• Define and own HighLevel’s UX research strategy across the full product lifecycle - from discovery and concept validation to post-launch learning and iteration. • Investigate the competitive landscape to identify product differentiation opportunities and unmet needs across core SMB segments. • Focus research on high-leverage decisions, including product sequencing, end-to-end workflows, onboarding, activation, retention, and long-term adoption. • Own and execute customer research programs, including customer interviews, usability testing, surveys, diary studies, and quantitative signal analysis in partnership with Product and Data. • Synthesize research into clear, actionable insights that inform product direction, not just surface-level usability improvements • Build and lead a scalable UX research team (initially small, growing with impact). • Define roles, career paths, and hiring plans aligned to HighLevel’s growth stage. • Partner deeply with Product and Design leadership to embed research into planning cycles. • Act as the voice of the user at senior and executive levels. • Create repeatable systems for recruiting agencies, SMBs, and global users. • Translate complex findings into clear narratives that guide strategic decisions. • Help leaders understand when to invest in UX simplification vs. when complexity is acceptable.