Senior Director, Research

About the Role

This is a strategic, high-impact leadership role responsible for shaping the future of Bumble’s user and market understanding. You will lead a cross-functional team spanning UX research, consumer insights, behavioral science, and analytics—unifying research across product, brand, and business strategy.

Key Responsibilities - Strategic Leadership

• Define and evolve a holistic insights vision—integrating UX, behavioral, and marketing research to form a unified understanding of the user journey.
• Lead the development of strategic research frameworks that guide long-term product evolution, brand positioning, and global expansion efforts.
• Foster alignment between product development, brand storytelling, and business KPIs through a common insights language.
• Serve as Bumble’s internal authority on user and market understanding, influencing product, design, marketing, and corporate strategy.
• Partner with C-suite and senior leaders to ensure user insights are embedded in decision-making at every level.
• Translate user behaviors, needs, and cultural trends into foresight that drives competitive advantage.

Key Responsibilities - Research Execution

• Oversee the design and implementation of qualitative and quantitative research studies, including usability testing, surveys, and ethnographic research.
• Ensure research methodologies are rigorous, ethical, and inclusive, capturing diverse user perspectives.
• Synthesize research findings into actionable insights that drive product enhancements and marketing strategies.

Key Responsibilities - Team Development

• Lead, mentor, and grow a high-performing UX research team, fostering professional development and a collaborative environment.
• Establish best practices and standards for research activities, ensuring consistency and quality across projects

Key Responsibilities - Marketing Research Integration

• Collaborate with the marketing team to design and execute research that informs brand positioning, campaign effectiveness, and market segmentation.
• Leverage user insights to optimize marketing messages and strategies, ensuring alignment with user needs and behaviors.

Required Experience & Skills

• Experience: 15+ years in research leadership, with a strong track record across both product/UX and brand/marketing research; ideally includes experience at a fast-scaling consumer tech or mobile-first company.
• Leadership: Demonstrated experience managing large, global teams and influencing at the executive level.
• Expertise: Proven ability to synthesize qualitative and quantitative insights into compelling narratives that drive action; Deep understanding of modern research methodologies, behavioral science, and user-centered design practices; Skilled at navigating the intersection of product innovation, brand strategy, and commercial performance.

Who You Are

• A strategic thinker who thrives in ambiguous problem spaces
• A trusted partner to cross-functional stakeholders
• A thoughtful mentor and role model within the design team
• Passionate about Bumble’s mission to foster healthy and equitable relationships

Salary

$235,000 - $287,500 a year

For base compensation, we set standard ranges for all roles based on function, level, and geographic location. This position is also typically eligible to participate in our short- and long-term incentive programs. Benefits include Medical, Dental, Vision, 401(k) match, Unlimited Paid Time Off Policy.