Sarah Nicholus

About Sarah Nicholus

I’m a research and strategy leader with 12+ years of experience leading qualitative, quantitative, UX, CX, and market research across consulting, product, and higher education environments.In my current role as Senior Manager, Research & Change Management at a tech-focused consulting firm, I lead mixed-methods research and insight initiatives that help organizations navigate complex change, improve customer and user experiences, and turn research into product, experience, and strategic decisions. My work includes research strategy, scoping, UX and CX research, market and competitive analysis, survey research, synthesis, and executive insight delivery.I’ve led client research initiatives across technology, gaming, consumer products, higher education, and nonprofit contexts, with a strong focus on digital products, organizational change, and human-centered problem solving.I’m especially energized by ambiguous, high-stakes problems that require rigor, clear storytelling, and strong cross-functional collaboration. Mentorship is central to how I lead, whether supporting researchers on teams or helping doctoral talent translate research skills into industry careers.

Experience

1. Senior Manager, Research and Change Management

   Affirma

   Jan 2026 — Present

   Lead research and change management initiatives for clients navigating digital product, customer experience, content, and organizational transformation. Scope mixed-methods research, design phased approaches, synthesize findings into executive-ready insights, and translate research into strategic recommendations that support product, experience, and change decisions.Lead qualitative, quantitative, UX, CX, and market research engagements for clients across technology, consumer, and digital product environments.• Lead qualitative, quantitative, UX, CX, and market research engagements for clients across technology, consumer, and digital product environments.• Scope research and change initiatives, including research plans, phased approaches, level-of-effort estimates, and executive-facing deliverables.• Translate complex findings into clear recommendations for product, content, learning, and organizational change strategy.• Mentor researchers and doctoral talent through delivery leadership, knowledge-sharing, and internship supervision.• Build research and change assets, templates, and planning materials that improve consistency, readiness, and team capability.• Contribute to proposal and SOW development by shaping phased roadmaps, staffing approaches, and client-ready recommendations for research and change work.

Education

• The University of Texas at Austin

  Master of Arts - MA

• Kalamazoo College

  Bachelor of Arts - BA

• The University of Texas at Austin

  Doctor of Philosophy - PhD