User Experience (UX) and Research & Design Associate Manager

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: User Experience (UX) and Research & Design Associate Manager

Company: Amadeus

Location: Lisbon, Portugal

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: User Experience / Design Operations

Date Posted: October 23, 2025

Experience Level: 7-10+ Years

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead and mentor a team of UX researchers and designers, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and innovation within the product development lifecycle.

• Develop and execute comprehensive user research strategies and roadmaps, closely aligned with product strategy and organizational objectives (OKRs).

• Oversee the end-to-end delivery of high-quality, mixed-methods research studies to uncover actionable insights that drive product decisions.

• Cultivate strong partnerships with Product Management, Engineering, Data, Marketing, Sales, and Legal teams to ensure user needs are integrated into product development.

• Establish and manage robust Research Operations (Research Ops) practices, including participant sourcing, consent management, data repositories, tooling, vendor partnerships, and budget oversight.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title mentions "Associate Manager," the depth of responsibilities, particularly in people management, research strategy, and Research Ops, indicates a role with significant autonomy and strategic influence, typical of a mid-to-senior level management position within a UX/Design function. The focus on B2B/B2B2C products in the travel and identity sectors suggests a need for a candidate experienced in complex enterprise solutions.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• People Management & Coaching: Define team vision, lead hiring efforts, guide professional development and performance management, and cultivate a strong community of practice for researchers and designers.

• Research Strategy & Roadmap: Plan and prioritize discovery programs that directly support and inform the product strategy and OKRs, ensuring research efforts are focused and impactful.

• End-to-End Research Delivery: Ensure the execution of high-quality mixed-methods studies, from initial brief and planning to detailed insight generation and actionable recommendations that influence decision-making.

• Stakeholder Partnership & Influence: Collaborate closely with Product Managers, Designers, Engineers, Data Analysts, Product Marketing Managers, Sales, and Legal teams to align on research objectives and effectively communicate user insights to drive informed product decisions.

• Research Operations (Research Ops) & Governance: Develop, implement, and maintain efficient Research Ops processes, including participant recruitment panels, managing consent and NDAs, establishing research repositories, selecting and managing research tooling, overseeing vendor relationships, and managing the research budget.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities clearly outline a dual focus on people leadership and operational excellence within the UX Research function. The expectation to manage Research Ops indicates a need for a candidate who can build scalable processes and infrastructure for research, not just conduct studies.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

Experience:

• 7–10+ years of progressive experience in User Experience (UX) Research, with a demonstrable track record of impactful contributions to B2B or B2B2C products.

• Minimum of 2 years in a direct people management and coaching role, with proven experience in leading, mentoring, and developing UX researchers and designers.

• Extensive experience in establishing comprehensive research strategies, developing research roadmaps, and implementing effective Research Operations frameworks (including participant sourcing, consent management, tooling, and data repositories).

• Proven ability to work effectively within agile at-scale environments, understanding and applying principles of dual-track discovery/delivery and Product Lifecycle Management (PLC) phases.

Required Skills:

• User Experience Research: Deep expertise in a wide range of qualitative and quantitative research methodologies, including contextual inquiry, in-depth interviews, surveys, diary studies, usability testing, concept testing, card sorting, tree testing, and foundational experimental design.

• Research Strategy & Planning: Ability to define clear research objectives, develop strategic research roadmaps, and prioritize research activities based on product goals and OKRs.

• Research Operations Management: Experience in building and managing Research Ops infrastructure, including participant panels, consent protocols, research repositories, and vendor management.

• People Management & Coaching: Proven ability to lead, mentor, and develop research and design talent, fostering professional growth and team cohesion.

• Stakeholder Management & Influence: Skill in building strong relationships with cross-functional partners, effectively communicating research insights, and influencing product decisions.

• Synthesis & Storytelling: Advanced ability to synthesize complex research findings into clear, compelling narratives that drive understanding and action.

• Facilitation & Prioritization: Strong facilitation skills for workshops, feedback sessions, and decision-making processes; adept at prioritizing research efforts and roadmap impact.

• Agile Methodologies: Familiarity with working in agile development environments, including understanding of dual-track discovery and delivery processes.

• Product Sense: A strong understanding of product development and the ability to connect user insights directly to business outcomes and product strategy.

• English Fluency: Professional fluency in English, both written and spoken.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with specific tools for user research, participant management, and data analysis (e.g., UserTesting.com, Lookback, Qualtrics, SurveyMonkey, Dovetail, Miro).

• Knowledge of data analysis and visualization tools for quantitative insights.

• Experience in the travel technology or identity solutions industry.

• Familiarity with SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework) or similar scaled agile methodologies.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for 7-10+ years of UX research experience, coupled with 2+ years in people management, positions this role as a strong leadership opportunity. The emphasis on Research Ops and stakeholder management highlights the need for a candidate who can operate strategically and operationally.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrated Impact: A portfolio showcasing a clear history of impactful UX research contributions, with a focus on how research insights directly influenced product strategy, design decisions, and business outcomes for B2B/B2B2C products.

• Methodological Breadth: Examples illustrating proficiency across a range of qualitative and quantitative research methods, detailing the rationale for method selection based on research objectives.

• Research Strategy & Roadmap Examples: Evidence of developing research strategies and roadmaps that align with product goals, ideally showcasing how these plans were executed and adapted.

• Research Ops Implementation: Documentation or case studies detailing experience in establishing or improving Research Operations processes, such as participant recruitment strategies, consent management frameworks, or research repository structures.

• Stakeholder Collaboration: Case studies that highlight successful partnerships with cross-functional teams (Product, Engineering, Sales, Legal), demonstrating how research was integrated and insights were communicated effectively.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design & Optimization: Showcase examples of how you've designed, optimized, or managed research workflows from brief to insight delivery, emphasizing efficiency and quality.

• System Implementation & Management: Provide evidence of experience with research tooling, participant management systems, and data repositories, including selection, implementation, and ongoing management.

• Measurement & Performance Analysis: Demonstrate how you measure the impact of research and Research Ops, using metrics to track efficiency, effectiveness, and contribution to business goals.

📝 Enhancement Note: For this Associate Manager role, the portfolio should not only showcase individual research achievements but also demonstrate leadership in building research capabilities, managing processes, and driving strategic alignment. Emphasis should be placed on how the candidate has scaled research efforts and influenced organizational adoption of user-centered practices.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

Benefits:

• Attractive Compensation Packages: Competitive base salary and potential for performance-based bonuses.

• Health Benefits: Comprehensive health insurance and wellness programs.

• Caregiving Benefits: Support for employees with caregiving responsibilities.

• Learning & Development Opportunities: Access to continuous learning programs, training, conferences, and skill development initiatives.

• Flexible Working Model: Amadeus offers a flexible working model, allowing for adaptability in how and where work is performed, promoting work-life balance.

• Global Mobility & Exposure: Opportunities to work within a truly global organization with diverse projects and international collaboration.

• Retirement Savings Plan: Contribution towards retirement or pension schemes.

• Paid Time Off: Generous vacation days, public holidays, and sick leave.

Working Hours:

• The standard working hours are typically 40 hours per week, aligning with industry norms. Amadeus promotes a flexible working model, which may allow for some adjustment in daily schedules, provided that core collaboration hours and research delivery commitments are met.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is an estimate based on typical market rates for senior UX Research/Design Management roles in Lisbon. Actual compensation will depend on the candidate's specific experience, qualifications, and negotiation. The listed benefits are drawn from the provided text and common for large, global tech companies.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology, specifically focused on the travel and identity solutions sector. Amadeus is a leading provider of IT solutions for the global travel industry, enabling airlines, hotels, and other travel providers to manage their operations and customer experiences.

Company Size: Amadeus is a large, established global corporation with thousands of employees worldwide, indicating a structured environment with significant resources and established processes.

Founded: Amadeus was founded in 1987, signifying a long history of innovation and stability in the technology and travel sectors.

Team Structure:

• Operations Team Aspect 1: The UX and Research team likely operates within a larger Product or Technology department, potentially comprising multiple sub-teams focused on different product areas or disciplines (e.g., core research, design systems, product design).

• Operations Team Aspect 2: This Associate Manager role reports into a senior leadership position, such as a Head of UX, Director of Product Design, or VP of Product. The team managed will consist of UX Researchers and potentially UX Designers.

• Operations Team Aspect 3: Collaboration is a cornerstone of Amadeus's culture, meaning this role will frequently engage with Product Managers, Engineers, Data Scientists, Marketing, Sales, and Legal teams to ensure a holistic approach to product development.

Methodology:

• Data Analysis & Insights: Emphasis on leveraging both qualitative and quantitative data to inform decisions, with a strong focus on user insights driving product strategy.

• Workflow Planning & Optimization: A structured approach to product development, likely incorporating agile frameworks and Product Lifecycle Management (PLC) phases, with a focus on optimizing the discovery and delivery processes.

• Automation & Efficiency: While not explicitly stated for this role, large tech companies like Amadeus often seek efficiencies through tooling and process automation, particularly within Research Ops.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Amadeus's position as a major player in the travel tech industry suggests a dynamic, data-driven, and globally-oriented work environment. The company's size implies opportunities for structured career growth and exposure to complex, large-scale projects.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This Associate Manager role represents a mid-to-senior level management position within the operations and product development function. It requires a blend of deep expertise in UX Research and Design, coupled with proven people leadership and strategic operational management skills. The scope involves managing a team, defining research strategy, overseeing operational processes, and influencing product direction.

Reporting Structure: The Associate Manager will likely report to a Director or VP level executive responsible for UX/Design or Product. They will directly manage a team of UX Researchers and potentially UX Designers. This structure allows for strategic direction from above and tactical execution and team development at the management level.

Operations Impact: The primary impact of this role is on shaping the user experience of Amadeus's travel and identity products. By ensuring human-centered design and data-driven decisions, the Associate Manager will directly influence product adoption, customer satisfaction, efficiency in travel operations, and ultimately, revenue generation and competitive advantage for Amadeus and its clients.

Growth Opportunities:

• Operations Skill Advancement: Opportunities to deepen expertise in specific research methodologies, Research Ops scaling, and advanced analytics. Potential to lead larger, more complex research initiatives or specialized research areas.

• Leadership Development: Progression to a full Manager, Senior Manager, or Director role, with increased responsibility for strategy, team growth, and budget management across broader product portfolios.

• Cross-Functional Leadership: Potential to move into broader product management or strategic roles, leveraging deep understanding of user needs and market dynamics.

• Industry Specialization: Further developing expertise within the travel technology sector, becoming a recognized thought leader in UX for travel and identity solutions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Associate Manager" title suggests a stepping stone to a full Managerial role. Candidates should look for opportunities to demonstrate their strategic thinking and leadership potential beyond day-to-day team management.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is based at Amadeus's HQ in Lisbon, Portugal. While the exact office setup isn't detailed, large tech companies typically offer modern, collaborative office spaces designed to foster innovation and teamwork. The role is listed as "TELECOMMUTE" but with a strong emphasis on the Lisbon HQ, suggesting a hybrid or primarily office-based arrangement with potential for some remote flexibility.

Office Location(s): Lisbon, Portugal. This is a major European capital known for its vibrant tech scene, offering a high quality of life and good connectivity.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: Expect an environment that encourages interaction and knowledge sharing among researchers, designers, product managers, and engineers, vital for effective human-centered product development.

• Operations Tools & Technology: Access to industry-standard UX research tools, design software, collaboration platforms, and potentially internal Amadeus systems for data analysis and project management.

• Team Interaction: Frequent opportunities to collaborate with a diverse, international team, contributing to a rich and varied work experience.

Work Schedule:

• A standard 40-hour work week is expected, with the potential for flexibility in daily hours based on Amadeus's flexible working model. This flexibility is important for balancing intensive research activities, team management, and cross-functional meetings.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "TELECOMMUTE" status alongside a specific HQ location in Portugal is a common nuance. It likely indicates that the role is based in the Lisbon area and has a hybrid work arrangement, with the possibility of some remote work, but not fully remote from any location. Candidates should clarify expectations regarding office presence.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: HR or recruiter call to assess basic qualifications, experience, and cultural fit.

• Hiring Manager Interview: In-depth discussion with the hiring manager (likely a senior UX/Design leader) focusing on your leadership experience, research strategy, and operational management skills.

• Team/Peer Interviews: Meetings with potential direct reports (researchers/designers) and cross-functional peers (Product Managers, Engineers) to evaluate collaboration style, mentorship capabilities, and ability to integrate into the team.

• Portfolio Review & Case Study Presentation: A critical stage where you will present your portfolio, detailing specific case studies that demonstrate your impact, strategic thinking, and leadership in UX Research and Research Ops. Expect to discuss your approach to research strategy, methodology, stakeholder management, and how you've driven business outcomes.

• Final Interview: Potentially with a more senior executive to discuss strategic vision, alignment with company values, and overall fit for the role and Amadeus.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Focus on Impact: For each case study, clearly articulate the problem, your role, the research methodologies used, the insights generated, the decisions influenced, and the measurable outcomes or impact on the product and business. Quantify results wherever possible.

• Highlight Leadership & Ops: Specifically showcase examples of your people management, coaching, and Research Ops experience. Detail how you've built or improved research processes, managed teams, and influenced strategy.

• Strategic Alignment: Demonstrate how your research strategy and execution align with business objectives and OKRs. Show your understanding of how research contributes to the broader product and company goals.

• Conciseness & Clarity: Present your portfolio in a structured, easy-to-follow manner. Be prepared to walk through key projects efficiently, focusing on the most relevant aspects for this role.

• Tailor to Amadeus: Research Amadeus's products, target markets (travel, identity), and recent news. Frame your experience and case studies to align with their business challenges and strategic priorities.

Challenge Preparation:

• Research Strategy Challenge: You might be asked to outline a research strategy for a hypothetical Amadeus product or feature, considering OKRs, target users, and available resources.

• Problem-Solving Scenario: Be prepared for questions about how you would handle common UX research challenges, such as conflicting stakeholder feedback, limited research budgets, or difficult-to-reach participant groups.

• Leadership/Mentorship Scenario: Discuss how you would coach a junior researcher, handle performance issues within your team, or foster a collaborative research environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio review is a key differentiator. Candidates should prepare to articulate not just what they did, but why they did it, how it impacted the business, and how they led the process and their team.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• UX Research Platforms: Experience with tools like UserTesting.com, Lookback, Maze, or similar platforms for remote usability testing, participant recruitment, and feedback collection.

• Survey & Data Collection Tools: Proficiency in tools such as Qualtrics, SurveyMonkey, Google Forms, or Typeform for designing and distributing surveys and collecting quantitative data.

• Qualitative Data Analysis Tools: Familiarity with software for analyzing qualitative data, such as Dovetail, NVivo, or Atlas.ti, to identify themes and insights from interviews and open-ended responses.

• Collaboration & Documentation Tools: Expertise in tools like Jira, Confluence, Miro, Figma, or Google Workspace for project management, team collaboration, workflow documentation, and sharing research findings.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Basic Analytics Tools: Understanding of how to interpret data from web analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics) or product analytics platforms (e.g., Amplitude, Mixpanel) to complement qualitative research.

• Reporting & Dashboarding: Ability to create clear, concise reports and dashboards (e.g., using PowerPoint, Google Slides, Tableau, or internal BI tools) to communicate research findings and operational metrics to stakeholders.

CRM & Automation:

• CRM Familiarity: While not a primary CRM role, understanding how UX research integrates with CRM data (e.g., Salesforce) to segment users or understand customer journeys can be beneficial.

• Automation Concepts: Awareness of how research processes can be automated or streamlined through tooling, particularly within Research Operations.

📝 Enhancement Note: While specific tools aren't listed, the role requires a broad understanding of the UX research toolkit. The emphasis on Research Ops implies a need for candidates who can leverage technology to scale research efforts efficiently.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• User-Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and advocating for the user throughout the product development process, ensuring that user needs are paramount.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: A reliance on both qualitative and quantitative data to inform strategy, design, and product decisions, moving beyond intuition alone.

• Collaboration & Partnership: A strong belief in working cross-functionally to achieve shared goals, fostering open communication and mutual respect among teams.

• Excellence & Innovation: A drive to deliver high-quality work, continuously improve processes, and explore new approaches to user research and design.

• Continuous Learning: An environment that encourages curiosity, skill development, and staying abreast of the latest trends and best practices in UX research and design.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: A highly collaborative approach, working closely with Product Management, Engineering, and other stakeholders to ensure research is integrated early and often into the product lifecycle.

• Process Review & Feedback: An open culture for providing and receiving constructive feedback on research plans, methodologies, and insights, fostering a learning environment.

• Knowledge Sharing: Practices that encourage the sharing of research findings, best practices, and operational learnings across teams and within the broader UX/Design community at Amadeus.

📝 Enhancement Note: Amadeus's stated commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is a significant cultural value. Candidates should be prepared to demonstrate how they foster inclusive research practices and manage diverse teams equitably.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Strategic vs. Tactical: Effectively managing both long-term research strategy and roadmap development while ensuring timely execution of immediate research needs and operational excellence.

• Influencing Stakeholders: Navigating complex stakeholder landscapes to ensure user insights are heard, understood, and acted upon, especially in a B2B/B2B2C context where business needs are also critical.

• Scaling Research Operations: Building and maintaining robust, efficient Research Ops processes that can support a growing product portfolio and research team without becoming a bottleneck.

• Managing a Diverse Team: Leading and developing a team of researchers and designers with varying skill sets, experience levels, and career aspirations, fostering a cohesive and high-performing unit.

• Rapidly Evolving Industry: Staying ahead of technological advancements and evolving user behaviors in the fast-paced travel and identity solutions sector.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Operations Skill Advancement: Deepen expertise in specialized research methodologies, advanced analytics, and Research Ops best practices. Potential to become a subject matter expert in areas like user privacy in research or advanced quantitative methods.

• Industry Conference & Certification Participation: Amadeus likely supports attendance at leading UX and research conferences (e.g., CHI, UXRConf) and relevant professional development courses or certifications.

• Mentorship & Leadership Development: Opportunities to receive mentorship from senior leaders within Amadeus and participate in leadership development programs to hone management and strategic planning skills.

• Cross-Portfolio Exposure: Gain exposure to different product lines and business units within Amadeus, broadening understanding of the travel tech ecosystem and user needs across various segments.

📝 Enhancement Note: Candidates should be prepared to discuss how they approach these challenges and how they plan to leverage the growth opportunities to further their career and contribute to Amadeus's success.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe how you would develop a research strategy for a new feature within Amadeus's airline booking system, aligning with OKRs and considering both discovery and delivery phases."

• "How do you prioritize research requests from multiple stakeholders (e.g., Product, Marketing, Sales) when resources are limited? Walk us through your prioritization framework."

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What do you know about Amadeus and the travel technology industry? How do you see UX research contributing to our mission?"

• "Describe your leadership style. How do you foster growth and development within your team? How do you ensure an inclusive team environment?"

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Case Studies: For each case study, use a clear narrative: Problem (business/user need), Your Role (leadership, research strategy, execution), Methodology (why you chose it), Process (how you executed), Insights (key findings), Impact (decisions influenced, outcomes achieved), and Learnings.

• Highlight Leadership & Ops: Explicitly call out your contributions to team management, process improvement, and Research Ops. Use specific examples of how you mentored individuals or improved operational efficiency.

• Quantify Impact: Wherever possible, use numbers and metrics to demonstrate the tangible results of your work. This could be increased conversion rates, reduced support tickets, improved user satisfaction scores, or efficiency gains in research delivery.

• Engage Your Audience: Be prepared to answer questions about your process, decisions, and challenges. Make it a conversation rather than a monologue. Practice your delivery to ensure clarity and confidence.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interviewers will be looking for evidence of strategic thinking, strong operational acumen, effective leadership, and a clear understanding of how UX research drives business value. Tailoring your examples to the travel/identity product space will be highly advantageous.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this User Experience (UX) and Research & Design Associate Manager position:

• Submit your application through the Amadeus careers portal via the provided URL.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 of your most impactful projects that best demonstrate your UX research leadership, strategic planning, Research Ops experience, and ability to drive business outcomes. Ensure these examples are relevant to B2B/B2B2C products, ideally in complex tech environments.

• Optimize Your Resume: Tailor your resume to highlight keywords from the job description, such as "UX Research," "Research Strategy," "Research Operations," "People Management," "Agile," "Mixed-Methods," "Stakeholder Management," and "B2B/B2B2C." Quantify your achievements with metrics where possible.

• Prepare Your Presentation: Practice delivering your portfolio case studies concisely and compellingly. Be ready to articulate your strategic approach, leadership style, and operational management capabilities. Prepare to discuss how you would approach building research strategy and operations at Amadeus.

• Research Amadeus: Familiarize yourself with Amadeus's products, their mission in the travel and identity tech space, their company values (especially DEI), and recent news. Understand their customer base and business challenges.

⚠️ 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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