Senior UX Research and Design Specialist

Job description

Cambium Learning® Group is an award-winning educational technology solutions leader dedicated to helping all students reach their potential through individualized and differentiated instruction. Using a research-based, personalized approach, Cambium Learning Group delivers SaaS resources and instructional products that engage students and support teachers in fun, positive, safe and scalable environments. These solutions are provided through Learning A-Z® (online differentiated instruction for elementary school reading, writing and science), ExploreLearning® (online interactive math and science simulations, a math fact fluency solution, and a K–2 science solution), Voyager Sopris Learning® (blended solutions that accelerate struggling learners to achieve in literacy and math and professional development for teachers), and VKidz Learning (online comprehensive homeschool education and programs for literacy and science). We believe that every student has unlimited potential, that teachers matter, and that data, instruction, and practice are the keys to success in the classroom and beyond. Job Overview: We are seeking a highly skilled Senior UX Research & Design Specialist with a dual passion for user advocacy and tangible web design. In this role, you will lead end-to-end qualitative and quantitative research cycles within our K-12 educational data and assessment platforms. Beyond traditional data synthesis, you possess a strong sense of visual and layout design, allowing you to translate raw researcher findings directly into clean, interactive, and tangible UI prototypes. You will act as a critical bridge between educator insights and production-ready web design. Job Responsibilities: Advanced User Research & Methodology Execute End-to-End Research: Lead qualitative and quantitative research initiatives (focus groups, structured interviews, surveys, and usability testing) involving teachers, instructional coaches, and school administrators. Conduct Market & Competitive Analysis: Perform targeted market and competitive research to evaluate industry trends, benchmark rival EdTech solutions, and identify strategic positioning opportunities for our platform features. Drive Feedback Syntheses: Design and facilitate educator panels to capture nuanced workflows, translating feedback into clear product design opportunities. Iterate and Track Perceptions: Build systematic, iterative research loops to measure shifts in user perception and long-term platform adoption. Manage Diverse Recruitment: Orchestrate participant recruitment strategies across varied K-12 demographics (elementary, middle, and high school tenures). Tangible Web Design & Interactive Prototyping Translate Insights into Mockups: Convert user pain points and research metrics into high-fidelity web designs, intuitive screen flows, and interactive layouts. Bridge Design and Engineering: Collaborate directly with front-end web designers by delivering design specifications that map closely to web structure realities. Refine Interface Hierarchy: Evaluate and rapidly iterate on layout sequences, visual hierarchies, UI text labeling, and main navigation structures. K-12 Assessment & Data Literacy Demystify Student Data: Apply deep knowledge of K-12 grading architectures and standards-based reporting to build accessible teacher dashboards. Align with Classroom Realities: Design specifically for time-constrained educators who need immediate visual data displays for student remediation and administrative groupings. Data Visualization & Web Usability Apply Visualization Best Practices: Craft clean, visual progress bars, color-coded matrices, and grouping indicators tailored for non-technical users. Enforce Digital Accessibility: Ensure all generated data visualizations and interface layouts meet inclusive, accessible design guidelines. Job Requirements: Experience: 7+ years of dedicated professional experience in UX research, interface design, or digital analytics architectures. Preferred Degrees: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Interaction Design, Human Factors, Cognitive Psychology, Computer Science, or a related behavioral/technology-focused discipline. Design Stack Literacy: Mastery of contemporary UI wireframing and prototyping ecosystems (e.g., Figma). Cross-Functional Communication: Proven ability to present research artifacts (personas, journey maps, insight decks) to technical development squads and leadership. Preferred & Technical Qualifications: Classroom & Instructional Experience: Prior experience as a K-12 classroom teacher, instructional coach, or school-level educator, providing firsthand empathy for school schedules, administrative burdens, and classroom data usage. Front-End Development Frameworks: Functional technical understanding of front-end development, specifically the ability to read, interpret, and write HTML5 and CSS3 code to facilitate seamless developer handoffs. AI Tooling Efficiency: Demonstrated proficiency leveraging AI productivity systems and predictive tools to generate user scripts, synthesize large datasets, and build rapid UI prototypes. EdTech Domain Experience: Direct familiarity with standards-based grading metrics, formative assessment patterns, and large-scale district or state educational technology rollouts. Compliance Standards: Working familiarity with compliance rules governing K-12 web ecosystems, including WCAG accessibility benchmarks and FERPA privacy guardrails. To apply for this opportunity, simply click on the “Apply” button and submit a cover letter and resume. An Equal Opportunity Employer We are dedicated to fostering a culture that celebrates unique backgrounds, ideas, and experiences. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability.