Senior Specialist UX Researcher

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior UX Researcher

Company: Sky

Location: Milan Monte Penice, Italy

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: User Experience (UX) Research / Product Development

Date Posted: October 9, 2025

Experience Level: 5-10 Years

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead strategic UX research initiatives, driving user-centered product development through rigorous qualitative and quantitative methodologies.

• Translate complex user data into actionable insights and compelling narratives to influence product strategy and business decisions.

• Foster a strong research culture by mentoring junior researchers and championing user advocacy across cross-functional teams.

• Contribute to the innovation and advancement of research practices by exploring and integrating new tools and methodologies.

• Collaborate closely with design, product, marketing, and engineering teams to ensure user needs are at the forefront of digital product creation.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the role is titled "Senior Specialist UX Researcher," the responsibilities and experience requirements suggest a senior-level individual contributor or a lead researcher position, focusing on strategic impact and methodological leadership within the UX domain. The emphasis on influencing business decisions and mentoring junior staff points to a significant level of autonomy and influence.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Strategic Research Planning: Collaborate with Product Managers, Designers, Marketing, and other stakeholders to define research objectives, scope, and roadmaps aligned with business goals and product strategy.

• Methodological Leadership: Design and execute comprehensive research plans utilizing a variety of qualitative (e.g., interviews, usability testing, ethnographic studies) and quantitative (e.g., surveys, analytics, card sorting) methods.

• Data Synthesis & Insight Generation: Analyze and synthesize research findings from diverse data sources, identifying key user needs, pain points, and opportunities for product improvement.

• Actionable Reporting & Storytelling: Communicate research insights effectively through compelling presentations, reports, and visualizations to diverse audiences, influencing product roadmaps and design decisions.

• Mentorship & Knowledge Sharing: Guide and mentor junior UX researchers, fostering their professional development and promoting best practices in user research.

• Process & Tool Innovation: Proactively explore, evaluate, and recommend new research tools, techniques, and methodologies to enhance the efficiency and impact of the UX research function.

• User Advocacy: Serve as a strong advocate for the user throughout the product development lifecycle, ensuring user needs and feedback are central to design and strategy discussions.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Build strong working relationships with cross-functional teams (Product, Design, Engineering, Marketing) to integrate research seamlessly into the product development process.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of hands-on research execution and strategic leadership. The expectation to "influence decisions" and "drive development" indicates that this role is critical in shaping product direction, not just validating designs. Emphasis on "storytelling" and "visualizations" suggests a need for strong communication skills beyond just presenting raw data.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

Experience:

• A minimum of 5 years of progressive experience in User Experience (UX) research, with a proven track record of successfully delivering impactful research projects.

• Demonstrated experience in both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies.

Required Skills:

• Deep understanding of User-Centered Design (UCD) principles: Ability to apply UCD methodologies throughout the product lifecycle.

• Expertise in UX Research Methodologies: Proficient in conducting various research techniques including, but not limited to, user interviews, usability testing (moderated and unmoderated), contextual inquiry, diary studies, card sorting, tree testing, and survey design.

• Strong Analytical and Synthesis Skills: Ability to analyze complex qualitative and quantitative data, identify patterns, and derive strategic, actionable insights.

• Exceptional Storytelling and Communication: Proven ability to articulate research findings clearly and persuasively to both technical and non-technical stakeholders through engaging presentations, written reports, and data visualizations.

• Leadership and Mentoring Capabilities: Experience guiding or mentoring junior team members and fostering a collaborative research environment.

• Proactive Problem-Solving: Ability to identify research challenges and develop pragmatic solutions to address them effectively.

• Critical Thinking and Strategic Vision: Capacity to think critically about user needs and business objectives, translating research into strategic recommendations.

• Proficiency in English: Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with Neuroscientific Tools: Familiarity with or experience using tools such as eye-tracking, EEG, GSR, or Facial Expression Recognition (FER) to gain deeper user insights.

• Digital Accessibility Expertise: Knowledge of accessibility principles (e.g., WCAG) and experience conducting accessibility audits or research.

• Prototyping Skills: Basic proficiency in prototyping tools like Figma, enabling a deeper understanding of design concepts and facilitating research on interactive elements.

• Experience with A/B Testing and Experimentation: Understanding of experimental design and analysis for optimizing user experiences.

• Familiarity with Italian Market: Understanding of cultural nuances and user behaviors specific to the Italian market.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for "over 5 years of experience" suggests a senior individual contributor role, possibly with leadership potential. The emphasis on "portfolio of significant projects" indicates a strong need for candidates to showcase their practical application of research skills and their impact. The mention of "problem-solving operativo" implies a need for practical, hands-on problem-solving skills in research execution.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrate Research Impact: Showcase case studies that clearly illustrate the research process from problem definition to actionable insights and their subsequent impact on product development and business outcomes.

• Methodological Diversity: Include examples of projects utilizing a range of qualitative and quantitative research methods, demonstrating versatility and strategic selection of techniques.

• Data Synthesis & Insight Articulation: Present clear examples of how complex data was synthesized into concise, actionable insights, highlighting the "so what?" for product and business teams.

• Storytelling & Visualization: Feature examples of how research findings were communicated effectively through compelling narratives, presentations, or visualizations to drive understanding and decision-making.

• Problem-Solving in Research: Illustrate instances where you encountered research challenges (e.g., recruitment, scope limitations, stakeholder alignment) and how you creatively and effectively overcame them.

Process Documentation:

• Research Plan Design: Ability to articulate the process of developing comprehensive research plans, including defining objectives, selecting methodologies, recruiting participants, and outlining timelines.

• Ethical Research Conduct: Demonstration of understanding and adherence to ethical research practices, including informed consent, data privacy, and participant well-being.

• Insight Integration Workflow: Evidence of how research insights were integrated into product development workflows, including collaboration mechanisms with design, product management, and engineering.

• Continuous Improvement: Examples of how you have iterated on research processes or tools to improve efficiency, rigor, or impact.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Senior UX Researcher role, the portfolio is crucial. It should not just list projects but tell a story of problem-solving, strategic thinking, and tangible impact. Candidates should be prepared to walk through their process and defend their methodological choices, emphasizing how their research directly influenced product decisions and user experience improvements.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

Benefits:

• Comprehensive health insurance package.

• Generous paid time off (PTO) and holiday allowance.

• Pension scheme contributions.

• Opportunities for professional development, training, and conference attendance.

• Employee discounts on Sky products and services.

• Potential for performance-based bonuses.

• Access to state-of-the-art research tools and technologies.

Working Hours:

• Standard full-time working hours are typically 40 hours per week. While the role is based on-site in Milan, there may be some flexibility expected for critical research activities or urgent stakeholder needs, though core working hours will be defined by company policy.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is an estimate based on the provided location (Milan, Italy), experience level (5-10 years), and industry context (major media/tech company). Actual compensation may vary based on specific qualifications, negotiation, and Sky's internal compensation structure. It is always recommended to inquire about the precise salary range during the application process.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Media, Telecommunications, Entertainment. Sky is a leading provider of entertainment and communications services, known for its innovation in content delivery and digital platforms.

Company Size: Sky is a large, established multinational corporation with a significant global presence. This implies a structured environment with established processes, but also ample resources and opportunities for impact.

Founded: Sky was founded in 1989, with a long history of evolution and growth in the media landscape. This heritage suggests a company with deep industry knowledge and a commitment to long-term vision.

Team Structure:

• The UX Research team likely operates within a broader Product or Design organization.

• It will include a mix of senior and potentially junior researchers, working on different product areas or initiatives.

• Close collaboration is expected with Product Managers, UX/UI Designers, and Engineering teams.

Methodology:

• Sky likely employs a hybrid approach to product development, incorporating elements of Agile methodologies.

• The UX Research function is expected to be integrated into the product development lifecycle, providing insights at various stages from discovery to iteration.

• Emphasis will be placed on data-driven decision-making, with research findings serving as a critical input.

• There's a stated commitment to innovation, suggesting an openness to exploring new research techniques and technologies.

Company Website: https://www.sky.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: As Sky is a large, well-established company, candidates can expect a professional and structured work environment. The emphasis on innovation and user-centricity suggests a culture that values research and its impact on product success. Understanding Sky's market position and its diverse product offerings will be beneficial for candidates.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is designated as a "Senior Specialist," indicating a mid-to-senior level individual contributor position. It is a step beyond a standard UX Researcher, requiring a higher degree of autonomy, strategic thinking, and the ability to influence without direct authority. It signifies a level where one is expected to lead complex research projects, mentor others, and contribute to the evolution of research practices.

Reporting Structure: The Senior UX Researcher will likely report to a Head of UX, Director of Product Design, or a similar senior leadership role within the product or design organization. They will collaborate closely with Product Managers and Design Leads for specific product initiatives.

Operations Impact: The impact of this role is significant, directly influencing the usability, desirability, and overall success of Sky's digital products. By providing deep user understanding, this researcher will help mitigate product risks, optimize user journeys, increase engagement, and ultimately contribute to revenue growth and customer satisfaction. The role is pivotal in ensuring Sky's offerings remain competitive and user-preferred in a dynamic market.

Growth Opportunities:

• Methodological Specialization: Opportunity to deepen expertise in specific research areas (e.g., generative research, behavioral economics, quantitative modeling) or emerging fields like AI-driven research.

• Leadership Development: Potential to grow into a Team Lead or Managerial role, overseeing a team of UX researchers and setting strategic direction for the function.

• Cross-Functional Leadership: Opportunity to lead research initiatives across multiple product lines or contribute to broader strategic planning within the company.

• Industry Influence: Potential to represent Sky at industry conferences or contribute to thought leadership in UX research.

• Skill Expansion: Possibility to gain experience in areas like accessibility, neuro-UX, or advanced analytics, broadening the scope of impact.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Specialist" title often implies a deep level of expertise in a particular domain. For a Senior Specialist UX Researcher, this means not only executing research but also shaping the "how" and "why" of research within the organization, making it a strategic role with clear avenues for advancement into leadership or highly specialized individual contributor paths.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is based on-site in Milan, Italy, indicating a traditional office environment. This setting facilitates in-person collaboration, team building, and direct interaction with colleagues.

Office Location(s): Milan Monte Penice, Italy. This specific location suggests a vibrant urban setting within Italy, likely offering good connectivity and access to professional amenities.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Atmosphere: The on-site nature promotes spontaneous interactions, brainstorming sessions, and stronger team cohesion, which is beneficial for complex UX research projects.

• Access to Tools & Technology: Employees will have access to Sky's internal technology infrastructure, including specialized UX research software, collaboration platforms, and potentially dedicated lab spaces for usability testing.

• Team Interaction: Regular face-to-face meetings, workshops, and informal discussions with design, product, and engineering teams will be standard.

Work Schedule: The standard 40-hour work week is typical for full-time roles. While on-site, there may be an expectation of flexibility to accommodate critical research needs, such as scheduling interviews or usability tests that fall outside standard hours, but this would be balanced with overall work-life integration.

📝 Enhancement Note: An on-site role at a company like Sky typically offers a well-equipped workspace and a structured environment designed for collaboration. Candidates should be prepared for a dynamic office setting where interaction with various departments is key to success in the role.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter or hiring manager will review your application and resume, focusing on experience, qualifications, and alignment with the role's core requirements.

• Hiring Manager Interview: A discussion with the hiring manager to delve deeper into your experience, research philosophy, and alignment with the team's needs. This may include behavioral questions.

• Portfolio Presentation: A critical stage where you will present a selection of your work. Be prepared to walk through 2-3 key projects, detailing your process, challenges, insights, and the impact of your research.

• Skills Assessment/Case Study: You may be given a short case study or a research problem to solve, either as a take-home assignment or a live exercise, to assess your critical thinking and methodological approach.

• Cross-Functional Interviews: Interviews with potential collaborators (e.g., Product Managers, Designers) to assess your ability to work effectively in a multidisciplinary team and communicate research findings.

• Final Interview: Potentially with a senior leader to discuss strategic fit, leadership potential, and overall candidacy.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 2-3 projects that best showcase your skills in planning, execution, analysis, and impact, aligning with the requirements of this Senior Specialist role.

• Focus on Impact: For each project, clearly articulate the problem you were solving, the research methods you used, your key findings, and most importantly, the tangible impact your research had on the product or business. Quantify impact where possible (e.g., "reduced task completion time by X%", "increased conversion rates by Y%").

• Detail Your Process: Be prepared to explain your thought process behind choosing specific methodologies, recruiting participants, and analyzing data. Demonstrate your understanding of research rigor.

• Storytelling is Key: Frame your projects as compelling narratives. Start with the business/user problem, guide the audience through your research journey, and conclude with actionable insights and their outcomes.

• Visual Appeal: Ensure your presentation is visually clean, professional, and easy to follow. Use screenshots, diagrams, and key quotes to illustrate your points.

• Anticipate Questions: Be ready to answer questions about your decisions, alternative approaches you considered, and how you handled challenges.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Context: If given a case study, thoroughly analyze the problem statement and any provided context.

• Define Scope: Clearly outline your assumptions and the scope of your proposed research.

• Methodology Justification: Be prepared to justify your chosen research methods, explaining why they are appropriate for the given problem.

• Deliverables: Think about what kind of deliverables would be most useful for the stakeholders in the scenario.

• Conciseness and Clarity: Practice presenting your approach concisely and clearly, focusing on the most critical elements.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio presentation is often the most crucial part of the interview process for a UX Researcher. Candidates should treat it as a strategic opportunity to demonstrate their value and fit. Emphasizing the "senior" aspect means showcasing leadership in thought and execution, not just task completion.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• User Interview & Moderation Tools: UserTesting, Lookback, Zoom, Google Meet, OBS Studio, Streamlabs for conducting and recording remote and in-person moderated sessions.

• Survey Platforms: Qualtrics, SurveyMonkey, Google Forms for designing and distributing quantitative surveys.

• Card Sorting & Tree Testing Tools: Optimal Workshop (Treejack, Chalkmark), Maze for information architecture validation.

• Analytics & Data Tools:

  • Qualitative Data Analysis: NVivo, Dovetail for organizing, coding, and analyzing qualitative data from interviews and usability tests.
  • Quantitative Data Analysis: SPSS, Excel, R for statistical analysis of survey data and other quantitative metrics.

• Collaboration & Documentation: Confluence, Jira, Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Slides) for project management, documentation, and team collaboration.

• Prototyping Tools (for review/feedback): Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, as the researcher will need to understand and provide feedback on interactive prototypes.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Data Visualization Tools: Tableau, Power BI (potentially used by data analysts, but understanding their output is key), or built-in visualization features within analysis tools.

• Web Analytics: Google Analytics (or similar) for understanding user behavior on digital platforms.

CRM & Automation:

• While not direct CRM tools, understanding how UX research insights can inform CRM strategies or marketing automation logic is beneficial. Familiarity with Salesforce or similar CRM systems from a user perspective can be helpful.

📝 Enhancement Note: The specific tools listed in the job description (UserTesting, Lookback, Maze, Optimal Workshop, NVivo, Dovetail, SPSS, Excel, R) are key indicators of the expected technical proficiency. Candidates should be prepared to discuss their experience with these or comparable tools and how they leverage them for effective research and analysis.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• User-Centricity: A fundamental belief that understanding and meeting user needs is paramount to product success. This translates to prioritizing user feedback and advocating for user experience improvements.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Valuing evidence-based approaches, where research insights, not just opinions, guide product strategy and design choices.

• Collaboration & Partnership: Fostering a collaborative environment where UX researchers work hand-in-hand with product managers, designers, engineers, and marketers to achieve shared goals.

• Continuous Learning & Innovation: Encouraging a culture of exploration, experimentation, and ongoing professional development to stay at the forefront of UX research practices.

• Integrity & Rigor: Upholding high standards of research ethics, methodological soundness, and unbiased analysis to ensure the credibility and trustworthiness of findings.

Collaboration Style:

• Proactive Engagement: Researchers are expected to be proactive in engaging with stakeholders early and often in the product lifecycle.

• Transparent Communication: Sharing research plans, findings, and insights openly and frequently with relevant teams.

• Constructive Feedback: Providing and receiving constructive feedback on research approaches, designs, and insights in a respectful and productive manner.

• Cross-Functional Workshops: Participating in and potentially leading workshops to ideate, synthesize findings, and align teams on user-centric strategies.

📝 Enhancement Note: Sky likely values a culture that is both innovative and results-oriented. For a UX Researcher, this means demonstrating how their work directly contributes to business objectives while championing the user. A collaborative and transparent approach to working with diverse teams will be highly valued.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Research Rigor with Business Agility: Ensuring thorough and methodologically sound research is conducted within fast-paced product development cycles and tight deadlines.

• Influencing Stakeholders: Effectively persuading diverse stakeholders with varying priorities and perspectives to adopt research-backed recommendations.

• Recruitment for Niche Audiences: Sourcing and recruiting participants for highly specific user segments or niche product features can be challenging.

• Measuring Long-Term Impact: Quantifying the long-term impact of UX research on product success and business metrics can be complex.

• Navigating Evolving Technologies: Keeping pace with rapid advancements in digital technologies and user behaviors, and adapting research methods accordingly.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Methodologies: Access to training and opportunities to explore advanced research techniques such as neuromarketing, AI in research, advanced statistical modeling, or ethical AI research.

• Cross-Disciplinary Exposure: Opportunities to work on projects that span different product verticals or touch upon areas like marketing analytics, customer support insights, or business strategy.

• Leadership & Mentorship Programs: Formal or informal programs to develop leadership skills, mentor junior colleagues, and potentially transition into management roles.

• Industry Conferences & Certifications: Support for attending leading UX research conferences (e.g., CHI, UXPA), workshops, and pursuing relevant certifications.

• Internal Knowledge Sharing: Participation in internal communities of practice, brown bag sessions, and cross-team knowledge-sharing initiatives.

📝 Enhancement Note: Recognizing and preparing for these challenges will demonstrate a candidate's foresight and problem-solving capabilities. Highlighting how they have overcome similar obstacles in the past will be crucial. The growth opportunities suggest a company that invests in its employees' development and offers clear pathways for career progression.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to influence a product decision with research findings that contradicted stakeholder assumptions. How did you approach it, and what was the outcome?" (Focus on persuasion, data presentation, and stakeholder management).

• "Walk us through your process for designing a research plan for a completely new product feature. What are the key considerations?" (Focus on strategic thinking, methodological selection, and defining objectives).

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What do you know about Sky's products and services, and how do you see UX research contributing to their success?" (Showcase research and understanding of the company's market).

• "How would you foster a stronger user-centric culture within a team that may not fully understand the value of UX research?" (Focus on advocacy, education, and collaboration).

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each project, follow a clear story arc: Problem -> Approach -> Findings -> Impact.

• Highlight Your Role: Clearly articulate your specific contributions, especially if it was a team project.

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals, quotes, and synthesized data to make your findings compelling and memorable.

• Be Ready for Deep Dives: Anticipate questions about your methodology choices, alternative approaches, and how you handled challenges.

• Connect to Sky: Where possible, subtly link your experience and insights to Sky's business goals or product areas.

• Practice Timing: Ensure you can present your key projects within the allotted time, leaving room for Q&A.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interviewers will be looking for more than just methodological knowledge. They will assess your strategic thinking, your ability to communicate complex ideas, your collaborative spirit, and your potential to lead and mentor. Preparing specific examples and practicing your presentation will be key.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Specialist UX Researcher position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Sky's careers portal.

• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight keywords related to UX research methodologies, tools (UserTesting, NVivo, etc.), user-centered design, data analysis, storytelling, and leadership experience. Quantify achievements wherever possible.

• Prepare Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 impactful UX research projects that showcase your skills in planning, execution, analysis, and driving product impact. Ensure it's well-organized and easy to navigate.

• Research Sky: Familiarize yourself with Sky's products, services, and recent company news. Understand their market position and potential user challenges.

• Practice Your Presentation: Rehearse your portfolio presentation, focusing on clarity, conciseness, and demonstrating your strategic thinking and impact. Be ready to answer detailed questions about your process and findings.

• Prepare for Behavioral Questions: Reflect on specific examples of your experience that align with the responsibilities and required skills, particularly concerning leadership, collaboration, and problem-solving.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions to provide a comprehensive view. All details should be verified directly with Sky's hiring team before making application decisions.