Senior UX Researcher

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior UX Researcher

Company: Anaplan

Location: London, United Kingdom

Job Type: Full-time

Category: User Experience Research

Date Posted: April 22, 2026

Experience Level: Mid-Senior Level (5-10 years)

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead end-to-end User Experience (UX) research initiatives, employing both generative and evaluative methodologies to inform product strategy and development within a B2B SaaS environment.

• Drive data-informed decision-making by analyzing qualitative and quantitative user data, translating complex findings into actionable insights that enhance user experience and business outcomes.

• Collaborate closely with Product Management, Design, and Engineering teams across global locations to embed user empathy and ensure research findings translate into impactful product enhancements and strategic business goals.

• Utilize compelling storytelling and diverse communication formats to present research findings, build consensus, and inspire action among stakeholders, thereby shaping the future of Anaplan's AI-infused scenario planning platform.

• Champion the user voice throughout the entire product lifecycle, from ideation and design to optimization, ensuring a deep understanding of user needs, behaviors, and pain points.

📝 Enhancement Note: Based on the "Senior UX Researcher" title and typical responsibilities in a B2B SaaS context like Anaplan, this role likely involves a significant degree of autonomy in project leadership, mentorship of junior researchers (though not explicitly stated), and strategic input into the product roadmap. The hybrid nature suggests a need for strong remote collaboration skills alongside in-office engagement.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Define and execute comprehensive UX research plans, including research objectives, methodologies, participant recruitment, and success metrics for both generative and evaluative studies.

• Conduct a variety of user research activities, such as moderated and unmoderated usability testing, in-depth interviews, contextual inquiries, card sorting, diary studies, and surveys.

• Analyze and synthesize data from multiple sources, including user interviews, usability tests, usage analytics, customer satisfaction surveys, and support tickets, to identify key user needs, pain points, and opportunities.

• Develop and present compelling research findings and recommendations through creative storytelling, visual aids (personas, journey maps, task flows), and detailed reports to diverse audiences, including product managers, designers, engineers, and executive leadership.

• Facilitate workshops and collaborative sessions with cross-functional teams to translate research insights into tangible product improvements, user stories, and strategic product decisions.

• Manage participant recruitment, scheduling, and logistics, ensuring ethical research practices and participant satisfaction, including managing participant incentives.

• Contribute to the continuous improvement of UX research processes, tools, and best practices within the global UX team, fostering a culture of user-centricity.

• Stay abreast of emerging UX research trends, methodologies, and technologies, particularly within the enterprise SaaS and AI domains.

📝 Enhancement Note: The description emphasizes "compelling storytelling" and "creative delivery formats," suggesting the company values researchers who can not only gather data but also effectively communicate its implications in engaging ways that drive empathy and action across non-research teams.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Cognitive Psychology, Computer Science, Sociology, Anthropology, or a related field.

Experience:

• 5-10 years of progressive experience leading UX research projects from inception to delivery in a professional setting.

• Proven track record of applying both generative (e.g., ethnography, interviews) and evaluative (e.g., usability testing, A/B testing) research methods.

Required Skills:

• Expertise in designing and executing a wide range of qualitative and quantitative research methods, including usability testing, user interviews, journey mapping, persona development, and survey design.

• Strong analytical skills with the ability to synthesize complex data from various sources into clear, actionable insights and strategic recommendations.

• Exceptional communication and presentation skills, with a proven ability to articulate research findings persuasively and build consensus across cross-functional teams.

• Proficiency in creating compelling artifacts such as user personas, journey maps, task flows, and comprehensive research reports.

• Highly organized, methodical, and detail-oriented, with a strong commitment to improving product quality and user experience through rigorous research.

• Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with product managers, designers, and engineers in an agile development environment.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with AI applications or research related to AI functionalities.

• Familiarity with enterprise SaaS platforms, financial planning software, or business intelligence tools.

• Experience with usage analytics tools and interpreting behavioral data.

• Understanding of design thinking principles and their application in product development.

• Experience in facilitating workshops and co-creation sessions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "5-10 years" experience level for a "Senior" role aligns with industry standards, suggesting this individual will be expected to work with a high degree of autonomy and potentially mentor less experienced team members. The emphasis on B2B/SaaS and complex products indicates a need for candidates who understand enterprise-level user challenges.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A curated portfolio showcasing a minimum of 3-5 detailed case studies of significant UX research projects led by the candidate.

• Each case study should clearly articulate the research problem or objective, the methodologies employed (generative and evaluative), the research process, key findings, and the tangible impact of the research on product design, features, or business outcomes.

• Demonstrations of how qualitative and quantitative data were synthesized to drive product decisions and strategic recommendations.

• Examples of various output formats, such as personas, journey maps, user flows, and compelling research reports or presentations.

Process Documentation:

• The portfolio should highlight the candidate's systematic approach to research planning, execution, analysis, and reporting, demonstrating a robust and repeatable research process.

• Showcase how research plans were developed, including defining research questions, selecting appropriate methods, and establishing measurable outcomes.

• Include examples of how research findings were documented and communicated effectively to different stakeholder groups.

• Demonstrate how feedback loops were established to ensure research insights informed iterative design and development cycles.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Senior UX Researcher role, a portfolio is critical. It should not just list projects but tell a story about the candidate's impact, problem-solving skills, and ability to drive change through research. The emphasis on both generative and evaluative methods, as well as data synthesis, needs to be evident.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

Based on Anaplan's presence in London, a major tech hub, and the Senior UX Researcher title, the estimated salary range for this role is between £70,000 and £100,000 per annum. This estimate is derived from current market data for similar roles in London, considering the specified experience level (5-10 years) and the B2B SaaS industry. Factors such as specific experience, interview performance, and the precise scope of responsibilities may influence the final offer.

Benefits:

• Competitive salary and potential for performance-based bonuses.

• Comprehensive health and wellness programs, including medical, dental, and vision coverage.

• Generous paid time off (PTO), including vacation, sick leave, and public holidays.

• Retirement savings plan (e.g., pension scheme) with potential company matching.

• Opportunities for professional development, including training, conferences, and certifications.

• Access to Anaplan's AI-infused platform and other cutting-edge technologies.

• Inclusive culture that champions diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB).

• Employee assistance programs and wellness resources.

• Potential for stock options or equity grants.

Working Hours:

• Standard full-time working hours are typically 40 hours per week.

• The hybrid work arrangement allows for flexibility, with an expectation of collaboration across London, San Francisco, and New York locations. Specific in-office days will be determined in coordination with the local team.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is an estimate based on London market rates for a Senior UX Researcher in the tech/SaaS sector. Anaplan is a well-established enterprise software company, so benefits are expected to be competitive and comprehensive, aligning with typical offerings for senior roles in the UK tech industry.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Software, Enterprise Software, Business Planning & Analytics (SaaS)

Company Size: Anaplan is a large enterprise with over 2,000 employees globally, indicating a structured but dynamic work environment with opportunities for impact.

Founded: Anaplan was founded in 1998, suggesting a mature company with established processes and a proven track record in the market.

Team Structure:

• The UX team is global, with members in London, San Francisco, and New York, fostering a diverse and collaborative international environment.

• Researchers work within the Global Product and Technology organization, implying close alignment with product management and engineering functions.

Methodology:

• Anaplan's operations are described as strategy-led, values-based, and disciplined in execution.

• The UX team's mission is to drive customer delight and enable data-driven decisions through a deep understanding of user needs.

• Research findings are intended to support product innovation and strategic business goals, indicating a focus on impact and measurable outcomes.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Anaplan's emphasis on "Winning Culture" suggests a performance-oriented environment that also values collaboration, leadership, and celebrating successes. The company's focus on AI and scenario planning places it at the forefront of business analytics technology.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is a Senior UX Researcher, positioning it as a mid-to-senior level individual contributor role. It requires significant autonomy in leading research projects, a deep understanding of UX research methodologies, and the ability to influence product strategy. It may involve mentoring junior researchers or taking on lead roles for complex product initiatives.

Reporting Structure: The UX Researcher will be part of the Global UX team and will likely report to a UX Research Manager or Director. They will collaborate closely with Product Managers and Designers within specific product lines or feature teams.

Operations Impact: The UX Researcher's primary impact is on product strategy and development by providing critical user insights. This directly influences the usability, desirability, and effectiveness of Anaplan's platform, leading to increased customer satisfaction, adoption, and retention, ultimately contributing to revenue growth and market competitiveness. The role bridges user needs with business objectives.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in specific research methodologies (e.g., advanced qualitative methods, quantitative analysis, AI-focused research) or product areas.

• Leadership: Progress into a Lead UX Researcher role, managing larger projects, mentoring junior team members, or taking on strategic research leadership for a product vertical.

• Cross-functional Mobility: Transition into Product Management or UX Design roles, leveraging deep user understanding.

• Skill Development: Continuous learning opportunities through internal training, external conferences, workshops, and access to Anaplan's platform for hands-on experience.

• Global Exposure: Gain experience working with diverse user bases and product teams across different international markets.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Senior" title implies a career path beyond this role, likely into lead or management positions within UX Research or related product functions. The global nature of Anaplan offers significant opportunities for exposure to diverse markets and user segments.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Anaplan offers a hybrid work environment. This means employees are expected to work from the London office on certain days while also having the flexibility to work remotely. This model aims to balance in-person collaboration and team cohesion with individual flexibility and work-life balance.

Office Location(s): The primary office for this role is in London, United Kingdom. Anaplan has offices in various global locations, including San Francisco and New York, facilitating international collaboration. The London office is likely situated in a central business district, offering good accessibility via public transport.

Workspace Context:

• The London office will provide a professional and collaborative workspace designed to support hybrid work, likely including hot-desking options, meeting rooms, and quiet zones.

• Access to necessary tools and technology for UX research, including software for data analysis, prototyping, and communication.

• Opportunities for face-to-face interaction with local design and product teams, fostering strong working relationships and spontaneous collaboration.

• A global network of UX professionals accessible through digital collaboration tools, enabling knowledge sharing and support across different time zones.

Work Schedule: The standard work schedule is likely 40 hours per week, with flexibility provided by the hybrid model. Core working hours are expected to facilitate collaboration with colleagues in different time zones, particularly the US West Coast.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model is a key aspect of the work environment, requiring candidates to be comfortable with both in-office collaboration and remote work. The company's global presence suggests a need for strong asynchronous communication skills.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter or HR representative will conduct a brief call to assess basic qualifications, experience, and cultural fit.

• Hiring Manager Interview: A more in-depth discussion with the hiring manager focusing on your UX research experience, leadership capabilities, and understanding of B2B SaaS products.

• Portfolio Presentation & Technical Interview: This is a critical stage where you will present 1-2 detailed case studies from your portfolio. Expect questions about your research process, decision-making, impact, and how you handled challenges. This may also involve a skills-based exercise or a deeper dive into specific research methodologies.

• Cross-functional Interviews: Interviews with key collaborators, such as Product Managers, Designers, or Engineers, to assess your teamwork, communication, and ability to integrate research into product development.

• Final Interview: A final discussion, potentially with a senior leader, to confirm overall fit and address any remaining questions.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Select Impactful Case Studies: Choose projects that clearly demonstrate your ability to tackle complex problems, employ a range of methodologies, and drive measurable outcomes. Highlight your role and contributions.

• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, clearly outline the problem, your approach, the research conducted, key insights, and the resulting impact on the product or business. Use visuals to support your story.

• Highlight Collaboration: Emphasize how you worked with cross-functional teams and influenced decision-making.

• Quantify Impact: Where possible, include metrics that demonstrate the success of your research (e.g., improved conversion rates, reduced usability issues, increased customer satisfaction).

• Be Prepared for Deep Dives: Anticipate detailed questions about your methodology, decision-making process, and how you handled ambiguity or challenges.

Challenge Preparation:

• Mock Presentations: Practice presenting your portfolio case studies, focusing on clarity, conciseness, and storytelling. Rehearse answering potential questions.

• Methodology Review: Refresh your knowledge of core UX research methods (generative and evaluative) and be ready to discuss when and why you would use specific techniques.

• Anaplan Product Research: Familiarize yourself with Anaplan's platform, its target audience, and the types of problems it solves. Consider potential UX challenges within this domain.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio presentation is likely the most crucial part of the interview process for a Senior UX Researcher. Candidates should be prepared to articulate not just what they did, but why they did it and what the impact was.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Research Platforms: Tools for conducting remote usability testing and surveys (e.g., UserTesting.com, Lookback, Maze, Qualtrics, SurveyMonkey).

• Collaboration Tools: Platforms for team communication and project management (e.g., Slack, Microsoft Teams, Jira, Confluence).

• Design & Prototyping Tools: Familiarity with tools used by designers for context (e.g., Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD).

• Data Analysis Software: Tools for qualitative data analysis (e.g., Dovetail, NVivo) and potentially quantitative analysis (e.g., Excel, R, Python for statistical analysis, Google Analytics for usage data).

Analytics & Reporting:

• Usage Analytics: Experience interpreting data from tools like Google Analytics, Pendo, or similar product analytics platforms to understand user behavior within the application.

• Reporting & Visualization: Ability to create clear reports and dashboards using tools like Tableau, Power BI, or even advanced Excel/Google Sheets to communicate findings effectively.

CRM & Automation:

• CRM Systems: While not a primary tool for UX research, familiarity with CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce) can provide context on customer data and sales processes.

• Automation Tools: Understanding how automation impacts user workflows and potentially research data collection or analysis.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency with a range of research tools is expected. The ability to integrate insights from usage analytics with qualitative research findings is a significant plus for a Senior role in a SaaS company.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• User-Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and advocating for the user's needs and perspective in all product decisions.

• Data-Driven Insights: Emphasizing the use of both qualitative and quantitative data to inform strategy and validate hypotheses.

• Collaboration & Empathy: Fostering a team environment where diverse perspectives are valued, and cross-functional teams work together with mutual respect.

• Impact & Ownership: Taking initiative, owning research projects, and driving them to completion with a focus on achieving tangible business and user outcomes.

• Continuous Improvement: A dedication to refining research processes, learning new methodologies, and adapting to evolving user needs and technological advancements.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: Actively partnering with Product, Design, Engineering, and Marketing teams to ensure research is integrated throughout the product development lifecycle.

• Open Communication: Maintaining transparent and frequent communication regarding research plans, progress, and findings.

• Constructive Feedback: Willingness to give and receive constructive feedback to improve research quality and product design.

• Knowledge Sharing: Actively sharing insights and best practices within the UX team and across the broader organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: Anaplan's "Winning Culture" and emphasis on being "values-based" suggests that cultural fit and alignment with their core values (e.g., leadership, ambition, collaboration) will be as important as technical skills.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Translating Insights into Action: The primary challenge will be effectively communicating research findings to diverse stakeholders and ensuring these insights lead to concrete product changes and strategic decisions, especially in a complex enterprise software environment.

• Balancing Generative and Evaluative Research: Effectively managing a workload that includes both exploratory research to uncover new opportunities and evaluative research to validate existing designs.

• Global Collaboration: Working effectively with teams across different time zones, cultures, and communication styles to ensure consistent research quality and impact.

• Scope Management: Navigating competing priorities and managing research scope to deliver timely and impactful results within project constraints.

• Integrating AI Research: Understanding and researching user interactions with AI-driven features, which is an evolving area.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Methodologies: Opportunities to deepen expertise in specialized research techniques or emerging areas like AI research.

• Industry Conferences & Training: Support for attending relevant UX research conferences (e.g., CHI, UXRConf) and participating in specialized training programs.

• Mentorship: Potential to receive mentorship from senior leaders within Anaplan's UX or Product teams, or to mentor junior researchers.

• Exposure to Enterprise SaaS: Gaining invaluable experience in the complex domain of enterprise planning and analytics software.

• Cross-functional Exposure: Learning about product management, UX design, and engineering processes within a large, established tech company.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges highlight the need for a proactive, adaptable, and highly communicative researcher. The growth opportunities point towards a company that invests in its employees' professional development.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to influence a product roadmap based on your research findings. What was your strategy?" (Focus on persuasion, data visualization, stakeholder management.)

• "How do you prioritize research requests when multiple teams have competing needs?" (Focus on strategic alignment, impact assessment, and communication.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What do you know about Anaplan's platform and its target users?" (Research Anaplan's product, industry, and customer base.)

• "How do you see your UX research skills contributing to Anaplan's 'Winning Culture'?" (Connect your values and work style to Anaplan's stated culture.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Tell a Story: Structure your case studies as narratives with a clear beginning (problem), middle (your solution/process), and end (impact).

• Focus on 'Why' and 'So What': For every step, explain why you made certain decisions and what the implications of your findings were.

• Highlight Your Role: Clearly define your contributions, especially in collaborative projects. Use "I" when describing your actions and "we" when discussing team efforts.

• Visualize Your Data: Use charts, graphs, journey maps, and personas to make your findings compelling and easy to understand.

• Practice Your Delivery: Rehearse your presentation to ensure it flows well, stays within the allotted time, and you can answer questions confidently.

📝 Enhancement Note: Be prepared to discuss specific examples that demonstrate not just your technical skills but also your strategic thinking, problem-solving abilities, and collaborative approach. The portfolio presentation is your primary opportunity to showcase your impact.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior UX Researcher position:

• Submit Your Application: Apply through the Anaplan careers portal via the provided Greenhouse link.

• Tailor Your Resume: Ensure your resume highlights your experience in B2B SaaS, your leadership in UX research projects, and specific methodologies used. Quantify achievements whenever possible.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 of your strongest case studies that demonstrate your end-to-end research process, impact, and collaboration skills. Ensure it's well-organized, visually appealing, and easy to navigate.

• Prepare Your Presentation: Practice presenting your chosen case studies, focusing on clear storytelling, data synthesis, and the impact of your work. Be ready to answer in-depth questions about your methodology and decision-making.

• Research Anaplan: Familiarize yourself with Anaplan's product, its market position, target customers, and company culture. Understand how UX research contributes to their strategic goals and "Winning Culture."

⚠️ 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.