Principal User Experience Researcher, Platform Data

Position Overview

Do you want to help shape the foundation that powers the future of design and construction? As a Principal User Experience Researcher, Platform Data supporting Autodesk’s Platform Data team, you will play a critical role in shaping user-centered insights and strategy for the AEC Data Model (AECDM)—the core data platform that underpins Autodesk’s AEC products and our AEC Industry Cloud, Forma.

The Platform Data team is responsible for defining, building, and coordinating the creation of the AECDM: a granular data ecosystem that enables scalable, high-value customer workflows across the AEC project lifecycle. This includes technologies such as the AEC Model Store, AEC Data Service, Autodesk Parameters Service, Autodesk Content Catalog, and other foundational services that current and future AEC products connect to and build upon.

Reporting to the Research Manager for AEC Platform, this Principal User Experience Researcher, Platform Data will partner closely with Product Managers, Designers, Engineers, Data Scientists, and Analytics partners to inform both platform capabilities and the product features that rely on them. The role spans early-stage exploration, feature definition, and post-release learning—helping teams make informed decisions in complex, evolving, and sometimes abstract problem spaces.

Because platform data work operates at the intersection of foundational systems and user-facing products, the ideal candidate is comfortable working with ambiguity, abstraction, and evolving priorities—using research to bring clarity, alignment, and direction as understanding deepens. As a principal-level individual contributor, this role also serves as a catalyst for research excellence, mentoring others and advancing how platform-level research is practiced across the organization.

Preference for candidates located in Toronto, Canada. Open to considering remote across Canada, Pacific to Eastern time zone.

Responsibilities

• Build and lead strong partnerships with product, data, and experience leaders to inform strategic decisions across platform and product initiatives
• Consult with internal stakeholders to design and execute mixed-methods research programs that align with core business objectives and support the full product lifecycle, from strategic inception to post-release validation
• Lead research for complex, cross-functional, and evolving platform and product areas, employing a wide range of methods—including co-creation and approaches suited for early-stage or ambiguous contexts—to surface user needs, generate concepts, and drive organizational impact
• Collect, analyze, and interpret complex qualitative and quantitative data using advanced empirical and statistical approaches; synthesize insights across diverse sources to inform strategy and execution
• Facilitate and guide cross-disciplinary teams through the process of ideating and developing strategies grounded in research, including the creation of future experience principles, user journeys, and implementation roadmaps that shape product vision and direction
• Partner with analytics and data teams to develop measurement strategies, assess impact, and support data-informed iteration of platform capabilities and product features
• Design and facilitate workshops for idea generation, alignment, strategic decision making, and co-creation with internal teams and, when appropriate, customers
• Communicate research findings and recommendations through clear, compelling storytelling tailored to diverse audiences and levels of seniority, maximizing the impact of research outcomes
• Mentor and enable others by developing case studies, frameworks, and scalable research practices that build the capacity and capabilities of the research team and partners

Minimum Qualifications

• 8+ years of professional experience conducting and leading user experience research
• Experience leading research for complex, cross-functional, early-stage, or platform-level products and systems
• Demonstrated experience designing and conducting co-creation or participatory research to inform strategy and concept development
• A strong qualitative and quantitative research toolkit, and the judgment to select appropriate methods for complex situations
• Experience building and sustaining partnerships with product management, design, engineering, analytics, and data teams
• Proven ability to align research with both near-term product delivery and longer-term strategic vision
• Experience synthesizing complex data into clear, strategic, and actionable insights
• Demonstrated knowledge of, and hands-on experience applying, AI and emerging technologies in user research, with curiosity and openness to experimentation
• Extensive knowledge of human-centered design principles and practices
• Demonstrated ability to operate effectively in ambiguous or evolving environments, using research to bring clarity and focus as priorities shift
• University degree in Psychology, Interaction Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Social Science, or a related/equivalent field

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry or other complex, multi-stakeholder domains
• Experience researching platform products, data-heavy systems, or cloud-based services
• Familiarity with longitudinal research methods, online diary studies, or sustained participant research partnerships
• Experience collaborating with data scientists to integrate behavioral and attitudinal insights into a cohesive narrative
• Experience facilitating workshops and working sessions with cross-functional teams and customers
• An openness to evolving research practices and contributing to how research functions operate at scale
• Strong collaboration and influence skills across disciplines and seniority levels
• Deep empathy for users and the ability to identify patterns and opportunities in complex systems

Key skills/competency

• User Experience Research
• Platform Data Strategy
• AEC Data Model
• Mixed-methods Research
• Qualitative Data Analysis
• Quantitative Data Analysis
• Human-centered Design
• Stakeholder Collaboration
• Strategic Insights
• AI/Emerging Technologies in UX