UX Research Operations Specialist

DonorsChoose makes it easy for anyone to help a teacher in need, moving us closer to a nation where students in every community have the tools and experiences they need for a great education.

Since 2000, more than 5 million people and partners have contributed $1 billion to support 2 million teacher requests for classroom resources and experiences. Projects range from art supplies to build the set for a school musical, to books and puzzles that affirm students’ identities, to bird seed for an at-home science project. We proudly serve all US public schools, public charter schools, and Head Start centers, and we combat systemic inequity by driving a majority of donations to schools that have been historically underfunded due to economic and racial inequity.

DonorsChoose has been recognized as a best place to work by GOOD Magazine and the Nonprofit Times, while Fast Company named DonorsChoose one of the 50 Most Innovative Companies in the World—the first time a charity has made this list. Our dedicated team works from across the United States to bring classroom dreams to life.

UX Research sits on the Product Team team, doing important mission-driven work to help address educational inequity in US public schools. Our research informs the digital products that are used by tens of thousands of teachers, donors, partners, and others, helping to create useful and usable experiences across our ecosystem.

DonorsChoose is entering a significant phase of growth, and as complexity increases, we’re working to scale up operations, enhance our product offerings, and possibly expand into new markets. As such, we are growing our research practice in order to support these initiatives. The UX Research Operations Specialist will join our team of 4 product managers, 3 product designers, and 2 UX researchers to improve the on-site experience for our teachers, donors, and partners, directly impacting the educational outcomes for students across the US.

Read How We Do Product and learn about our Product Principles on our team’s blog. You can also read about how we’ve structured the research team in the past.

The UX Research Operations Specialist will coordinate the logistics that drive user research initiatives at DonorsChoose,playing a pivotal role in establishing efficiencies that make our research more effective. This role will focus on managing participant recruitment, streamlining research processes,  and ensuring that our learnings are up-to-date and accessible to our colleagues. The ideal candidate is a mission-driven self-starter who is eager to develop and execute the day-to-day operations that support our research practice. If this describes you, we want to hear from you!

• Participant Recruitment:
  • Identify and recruit diverse samples of participants for user research studies.
  • Oversee participant incentives, manage consent forms, and maintain participation records using our business analytics tool.
  • Work closely with UX researchers and stakeholders to establish recruiting criteria, draft screeners, and prepare participants for studies.

• Research Logistics Coordination:
  • Coordinate logistics for user research activities, including scheduling sessions and providing necessary resources to stakeholders.
  • Keep track of expenditures in order to inform incentive and tooling strategies.
  • Set up studies using Qualtrics, UserTesting, and other research tools; maintain study documents, book session spaces, and track progress on Trello.

• Data Management:
  • Organize and maintain research data, including participant information, session recordings, and research findings.
  • Ensure seamless access for stakeholders to live sessions and recordings, and systematically process findings into our research repository for future reference.

• Process Improvement:
  • Develop and maintain standard operating procedures for research processes to ensure consistency and quality across all projects.
  • Identify and implement operational efficiencies that enhance the research team’s performance, such as optimizing recruiting methods, redesigning tracking systems, and standardizing research templates.

• You have 1-3 years of experience in research operations, project management, or a related role.
• You are passionate about education, equity, or social good.
• You are excellent at organizing and managing multiple projects simultaneously.
• You are a strong communicator with interpersonal skills and a collaborative mindset.
• You are tech-savvy, quickly learning new tools and systems. Proficient in Google Sheets and/or Excel.
• You are a creative problem-solver, eager to find solutions to obstacles that minimize effort and maximize impact.
• You are an independent contributor but aren’t afraid to seek help when needed.

• Experience with analytics tools like Looker or research software like Qualtrics or UserTesting
• Familiarity with research recruitment best practices and pitfalls
• Knowledge of user research tools (e.g., usertesting.com, Optimal Workshop, etc.)
• Ability to work hybrid in NYC office is a plus
• Conversational Spanish proficiency is a plus

Our compensation philosophy ensures that we are both externally competitive with tech-forward nonprofits of a similar size and internally fair in our pay practices. The following ranges represent the target offer range given the scope and experience expectations for this role.

• The hiring salary range for this role is $58,000 – $64,000
• We have a hiring salary range of $64,000- $70,000 for specific higher cost of labor locations, which include New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, Boston, and Washington, D.C.

Once employees are hired, everyone at DonorsChoose is eligible to receive annual performance-based raises as they grow in their role. We are open to a variety of experiences, and recognize that the person we hire may be less experienced or more senior than this job description as posted. If you don’t check every box listed here, or you know you’d bring additional experience to the table, we hope you’ll submit your application.

In addition, we offer full-time staff 25 paid vacation days per year and 11 paid holidays, a rich employer-paid individual and family health plan, a matching 401(k) plan (up to 5% of base salary), annual professional development stipend, and casual and flexible work environment. To learn more about what it is like to work for DonorsChoose, visit our careers page.

In this role, you’ll have the option to work a flexible hybrid schedule in our NYC office, or to work fully remotely from CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, IL, IN, ME, MA, MD, MI, NJ, NY, OR, PA, RI, TX, VA, WA, WI.

Candidates who are not in the NYC area should expect to travel to our NYC office on an as-needed basis, about 4-6 times per year. All work-related travel expenses will be covered by the organization.

DonorsChoose participates in E-Verify. We will provide the U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) and, if necessary, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with information from each new employee’s Form I-9 to confirm work authorization.

EQUITY
Combating systemic inequity is crucial to a brighter future for all. This reality fuels our ambitions and drives us to persevere.

INGENUITY
Complex problems require innovative solutions. We dream big, get creative, roll up our sleeves, and take action. We believe the best products can change the world.

HUMANITY
People are the heart of our team and the communities we serve. Our compassion informs our goals and how we work together to achieve them.

INTEGRITY
We strive to do right. We’re up-front about the facts. We boldly learn and grow from mistakes.

LEARNING
Education is the beating heart of our organization, inside and out. We’re curious. We listen. We know we don’t know everything.

GRATITUDE
We begin and end with thanks. We take joy in our mission, our communities, and each other.

Please submit your resume and answer the application questions online. Since we’re trying to get to know you through our hiring process, we ask that you please refrain from using AI writing tools to craft your response to our application questions. A cover letter is optional and may be addressed to Josh Rosenberg, Lead User Experience Researcher II.

A Final Note

The DonorsChoose team works toward a nation where students in every community have the resources needed for an excellent education. To do this we hire and support a diverse team of the best and the brightest talent available.

We are an organization increasingly representative of the varied races and ethnicities, genders and sexual orientations, religious and political beliefs, and abilities that comprise our nation. DonorsChoose focuses on attracting, retaining, and advancing diverse talent because it makes us more effective, high-performing, creative, and resilient.  

If you are passionate about our mission, highly skilled in your field, and looking for a place where you can bring all of yourself to work, we want you.