Maria
Perez

• Lead researcher for TTD’s AI-driven product initiative, developing and executing a hypothesis-driven roadmap that leveraged behavioral data, experimentation, and qualitative insights to improve end-to-end ad campaign setup and troubleshooting workflows.

• Triangulated attitudinal survey data with behavioral signals to quantify how usage patterns influence satisfaction, trust, and retention—shaping roadmap priorities and AI investment decisions.

• Built a multi-dimensional UX Quality and Trust Index using Structural Equation Modeling (Trust, UX Quality, Insight Value, Empowerment) across 25+ survey items.

• Validated measurement models with CFA and built structural models to identify key drivers of Trust and their impact on NPS and platform and product area CSAT.

• Designed and executed large-scale quantitative studies combining survey data, behavioral logs, and experimentation to replace anecdotal feedback with statistically grounded insights used in executive decision-making.

• Partnered with Product and Design to translate research findings into shipped UX improvements, including user workflow consolidation and simplification, control reordering, and in-product guidance—resulting in measurable reductions in churn and revert rates and task completion time.

• Led and audited A/B experiments end-to-end, advising teams on experimental design, instrumentation quality. Improved experimentation rigor by designing covariates to reduce variance, auditing Statsig implementations, and independently validating A/B test results—restoring confidence in experimental outcomes used for launches and product investments.

• Elevated experimentation maturity across teams by establishing best practices for analysis, interpretation, and executive communication of results.

• Developed scalable research frameworks to evaluate feature adoption, reducing task completion time by 15% and increasing recommendation usage.

• Regularly socialize and present insights and strategic recommendations to senior stakeholders, influencing roadmap prioritization and product direction through clear storytelling and data-backed conclusions.

UX Researcher II
The Trade Desk

• Led a high-volume portfolio of tactical and strategic research initiatives across advertising workflows, identity (SSO), campaign management, and platform navigation—balancing speed and depth to deliver continuous insights from discovery through executive readouts.

• Partnered closely with Product, Design, Engineering, Data Science, and Business stakeholders to define research roadmaps aligned to adoption, monetization, and long-term platform strategy, often operating in areas with limited prior research infrastructure.

• Designed and executed foundational A/B tests for new UI adoption and upsell strategy, identifying barriers to upgrade, evaluating in-product nudges, and informing iteration on campaign migration and monetization tactics.

• Triangulated attitudinal data with behavioral signals (usage logs, conversion funnels, time-on-task, redirects vs. intentional clicks) to uncover hidden drivers of adoption, friction, and drop-off across advertiser and publisher experiences.

• Led mixed-methods research on identity and authentication (OpenPass), combining funnel analysis, surveys, interviews, and usability testing to identify barriers to SSO adoption.

• Conducted workflow-level UX and navigation research (bulk editing, bid factors, breadcrumbs, table redesigns, omnichannel usage), surfacing inefficiencies that forced users back to legacy tools and quantifying the business cost of poor usability.

• Developed strategic research artifacts (OKRs, KPIs, UX strategy docs, personas, executive summaries) that helped teams align on priorities and make confident decisions amid uncertainty and competing viewpoints.

• Translated complex findings into clear, persuasive narratives for product, design, engineering, and leadership—cutting through competing perspectives to drive action.

UX Researcher
The Trade Desk

• Led the design and execution of a mixed-method research project that improved ad campaign recommendation acceptance by 12%, driving enhanced engagement with platform users.

• Implemented and analyzed a cross-country conjoint survey experiment to identify key factors influencing ad campaign recommendations, testing and validating the MVP for recommendation features.

• Collaborated closely with UX Designers and Engineers to translate research findings into actionable product recommendations, optimizing the platform's ad campaign system and ensuring alignment with user needs.

• Supported experimentation and product marketing initiatives by analyzing behavioral response to in-platform communications and feature announcements.

• Utilized data-driven insights to refine ad targeting strategies, contributing to a more personalized user experience and improved ad relevance across diverse user segments.

• Build mechanisms for regularly communicating insights and influence decision-makers at all levels to act on research findings, driving customer delight and business objectives