Senior UX Researcher

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior UX Researcher

Company: Allegis Group

Location: Hanover, Maryland, United States

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: User Experience Research / Product Operations

Date Posted: May 04, 2026

Experience Level: 10+ years (estimated)

Remote Status: Hybrid (4 days in office)

🚀 Role Summary

• This role is a hybrid individual contributor and player-coach position, focusing on leading high-impact UX research within an enterprise environment.

• It involves shaping product strategy, service design, and user experience decisions through advanced mixed-methods research.

• The Senior UX Researcher will be responsible for guiding discovery initiatives, executing validation studies, and mentoring junior researchers to enhance overall research quality and operational excellence.

• The position requires a deep understanding of user needs, business processes, and market opportunities to influence product development and strategic direction.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "10+ years" experience level is an inference based on the requirement for 8+ years of direct UX research experience plus 3+ years of leadership/mentorship responsibility, indicating a need for significant seniority. The "Product Operations" category is added due to the role's focus on informing product strategy and business processes, which aligns with GTM operations.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Lead complex discovery research to define critical problems, uncover unmet user needs, and shape the strategic direction of enterprise products and services.

• Design and execute rigorous validation studies (concept testing, usability testing, prototype evaluation) to mitigate risk and ensure alignment with user and business objectives prior to launch.

• Develop comprehensive research plans and roadmaps, strategically selecting appropriate mixed-methods approaches (qualitative and quantitative) based on business goals, product maturity, timelines, and risk tolerance.

• Synthesize findings from diverse data sources (interviews, surveys, contextual research, analytics) into actionable insights that directly inform product design, UX strategy, and business decisions.

• Mentor and coach fellow UX researchers, elevating research quality, consistency, and operational excellence through best practices, templates, and guidance on study design, analysis, and stakeholder engagement.

• Facilitate workshops, working sessions, and strategic discussions with cross-functional partners (Product, Design, Architecture, business stakeholders) to drive alignment on opportunities, risks, and informed decision-making.

• Translate research insights into clear, compelling recommendations for product prioritization, strategic planning, and iterative product improvements.

• Champion research quality and operational best practices across the team, potentially contributing to research operations initiatives and standards.

📝 Enhancement Note: Responsibilities are expanded to detail the end-to-end research lifecycle and the player-coach aspect, emphasizing strategic influence and team development, which are critical for a senior-level operations-adjacent role.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Psychology, Anthropology, Human Factors, Sociology, Cognitive Science, Information Science, or a closely related discipline.

Experience:

• Minimum of 8 years of hands-on experience conducting UX research within complex digital product development or enterprise environments, with a strong emphasis on qualitative-leaning or mixed-methods approaches.

• Demonstrated depth in foundational and discovery research methodologies, including but not limited to problem framing, exploratory interviews, in-depth user interviews, workflow analysis, journey mapping, and ethnographic research.

• Proven expertise in validation and evaluative research, encompassing concept testing, prototype evaluation, usability studies, and decision-oriented research to assess design effectiveness.

• At least 3 years of experience in a leadership capacity, specifically mentoring, coaching, or directly managing UX researchers or research teams, demonstrating an ability to guide and develop talent.

Required Skills:

• Discovery Research: Expertise in planning and executing research to understand user needs, behaviors, and market opportunities in complex enterprise contexts.

• Validation & Evaluative Research: Proficiency in designing and conducting studies to test concepts, prototypes, and live products for usability and effectiveness.

• Research Strategy & Prioritization: Ability to define research objectives, select appropriate methods, and prioritize initiatives based on business impact and strategic goals.

• Stakeholder Management: Skill in building relationships, managing expectations, and influencing decisions with diverse stakeholders, including senior leaders.

• Executive Communication & Storytelling: Capacity to translate complex research findings into clear, compelling narratives and actionable recommendations for executive audiences.

• People Leadership & Coaching: Experience guiding, mentoring, and developing other researchers, fostering a culture of excellence and continuous learning.

• Mixed-Methods Expertise: Ability to integrate qualitative and quantitative data from various sources to provide holistic insights.

Preferred Skills:

• Journey Mapping & Service Blueprinting: Experience creating comprehensive maps to visualize user journeys and service interactions, identifying pain points and opportunities.

• Contextual Research & Field Studies: Proficiency in conducting research in users' natural environments to gain deep insights into their workflows and contexts.

• Survey Design & Analysis: Skill in developing effective surveys and analyzing quantitative data to complement qualitative findings.

• Workshop Facilitation: Experience leading co-creation sessions, design thinking workshops, and strategic alignment discussions.

• Research Operations: Familiarity with improving research practice through templates, standards, and operational efficiency.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Skills/Abilities" section from the original listing has been integrated into "Required Skills" and "Preferred Skills" for better organization. The "Top 5" skills are highlighted as core requirements. "AI_key_skills" and "AI_keywords" from the input have been used to enrich this section with relevant industry terms.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio is essential, demonstrating a range of past work and deliverables that showcase end-to-end research execution and impact.

• Include examples of well-defined research plans, strategic frameworks, detailed research reports, impactful readouts, user journey maps, and concrete strategic recommendations.

• Portfolios should highlight experience in leading research within complex digital product or enterprise environments, showcasing the ability to tackle ambiguous problem spaces.

Process Documentation:

• Provide examples of how you frame research problems, define research questions, and establish clear decision points for teams and leaders.

• Showcase your methodology for selecting the right research methods or combination of methods, balancing rigor, speed, and impact for different business needs.

• Illustrate your approach to synthesizing qualitative and quantitative data from multiple sources into actionable insights that directly influence design, product, and business decisions.

• Include examples of how you activate research findings through workshops, stakeholder discussions, and clear communication of opportunities, risks, and next steps.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section is tailored to emphasize the strategic and impact-driven nature of research deliverables expected from a senior role. It focuses on how research informs business processes and product development, aligning with operations principles.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• $102,700 - $156,200 annually.

• This range is competitive for a Senior UX Researcher role in the Maryland region, considering the experience level and hybrid work model.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance plans.

• Hospital plans for additional coverage.

• 401(k) Retirement Plan with both pre-tax and Roth post-tax contribution options.

• Company-paid Life Insurance (Basic and AD&D), with options for voluntary coverage for employees and dependents.

• Company-paid Short-term and Long-term Disability insurance.

• Health & Dependent Care Spending Accounts (HSA & DCFSA) for tax-advantaged savings.

• Transportation benefits to support commuting.

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for confidential support.

• Tuition Assistance to support continuous learning and professional development.

Working Hours:

• The role is anticipated to require approximately 40 hours per week.

• A hybrid work arrangement mandates 4 days per week in the office, with flexibility in daily schedules balanced with team collaboration needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is directly from the input. Benefits are detailed based on the provided list. The working hours and hybrid requirement are explicitly stated. The salary estimate is based on the provided range and regional standards for senior UX roles.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Talent Acquisition and Staffing Services. Allegis Group is a global leader in this sector, operating core companies like Aerotek, TEKsystems, Aston Carter, and Actalent. This industry context means the UX research will directly impact internal employees, external candidates, and client companies, requiring a deep understanding of recruitment processes and business needs.

Company Size: Allegis Group is a large, global enterprise, indicating a complex organizational structure, established processes, and significant market reach. This scale suggests opportunities for broad impact and exposure to diverse challenges within the talent solutions ecosystem.

Founded: While the exact founding date isn't provided, Allegis Group is a well-established leader in its industry, suggesting a company with a robust history and a commitment to long-term innovation.

Team Structure:

• The UX team supports a portfolio of enterprise platforms critical to Allegis Group's operations, including those for job seekers, recruiters, internal employees, and sales teams.

• This role is part of a UX team that collaborates closely with Product Management, Design, Architecture, and various business and operational stakeholders across the organization.

Methodology:

• The UX team's work is grounded in understanding and optimizing internal and external user experiences, business processes, and service dependencies.

• Research methodologies employed will span discovery, concept validation, usability testing, and iterative product improvement, with a strong emphasis on mixed-methods approaches.

• The team aims to leverage research to identify opportunities, mitigate risks, and meet the unmet needs of employees, customers, and job applicants.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Company context is derived from the provided description and general knowledge of Allegis Group's position in the talent acquisition industry. The emphasis is on how this context impacts the UX Research role and its operational responsibilities.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is classified as a Senior UX Researcher, signifying a highly experienced individual contributor with leadership and mentorship responsibilities. It sits at a crucial intersection of product development and operational effectiveness, where research insights directly influence strategic decisions and process optimization within the talent acquisition domain.

Reporting Structure: While direct reporting lines are not specified, the role involves close collaboration with UX designers, product managers, architecture partners, business stakeholders, and senior leaders. The "player-coach" aspect implies a leadership role within the research function, potentially reporting to a UX Director or Head of Product.

Operations Impact: The Senior UX Researcher's work has a direct impact on the efficiency and effectiveness of Allegis Group's core talent acquisition platforms. By understanding user needs and business processes, this role influences the development of tools that help candidates find jobs, recruiters find candidates, and employees serve clients better. This operational efficiency directly translates to improved business outcomes and competitive advantage in the talent solutions market.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership Development: The player-coach aspect provides a clear pathway to formal management roles, with opportunities to lead research teams, shape research strategy, and influence organizational processes.

• Strategic Influence: As a senior member, there's significant potential to influence product roadmaps, business strategy, and the overall user experience vision across multiple enterprise platforms.

• Skill Specialization & Expansion: Opportunities exist to deepen expertise in specific research methodologies, explore new research areas (e.g., AI-driven talent solutions), or expand into related fields like product management or service design.

• Cross-Functional Exposure: Working across diverse teams (Product, Design, Architecture, Business) offers broad exposure to different facets of the business, fostering a holistic understanding of enterprise operations.

• Mentorship & Training: Formal and informal opportunities to mentor junior researchers and contribute to the development of research best practices within the organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section analyzes the role's position within the broader organizational structure and its potential for career advancement, linking UX research to operational impact and GTM strategies.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The requirement to be in the office at least 4 days a week indicates a hybrid work model that values in-person collaboration and team cohesion. This suggests an environment that balances remote flexibility with the benefits of face-to-face interaction for strategic discussions and team building.

Office Location(s): The role requires a presence at either the headquarters in Hanover, MD, or offices in Jacksonville, FL. This offers some geographic flexibility for candidates within commuting distance of these locations.

Workspace Context:

• The hybrid model fosters a collaborative environment where in-person days can be dedicated to intensive workshops, team syncs, and brainstorming sessions, enhancing cross-functional alignment.

• Operations professionals in this role will likely have access to standard office technology, collaboration tools, and potentially specialized UX research software and hardware, enabling effective execution of studies and data synthesis.

Work Schedule:

• The standard 40-hour work week is expected, with the hybrid model requiring 4 days in the office.

• While core hours likely exist for team collaboration, there may be flexibility in daily start/end times, accommodating research fieldwork or personal needs, balanced with project deadlines and team availability.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section interprets the hybrid work requirement and office locations to describe the day-to-day work environment and its impact on collaboration and operational efficiency for a UX researcher.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Likely involves a recruiter call to assess basic qualifications, experience, and cultural fit. Be prepared to articulate your career path and interest in Allegis Group.

• Hiring Manager Interview: A deep dive into your experience, leadership capabilities, and approach to complex research challenges. Expect questions about your player-coach experience and strategic thinking.

• Portfolio Review & Presentation: A critical step where you will present selected case studies showcasing your research process, methodologies, synthesis, and impact. Focus on 2-3 high-impact projects.

• Cross-Functional Interviews: Meetings with Product Managers, UX Designers, and potentially business stakeholders to assess collaboration skills, communication style, and ability to integrate research into product development cycles.

• Team/Leadership Interview: Final discussions to evaluate cultural fit, leadership potential, and alignment with the team's vision and values.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select projects that best demonstrate your end-to-end research capabilities, leadership, and impact on product strategy and business outcomes. Prioritize enterprise-level or complex problem spaces.

• Structure for Clarity: For each case study, clearly outline: the problem/opportunity, your role and responsibilities, research questions, methodologies used, key findings, actionable recommendations, and the tangible impact (e.g., product changes, improved metrics, strategic shifts).

• Highlight the "Why" and "So What": Emphasize your strategic thinking in framing the research problem and the actionable insights derived. Clearly articulate how your work influenced decisions and led to positive outcomes.

• Showcase Leadership: Include examples of how you've mentored researchers, influenced research direction, or driven operational improvements in research practices.

• Prepare for Q&A: Anticipate questions about your decision-making process, challenges encountered, how you handled conflicting feedback, and how you measure research success.

Challenge Preparation:

• Be prepared for a research design exercise or a case study analysis. This might involve framing a research problem for a given scenario, outlining a research plan, or analyzing a dataset to derive insights.

• Focus on demonstrating your strategic approach to problem-solving, your methodological rigor, and your ability to translate findings into actionable recommendations within an enterprise context.

• Practice articulating your thought process clearly and concisely, as if presenting to stakeholders who may not have a deep UX research background.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section provides actionable advice on navigating the interview process and preparing a strong portfolio, tailored for a senior UX researcher role with leadership expectations.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• UX Research Platforms: Proficiency with tools for conducting remote usability testing, surveys, and interviews (e.g., UserTesting.com, Lookback, Maze, Qualtrics, SurveyMonkey).

• Collaboration & Prototyping Tools: Familiarity with tools used by design and product teams for collaboration and prototyping (e.g., Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, Miro, Mural) to effectively review and test designs.

• Data Analysis Software: Experience with qualitative data analysis tools (e.g., Dovetail, NVivo) and potentially quantitative analysis tools (e.g., Excel, SPSS, R, Python for statistical analysis) to synthesize mixed-methods data.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Web Analytics Tools: Understanding of how to interpret data from platforms like Google Analytics to inform research questions and validate findings.

• BI Tools: Familiarity with Business Intelligence tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI) for understanding product usage patterns and business metrics that research can influence.

• Reporting & Presentation Software: Expertise in creating clear, compelling reports and presentations (e.g., PowerPoint, Google Slides, Keynote) to communicate research findings to diverse audiences.

CRM & Automation:

• CRM Systems: Understanding of how CRM data (e.g., Salesforce) might inform user segmentation or provide context for research within sales and client engagement platforms.

• Workflow Automation Tools: Awareness of how workflow automation impacts user tasks and business processes, which can be a subject of research.

• Project Management Tools: Experience with tools like Jira, Asana, or Trello for managing research projects and timelines.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section outlines the typical technology stack for a UX researcher in an enterprise setting, focusing on tools that support research execution, data analysis, collaboration, and impact measurement.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• User-Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and advocating for the needs of users (employees, candidates, clients) in all product and service design decisions.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Emphasis on using rigorous research findings and data analysis to inform strategy, prioritize initiatives, and measure impact.

• Collaboration & Partnership: A strong belief in working closely with cross-functional teams (Product, Design, Engineering, Business) to achieve shared goals and ensure research is integrated throughout the product lifecycle.

• Continuous Improvement: A drive to constantly refine research methodologies, improve operational efficiency, and elevate the quality and impact of research outputs.

• Strategic Impact: A focus on conducting research that not only identifies user needs but also directly informs business strategy and drives measurable positive outcomes for the organization.

Collaboration Style:

• Proactive Engagement: Actively seeking out opportunities to embed research early in the product development process and partnering with stakeholders to define research needs.

• Transparent Communication: Openly sharing research plans, progress, and findings with relevant teams and leaders, fostering trust and alignment.

• Facilitative Leadership: Guiding discussions and workshops to ensure all voices are heard and that outcomes are collaborative and actionable.

• Feedback Integration: Open to receiving and providing constructive feedback to continuously improve research practices and team dynamics.

• Cross-Functional Empathy: Understanding the perspectives and challenges of different departments to build stronger working relationships and more effective solutions.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section infers the likely team culture and values based on the role's senior nature, the company's industry, and the emphasis on collaboration and strategic impact common in operations-adjacent roles.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Navigating Enterprise Complexity: Working within a large, global organization like Allegis Group means dealing with complex stakeholder landscapes, established processes, and potentially legacy systems, requiring strong influence and change management skills.

• Ambiguous Problem Spaces: Tackling ill-defined problems and helping teams articulate clear research questions and objectives in areas where product strategy is still emerging.

• Balancing Speed and Rigor: Determining the appropriate level of research depth and methodological rigor needed to inform decisions quickly in a fast-paced environment, without compromising quality.

• Demonstrating ROI: Quantifying the impact of UX research on business outcomes and effectively communicating this value to senior leadership to secure ongoing investment and buy-in.

• Mentoring and Leading: Effectively coaching and guiding other researchers while also fulfilling individual contributor responsibilities, requiring strong time management and delegation skills.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Methodologies: Opportunities to deepen expertise in specialized research techniques, such as causal inference, advanced qualitative analysis, or emerging research technologies.

• Leadership Training: Access to formal leadership development programs or workshops focused on people management, strategic planning, and executive influence.

• Industry Conferences & Certifications: Support for attending relevant UX research and product development conferences (e.g., CHI, UXRConf) and pursuing professional certifications.

• Cross-Disciplinary Learning: Engaging with product managers, designers, and business strategists to broaden understanding of product development lifecycles and business operations.

• Research Operations Enhancement: Contributing to and learning from initiatives focused on scaling and optimizing research processes across the organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section outlines potential challenges specific to the role and company context, along with growth opportunities that align with a senior-level position focused on both individual contribution and team development.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to frame a complex, ambiguous problem for a product team. What was your process, and what was the outcome?" - Prepare a case study highlighting your problem-definition skills and strategic approach.

• "How do you prioritize research requests when multiple stakeholders have urgent needs?" - Focus on your framework for assessing impact, urgency, and resource allocation, emphasizing data-driven prioritization.

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What do you know about Allegis Group and the talent acquisition industry? How might that inform your research approach here?" - Research the company's mission, core businesses, and market position. Connect this to understanding user needs within the staffing context.

• "How do you approach mentoring junior researchers? Describe your philosophy and a specific example of how you've helped someone grow." - Be ready to articulate your coaching style and provide concrete examples of mentorship impact.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Focus on Impact: Select 2-3 projects that best demonstrate your strategic thinking, end-to-end execution, and measurable business impact. Prioritize complex enterprise challenges.

• Tell a Story: Structure each case study as a narrative: the challenge, your approach, the key findings, and the resulting actions/outcomes. Clearly articulate the "so what" of your research.

• Showcase Leadership: Highlight instances where you led research initiatives, mentored others, or influenced strategic direction.

• Be Prepared for Deep Dives: Anticipate questions about specific methodological choices, synthesis process, difficult stakeholder interactions, and how you measured success.

• Demonstrate Strategic Thinking: Explain why you chose specific methods and how your research aligned with broader business objectives.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section provides specific, actionable advice for interview preparation, focusing on the types of questions likely to be asked and strategies for presenting a compelling portfolio, tailored for a senior-level role.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior UX Researcher position:

• Submit your application through the provided career portal link on the Allegis Group website.

• Tailor Your Resume: Ensure your resume clearly highlights 8+ years of UX research experience, 3+ years of leadership/mentorship, and specific expertise in mixed-methods, discovery, and validation research within enterprise environments. Use keywords from the job description.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 high-impact case studies that demonstrate your end-to-end research process, strategic thinking, leadership, and measurable impact. Prepare to present these effectively.

• Research Allegis Group: Understand the company's mission, core operating companies, target users (candidates, recruiters, clients), and its position in the talent acquisition industry.

• Prepare for Behavioral & Situational Questions: Practice articulating your experience with leadership, stakeholder management, problem-solving in ambiguous environments, and driving research impact.

⚠️ 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.