Junior UX Researcher

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Junior UX Researcher

Company: IDEXX

Location: Westbrook, Maine, United States

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: User Experience / Product Research Operations

Date Posted: 2025-08-13

Experience Level: Junior (0-2 years)

Remote Status: Hybrid (Minimum 2 days in office)

🚀 Role Summary

• This hybrid role focuses on supporting and executing user experience (UX) research initiatives within the IDEXX Veterinary Software product portfolio.

• The position involves a blend of hands-on research execution, participant management, and contributing to the operational efficiency of the UX research function.

• Key responsibilities include planning, conducting, and analyzing qualitative and quantitative user studies to inform product development and enhance user workflows.

• The role requires close collaboration with product managers, designers, and engineers to embed user insights into the decision-making process, ensuring customer needs are central to product strategy.

• Emphasis is placed on managing research operations, including participant recruitment, maintaining research repositories, and developing standardized research processes and documentation.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title is "Junior UX Researcher," the description also highlights significant "Research Operations" responsibilities. This suggests the role may lean more towards supporting the operational infrastructure of the UX research team, which is crucial for scalability and efficiency in larger organizations. Candidates should be prepared to demonstrate not only research execution skills but also organizational and process management capabilities.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Support the end-to-end execution of UX research projects, including planning, participant recruitment, data collection (interviews, usability tests, surveys), and analysis.

• Synthesize research findings into clear, actionable insights and compelling presentations for diverse stakeholders, including product, design, engineering, and leadership teams.

• Manage and maintain the organization's UX research repository, ensuring insights are meticulously tagged, organized, and easily accessible to relevant teams, facilitating knowledge sharing and reuse.

• Develop and manage participant databases for research studies, tracking engagement, participation quality, and interest for future research opportunities.

• Create and maintain essential research documentation, such as project checklists, templates, and scope documents, to standardize and streamline research processes.

• Assist in collecting internal stakeholder feedback post-research, including quantifying business impact where possible, to demonstrate the value of UX research.

• Stay abreast of emerging UX research methodologies, tools, and best practices, proactively identifying opportunities to enhance the team's research capabilities.

• Collaborate with product managers, designers, and engineers to understand research needs and ensure research activities align with product development roadmaps and business objectives.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "research operations" and "managing research repositories" suggests that candidates with experience in project management, data organization, or even familiarity with knowledge management systems will be highly valued. This aspect of the role is critical for ensuring research findings are leveraged effectively across the organization.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, Market Research, or a closely related field.

Experience:

• 0-2 years of experience in User Experience (UX) research or a related field, demonstrating foundational understanding and practical application of research principles.

Required Skills:

• Foundational UX Research Methodologies: Demonstrated understanding and practical application of qualitative research methods (e.g., user interviews, contextual inquiry, usability testing) and quantitative methods (e.g., surveys, data analysis).

• Participant Recruitment & Management: Proven ability to recruit, screen, and engage research participants that align with study objectives and demographic criteria.

• Data Synthesis & Insight Generation: Skill in analyzing qualitative and quantitative data to extract meaningful insights and translate them into actionable recommendations for product and design teams.

• Communication & Presentation: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to clearly articulate research findings, methodologies, and recommendations to both technical and non-technical audiences.

• Organizational Skills & Attention to Detail: Exceptional organizational abilities and meticulous attention to detail, crucial for managing research projects, participant data, and research repositories.

• Project Support: Ability to manage research tasks and projects with guidance, demonstrating proactive engagement and ownership.

Preferred Skills:

• Survey Platforms: Familiarity with survey tools such as Qualtrics or SurveyMonkey for designing, deploying, and analyzing surveys.

• Design & Prototyping Tools: Exposure to tools like Figma for understanding design artifacts and potentially for collaborative research activities.

• CRM & Data Management: Familiarity with CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce) for understanding customer data context and for participant database management.

• Research Repository Tools: Experience with or understanding of tools used for managing and accessing research findings and insights (e.g., Dovetail, EnjoyHQ, or similar).

• Collaboration & Documentation Tools: Proficiency with collaboration platforms like SharePoint, Confluence, and Jira for project management, documentation, and team communication.

• Adaptability & Learning Agility: A strong eagerness to learn and apply new research tools, techniques, and customer engagement strategies in a dynamic environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Preferred Skills" list, particularly referencing tools like Qualtrics, Figma, Salesforce, Confluence, and Jira, indicates a need for candidates who are tech-savvy and can quickly adapt to the existing tool stack. Experience with research repository tools is a strong plus, hinting at the operational focus of this role.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Research Project Examples: Showcase 2-3 distinct UX research projects, detailing the research questions, methodologies employed, participant profiles, and key findings.

• Methodology Application: Demonstrate practical application of various UX research methodologies, highlighting how you selected the most appropriate methods for specific research objectives.

• Insight-to-Action: Present how your research insights led to tangible product or design improvements, ideally with examples of collaboration with cross-functional teams.

• Data Synthesis & Reporting: Include examples of synthesized research data (e.g., affinity diagrams, key themes from interviews, survey result summaries) and how these were translated into actionable recommendations.

Process Documentation:

• Research Planning Artifacts: Include examples of research plans, recruitment screeners, or discussion guides that illustrate your ability to structure and prepare for research studies.

• Data Organization Samples: Provide evidence of how you organize and manage research-related data, which could include well-structured notes, participant feedback summaries, or a sample of how you might tag insights for a repository.

• Process Improvement Contributions: If applicable, include any examples of how you contributed to standardizing or improving research processes, documentation, or participant management workflows.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the emphasis on research operations, candidates should highlight any experience in creating templates, standardizing processes, or managing research documentation. A portfolio demonstrating organizational skills and a structured approach to research execution will be highly valued.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• For a Junior UX Researcher in Westbrook, Maine, with 0-2 years of experience, typical base salaries can range from $60,000 to $80,000 annually. This estimate is based on industry benchmarks for similar roles in the New England region, considering the cost of living and the specific responsibilities outlined.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive Health Coverage: Day-one eligibility for health, dental, and vision insurance plans.

• Retirement Savings: 5% matching contribution to a 401(k) plan.

• Financial Well-being: Access to financial support resources and an employee stock purchase program.

• Work-Life Integration: Paid time off for volunteering, promoting community engagement.

• Personal Well-being: Resources for mental health support and pet insurance.

• Community Impact: Foundation donation matching programs to support charitable causes.

• Performance Incentives: Eligibility for an annual cash bonus.

Working Hours:

• This is a full-time position, typically requiring approximately 40 hours per week.

• As a hybrid role, employees are expected to be in the Westbrook, ME office for a minimum of two days per week, offering a balance between in-person collaboration and remote flexibility.

📝 Enhancement Note: The benefits package is quite comprehensive, extending beyond typical health and retirement plans to include elements supporting employee well-being and community involvement. This signals a company culture that values a holistic employee experience.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology, specifically focused on software solutions for the veterinary industry. IDEXX is a global leader in diagnostics and IT solutions for animal health.

Company Size: Over 10,000 employees globally, indicating a large, established organization with significant resources and established processes.

Founded: The company's founding date (not explicitly provided but implied by its established market presence) suggests a history of innovation and growth in the animal health technology sector.

Team Structure:

• The Junior UX Researcher will be part of the IDEXX Veterinary Software product portfolio team. This implies working within a product-centric organization where UX research is integrated into the product development lifecycle.

• The role involves close collaboration with product managers, UX designers, software engineers, and other researchers, indicating a cross-functional and team-oriented environment.

Methodology:

• The team likely employs a mix of agile development methodologies, incorporating user feedback and research findings iteratively into product design and development cycles.

• Emphasis is placed on data-driven decision-making, using both qualitative insights from user research and quantitative data from product usage to guide strategy.

• The operation of a research repository suggests a commitment to systematic knowledge management and ensuring research impact is tracked and communicated effectively.

Company Website: https://careers.idexx.com/us/en, https://www.idexx.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: IDEXX's focus on animal health and its global reach provide a unique context. The "IDEXX Veterinary Software" portfolio suggests a B2B SaaS environment where understanding complex user workflows (veterinary practices) is paramount. The company's size implies opportunities for structured learning and potential for diverse career paths within the operations and research functions.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is an entry-level (Junior) position, ideal for individuals with foundational UX research knowledge and 0-2 years of practical experience. It serves as a stepping stone into a career focused on understanding user needs and informing product development through research.

Reporting Structure: The Junior UX Researcher will report to a more senior member of the UX Research team or a Product Design/Research Lead. This provides a clear mentorship and guidance framework.

Operations Impact: The role's impact is centered on ensuring that IDEXX's software products are user-centered, intuitive, and effectively meet the needs of veterinary professionals. By contributing user insights, this role directly influences product usability, user satisfaction, and ultimately, the adoption and success of IDEXX's software solutions within veterinary practices.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Specialization: Opportunity to deepen expertise in specific UX research methodologies (e.g., advanced qualitative techniques, survey design optimization, quantitative analysis) and gain proficiency in supporting research operations.

• Cross-Functional Exposure: Gain exposure to various product development teams (product management, design, engineering), enhancing understanding of the broader product lifecycle and business impact.

• Career Progression: Potential to advance to a UX Researcher, Senior UX Researcher, or even specialize in UX Research Operations management as experience and skills grow within IDEXX.

• Learning & Development: Access to company-provided training, workshops, and potentially industry conferences to stay current with UX research best practices and tools.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Junior" designation implies a strong learning curve and a structured development path. Candidates should focus on demonstrating their eagerness to learn and their potential to grow within the company's research operations framework.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is hybrid, requiring a minimum of 2 days per week in the Westbrook, ME office. This suggests a modern office environment designed to support both focused work and collaborative team activities.

Office Location(s): Westbrook, Maine. This location likely offers a mix of professional office space and accessibility to the local community.

Workspace Context:

• Collaboration: The hybrid model and cross-functional nature of the role necessitate a collaborative workspace that facilitates interaction with team members and stakeholders, both in person and remotely.

• Tools & Technology: Employees will have access to necessary IT infrastructure, software tools (as listed in the "Tools & Technology Stack" section), and potentially dedicated research facilities or equipment as needed.

• Team Interaction: Opportunities for regular team meetings, design critiques, research debriefs, and informal knowledge sharing sessions with fellow researchers and designers.

Work Schedule: Standard full-time business hours, with the flexibility afforded by the hybrid work arrangement to balance in-office and remote workdays.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid nature of the role requires individuals who can self-manage their time effectively and maintain productivity regardless of their work location, while also being present and engaged during office days for collaboration.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter or hiring manager will likely conduct an initial phone screen to assess basic qualifications, interest, and cultural fit.

• Hiring Manager/Team Interview: A more in-depth interview with the hiring manager and potentially other team members (e.g., Senior UX Researcher, Product Manager) to evaluate research skills, experience, and problem-solving abilities.

• Portfolio Presentation/Case Study: Candidates will likely be asked to present their portfolio, walking through key projects, explaining their research process, and highlighting the impact of their work. This may involve a specific case study or a review of selected projects.

• Behavioral & Situational Questions: Expect questions assessing collaboration, communication, problem-solving, adaptability, and how you handle challenges in a team environment.

• Final Interview (Optional): May involve a broader team or leadership interview to ensure alignment with company culture and strategic goals.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 2-3 projects that best showcase your foundational UX research skills and any experience in research operations or process improvement. Tailor your selection to the job description's requirements.

• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your role, the research methods used, the challenges faced, your process, the key insights derived, and the resulting impact or recommendations. Focus on the "why" behind your decisions.

• Highlight Operations Contributions: If you have experience with participant recruitment, data organization, repository management, or process documentation, ensure these aspects are clearly demonstrated within your portfolio or discussed during the interview.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, quantify the impact of your research. This could be through usability improvements, user satisfaction metrics, or contributions to business goals.

• Practice Your Presentation: Rehearse your portfolio presentation to ensure it flows logically, stays within the allotted time, and clearly communicates your skills and thought process. Be prepared to answer detailed questions about your work.

Challenge Preparation:

• Research Scenario: Be prepared for a hypothetical research scenario where you might be asked to outline how you would approach a specific research problem, including methodology, participant criteria, and analysis plan.

• Process Thinking: If asked about process, demonstrate an understanding of creating efficient workflows, documentation, and organized systems for research data.

• Stakeholder Communication: Practice articulating complex research findings and recommendations in a clear, concise, and persuasive manner, tailored to different audiences.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on both research execution and operational support means the interview process will likely assess both your analytical/research skills and your ability to organize, manage, and contribute to the efficiency of the research function. Demonstrating a proactive and organized approach will be key.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Microsoft Office Suite: Essential for daily tasks, including document creation (Word), presentations (PowerPoint), data management (Excel), and collaboration (SharePoint).

• Qualtrics / SurveyMonkey: Proficiency or familiarity with survey platforms for designing, deploying, and analyzing user surveys.

• Figma: While primarily a design tool, familiarity is beneficial for understanding design artifacts and potentially for research collaboration.

• Jira / Confluence: Commonly used for project tracking, task management, and documentation in agile software development environments.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Excel: For data analysis, charting, and reporting of quantitative data.

• PowerPoint: For creating impactful presentations of research findings and insights.

• Research Repository Tools (e.g., Dovetail, EnjoyHQ, or internal systems): Experience with tools that organize, tag, and make research insights accessible across an organization.

CRM & Automation:

• Salesforce: Familiarity with CRM systems can provide context on customer data and segmentation for participant recruitment.

• Internal Databases/Participant Management Systems: Experience managing lists of research participants, tracking their engagement, and maintaining contact information.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of Qualtrics, SurveyMonkey, Figma, Salesforce, Confluence, and Jira indicates a tech-forward environment. Candidates with hands-on experience with these or similar tools will have a significant advantage. Understanding how these tools integrate into a broader product development workflow is also valuable.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Customer-Centricity: A core value driving all research activities, ensuring that the voice of the customer (veterinary professionals) is central to product decisions.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Emphasis on using research data and insights to inform strategy, design, and development, rather than relying solely on assumptions.

• Collaboration & Teamwork: Strong emphasis on working effectively with cross-functional teams (product, design, engineering) to achieve shared goals and deliver successful products.

• Efficiency & Process Improvement: A focus on streamlining research operations, maintaining organized systems, and continuously improving the effectiveness and accessibility of research insights.

• Continuous Learning: Encouragement to stay updated with industry best practices, learn new methodologies, and adapt to evolving user needs and technological advancements.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: Proactive engagement with product managers, designers, and engineers to understand their needs, share findings, and co-create solutions.

• Open Communication: Fostering an environment of open dialogue, constructive feedback, and transparent sharing of research plans, progress, and results.

• Knowledge Sharing: Actively contributing to the research repository and sharing learnings to benefit the broader team and organization.

• Agile Mindset: Embracing iterative development, adapting research plans as needed, and working collaboratively in fast-paced sprints.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company values likely translate to a collaborative, data-informed, and user-focused work environment. Demonstrating an understanding of these values and how they apply to UX research and operations will be crucial for cultural fit.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Research Execution and Operations: Effectively managing the dual responsibilities of conducting research studies and maintaining the operational infrastructure (e.g., repository, participant databases) can be demanding.

• Synthesizing Diverse Data: Integrating insights from various research methods and sources to form a cohesive understanding of user needs and behaviors.

• Communicating Insights Effectively: Translating complex research findings into clear, actionable recommendations that resonate with different stakeholders and drive product decisions.

• Fast-Paced Environment: Adapting to the demands of a dynamic product development cycle, potentially requiring quick turnaround times for research requests.

• Remote Collaboration: Effectively collaborating with team members and stakeholders in a hybrid work model, ensuring seamless communication and knowledge transfer.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Methodology Mastery: Opportunity to gain hands-on experience with a wide array of UX research methods under the guidance of senior researchers.

• Research Operations Specialization: Develop expertise in building and maintaining efficient research processes, participant management systems, and knowledge repositories.

• Industry Knowledge: Deepen understanding of the veterinary software industry, its users, and the unique challenges and workflows they face.

• Tool Proficiency: Become proficient in a range of UX research, collaboration, and data analysis tools used by the organization.

• Mentorship: Benefit from guidance and mentorship from experienced UX researchers and product development professionals within IDEXX.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "challenges" presented are common in junior roles that have operational components. Framing these as opportunities for skill development and demonstrating a proactive approach to overcoming them will be beneficial for candidates.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• Research Approach: "If we needed to understand how veterinary staff use our scheduling feature, how would you approach researching this? What methods would you use, and why?" (Focus on methodology selection, participant criteria, and key questions.)

• Process Improvement: "Describe a time you helped organize information or streamline a process. How would you approach maintaining our research repository for maximum usability?" (Highlight organizational skills, documentation habits, and understanding of knowledge management.)

• Stakeholder Collaboration: "How would you communicate a challenging research finding (e.g., a feature is poorly understood) to a product manager or engineering lead?" (Focus on communication style, data-driven argumentation, and collaborative problem-solving.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• Understanding IDEXX: "What interests you about IDEXX and the veterinary software industry? What do you know about our products?" (Research the company, its mission, and its software offerings.)

• Team Dynamics: "How do you prefer to collaborate with designers, product managers, and engineers? What are your expectations for working in a hybrid environment?" (Discuss your communication preferences and ability to work cross-functionally.)

• Measuring Impact: "How do you think UX research contributes to business success? How might you measure the impact of your research findings?" (Connect research activities to business outcomes and user satisfaction.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure is Key: Organize your portfolio logically, perhaps by project or by skill. For each project, clearly define the objective, your role, methodologies, key findings, and recommendations.

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals (screenshots, diagrams, charts) to illustrate your process and findings. If possible, include anonymized examples of your deliverables (e.g., a research plan excerpt, a synthesized insight summary).

• Focus on Insights & Impact: Emphasize the "so what" of your research – what actionable insights did you uncover, and how did they lead to improvements or inform decisions? Quantify impact where possible.

• Address Operational Aspects: If you have experience managing participant lists, organizing data, or documenting processes, highlight these contributions as they align with the operational focus of this role.

• Be Prepared for Questions: Anticipate questions about your methodology choices, challenges encountered, and how you handled specific situations. Be ready to elaborate on any aspect of your work.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the dual focus on research and operations, be prepared to discuss not only your analytical skills but also your organizational capabilities, attention to detail, and ability to contribute to efficient research processes.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on the IDEXX Careers website.

• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your resume and portfolio to specifically highlight your foundational UX research methodologies, participant recruitment experience, and any organizational or process management skills relevant to research operations. Select projects that best showcase these capabilities.

• Resume Optimization: Ensure your resume clearly articulates your education, any relevant internships or projects, and your proficiency with the tools mentioned in the job description. Use keywords such as "UX research," "qualitative," "quantitative," "usability testing," "survey design," "participant recruitment," "data synthesis," and "research operations."

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your research process and findings, focusing on how you extract actionable insights and communicate them effectively. Prepare to discuss your organizational approach and how you would contribute to the efficiency of the research team.

• Company Research: Thoroughly research IDEXX, its mission in animal health, its software products, and its company culture. Understand the importance of user-centered design in their industry.

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

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