Senior UX Researcher

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior UX Researcher

Company: Anaplan

Location: Manchester, United Kingdom

Job Type: Full-time

Category: User Experience Research / Product Operations

Date Posted: 2026-04-28T15:24:45

Experience Level: 5-10 years

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead end-to-end qualitative and quantitative research initiatives, driving strategic and tactical product innovations for Anaplan's AI-infused platform.

• Conduct specialized research on Anaplan's AI-driven products, evaluating effectiveness, identifying improvements, and exploring new innovation opportunities.

• Synthesize complex data from user research, analytics, and customer feedback into clear, actionable insights to influence product prioritization and outcomes.

• Champion the integration of AI-powered tools and methodologies within the research process to enhance efficiency and uncover deeper user insights.

• Serve as a subject matter expert in research practices, educating and supporting cross-functional partners on effective research application.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a Senior UX Researcher, implying a significant level of autonomy and strategic influence. The emphasis on AI-driven products and the intersection of research with AI suggests a forward-thinking approach to user insights, directly impacting product strategy and development within a complex enterprise SaaS environment. The focus on "operations" in this context refers to the operationalization of research findings into product development and the operational efficiency gained through AI tools in the research process.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design, plan, and execute comprehensive research projects, encompassing both qualitative and quantitative methodologies, from inception to actionable recommendations.

• Collaborate closely with Product Management, Design, and Engineering teams to ensure research findings directly inform product roadmaps and user-centered design strategies.

• Conduct in-depth user interviews, usability testing sessions, surveys, and other research activities, managing participant recruitment, logistics, and success metrics.

• Analyze and synthesize data from diverse sources, including user research, product analytics, customer support tickets, and market feedback, to identify key user pain points and opportunities.

• Develop and deliver compelling presentations of research findings and insights to executive leadership, product teams, and other stakeholders to drive informed decision-making.

• Proactively identify and implement opportunities to leverage AI-powered tools and techniques to streamline research workflows, enhance data analysis, and uncover novel insights.

• Mentor and guide junior researchers and cross-functional partners on best practices in user research, ensuring consistent application of research principles across the organization.

• Advocate for the user throughout the product development lifecycle, ensuring user needs and behaviors are central to strategic product decisions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of strategic research leadership and hands-on execution. The emphasis on AI-powered products and tools suggests a need for researchers who are not only adept at traditional methods but also forward-thinking in adopting new technologies to drive efficiency and depth in their insights. This role requires a strong focus on translating complex data into clear, actionable recommendations for product teams and executive stakeholders.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree in Human-Computer Interaction, Psychology, Computer Science, Sociology, Statistics, or a related field is preferred. A Master's degree or PhD in a relevant discipline is a plus.

Experience: A minimum of 5-10 years of proven experience in a senior UX research role, with a demonstrated track record of leading high-impact research projects that have directly influenced strategic and tactical product innovations.

Required Skills:

• Expertise in designing and conducting a wide range of qualitative and quantitative research methods, including user interviews, usability testing, contextual inquiries, surveys, and diary studies.

• Deep understanding of AI-powered products and experience conducting user research specifically for AI-driven features or platforms.

• Strong analytical and synthesis skills, with the ability to transform complex qualitative and quantitative data into clear, concise, and actionable insights.

• Exceptional communication and presentation skills, with a proven ability to articulate research findings persuasively to diverse audiences, including executive leadership.

• Hands-on experience utilizing AI-powered tools for research, such as automated data analysis, sentiment analysis, predictive modeling, or generative AI for research support.

• Proven ability to manage multiple complex research projects simultaneously in a fast-paced, collaborative environment, often with competing priorities.

• Experience in stakeholder management, building strong relationships with product managers, designers, engineers, and executive leaders to drive user-centered outcomes.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience working within B2B or SaaS environments, particularly with complex, data-rich enterprise software.

• Prior experience conducting strategic research for AI-powered products, including understanding user adoption of AI features.

• Familiarity with enterprise domains such as financial planning, forecasting, business intelligence, or decision-making tools.

• Background in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Cognitive Psychology, or a related field that provides a strong theoretical foundation for user research.

• Experience with A/B testing and experimental design to validate product hypotheses.

• Familiarity with data analytics platforms and visualization tools for complementing qualitative insights.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirements emphasize a blend of foundational UX research expertise and specialized knowledge in AI and enterprise software. The "senior" title implies a need for strategic thinking, leadership in research operations, and the ability to influence product direction at a high level. The inclusion of AI tools as a requirement rather than a preference signals Anaplan's commitment to integrating AI into its research processes.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase a minimum of 3-5 comprehensive research projects demonstrating end-to-end execution from problem definition to impact.

• For each project, clearly articulate the research objectives, methodologies employed (qualitative, quantitative, mixed-methods), and the specific AI tools or techniques utilized.

• Provide detailed examples of how research insights were synthesized and translated into actionable recommendations that directly influenced product strategy, design decisions, or feature development.

• Include evidence of collaboration with cross-functional teams (Product, Design, Engineering) and how research findings were communicated to drive alignment and consensus.

Process Documentation:

• Demonstrate a structured approach to research planning, including stakeholder alignment, scope definition, and methodology selection.

• Present examples of how research findings were documented and disseminated effectively to ensure broad understanding and adoption across the organization.

• Illustrate experience in managing research operations, including participant recruitment, consent management, data privacy considerations, and ethical research practices.

• Show proficiency in using research repositories or knowledge management systems to store, organize, and share research data and insights for long-term organizational learning.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a senior role, the portfolio must go beyond simply listing projects. It needs to demonstrate strategic thinking, leadership in research execution, and a clear understanding of how research drives business outcomes, especially within the context of AI-driven products. The emphasis on process documentation highlights the need for candidates who can not only conduct research but also contribute to the operational efficiency and scalability of the research function.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on Anaplan's presence in the UK, the typical salary range for a Senior UX Researcher with 5-10 years of experience in Manchester, UK, can be estimated between £65,000 - £95,000 per annum. This range is influenced by factors such as the candidate's specific experience, the depth of their AI research expertise, and Anaplan's internal compensation bands.

Benefits:

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

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

• Retirement savings plan (e.g., company-matched pension scheme).

• Professional development opportunities, including access to training, conferences, and certifications relevant to UX research and AI.

• Stock options or equity participation, reflecting Anaplan's commitment to employee ownership and success.

• Flexible working arrangements, though this specific role is on-site, Anaplan may offer flexibility within the office context.

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for confidential support.

• Opportunities for career advancement and leadership within the growing UX research and product teams.

Working Hours: The standard working hours for this on-site role are expected to be around 40 hours per week, typically Monday to Friday. While Anaplan operates with a "Winning Culture" that encourages ambition, there may be flexibility in daily start and end times, subject to team and project needs, allowing for effective collaboration with global teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is an estimate based on industry benchmarks for senior UX researchers in the Manchester area, taking into account the specific demands of working with AI-driven products within a large enterprise SaaS company. Benefits are standard for a company of Anaplan's caliber and are tailored to support employee well-being, professional growth, and long-term engagement.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Software / Enterprise Cloud Solutions, specifically focusing on AI-infused scenario planning and business decision-making platforms. Anaplan operates in a competitive market alongside other business intelligence and planning software providers.

Company Size: Anaplan is a large enterprise, with an employee count in the thousands globally. This size suggests a structured environment with established processes, ample resources, and opportunities for specialization, but also potential for bureaucracy.

Founded: Anaplan was founded in 1998. This history indicates a mature company with a proven track record and significant experience in the enterprise software market, allowing for deep domain expertise and a stable operational foundation.

Team Structure:

• The UX Research team is likely part of a larger Product or Design organization, comprising researchers with diverse specializations.

• Researchers typically report to a UX Research Lead or Director, with a matrixed reporting structure where they also align with specific product teams (Product Managers, Designers, Engineers).

Methodology:

• Anaplan champions a "strategy-led, values-based, and disciplined execution" approach. This translates to a focus on data-driven decision-making, measurable results, and a commitment to quality and efficiency in all operations.

• User research is integrated into the product development lifecycle, aiming to provide continuous insights that inform iterative improvements and strategic product direction.

• The "Winning Culture" emphasizes ambition, leadership, and celebrating successes, suggesting a dynamic and performance-oriented environment.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Anaplan's description emphasizes innovation, customer success, and a strong "Winning Culture." For a Senior UX Researcher, this means an environment that values deep user insights, data-driven product development, and collaborative problem-solving. The focus on AI suggests a forward-looking product strategy where research plays a critical role in shaping the future of intelligent planning tools.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is at a "Senior" level within the UX Research discipline. It signifies a researcher who is capable of independently leading complex, high-impact projects, mentoring junior team members, and significantly influencing product strategy. The scope includes both tactical research for feature development and strategic research for long-term product vision, particularly concerning AI integration.

Reporting Structure: The Senior UX Researcher will likely report to a UX Research Manager or Director within Anaplan's Product or Design organization. They will work closely with Product Managers, Designers, and Engineering leads on specific product initiatives, functioning as a key member of cross-functional product teams.

Operations Impact: This role has a direct impact on Anaplan's product operations by providing critical user insights that guide the development and refinement of AI-driven planning solutions. By ensuring products meet user needs and are intuitive to use, the researcher contributes to increased customer adoption, satisfaction, and retention, ultimately driving revenue growth and market leadership. Their work operationalizes user-centricity within the product development lifecycle.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership Development: Potential to move into a Lead UX Researcher role, managing a small team or a specific research domain, or transition into a Product Management or Design Strategy role.

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in AI research, enterprise SaaS user behavior, or specific domain areas like financial planning and forecasting.

• Mentorship: Opportunity to mentor junior researchers, contributing to the growth of the UX research practice within Anaplan.

• Cross-Functional Mobility: Potential to move into roles focused on product strategy, customer success operations, or even product marketing, leveraging deep product and user understanding.

📝 Enhancement Note: The Senior UX Researcher role at Anaplan offers a clear path for growth, emphasizing both specialization in AI and leadership within the research function. The impact on product operations is significant, as the role directly influences the success and adoption of Anaplan's core AI-infused platform, which is crucial for their business model.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Anaplan's Manchester office is a modern, professional workspace designed to foster collaboration and innovation. As an on-site role, it provides the structure and resources typical of an established enterprise environment.

Office Location(s): The role is based in Manchester, United Kingdom. Specific office address details would be provided during the application process, but it is expected to be centrally located and accessible via public transport.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The workspace is designed to encourage interaction, with open areas, meeting rooms, and team pods facilitating seamless communication and brainstorming sessions with colleagues.

• Operations Tools & Technology: Access to Anaplan's proprietary platform, as well as standard UX research tools, collaboration software (e.g., Slack, Microsoft Teams), and potentially specialized AI research platforms.

• Team Interaction: Frequent opportunities to engage with a diverse range of professionals across Product, Design, Engineering, and potentially Data Science, fostering a rich learning and problem-solving ecosystem.

Work Schedule: The role is structured around a typical 40-hour work week, Monday to Friday. While adherence to core business hours is expected for on-site presence and team collaboration, Anaplan's culture may offer some flexibility in daily start and end times, allowing researchers to manage their schedules effectively while ensuring availability for critical team activities and stakeholder engagements.

📝 Enhancement Note: The on-site requirement in Manchester emphasizes a traditional enterprise work environment focused on collaborative synergy. The workspace context highlights access to Anaplan's own powerful platform, suggesting that researchers will be deeply immersed in its capabilities while using it to inform their work.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A brief call with a recruiter to assess basic qualifications, role understanding, and cultural fit.

• Hiring Manager Interview: A deeper dive into your experience, research philosophy, and how you've handled complex research challenges, particularly with AI products.

• Portfolio Review & Presentation: A dedicated session where you will present 2-3 key research projects from your portfolio. Expect to discuss your process, insights, impact, and how you collaborated with stakeholders. Be prepared to showcase how you've leveraged AI tools.

• Cross-Functional Interviews: Meetings with key stakeholders from Product Management, Design, and Engineering to assess collaborative skills and strategic thinking.

• Final Interview: Potentially with a senior leader (e.g., VP of Product/Design) to discuss your vision for UX research at Anaplan and your long-term career aspirations.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Focus on Impact: Clearly articulate the business problem, your research objectives, and the tangible impact your insights had on product strategy or development. Quantify results where possible.

• Highlight AI Integration: Specifically showcase projects where you utilized AI tools or researched AI-powered features. Detail the tools, your approach, and the outcomes.

• Demonstrate Process: Explain your research methodology, decision-making process, and how you adapted your approach based on project constraints or findings.

• Showcase Collaboration: Provide examples of how you partnered with cross-functional teams, managed stakeholder expectations, and communicated findings effectively.

• Be Concise and Engaging: Present your work clearly and compellingly, ensuring a narrative flow that highlights your expertise and problem-solving abilities.

Challenge Preparation:

• Research Strategy Exercise: You might be asked to outline a research strategy for a hypothetical new feature or product area, demonstrating how you'd approach understanding user needs and validating concepts using AI-augmented methods.

• Data Synthesis Scenario: Be prepared to analyze a small dataset (qualitative or quantitative) and present key insights and recommendations, simulating how you would synthesize findings under time pressure.

• Stakeholder Alignment Discussion: Practice articulating complex research findings and justifying your recommendations to different audiences (e.g., engineers vs. executives), focusing on clarity and persuasive communication.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is designed to thoroughly evaluate a candidate's research expertise, strategic thinking, collaborative skills, and proficiency with AI tools. A strong portfolio that clearly demonstrates impact and a well-thought-out presentation strategy are critical for success in this senior-level role.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Anaplan Platform: Deep familiarity with Anaplan's core platform is highly beneficial, as research will often involve understanding its user base and informing its development, particularly its AI features.

• Qualitative Research Tools: Proficiency with tools for remote usability testing, session recording, and participant management (e.g., UserTesting.com, Lookback, Maze).

• Quantitative Research Tools: Experience with survey platforms (e.g., SurveyMonkey, Qualtrics, Google Forms) and potentially tools for statistical analysis (e.g., SPSS, R, Python libraries).

• Collaboration & Communication: Standard enterprise tools such as Slack, Microsoft Teams, Jira, Confluence, and Google Workspace.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Product Analytics: Familiarity with product analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Amplitude, Mixpanel) to complement qualitative findings with behavioral data.

• Data Visualization: Experience using tools like Tableau, Power BI, or even advanced Excel/Google Sheets for presenting quantitative data and research findings.

• AI-Powered Research Tools: Hands-on experience with AI tools for tasks such as automated transcription and analysis of qualitative data, sentiment analysis of customer feedback, or predictive modeling for user behavior. Examples might include tools like Dovetail (with AI features), NVivo (with AI capabilities), or specialized platforms for AI-driven insights.

CRM & Automation:

• CRM Systems: While not a primary focus, understanding how user data is managed within CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce) can provide context for customer feedback and segmentation.

• Automation Tools: Awareness of how automation impacts user workflows within enterprise software and how research can inform the design of these automated processes.

📝 Enhancement Note: The technology stack emphasizes a blend of specialized UX research tools, general collaboration software, and a crucial focus on AI-powered tools for enhanced research efficiency and insight generation. Familiarity with Anaplan's own platform is a significant advantage, indicating the need for researchers who can quickly become experts in the product they are helping to shape.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Customer Obsession: A deep commitment to understanding and serving the needs of Anaplan's enterprise customers, ensuring their success with the platform.

• Innovation & AI Advancement: A drive to explore and leverage cutting-edge technologies, especially AI, to solve complex business problems and enhance user experiences.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: A reliance on rigorous analysis and evidence-based insights to guide product strategy, design choices, and operational improvements.

• Collaboration & Transparency: A belief in open communication, shared ownership, and working effectively across diverse teams to achieve common goals.

• Excellence & Accountability: A commitment to high standards of work, taking ownership of outcomes, and continuously striving for improvement.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Researchers are expected to be embedded within product teams, working closely with Product Managers, Designers, and Engineers as integral members of the development process.

• Proactive Communication: A culture of proactive outreach, regular check-ins, and transparent sharing of research plans, findings, and recommendations.

• Feedback-Rich Environment: Encouragement of constructive feedback, both giving and receiving, during research design, synthesis, and presentation phases to refine insights and approaches.

• Knowledge Sharing: A willingness to share learnings and best practices across the UX research team and with broader product development organizations, fostering collective growth.

📝 Enhancement Note: Anaplan's values and collaboration style are geared towards a high-performance, customer-centric environment. For a Senior UX Researcher, this means being a proactive, strategic partner who can effectively translate user needs into actionable product improvements, particularly within the evolving landscape of AI-driven enterprise software.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Complexity of AI Products: Researching and understanding user interaction with sophisticated AI features requires specialized methodologies and a nuanced approach to data interpretation.

• Enterprise User Base: Engaging with busy enterprise professionals for research can be challenging; effective recruitment and efficient research design are crucial.

• Driving Strategic Change: Translating research insights into significant product strategy shifts requires strong influence, communication, and stakeholder management skills.

• Balancing Speed and Depth: In a fast-paced environment, balancing the need for timely research with the requirement for deep, robust insights can be a constant challenge.

• Staying Ahead of AI Trends: Continuously learning and adapting research practices to keep pace with rapid advancements in AI technology and its application in user interfaces.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• AI Research Specialization: Opportunities to deepen expertise in research methods specifically for AI products, including explainable AI (XAI) and human-AI interaction.

• Industry Conferences & Training: Support for attending leading UX research and AI conferences (e.g., CHI, UXRConf, AI/ML events) and pursuing relevant certifications.

• Mentorship & Leadership: Formal and informal mentorship programs, with opportunities to develop leadership skills by guiding junior researchers and contributing to research operations best practices.

• Cross-Domain Exposure: Learning about Anaplan's core business domains (financial planning, forecasting) to better understand the context of user needs and product application.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section addresses the inherent complexities of researching advanced AI products within an enterprise context. The growth opportunities are aligned with developing specialized skills in AI research and leadership, crucial for a senior role looking to make a significant impact and advance their career.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you led a complex, end-to-end research project for an AI-powered product. What were the challenges, your approach, and the ultimate impact on the product?" (Focus on demonstrating strategic thinking, AI research expertise, and impact.)

• "How would you approach researching user adoption and trust in a new AI-driven feature within an enterprise planning platform like Anaplan?" (Assess understanding of AI-specific research challenges and strategic product thinking.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What do you know about Anaplan's platform and its position in the market, particularly regarding AI and business planning?" (Demonstrates research into the company and understanding of its strategic direction.)

• "How do you foster collaboration with Product Managers, Designers, and Engineers to ensure user insights are effectively integrated into the product development process?" (Assesses interpersonal and cross-functional collaboration skills.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure for Impact: Begin with a high-level executive summary, then dive into 2-3 detailed case studies. For each case study, clearly outline the problem, your role, the methodology (mentioning AI tools if used), key findings, actionable recommendations, and measured impact.

• Quantify Outcomes: Wherever possible, use metrics to demonstrate the success of your research (e.g., increased user satisfaction scores, improved task completion rates, direct influence on feature prioritization leading to X% adoption).

• Showcase AI Integration: Explicitly call out how AI tools or AI-specific research methodologies were used, what value they added, and how they informed your insights.

• Highlight Collaboration: Weave in examples of how you partnered with cross-functional teams, managed stakeholder feedback, and ensured buy-in for your recommendations.

• Prepare for Q&A: Anticipate questions about your decision-making process, how you handled challenges, and your strategic thinking regarding user needs and product direction.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating not only strong UX research fundamentals but also a clear understanding of AI's role in product development and Anaplan's specific business context. The portfolio presentation is a critical opportunity to showcase practical application of skills and strategic impact.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior UX Researcher position:

• Submit your application through Anaplan's careers portal via the provided Greenhouse link.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 of your most impactful research projects that best showcase your experience with complex products, AI integration, and end-to-end research execution. Ensure each project clearly details the problem, your approach, key insights, actionable recommendations, and quantifiable impact.

• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight keywords and experiences relevant to UX research, AI-powered products, enterprise SaaS, qualitative/quantitative methodologies, data synthesis, stakeholder management, and collaboration with product/design/engineering teams. Emphasize your senior-level contributions and leadership.

• Prepare Your Presentation: Rehearse your portfolio presentation, focusing on clear storytelling, impact demonstration, and articulating your strategic thinking. Be ready to discuss your use of AI tools and how you drive user-centered outcomes.

• Research Anaplan: Familiarize yourself with Anaplan's platform, its AI capabilities, target markets, and recent company news. Understand their "Winning Culture" and how your values align.

⚠️ 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.