Principal Associate, User Experience Research Operations

Our Experience Design (XD) Research Operations team is seeking a driven Principal Research Operations Associate to join our team. Our team is undergoing a transformation to elevate our capabilities and mature our practices. Our mission is to champion XD with well‑managed, unified research operations, by building systems and practices that enable high‑quality, accessible design and research insights s role is a blend of strategic planning and hands‑on execution, empowering researchers and designers to focus on high‑impact work.

• Process Optimization and Enablement:
  Define and lead process improvements to increase team efficiency and optimize our practices. You will autonomously lead operational needs across the organization, building systems that increase efficiency and optimize our practices.
• Research Governance and Compliance:
  Champion right‑sized standards in ethics, privacy, and data protection across all research and design projects.
• Knowledge Management:
  Define and build upon our library of research practices, resources, and templates to enable consistency across lines of business. You will share your knowledge with others and lead or consult with them to enable work to move forward efficiently.
• Research Advocacy:
  Introduce new ways of evangelizing research across the organization. You will advance the Research Operations practice at Capital One by engaging in and contributing to communities of practice.
• Project Management:
  Work with Research and Design to deeply understand their needs and manage systems and logistics for multiple research projects. You will have the autonomy to propose new, scalable systems and present the case to leadership and stakeholders.

• At least 4 years of experience in UX or Research Operations roles, project management, or process improvement.
• At least 2 years of experience working directly with Research or Design teams.

• Highly effective verbal and written communication skills across all organizational levels.
• Systems thinking with a track record for establishing high‑quality practices for scaling Design and Research teams.
• Strategic acumen and foresight to anticipate complex cross‑functional problems and work towards solutions.
• Project management excellence and a commitment to continuous improvement, process optimization, and delivering impactful outcomes.
• Experience working with research tools and vendors.
• Proven ability to work autonomously and help peers through times of ambiguity or change with care and empathy.
• Ability to balance desired outcomes and potential risks to design clear, human‑centered solutions.
• 4+ years of experience with managing risk within highly regulated research environments.
• 4+ years experience with project management tools such as Jira and data visualization tools such as Confluence.

At this time, Capital One will not sponsor a new applicant for employment authorization for this position.

The minimum and maximum full‑time annual salaries for this role are listed below, by location. Please note that this salary information is solely for candidates hired to perform work within one of these locations, and refers to the amount Capital One is willing to pay at the time of this posting. Salaries for part‑time roles will be prorated based upon the agreed upon number of hours to be regularly worked.

McLean, VA: $131,300 – $149,800 for Pr. Associate, Design

New York, NY: $143,200 – $163,500 for Pr. Associate, Design

Richmond, VA: $119,400 – $136,200 for Pr. Associate, Design

Candidates hired to work in other locations will be subject to the pay range associated with that location, and the actual annualized salary amount offered to any candidate at the time of hire will be reflected solely in the candidate’s offer letter.

This role is also eligible to earn performance based incentive compensation, which may include cash bonus(es) and/or long term incentives (LTI). Incentives could be discretionary or non‑discretionary depending on the plan.

Capital One offers a comprehensive, competitive, and inclusive set of health, financial and other benefits that support your total well‑being. Learn more at the Capital…