UX Research Manager - Product at H&R Block in Kansas City, MO

About the Role

H&R Block’s mission is to drive financial freedom by leveraging trust and technology while evolving into a year-round, AI-enabled partner. A key focus is deeply understanding customers—their needs, behaviors, and key moments - to strengthen customer-centricity across the organization through continuous learning, discovery, and immersive research practices.

The UX Research Manager role will lead and scale a centralized research function supporting Consumer Tax, Financial Products, and Small Business. This strategic player-coach will guide how research is conducted and applied, build a strong operating model, and enable product teams to confidently engage with customers. Positioned within the Product Client Experience team, the role connects Product, Design, Strategy, and Analytics to ensure insights directly inform customer-focused decision-making.

Day to day, you'll...

• Establish and evolve a unified UX research operating model across all lines of business, balancing centralized excellence with scalable, team-led discovery

• Lead, coach, and grow a team of UX Researchers, strengthening research craft, strategic thinking, and cross-functional partnership, while building capacity as the portfolio expands

• Champion and operationalize continuous discovery by enabling product trios to conduct foundational research while ensuring rigor, quality, and ethical standards

• Guide the team in executing complex, high-impact research (e.g., longitudinal studies, behavioral research, cross-journey synthesis) that extends beyond embedded team capabilities

• Drive adoption of AI-enabled research practices, including synthesis acceleration, insight patterning, and experimentation support, ensuring responsible, human-centered application

• Partner closely with Product, Consumer Research & Insights, Data Science & Analytics, Customer Care and CX leaders to elevate discovery quality and inform roadmap and investment decisions

• Act as a catalyst for year-round customer immersion, expanding participation in research and embedding customer understanding into everyday decision-making

• Mature research operations, including tooling, repositories, standards, and ways of working, to ensure insights are discoverable, durable, and actionable across the enterprise

Required Qualifications

• 8+ years of UX research (or related) experience, including leading and developing teams within complex product organizations
• Proven ability to build and scale research practices, teams, and operating models across multiple business areas
• Strong track record of influencing product strategy and roadmaps through research and cross-functional partnerships
• Deep expertise in both qualitative and quantitative methods, with sound judgment on when to apply each
• Experience using AI-assisted tools to support research planning, synthesis, and insights, with a focus on responsible use
• Ability to communicate insights clearly through strong storytelling, enabling teams and leaders to make informed decisions

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s or PhD in Research, Psychology, Design, or a related field

• Experience working on complex, multi-journey, or regulated products (e.g., financial services, healthcare, enterprise platforms)

• Familiarity with modern research tools (e.g., UserTesting, Qualtrics, etc.) and partnering with analytics/data science teams

Why work for us

At H&R Block, our purpose is simple: to provide help and inspire confidence in our clients and communities everywhere. For more than 70 years, we’ve led the tax industry and we continue to evolve through our Block Next strategy, blending human expertise with digital innovation. That same commitment to care extends to our associates. When you join us, you become part of a High Performing, Connected Culture built on strong relationships, continuous learning, and a shared commitment to making a meaningful impact. We invest in your well-being through competitive pay, comprehensive benefits, and support for life both in and outside of work.