholders.
  • Expertly facilitate workshops and design sprints by surfacing relevant findings, pitching research opportunities, and influencing the evolution of our product and design strategy
  • Custom-build the UXR function within Rent the Runway with the Chief Product Officer
  • Vet, onboard, and evangelize 3rd party research software as needed to unlock customer insights and learnings

About You:

  • You have 6+ years of experience in user experience research, ideally in a consumer-focused B2C environment
  • Proficiency in various research methods and approaches with an understanding of the bigger picture and the ability to influence and guide others.
  • You have experience in mixed method research skills including conducting and analyzing large-scale quantitative survey data and running qualitative studies.
  • Experience continually evolving processes for organizing user research and testing across multiple Product teams, ensuring appropriate prioritization of projects, and crafting and managing short- and long-term research plans.
  • You have been responsible for planning, coordinating, and conducting user testing and handling logistics and schedules related to live, in-person, or remote testing.
  • Experience analyzing research findings and reporting concise and concrete insights and recommendations
  • You have the ability to work collaboratively in a team environment
  • A passion for Rent the Runway’s business and values

Benefits:

At Rent the Runway, we’re committed to the wellbeing of our employees and aim to create a workplace that fosters both personal and professional growth. Our inclusive benefits include, but are not limited to:

  • Paid Time Off, including vacation, paid bereavement, and family sick leave - every employee needs time to take care of themselves and their family.
  • Universal Paid Parental Leave for both parents + flexible return to work program  - because we know your newest family member(s) deserve your undivided attention.
  • Paid Sabbatical after 5 years of continuous service - Unplug, recharge, and have some fun!
  • Exclusive employee subscription and rental discounts -  to ensure you experience the magic of renting the runway (and give us valued feedback!).
  • Comprehensive health, vision, dental, FSA and dependent care from day 1 of employment - Your health comes first and we’ve got you covered.
  • 401k match - an investment in your future.
  • Company wide events and outings - our team spirit is no joke - we know how to have fun!
  • Office centric work - our corporate employees and technical leaders have the option to work remotely on Fridays, in accordance with Company policies.

Rent the Runway is an equal opportunity employer. In accordance with applicable law, we prohibit discrimination against any applicant or employee based on any legally-recognized basis, including, but not limited to: race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, lactation, childbirth or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, age (40 and over), national origin or ancestry, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, genetic information (including testing and characteristics), veteran status, uniformed service member status or any other status protected by federal, state or local law.

The anticipated annual salary rate for this position is $138,400 to $173,000. The actual base salary offered will depend on a variety of factors, including without limitation, the qualifications of the individual applicant for the position, years of relevant experience, level of education attained, certifications or other professional licenses held.

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