UX Researcher (Contract Position) at RR Donnelley

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: UX Researcher (Contract Position)

Company: RR Donnelley

Location: Cleveland, Ohio, United States

Job Type: Contract

Category: UX Research

Date Posted: 2025-06-12T01:04:28.018

Experience Level: 6-8 years

Remote Status: Hybrid

🎨 Role Summary

Strategic planning and execution of user research initiatives to inform digital product development and enhance user experience.
Conducting a variety of qualitative and quantitative UX research methods, including usability testing, user interviews, and surveys, to gather actionable insights.
Analyzing research data to identify patterns, trends, and user needs, translating findings into clear and influential reports and presentations.
Collaborating closely with UX designers, product managers, and stakeholders to integrate research findings into the product roadmap and design process.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role summary emphasizes the blend of strategic planning and hands-on research execution, typical for a mid-to-senior level UX Researcher position focused on driving product strategy through user insights.

🖼️ Primary Responsibilities

Develop and execute comprehensive user research strategies that align with business goals and product roadmaps in collaboration with designers, product, and key stakeholders.
Own research activities, tending to the strategy and details required in the planning, execution, and reporting phases. Create standard approaches as well as custom plans that fit within given scope, time, and needs.
Conduct a variety of generative and evaluative UX research to understand user needs, pain points, behaviors, and attitudes for applicable designs and technology products using quantitative and qualitative research methods.
Analyze research data to identify patterns and trends to generate actionable insights and recommendations, including findings from usability testing, user interviews, surveys, and field studies.
Create clear, concise, and influential research reports and presentations to effectively communicate insights to a wide audience of stakeholders, utilizing visualization techniques for data presentation.
Design and facilitate workshops with stakeholders and end users to collaboratively document user information, generate new ideas, and co-create potential future visions, employing design thinking methodologies.
Work with designers to craft personas, journey maps, experience maps, service blueprints, and other deliverables from research findings, ensuring research insights are translated into tangible design artifacts.
Collaborate with other researchers, designers, product owners, and various stakeholders to integrate research findings into the product development process, fostering a user-centered design culture.
Lead efforts to create and maintain documentation standards for research processes and champion consistency and clarity in research documentation and reporting, organizing data across studies for accessibility.
Create plans for ongoing product success measurements that leverage input from end users through thoughtful data collection, observations, and careful analysis, defining key UX metrics and KPIs.
Utilize, assess, and maintain a portfolio of customer insight tools, including survey tools, user research platforms, analytic platforms (like Google Analytics), and A/B testing tools.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight the end-to-end nature of the role, from strategic planning and diverse methodology execution to analysis, synthesis, and dissemination of findings, common for experienced UX Researchers driving impact within an organization. The emphasis on cross-functional collaboration and documentation standards points to a mature design and research practice.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree in design, business, Computer Science, psychology, anthropology, human-computer interaction, or a related field. In lieu of a degree, at least 9 years of experience in designing digital user interfaces and user experiences is acceptable, demonstrating a strong foundation in user-centered principles.

Experience: 6-8 years of dedicated experience conducting research as a UX practitioner, with a proven track record of planning, executing, and analyzing a variety of research studies. Experience should include working with a design portfolio demonstrating the application of research insights to product development.

Required Skills:

Expert knowledge and practical experience executing a variety of UX research methodologies, including but not limited to user interviews, usability testing, card sorting, surveys, and field studies.
Strong analytical skills with the ability to analyze qualitative and quantitative data, identify patterns and trends, and synthesize findings into actionable insights and recommendations.
Excellent communication and presentation skills with the ability to clearly articulate research findings, insights, and recommendations to diverse audiences, including stakeholders at various levels.
Experience in designing and facilitating workshops with stakeholders and end users to gather requirements, generate ideas, and validate concepts.
Proficiency in creating research deliverables such as findings presentations, personas, journey maps, experience maps, and service blueprints.
Experience working collaboratively with UX designers, product managers, engineers, and other stakeholders throughout the product development lifecycle.
Demonstrated ability to lead research planning and execution efforts, managing multiple research projects simultaneously.
Strong business acumen with the ability to understand business goals and align research strategies to support product and company objectives.

Preferred Skills:

Experience with specific research tools such as UserTesting.com, Dovetail, or similar platforms for conducting and analyzing user research.
Familiarity with analytical tools like Google Analytics or Glassbox for extracting quantitative user behavior insights.
Experience in defining and implementing UX success measurement plans and tracking key UX metrics.
Experience mentoring junior researchers or contributing to the development of research best practices within a team.
Knowledge of UX/UI design principles and how research informs design decisions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The qualifications emphasize practical research experience and the ability to translate insights into actionable outcomes, reflecting the applied nature of the UX Researcher role. The preferred skills highlight specific tools and leadership potential, providing candidates with a clearer picture of desired capabilities beyond the core requirements.

🎨 Portfolio & Creative Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

Your portfolio should prominently feature case studies of UX research projects you have led or significantly contributed to, demonstrating your end-to-end research process.
For each case study, clearly articulate the research problem, objectives, methodologies used (e.g., usability testing, interviews, surveys), participant recruitment, and the key findings and resulting recommendations.
Showcase how your research insights directly influenced design decisions, product strategy, or business outcomes, quantifying impact where possible.
Include examples of research deliverables you have created, such as research plans, interview guides, moderated/unmoderated test scripts, affinity diagrams, personas, journey maps, and research reports/presentations.

Process Documentation:

Detail your approach to the research and discovery phase, including how you define research questions, select appropriate methodologies, and recruit representative participants.
Illustrate your methods for ideation and iteration based on research findings, showing how insights were translated into potential solutions or design improvements.
Explain your approach to validation and testing, including how you set up usability tests, analyze results, and iterate on designs based on feedback.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a UX Researcher role, the portfolio is less about visual design and more about demonstrating a rigorous research process, analytical skills, and the ability to translate insights into impact. The focus on case studies and process documentation is crucial for showcasing expertise in research methodology and strategic thinking.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $50-80 per hour

Benefits:

Medical Coverage
Dental Coverage
Vision Coverage
Paid Time Off (specifics may vary based on contract terms)
Disability Insurance
401(k) with Match (eligibility may depend on contract duration and hours worked)
Life Insurance
Tuition Assistance (eligibility may depend on contract terms)
Maternity Leave (eligibility may depend on contract terms)
Adoption Assistance (eligibility may depend on contract terms)
Employer/Partner Discounts

Working Hours: Full-time, typically 40 hours per week. Flexibility may be available depending on project needs and team agreements, particularly for hybrid work arrangements.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hourly rate is provided. Benefit eligibility for contract positions can vary significantly; the note reflects that some benefits may be contingent on contract specifics. Standard working hours for a full-time contract role are assumed.

🎯Team & Company Context

🏢 Company & Design Culture

Industry: Marketing Services, Packaging, Print, and Supply Chain Solutions. This diverse industry context suggests that UX research will likely involve understanding the needs of various customer segments, including marketing professionals, supply chain managers, and potentially internal employees using RRD's digital platforms.

Company Size: 10,001+ employees. A large organization like RRD indicates a mature structure, potentially well-defined processes, and opportunities for collaboration across numerous teams and business units. For a UX Researcher, this means navigating a complex organizational landscape to effectively conduct research and disseminate findings.

Founded: RRD has a significant history as a global provider, implying established processes and a large existing customer base. Understanding the company's evolution and its current strategic direction in digital transformation will be key for a UX Researcher.

Team Structure: While the specific design team structure is not detailed, the role emphasizes collaboration with other researchers, designers, product owners, and key stakeholders. This suggests a cross-functional team environment where UX Research is integrated into the product development lifecycle. Given the company size, there may be multiple design and research teams focused on different product lines or business units.

Methodology: The job description highlights the use of various qualitative and quantitative research methods, indicating a commitment to a data-driven and user-centered approach. The emphasis on creating deliverables like personas and journey maps suggests the adoption of standard UX methodologies to synthesize and communicate research insights.

Company Website: http://www.rrd.com

📝 Enhancement Note: Information about the company's industry, size, and stated focus on digital transformation provides context for the scope and complexity of UX research within RRD. The inference about potential team structure and methodology is based on the role requirements and the characteristics of a large, established organization with a focus on digital products.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Design Career Level: This is positioned as a mid-to-senior level UX Researcher contract role, requiring 6-8 years of dedicated experience. The responsibilities indicate a level of autonomy in planning and executing research, as well as the expectation to mentor others, suggesting a role beyond entry-level.

Reporting Structure: The direct reporting structure is not specified, but the role involves collaboration with designers, product owners, and stakeholders. In a large organization, the UX Research function might report within a centralized UX team, a product team, or a specific business unit. Understanding this structure during the interview process will be important.

Design Impact: The role is strategic, aiming to influence product strategy and roadmaps based on research insights. This indicates that UX Research findings are intended to have a significant impact on digital product evolution and decision-making within the company.

Growth Opportunities:

Deepen expertise in specific research methodologies or domains relevant to RRD's business areas (e.g., B2B user needs, supply chain workflows, marketing technology users).
Potential to transition to a permanent role within RRD if business needs and performance align.
Opportunities to mentor junior researchers and contribute to the development of the UX Research practice within the organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The career analysis is based on the required experience level and the strategic nature of the responsibilities. While a contract role has inherent limitations on long-term career paths within the company compared to a permanent position, opportunities for skill development and potential conversion are relevant considerations.

🌐 Work Environment

Studio Type: The role is hybrid, requiring onsite presence in Cleveland approximately twice a month. This suggests a blended work environment that combines remote work with in-office collaboration for specific meetings, workshops, or team activities.

Office Location(s): The primary required location for onsite work is Cleveland, Ohio. The job description also mentions preference for candidates in nearby cities (Columbus, Cincinnati, Toledo, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, and Detroit) who can travel to Cleveland as needed, indicating a regional focus for this hybrid role.

Design Workspace Context:

Onsite days will likely involve dedicated workspace within the Cleveland office, potentially in collaborative areas or meeting rooms designed for team interaction and workshops.
Remote work will require a suitable home office setup with reliable internet and tools for virtual collaboration.
The hybrid model aims to balance focused independent work with in-person team building, brainstorming, and stakeholder engagement.

Work Schedule: Full-time, typically 40 hours per week, with flexibility inherent in a hybrid work arrangement. The schedule will need to accommodate required onsite days in Cleveland and virtual collaboration with team members and stakeholders who may be in different locations or time zones.

📝 Enhancement Note: The description of the work environment is directly derived from the job posting's hybrid requirement and location details. The context about workspace is an inference based on typical hybrid work setups in large organizations.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Design Interview Process:

Initial screening call with HR or a recruiter to discuss experience and role fit.
Interview(s) with members of the UX team (e.g., UX Lead, other Researchers, Designers) to assess research skills, methodology knowledge, and collaboration style. This will likely involve discussions about past projects and challenges.
Portfolio review/presentation where you walk through selected case studies, explaining your research process, findings, and impact. Be prepared to discuss your rationale for choosing specific methodologies and addressing challenges.
Interview(s) with key stakeholders, such as a Product Owner or Engineering Lead, to assess your ability to collaborate cross-functionally and translate research into actionable insights for product development.
Potential design or research exercise/challenge, which could involve analyzing a provided scenario, outlining a research plan, or critiquing an existing design.

Portfolio Review Tips:

Focus on 2-3 strong case studies that showcase the breadth and depth of your UX research experience and span different methodologies.
For each case study, clearly articulate the problem, your research objectives, the methods you used, your process for analyzing data, and the key insights and recommendations you delivered.
Quantify the impact of your research whenever possible (e.g., "Insights led to a 15% increase in task completion rate").
Highlight your collaboration with design and product teams and how your research influenced their decisions.
Be prepared to discuss your research process in detail, including how you handle recruitment challenges, mitigate bias, and adapt your methods based on project constraints.

Challenge Preparation:

If given a research challenge, clearly define the research problem and objectives based on the provided scenario.
Outline a realistic research plan, including proposed methodologies, target participants, timeline, and expected deliverables.
Articulate your rationale for choosing specific methods and how they would address the research questions.
If the challenge involves analyzing data or critiquing a design, demonstrate your analytical thinking and ability to provide constructive, research-backed feedback.

ATS Keywords: UX Research, User Research, Qualitative Research, Quantitative Research, Usability Testing, User Interviews, Surveys, Field Studies, Data Analysis, Research Synthesis, Insights, Recommendations, Personas, Journey Maps, Experience Maps, Service Blueprints, Workshop Facilitation, Stakeholder Management, Collaboration, Research Planning, Research Execution, Research Reporting, Presentation Skills, UserTesting.com, Dovetail, Google Analytics, Glassbox, User-Centered Design.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process and preparation tips are based on standard practices for UX Researcher roles, particularly at the mid-to-senior level in a large organization. The emphasis on portfolio case studies, process discussion, and stakeholder interaction reflects the core requirements of the role. The ATS keywords are compiled from the job description's requirements and common UX research terminology.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Design Tools:

While primarily a research role, familiarity with design tools like Figma, Sketch, or Adobe XD can be beneficial for understanding design deliverables and collaborating effectively with designers.
Specific research tools mentioned include UserTesting.com and Dovetail for conducting and analyzing user research.

Collaboration & Handoff:

Collaboration tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, or similar platforms will be used for communication and coordination with the design team, product managers, and stakeholders.
Project management tools such as Jira or Asana may be used to track research activities and integrate with the product development workflow.

Research & Testing:

UserTesting.com or similar platforms for conducting remote or in-person usability testing and gathering user feedback.
Dovetail or similar tools for organizing, analyzing, and synthesizing qualitative research data (interviews, observations).
Survey platforms such as SurveyMonkey, Qualtrics, or Google Forms for creating and distributing quantitative surveys.
Analytical tools like Google Analytics or Glassbox for analyzing user behavior data on digital platforms.

📝 Enhancement Note: The tools and technology stack are inferred from the job description's mention of specific research tools and the typical tools used in a modern UX practice within a large organization. While design tools are not explicitly required, understanding them is beneficial for collaboration.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Design Values:

Emphasis on a user-centered approach, with research insights driving product decisions and design iterations.
Value placed on collaboration and communication, working closely with cross-functional teams to ensure research findings are understood and implemented.
Commitment to data-driven decision-making, utilizing both qualitative and quantitative research methods to inform strategy.
Potential for a culture of continuous learning and process improvement, with the expectation to mentor others and contribute to research best practices.

Collaboration Style:

Cross-functional collaboration with design, product, engineering, and business stakeholders.
Likely involvement in design critiques and team meetings to share research progress and findings.
Emphasis on clear and influential communication of research insights to ensure they are actionable and understood across teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: The inferences about design values and collaboration style are based on the core responsibilities of a UX Researcher role and the emphasis on collaboration and data-driven decision-making in the job description. The size of the company suggests the need for clear processes and communication to navigate a large organization.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Design Challenges:

Navigating a large organizational structure and potentially complex stakeholder landscape to effectively conduct research and disseminate findings.
Prioritizing research efforts across multiple potential projects or business units within RRD's diverse service offerings.
Integrating research insights into established product development processes and influencing existing roadmaps.
Adapting research methodologies to suit the specific needs and constraints of different projects and user groups within a B2B context.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

Deepening expertise in advanced research methodologies or specialized areas relevant to RRD's industries.
Opportunity to refine skills in presenting and communicating research findings to executive-level stakeholders.
Potential to contribute to the development of research frameworks, standards, and best practices within the organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are inferred from the context of working as a UX Researcher in a large, established company with a diverse business. Growth opportunities are tied to skill development, influencing organizational practice, and potential for increased responsibility.

💡 Interview Preparation

Design Process Questions:

Be prepared to walk through your end-to-end UX research process using examples from your portfolio case studies. Discuss how you define research questions, select methodologies, recruit participants, analyze data, and translate findings into actionable insights.
Explain how you adapt your research approach based on project constraints, timelines, and goals.
Discuss your experience with both generative research (exploring user needs) and evaluative research (testing existing designs).

Company Culture Questions:

Research RRD's business, recent news, and digital transformation efforts to understand their strategic priorities and how UX research fits in.
Prepare questions about the UX team structure, how research is integrated into the product development process, and the typical collaboration patterns with design, product, and engineering.
Ask about the company's approach to user-centered design and how research insights are valued and utilized in decision-making.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

Select 2-3 case studies that best demonstrate your relevant skills and experience, particularly those with clear business impact or challenging research problems.
Structure your presentation to clearly articulate the problem, your research approach, key findings, and the impact of your work. Use visuals effectively to illustrate your process and findings.
Be prepared to discuss the "why" behind your research decisions and how you handled any unexpected challenges or limitations.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation advice is tailored to a UX Researcher role, focusing on demonstrating process, impact, and collaboration skills through portfolio examples. Researching the company's specific business context is crucial for demonstrating fit and asking insightful questions.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this design position:

Submit your application through this link.
Ensure your resume highlights your relevant UX research experience, methodologies, tools proficiency, and quantifiable impact. Customize it to include keywords from the job description.
Tailor your cover letter to specifically address your interest in this UX Researcher role at RR Donnelley, highlighting how your skills and experience align with the responsibilities and company context. Mention your experience with relevant industries if applicable.
Prepare your portfolio, focusing on case studies that demonstrate your end-to-end research process, analytical skills, and ability to influence product decisions. Ensure case studies clearly articulate the problem, methodology, findings, and impact.
Be prepared to discuss your approach to collaboration with design, product, and engineering teams, as well as your ability to communicate complex research findings effectively to diverse audiences.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and design industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.

UX Researcher (Contract Position)