Senior/Staff UX Researcher

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior/Staff UX Researcher

Company: Jobgether (on behalf of a partner company)

Location: United Kingdom

Job Type: Full-time

Category: UX Research & Product Operations

Date Posted: 2026-04-10

Experience Level: 5-10 years

Remote Status: Remote OK

🚀 Role Summary

• Establish and scale the UX research practice, including the development of robust tools, processes, and strategic frameworks.

• Build and manage critical ResearchOps infrastructure, such as participant recruitment systems, insights repositories, and segmentation databases.

• Lead high-impact, strategic research initiatives, including the creation of personas, Jobs-to-be-Done (JTBD) frameworks, and comprehensive user segmentation studies.

• Translate complex qualitative and quantitative user insights into clear, actionable recommendations that directly influence product roadmaps and strategic prioritization.

• Foster a user-centric culture by evangelizing user understanding across product, design, and engineering teams, embedding research into all key decision-making processes.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as the foundational UX Researcher for a partner company, indicating a significant opportunity to build and define the research function from the ground up. The emphasis on "scaling," "building infrastructure," and "strategic initiatives" suggests a need for an individual who can operate autonomously, think strategically, and implement scalable processes, aligning with a Senior or Staff level expectation. The mention of AI tools suggests a forward-thinking approach to research methodology.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Architect and implement the end-to-end UX research practice, defining methodologies, selecting appropriate tools, and establishing scalable research processes.

• Design, build, and maintain ResearchOps systems, including participant recruitment workflows, consent management, segmentation databases, and centralized insights repositories.

• Lead the strategic planning and execution of foundational research initiatives such as persona development, JTBD analysis, and comprehensive user segmentation studies to inform long-term product strategy.

• Conduct rigorous mixed-methods research, encompassing both generative (exploratory) and evaluative (validation) studies, to uncover deep user needs and pain points.

• Synthesize complex research findings from diverse sources into compelling, data-driven narratives that clearly articulate user insights and their implications for product development and business objectives.

• Collaborate closely with Product Management, Design, Engineering, and Data Science teams to ensure research insights are integrated into roadmap planning, feature prioritization, and iterative product development cycles.

• Mentor and empower cross-functional team members to develop their own user research capabilities, fostering a shared understanding and practice of user-centricity.

• Act as a primary advocate for user needs and perspectives across the organization, driving a pervasive culture of user understanding and empathy.

• Leverage AI tools and emerging technologies to enhance research efficiency, data analysis, and insight generation.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a dual focus: establishing foundational ResearchOps infrastructure and executing strategic research. This requires a blend of operational excellence and strategic foresight. The emphasis on "partnering," "mentoring," and "evangelizing" points to a leadership and influence component beyond individual contributor research tasks.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, Cognitive Science, or a related field is typically expected for this level of UX Research role. Equivalent practical experience will also be considered.

Experience: A minimum of 5–7 years of progressive experience in UX research, with a demonstrated track record of establishing and scaling research functions, preferably within B2B or technical product environments.

Required Skills:

• Deep expertise in mixed-methods user research, encompassing both qualitative (e.g., interviews, usability testing, ethnography) and quantitative (e.g., surveys, analytics, A/B testing) methodologies.

• Proven experience in designing and implementing generative research studies to uncover unmet user needs and market opportunities.

• Demonstrated ability to conduct evaluative research to validate product designs and identify areas for improvement.

• Strong experience in building and managing ResearchOps infrastructure, including participant recruitment systems, panel management, and insight repositories.

• Solid understanding of product strategy, OKRs (Objectives and Key Results), and various prioritization frameworks.

• Proven ability to translate complex research findings into clear, concise, and actionable product recommendations and strategic narratives.

• Experience working effectively in fast-paced, agile environments alongside product, design, and engineering teams.

• Proficiency in mentoring junior researchers and enabling cross-functional teams to conduct effective user research.

• Thorough understanding of GDPR, data privacy regulations, and ethical research practices.

Preferred Skills:

• Hands-on experience with AI tools and a strong interest in their application within research workflows and operations.

• Familiarity with Product-Led Growth (PLG) environments and their unique research considerations.

• Experience conducting remote or distributed user research.

• Familiarity with advanced segmentation techniques and persona development methodologies.

• Experience with survey design platforms and statistical analysis tools.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for 5-7 years of experience, coupled with the emphasis on building infrastructure and strategic leadership, positions this as a Senior to Staff level role. The preference for B2B or technical product environments and PLG familiarity suggests the partner company operates in a sophisticated SaaS or technology space. AI tool proficiency is a highlighted differentiator.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A curated portfolio showcasing a range of research projects, demonstrating expertise in both strategic foundational research and tactical evaluative studies.

• Evidence of building and scaling research operations, including examples of participant recruitment systems, insight repositories, or research process documentation.

• Case studies that clearly articulate the research problem, methodology, key findings, and most importantly, the actionable impact of the research on product decisions and business outcomes.

• Demonstrations of how you translated complex findings into influential narratives for diverse stakeholders.

Process Documentation:

• Examples of research frameworks, templates, or process maps developed to standardize research activities and improve efficiency.

• Documentation illustrating the design and implementation of ResearchOps systems, such as participant screening questionnaires, consent forms, or database structures.

• Artifacts related to user segmentation studies, persona development, or JTBD frameworks.

• Evidence of contributions to or establishment of insights repositories and knowledge-sharing platforms.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a role focused on building and scaling research operations, the portfolio is critical. It should not only showcase research execution but also the strategic thinking behind process development, operational efficiency, and the ability to demonstrate measurable impact. Applicants should be prepared to detail the "how" and "why" behind their operational system designs.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on the Senior/Staff level experience (5-7+ years), the UK location, and the strategic nature of building a research function, a competitive salary range is estimated between £70,000 - £100,000 per annum. This estimate is benchmarked against similar senior UX research roles in the UK tech sector, considering the remote-first nature and the emphasis on strategic impact and operational setup.

Benefits:

• Competitive compensation package aligned with experience and demonstrated impact.

• Equity participation, offering a stake in the growth and success of a high-growth company.

• Flexible remote-first working model, enabling work from anywhere within Europe.

• Generous vacation allowance, tailored to location-specific standards.

• Comprehensive health, wellness, pension, and insurance benefits, compliant with country-specific regulations.

• Annual learning and development budget to support continuous professional growth through training, events, and coaching.

• Unlimited access to AI tools, empowering productivity and fostering innovation in research workflows.

• Occasional team off-sites to foster connection and collaboration within the distributed team.

• A strong company culture emphasizing transparency, autonomy, and collaboration.

• Additional perks such as support for open-source contributions and company-wide hackathons.

Working Hours: While a standard 40-hour work week is implied, the remote-first and flexible nature of the role suggests a focus on outcomes rather than strict adherence to hours, allowing for flexibility in scheduling to accommodate different time zones and individual work styles, particularly important for a globally distributed team.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary estimate is derived from industry benchmarks for Senior/Staff UX Researchers in the UK, considering the remote nature and the strategic responsibility of building out a function. The benefits package is comprehensive, with a strong emphasis on professional development and flexibility, aligning with the expectations of a senior role in a modern tech organization.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: The partner company operates in the technology sector, likely focusing on AI-powered products and services, given the explicit mention of AI tools and the role's focus. The presence of "Jobgether" as a platform suggests a role within a tech startup or scale-up environment that is rapidly expanding and innovating.

Company Size: While not explicitly stated, the need to establish a UX research function from scratch and operate in a "fast-growing" environment suggests a company that is likely beyond the early startup phase, perhaps in its scale-up phase (e.g., 50-250 employees), with ambitions for significant growth. This size allows for autonomy while still having a tangible impact.

Founded: The founding date is not provided, but the emphasis on growth and establishing new functions implies a relatively young or recently scaled company focused on innovation and market penetration.

Team Structure:

• The UX Research function is currently nascent, with this role being the first dedicated hire. This means the individual will operate with significant autonomy, potentially reporting to a Head of Product, VP of Product, or a similar senior leadership role.

• Collaboration will be tight with existing Product Managers, Designers, and Engineers, who will likely be the primary "consumers" of research insights and partners in research design.

Methodology:

• The company likely employs a data-driven approach to product development, enhanced by AI.

• User understanding is positioned as central to product decisions, suggesting a commitment to user-centric design principles.

• The emphasis on ResearchOps implies a structured and systematic approach to research, aiming for efficiency, scalability, and reproducibility.

• Autonomy, experimentation, and deep user understanding are core values, indicating a culture that encourages initiative and learning.

Company Website: [Jobgether's partner company website is not directly provided; applicants should seek this information via Jobgether or during the application process.]

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture is likely dynamic, fast-paced, and highly collaborative, typical of a growing tech organization. The remote-first model and emphasis on autonomy suggest a mature approach to team management and a focus on results and individual responsibility, especially within the AI product space.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned at a Senior or Staff level within the UX Research discipline. As the first dedicated researcher, it carries significant strategic weight, akin to a lead or principal role in a more established team. The scope includes not just execution but also foundational strategy, process development, and operational infrastructure building. This offers a unique opportunity to shape the trajectory of UX research within the organization.

Reporting Structure: The individual will likely report to a senior leader in Product or Design, such as a Head of Product, VP of Product, or Chief Product Officer. This direct line to leadership ensures that research insights have visibility and influence at the highest levels of decision-making.

Operations Impact: The UX Researcher will have a profound impact on product innovation and long-term product strategy by ensuring that user needs and behaviors are deeply understood and integrated into every stage of the product lifecycle. By establishing scalable research systems, the researcher will empower the entire organization to make faster, more informed, and user-centric decisions, directly contributing to product-market fit, user satisfaction, and business growth.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership & Team Building: Opportunity to grow into a leadership role by building and managing a UX research team as the company scales.

• Strategic Influence: Deepen strategic impact by shaping the company's overall product vision and roadmap through continuous user insights.

• ResearchOps Specialization: Develop expertise in Research Operations, becoming a go-to person for scalable and efficient research practices within the organization.

• AI Research Integration: Gain specialized experience in applying AI tools and methodologies to UX research, a highly sought-after skill set.

• Cross-functional Expertise: Expand knowledge in product management, design, and data analytics through close collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The career trajectory for this role is exceptionally high, offering a chance to define and lead a critical function. The growth path is clear, from establishing the practice to potentially leading a team and influencing company-wide product strategy, making it an attractive opportunity for ambitious researchers.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The company operates on a remote-first model, meaning there is no central physical office that employees are required to attend regularly. This approach emphasizes flexibility and autonomy.

Office Location(s): While the role is based in the United Kingdom, the "remote-first working model across Europe" indicates that employees can work from various European locations. Specific team off-sites may be organized in different locations for in-person collaboration.

Workspace Context:

• The workspace is virtual, requiring strong self-discipline and effective remote communication tools.

• Access to a wide array of AI tools is provided to enhance productivity and streamline research workflows.

• Collaboration is facilitated through digital platforms, encouraging asynchronous and synchronous communication with global team members.

• Opportunities for occasional in-person interaction exist through planned team off-sites, fostering team cohesion and strategic alignment.

Work Schedule: The role supports a flexible remote-first work schedule, with a general expectation of a 40-hour work week. The emphasis is on delivering results and maintaining effective communication across time zones, rather than strict adherence to office hours. This flexibility is beneficial for operations professionals managing complex projects and data analysis.

📝 Enhancement Note: The remote-first environment is a key aspect of this role, demanding strong organizational skills and proficiency with remote collaboration tools. The flexibility offered is a significant benefit, but it also requires individuals to be proactive in managing their work and communication.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening (Jobgether): An AI-powered matching process by Jobgether to assess core fit against requirements.

• Hiring Manager Interview: A discussion with the hiring manager to assess strategic thinking, research experience, and alignment with the role's foundational responsibilities. Be prepared to discuss your experience in building research functions and your approach to ResearchOps.

• Research/Product Team Interview: A deep dive into your mixed-methods research expertise, strategic research project examples (personas, JTBD, segmentation), and collaboration style. You may be asked to present a case study from your portfolio.

• Cross-functional Stakeholder Interview: A conversation with Product, Design, and Engineering leaders to evaluate your ability to translate insights into actionable recommendations and influence product roadmaps. Focus on demonstrating your collaboration and communication skills.

• Final Interview (Leadership): A discussion with senior leadership to assess cultural fit, strategic vision, and long-term potential within the company.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Highlight Operational Impact: Showcase projects where you established or significantly improved research processes, built participant systems, or created insight repositories. Quantify the impact where possible (e.g., faster recruitment, increased research cadence, improved insight accessibility).

• Strategic Depth: Clearly articulate the strategic goals of your research initiatives and how they informed major product decisions or business strategies. Use frameworks like JTBD or personas to illustrate your strategic approach.

• Process Clarity: For each project, explain your methodology clearly, justifying your choices. Detail how you handled challenges and adapted your approach.

• Cross-Functional Partnership: Provide examples of how you effectively collaborated with product, design, and engineering teams, demonstrating your ability to integrate research into their workflows.

• Data Synthesis: Showcase your ability to synthesize both qualitative and quantitative data into cohesive, compelling narratives that drive action.

Challenge Preparation:

• Be prepared for a case study presentation where you might be asked to outline how you would approach a specific research problem or build out a research function for a hypothetical product.

• Practice articulating your research strategy, methodology, and expected outcomes concisely.

• Prepare to discuss how you would prioritize research efforts in a fast-paced environment with limited resources.

• Anticipate questions about how you would evangelize user research and embed it into the company culture.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is designed to assess not only research skills but also strategic thinking, operational capability (ResearchOps), and leadership potential. A strong portfolio demonstrating end-to-end research process management and impact is crucial.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• UX Research Platforms: Tools like UserTesting.com, Lookback, Maze, or similar platforms for remote usability testing and feedback collection.

• Survey Tools: Platforms such as Typeform, SurveyMonkey, or Google Forms for quantitative data collection and user surveys.

• Collaboration & Whiteboarding: Tools like Miro, Mural, or FigJam for collaborative research synthesis, ideation, and workshop facilitation.

• AI Tools: Given the company's focus, expect proficiency with various AI tools for data analysis, transcription, insight generation, or even generative research assistance. Examples might include tools for AI-powered transcription (e.g., Otter.ai), sentiment analysis, or AI-assisted qualitative analysis.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Product Analytics Tools: Familiarity with tools like Amplitude, Mixpanel, or Google Analytics to complement qualitative insights with quantitative user behavior data.

• Data Visualization Tools: Proficiency in tools like Tableau, Power BI, or Looker for creating dashboards and communicating research findings and product performance metrics.

CRM & Automation:

• CRM Systems: While not a primary research tool, understanding how CRM data (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot) can inform user segmentation and research targeting is beneficial.

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

• Insights Management Tools: Tools or systems for organizing, tagging, and surfacing research findings across the organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on AI tools suggests a modern tech stack. Proficiency in standard UX research tools is expected, but an understanding of how to integrate research insights with product analytics and leverage AI for efficiency will be a significant advantage.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• User-Centricity: A deep-seated commitment to understanding and advocating for the user in all product development decisions.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Utilizing both qualitative research insights and quantitative data to inform strategy and product direction.

• Autonomy & Ownership: Empowering individuals to take initiative, drive their work, and own the outcomes.

• Collaboration & Transparency: Fostering an open environment where ideas are shared freely, and teams work together effectively across functions.

• Innovation & Experimentation: Encouraging trying new approaches, learning from failures, and continuously pushing boundaries, especially with AI applications.

• Efficiency & Scalability: A focus on building robust processes and systems that can support growth and deliver consistent results.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Research is deeply embedded within product development cycles, with close partnerships between UX Researchers, Product Managers, Designers, and Engineers.

• Proactive Communication: Given the remote nature, proactive and clear communication through various digital channels is essential.

• Feedback Culture: An environment where constructive feedback is regularly exchanged to improve both individual work and team processes.

• Knowledge Sharing: Encouraging the sharing of insights, methodologies, and best practices across the organization to foster collective learning.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture values proactive individuals who can thrive in a remote, autonomous environment and contribute to a collaborative, user-focused ethos. The emphasis on innovation and efficiency, particularly with AI, suggests a forward-thinking and dynamic workplace.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Establishing a New Function: As the first dedicated UX Researcher, a primary challenge will be defining the research vision, building the necessary infrastructure (ResearchOps), and gaining organizational buy-in from scratch.

• Balancing Strategy & Execution: Effectively balancing hands-on research execution with the strategic imperative to build scalable systems and influence long-term product direction.

• Remote Collaboration: Navigating the complexities of remote collaboration and fostering a strong sense of connection and shared understanding within a distributed team.

• Integrating AI into Research: Effectively leveraging AI tools to enhance research processes without compromising the depth and ethical considerations of human-centered research.

• Prioritization in a Fast-Paced Environment: Managing research requests and strategic initiatives amidst the demands of a fast-growing company where priorities can shift rapidly.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Leadership Development: Opportunity to hone leadership skills by defining a research strategy, potentially building a team, and influencing organizational culture.

• ResearchOps Expertise: Becoming a specialist in Research Operations by designing and implementing scalable systems that can be replicated and refined.

• AI in Research: Gaining practical, hands-on experience with cutting-edge AI tools and their application in UX research, a highly valuable and evolving skill set.

• Strategic Product Impact: Direct involvement in shaping product strategy, providing a unique opportunity to see the long-term impact of research on business success.

• Industry Exposure: Working within a dynamic tech environment, potentially with exposure to Product-Led Growth models and innovative AI product development.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are significant but come with immense growth potential. This role is ideal for a proactive and strategic researcher looking to make a substantial impact and advance their career in a rapidly evolving tech landscape.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe your experience in establishing and scaling a UX research function. What were the key steps you took, and what was the impact?" (Focus on building ResearchOps, defining processes, and gaining buy-in.)

• "How would you approach building a participant recruitment system and an insights repository from the ground up for a remote-first company?" (Detail your methodology, tools, and considerations for scalability and GDPR compliance.)

• "Walk us through a strategic research initiative (e.g., personas, JTBD, segmentation) you led. What was the business problem, your approach, and how did your findings influence product strategy?" (Prepare a concise case study.)

• "How do you balance the need for deep, qualitative insights with the demand for rapid, actionable feedback in a fast-paced environment?" (Discuss your mixed-methods approach and prioritization strategies.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you about working in an AI-powered product organization, and what unique research challenges do you anticipate?"

• "How do you foster a user-centric culture within teams that may not have a strong research background?" (Focus on evangelization and enablement.)

• "Describe your ideal remote work environment and how you maintain productivity and collaboration."

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure for Impact: Organize your portfolio around key themes: Building Research Operations, Strategic Foundational Research, and Driving Product Impact.

• Quantify Results: Whenever possible, use metrics to demonstrate the impact of your research (e.g., "Research led to a 15% increase in conversion," "Reduced recruitment time by 30%").

• Showcase Operational Design: For ResearchOps projects, clearly illustrate the processes you designed, the tools you implemented, and the benefits they provided.

• Tell a Story: For each case study, frame it as a narrative: the problem, your strategic approach, the execution, the insights, and the actionable outcomes.

• Tailor to the Role: Emphasize projects that align with building a function, strategic research, and influencing product strategy, as these are key aspects of this role.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparation should focus on demonstrating not just research execution skills but also strategic thinking, operational design capabilities (ResearchOps), and the ability to influence and lead. Be ready to discuss "how" you built processes and the "impact" of your work.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations position:

• Submit your application through the Jobgether platform.

• Portfolio Customization: Curate your portfolio to prominently feature projects demonstrating your experience in building research infrastructure (ResearchOps), conducting strategic foundational research (personas, JTBD), and driving measurable product impact. Select 2-3 key projects that best align with the requirements.

• Resume Optimization: Tailor your resume to highlight keywords related to UX research, ResearchOps, AI tools, product strategy, and strategic leadership. Quantify achievements and responsibilities, emphasizing any experience in establishing or scaling research functions.

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your experience using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) for behavioral questions. Prepare to walk through your portfolio case studies, focusing on your strategic approach, operational contributions, and the impact of your work.

• Company Research: While specific company details are limited, research Jobgether's business model and the general landscape of AI-powered product companies. Understand the potential challenges and opportunities in this sector to better articulate your strategic vision during interviews.

⚠️ 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 or Jobgether before making application decisions.