Senior/Staff UX Researcher

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior/Staff UX Researcher

Company: Jobgether (on behalf of a partner company)

Location: Germany

Job Type: Full-time

Category: UX Research & Operations

Date Posted: April 10, 2026

Experience Level: Senior/Staff (5-10 years)

Remote Status: Fully Remote

🚀 Role Summary

• Spearhead the establishment and scaling of a new UX research function within a rapidly growing, AI-powered product organization.

• Develop and implement scalable Research Operations (ResearchOps) infrastructure, including participant recruitment systems, insights repositories, and standardized research frameworks.

• Lead strategic research initiatives such as persona development, Jobs-to-be-Done (JTBD) analysis, and user segmentation studies to inform product direction.

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

• Foster a user-centric culture by mentoring cross-functional teams and evangelizing the value of user understanding across the entire organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as the inaugural UX Researcher for a partner company of Jobgether, indicating a significant opportunity to define and build the research practice from the ground up. The emphasis on "Senior/Staff" and "building scalable research systems" suggests a need for strategic leadership, operational excellence in ResearchOps, and a proactive approach to embedding user insights into product development cycles. The mention of AI-powered products and tools points towards a modern, tech-forward environment requiring adaptability and an interest in emerging technologies.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and scale the UX research practice, encompassing the selection of appropriate tools, definition of core processes, and establishment of robust research frameworks.

• Architect and manage the ResearchOps infrastructure, including the development of participant recruitment systems, maintenance of insights repositories, and creation of consent workflows.

• Develop and execute comprehensive mixed-methods research plans, utilizing both generative and evaluative study designs to uncover user needs, pain points, and behaviors.

• Conduct strategic research initiatives focusing on understanding user motivations and decision-making processes, such as developing detailed personas, performing JTBD analyses, and defining user segments.

• Synthesize research findings into compelling narratives and actionable product recommendations, effectively communicating insights to product, design, and engineering teams to drive informed decision-making.

• Collaborate closely with product managers, designers, and data analysts to align research efforts with product strategy, OKRs, and roadmap priorities.

• Mentor and empower non-researchers across product, design, and engineering teams to conduct effective user research, fostering a shared understanding of user needs.

• Champion user-centric thinking throughout the organization, advocating for the integration of user feedback and insights into all stages of the product development lifecycle.

• Ensure all research activities adhere to strict GDPR compliance, privacy regulations, and ethical research best practices.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities emphasize a dual focus: hands-on strategic research leadership and foundational ResearchOps development. The expectation to "mentor and enable cross-functional teams" suggests a need for strong communication and facilitation skills, beyond just individual research execution.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a Master's or Ph.D. in Human-Computer Interaction, Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, or a related field is often preferred for Senior/Staff level UX Research roles, demonstrating a strong theoretical foundation.

Experience: 5–7 years of dedicated experience in UX research, with a preference for environments involving B2B or complex technical products, is required. Proven experience in building and scaling ResearchOps infrastructure is crucial.

Required Skills:

• Deep expertise in mixed-methods UX research, encompassing both generative (e.g., interviews, ethnography) and evaluative (e.g., usability testing, surveys) study designs.

• Proven ability to design, implement, and scale ResearchOps systems, including participant recruitment pipelines, insights repositories, and segmentation strategies.

• Strong understanding of product strategy, OKRs, and various prioritization frameworks used in product development.

• Demonstrated experience collaborating effectively with product management, design, and engineering teams in fast-paced, agile environments.

• Exceptional ability to translate complex research findings into clear, concise, and influential narratives for diverse stakeholders.

• Experience mentoring individuals or teams on research methodologies and best practices.

• Hands-on experience with AI tools and a keen interest in applying them to enhance research workflows and productivity.

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

Preferred Skills:

• Experience conducting research in remote or distributed team settings.

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

• Experience with user segmentation methodologies and persona development.

• Familiarity with Jobs-to-be-Done (JTBD) framework.

• Experience with data analysis tools and quantitative research methods.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for "5-7 years of experience" combined with the emphasis on "building and scaling" suggests this role is for a seasoned researcher ready for significant impact and operational ownership, potentially leading to a Staff level designation based on performance and scope.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase a minimum of 2-3 comprehensive case studies demonstrating end-to-end UX research projects, from initial problem definition to actionable recommendations and their impact.

• For each case study, clearly articulate the research objectives, methodology employed (highlighting mixed-methods where applicable), participant recruitment strategy, and key findings.

• Detail how research insights were translated into concrete product changes or strategic decisions, quantifying the impact on user experience, adoption, or business metrics where possible.

• Include examples of how you have built or contributed to ResearchOps infrastructure, such as participant databases, insights repositories, or standardized research templates.

Process Documentation:

• Evidence of designing and implementing research processes that improve efficiency, scalability, and impact.

• Examples of how you have documented research workflows, including participant consent management, data storage, and insight synthesis.

• Documentation demonstrating the creation or refinement of research frameworks, such as persona templates, JTBD frameworks, or user journey mapping guidelines.

• Showcase instances where you have established systems for sharing research insights across teams, ensuring discoverability and actionable use.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the role's focus on establishing research functions and building ResearchOps, the portfolio should strongly emphasize not just research execution, but also strategic thinking around process design, scalability, and operational efficiency. Demonstrating experience in building systems is as critical as showcasing research impact.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: For a Senior/Staff UX Researcher with 5-7+ years of experience in Germany, a competitive salary range would typically fall between €75,000 and €100,000 annually, depending on specific experience, location within Germany, and the partner company's compensation philosophy. For Staff level, this could extend up to €110,000+.

Benefits:

• Competitive compensation package, reflecting the strategic importance and experience required for the role.

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

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

• Generous vacation allowance, adjusted according to local country standards.

• Comprehensive health, wellness, pension, and insurance benefits, tailored to the employee's country of residence.

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

• Unlimited access to AI tools to enhance productivity and foster innovation in research workflows.

• Occasional team off-sites to foster connection and collaboration, despite the remote-first setup.

• Support for open-source contributions and participation in company-wide hackathons.

Working Hours: Standard full-time working hours are expected, likely around 40 hours per week. The flexible remote-first model allows for some autonomy in scheduling, provided core working hours and collaboration needs are met.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is estimated based on industry benchmarks for similar senior-level UX research roles in Germany, considering the remote-first nature and the strategic impact expected. The benefits package is comprehensive, with a strong emphasis on professional development and work-life balance, common in tech companies operating in a remote-first model.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: The partner company operates in the technology sector, specifically focusing on AI-powered products. This suggests an environment that is innovative, data-driven, and likely fast-paced, with a strong emphasis on technological advancement and product development. The company operates across Europe and beyond, indicating international reach and diverse user bases.

Company Size: The description implies a fast-growing organization, likely a scale-up or a mature startup. This means operations may be evolving, offering opportunities for impact and process definition, but also potentially requiring adaptability and comfort with ambiguity.

Founded: While the founding date is not specified, the company is described as "fast-growing" and operating "across Europe and beyond," suggesting it is established enough to have a significant market presence but still in a growth phase. This implies a dynamic and evolving culture.

Team Structure:

• The UX Research function is nascent, with this role being the first dedicated researcher. This means the researcher will operate with significant autonomy, potentially building a small team or influencing broader research capabilities over time.

• Collaboration will be essential with Product Management, Design, and Engineering teams, requiring strong partnership skills and the ability to integrate research into existing product development workflows.

Methodology:

• The company utilizes an AI-powered approach, suggesting a strong reliance on data, algorithms, and potentially machine learning for product development and operations, including candidate matching via Jobgether.

• Research methodologies will need to be scalable and efficient to support rapid product iteration and decision-making. The focus on ResearchOps indicates a commitment to systematizing and optimizing research processes.

• A user-centric philosophy is central to the role, aiming to embed deep user understanding into product decisions at scale, influencing roadmap and long-term strategy.

Company Website: https://jobgether.com/ (This is for Jobgether itself; the partner company's website is not directly provided but would be a key research point for applicants).

📝 Enhancement Note: Understanding that Jobgether is a platform and this role is with a partner company is crucial. Applicants should research the partner company's specific product, market position, and any publicly available information on their culture and values to tailor their application effectively.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned at the Senior/Staff level.

• Senior Level: Implies significant autonomy, the ability to lead complex research projects independently, mentor junior team members, and contribute to strategic planning.

• Staff Level: Suggests a higher degree of influence, potentially shaping the direction of UX research across multiple product lines or the entire organization. Staff researchers are often seen as thought leaders who can tackle ambiguous problems, drive significant strategic initiatives, and influence organizational practices.

Reporting Structure: While not explicitly stated, this role, as the first dedicated UX Researcher, will likely report to a senior leader in Product, Design, or potentially a VP-level executive. This provides high visibility and direct access to decision-makers. The individual will be responsible for defining the reporting needs and potentially building out a research team in the future.

Operations Impact: The impact of this role is substantial. By establishing the UX research function and embedding user understanding, the researcher will directly influence:

• Product Strategy: Ensuring products are built to meet genuine user needs and market demands.

• Roadmap Prioritization: Providing data-backed insights to guide investment in features and initiatives.

• Product Innovation: Identifying unmet needs and opportunities for new product development.

• User Experience Quality: Driving improvements in usability, satisfaction, and overall user engagement.

• Organizational Culture: Promoting a data-driven, user-centric mindset across all departments.

Growth Opportunities:

• Foundational Impact: Opportunity to build and define the entire UX research function and ResearchOps infrastructure from scratch, a significant career milestone.

• Leadership Development: Potential to grow into a leadership role, managing a team of researchers as the organization scales.

• Strategic Influence: Direct involvement in shaping product strategy and long-term vision, offering high-level strategic experience.

• Skill Expansion: Exposure to AI product development and cutting-edge research tools, enhancing expertise in emerging technologies.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Deep collaboration with product, design, and engineering leaders, broadening understanding of the product lifecycle and business operations.

📝 Enhancement Note: The Senior/Staff designation, combined with the "first dedicated researcher" aspect, signifies a high-impact, high-autonomy role with significant potential for career advancement and shaping organizational strategy.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The company operates on a "remote-first" model. This means that remote work is the standard, and the company is structured to support and optimize for distributed teams. While there might not be a central physical office, occasional in-person team off-sites are planned to foster connection.

Office Location(s): The role is based in Germany, but the "remote-first working model across Europe" suggests that candidates must be legally able to work in Germany and potentially reside within a commutable distance to specific hubs if occasional on-site collaboration is ever required, or within a specified European region to adhere to employment laws and benefits structures.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: Despite being remote, the culture values collaboration, autonomy, and experimentation. This means active participation in virtual meetings, use of collaboration tools, and proactive engagement with team members across different functions.

• Operations Tools & Technology: Access to a suite of digital tools will be essential, including communication platforms (e.g., Slack, Teams), project management software, and specialized UX research tools. The mention of "unlimited access to AI tools" suggests a modern tech stack designed to boost productivity.

• Team Interaction: Regular virtual check-ins, team meetings, and cross-functional syncs will be key to staying connected and aligned. The occasional off-sites provide opportunities for deeper in-person team building.

Work Schedule: The role is full-time, likely around 40 hours per week. The remote-first nature offers flexibility in how the workday is structured, allowing for better work-life integration, provided that availability aligns with team needs and core collaboration hours, especially across different European time zones.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "remote-first" aspect is critical. It implies the company has invested in remote work infrastructure and culture, but also that candidates need to be self-disciplined, excellent communicators, and comfortable working asynchronously and virtually.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening (Jobgether AI): Your application will be processed by Jobgether's AI system to assess core requirements and fit.

• Hiring Company Review: A shortlist of top-fitting candidates will be shared with the partner company's internal team.

• Stage 1: Initial Interview: Likely a conversation with a hiring manager (e.g., Head of Product/Design) to assess overall fit, experience, and strategic thinking. Be prepared to discuss your background and interest in building research functions.

• Stage 2: Portfolio Deep Dive & Technical Interview: This will involve a detailed review of your submitted portfolio. Expect to present 1-2 key case studies, explaining your process, insights, impact, and how you approach ResearchOps. Technical questions on mixed-methods research, user segmentation, and AI tool application may be asked.

• Stage 3: Cross-functional Interviews: Interviews with key stakeholders from Product, Design, and Engineering teams to evaluate collaboration style, communication effectiveness, and ability to integrate research into their workflows.

• Stage 4: Final Interview/Executive Conversation: Potentially a discussion with a senior executive to ensure alignment on vision, strategy, and cultural fit for this foundational role.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Focus on Impact: Quantify the impact of your research whenever possible. Did your insights lead to increased user satisfaction, conversion rates, or reduced churn? Use metrics.

• Showcase ResearchOps: Since this is a key part of the role, explicitly highlight any experience you have in building, scaling, or optimizing research processes, tools, or infrastructure.

• Strategic Thinking: Demonstrate how your research informed product strategy, not just tactical design decisions.

• Problem-Solving: Clearly articulate the research problem, your approach, and how you navigated challenges.

• Clarity and Conciseness: Present your work clearly and concisely. Use visuals effectively. Tailor your presentation to the specific requirements of this role (building a function, AI focus, B2B/technical products).

Challenge Preparation:

• ResearchOps Scenario: You may be asked to outline how you would approach building a ResearchOps system for a growing company, including key components, tools, and timelines.

• Strategic Research Planning: Be prepared to outline a research plan for a hypothetical product challenge or opportunity relevant to the company's AI focus.

• Insight Synthesis & Communication: You might be given a set of findings and asked to synthesize them into an actionable product recommendation for a specific stakeholder group.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on building ResearchOps means applicants should be ready to discuss not just what they research, but how they operationalize research for scalability and efficiency. The AI component is also a key differentiator to prepare for.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

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

• Collaboration & Communication: Slack, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Google Workspace.

• Project Management: Jira, Asana, Trello, or similar for tracking research tasks and progress.

• Data Analysis & Synthesis: Tools for qualitative data analysis (e.g., Dovetail, Airtable, NVivo) and potentially quantitative analysis (e.g., Excel, Google Sheets, basic SQL).

• AI Tools: Specific AI tools for research assistance, data analysis, or productivity enhancement (e.g., AI-powered transcription services, AI analysis tools for qualitative data).

Analytics & Reporting:

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

• BI Tools: Experience with dashboarding tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI, Looker) to visualize and share research findings and KPIs.

CRM & Automation:

• While not directly a CRM role, understanding how user data is managed and how research insights can feed into CRM strategies or automated customer journeys would be beneficial. Familiarity with how CRM data can inform research participant targeting is also a plus.

• Integration Tools: Awareness of how research tools might integrate with other systems within the product development ecosystem.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the role's focus on establishing new systems, familiarity with a range of modern research tools and a proactive approach to evaluating and implementing new technologies, especially AI-driven ones, will be highly valued.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

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

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Relying on both qualitative and quantitative data to inform strategy and product development.

• Scalability & Efficiency: A focus on building processes and systems that can grow with the company and operate effectively.

• Collaboration & Transparency: Open communication, knowledge sharing, and a willingness to work across teams to achieve shared goals.

• Autonomy & Experimentation: Empowering individuals to take ownership, explore new ideas, and learn from both successes and failures.

• Innovation: A drive to leverage new technologies, particularly AI, to solve user problems and create cutting-edge products.

Collaboration Style:

• Proactive Partnership: Actively seeking out opportunities to collaborate with Product, Design, and Engineering, offering research insights at every stage of the product lifecycle.

• Cross-functional Enablement: A style that focuses on empowering others to understand and utilize user insights, rather than operating in a silo.

• Feedback Integration: A culture of constructive feedback, both giving and receiving, to continuously improve research practices and product outcomes.

• Knowledge Sharing: A commitment to making research findings accessible and understandable to everyone in the organization, potentially through shared repositories, workshops, or regular updates.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on building a new function within a fast-growing company suggests a culture that values initiative, adaptability, and a hands-on approach to problem-solving.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Building from Scratch: Establishing a UX research practice and ResearchOps infrastructure in an organization that may not have prior formal processes requires significant initiative, strategic planning, and stakeholder buy-in.

• Prioritization & Resource Allocation: As the first researcher, balancing hands-on research delivery with the foundational work of building systems and frameworks will be a key challenge.

• Influencing Stakeholders: Effectively communicating the value of research and driving adoption of user-centric practices across different departments and levels.

• Rapid Growth Environment: Adapting research processes and strategies to keep pace with a fast-growing company and evolving product landscape.

• AI Integration Nuances: Navigating the complexities of researching AI-powered products and effectively integrating AI tools into research workflows.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Foundational Role: The unparalleled opportunity to define and build a core function from its inception, establishing best practices and shaping future team structure.

• Strategic Impact: Direct influence on product strategy and company direction, providing high-level strategic experience.

• AI Expertise: Deep dive into the application of AI in product development and research, becoming an expert in this rapidly evolving field.

• Mentorship & Leadership: Developing leadership skills through mentoring cross-functional teams and potentially building a research team.

• Industry Exposure: Working within a dynamic, international tech company provides broad exposure to different market dynamics and product challenges.

📝 Enhancement Note: The primary challenge and opportunity lie in the "build" aspect of the role, offering a unique chance for a researcher to leave a significant, lasting mark on an organization.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you approach building a ResearchOps function from the ground up for a rapidly scaling tech company?" (Focus on phases, key components, tools, and stakeholder alignment.)

• "Describe a time you had to influence product strategy using research insights. What was your approach, and what was the outcome?" (Showcase strategic thinking, communication, and impact.)

• "Imagine you need to conduct user research for a complex AI-powered feature. What are the unique challenges, and how would you address them using mixed-methods research?" (Demonstrate understanding of AI product research and methodological flexibility.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you most about building a UX research function at an AI-focused company like ours?" (Demonstrate research and genuine interest.)

• "How do you foster a user-centric mindset in teams that may not have direct research experience?" (Showcase mentoring and evangelism skills.)

• "Describe your experience working with product and engineering teams. How do you ensure research is integrated effectively into their workflows?" (Highlight collaboration and pragmatism.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure: For each case study, clearly outline: 1. The Business/Product Problem, 2. Your Research Objectives, 3. Methodology & Process (including ResearchOps elements), 4. Key Findings & Insights, 5. Recommendations & Impact, 6. Learnings.

• Highlight ResearchOps: Explicitly call out any systems, processes, or templates you developed or improved.

• Quantify Impact: Use metrics wherever possible to demonstrate the ROI of your research.

• AI Relevance: If applicable, highlight any research involving AI products or the use of AI tools.

• Conciseness: Be mindful of time. Focus on the most impactful aspects of your work.

📝 Enhancement Note: Candidates should prepare to discuss not just the "what" and "why" of their research, but also the "how" of its operationalization and strategic integration, especially concerning ResearchOps and AI.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations position:

• Submit your application through the provided application link on Lever.

• Portfolio Customization: Ensure your resume and portfolio are tailored to highlight experience in building research functions, ResearchOps, mixed-methods research, and working with technical/B2B products. Prepare 2-3 strong case studies that demonstrate impact and strategic thinking.

• Resume Optimization: Update your resume to emphasize keywords such as "ResearchOps," "scalability," "strategic research," "mixed-methods," "AI tools," "GDPR," and "stakeholder management." Quantify achievements wherever possible.

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your approach to building ResearchOps, your experience with AI tools, and how you translate insights into actionable product strategy. Prepare specific examples for behavioral questions.

• Company Research: Research Jobgether and try to gather any available public information about their partner company (industry, product focus, recent news) to demonstrate genuine interest and understanding of their context.

⚠️ 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.

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