Leads the VXD (Vanguard Experience Design) Client Experience Research function, setting the vision, strategy, and operating model for how Vanguard understands and responds to client needs across segments, channels, products, and services. Builds and leads a high-performing research organization that delivers rigorous, actionable insights; strengthens continuous client listening; and connects research with analytics, product, design, and business strategy. Influences senior leaders and cross-divisional teams by translating client needs, behaviors, pain points, and opportunities into clear priorities, better decisions, reduced risk, and improved client and crew experiences. Advances research practices, capabilities, governance, and emerging methods to increase the quality, reach, speed, and measurable business impact of client insight.

Responsibilities

• Leads and develops a high-performing Client Experience Research organization. Hires, evaluates, and supervises crew; establishes clear expectations and performance standards; provides coaching, feedback, development, and training; and makes informed compensation decisions in accordance with all applicable Human Resources policies and procedures.
• Sets the vision, strategy, and operating model for Client Experience Research across business lines, client segments, channels, products, and services. Aligns the research portfolio to Vanguard’s strategic priorities and ensures the organization is focused on the most important client, crew, and business questions.
• Leads managers, research professionals, and multidisciplinary teams responsible for generative and evaluative research, continuous discovery, usability testing, client listening, and experience measurement across web, mobile, service, and emerging experiences.
• Establishes rigorous, scalable, and consistent research practices that connect client insight to action throughout the product and experience lifecycle—from identifying the right problem and evaluating potential solutions through launch readiness and continuous monitoring.
• Partners with senior leaders and teams across Product, Design, Technology, Analytics, Marketing, and the business to identify underlying client and business needs, frame strategic research questions, prioritize opportunities, and determine the most effective qualitative and quantitative approaches.
• Guides the design and execution of research programs using methods such as interviews, contextual inquiry, ethnography, diary studies, surveys, usability testing, heuristic evaluation, concept evaluation, experimentation, and continuous client-listening programs.
• Synthesizes complex research, behavioral, and experience data into clear strategic guidance. Communicates client needs, behaviors, pain points, perceptions, and opportunities to senior decision-makers and cross-divisional teams, building understanding and commitment around recommended actions.
• Elevates the voice of the client in enterprise decision-making. Ensures insights are timely, credible, accessible, and actionable, and helps leaders understand the implications for product, service, experience, technology, and business strategy.
• Builds strong partnerships across research and insight disciplines, including analytics, data science, market research, behavioral science, and experience measurement. Connects complementary evidence to create a more complete understanding of the client and reduce fragmented or duplicative research.
• Advances the maturity and impact of the research practice. Establishes standards, governance, tools, technologies, repositories, and quality measures; identifies capability and talent gaps; and improves the speed, consistency, reach, and actionability of research.
• Champions human-centered design and ethical research practices. Ensures appropriate participant privacy, consent, data protection, accessibility, inclusion, and professional research conduct.
• Develops organizational research capability. Coaches research leaders and practitioners, mentors cross-functional partners, advances research literacy, and creates an inclusive environment characterized by psychological safety, candid dialogue, learning, and accountability.
• Anticipates emerging client behaviors and industry changes and evaluates new research approaches, technologies, and AI-enabled capabilities that can strengthen client understanding and improve business and experience outcomes.
• Participates in special projects and performs other duties as assigned.
• Additional in-office flexibility can be discussed for the right candidate.

Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree or equivalent combination of education, training, and relevant professional experience in human-computer interaction, user experience, behavioral or social science, design research, information science, psychology, business, or a related field. Graduate degree preferred.
• Minimum of eight years of progressively responsible experience in user experience research, client experience research, design research, human-computer interaction, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience leading research professionals and people leaders, setting organizational direction, developing talent, and building inclusive, high-performing teams.
• Demonstrated ability to establish research strategy, lead complex research programs, and apply qualitative and quantitative methods to consequential product, service, experience, and business questions.
• Strong executive communication, consultation, and influencing skills, with demonstrated ability to translate complex evidence into clear strategic guidance and build alignment among senior leaders and cross-functional partners.
• Demonstrated ability to partner across Product, Design, Technology, Analytics, Marketing, and business teams and to operate effectively in a complex, cross-divisional environment.
• Deep knowledge of human-centered design, continuous discovery, usability, research operations, client-listening practices, and the ethical collection, management, and use of participant data.
• Experience connecting research with analytics, measurement, market research, behavioral science, or other insight disciplines preferred.
• Experience advancing research practices through emerging methods, tools, technologies, or AI-enabled capabilities preferred.

Special Factors

Sponsorship

Vanguard is not offering visa sponsorship for this position.

About Vanguard

At Vanguard, we don't just have a mission—we're on a mission.

To work for the long-term financial wellbeing of our clients. To lead through product and services that transform our clients' lives. To learn and develop our skills as individuals and as a team. From Malvern to Melbourne, our mission drives us forward and inspires us to be our best.

How We Work

Vanguard has implemented a hybrid working model for the majority of our crew members, designed to capture the benefits of enhanced flexibility while enabling in-person learning, collaboration, and connection. We believe our mission-driven and highly collaborative culture is a critical enabler to support long-term client outcomes and enrich the employee experience.