UX Leadership
Building a UX Research Team
Context
As Manager of UX Research, I grew and managed a UX Research team from 1 to 4, creating onboarding processes, working agreements, and team goals where none had existed before.
The Problem
Anaconda had a single UX Researcher with a loose, inconsistent process and no shared operations, onboarding, or working agreements to build on as the team grew from 1 to 4. The UX Director needed someone to formalize UXR operations as the function scaled.
The Strategy
Build the operational foundation (onboarding, working agreements, team goals) alongside research, design, and product leadership, so growth wouldn't outpace process and research stayed connected to real decisions.
The Solution
Helped hire three additional UX Researchers across 2025, then formalized as Manager, UX Research in January 2026. Facilitated the team through defining its mission, working agreements, and stakeholder model, then developed it into the UXR Team Operating Playbook that the team adopted.
Key Results
1 4 - Team Growth
Supported by the operations and process built
100% Completion
Team-ops OKRs (working agreement, onboarding playbook, company visibility + partnerships)
60%+ Faster
New-hire ramp time (6–8 weeks 2–3 weeks)
Testimonials
"Sally was able to see gaps in efficiency and ops and worked with the team on how to increase our visibility and impact."
— Melissa, Sr. UX Researcher, direct report
