UX Researcher

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: UX Researcher

Company: hedgehog lab

Location: Leeds & Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom

Job Type: Full-time, Permanent

Category: User Experience (UX) Research / Product Design Operations

Date Posted: 2025-11-14

Experience Level: Mid-Senior Level (2+ years)

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive user-centred design principles and practices across product development lifecycles, ensuring user needs are paramount.

• Lead the planning, execution, and analysis of both qualitative and quantitative user research studies to uncover deep user insights.

• Collaborate extensively with cross-functional teams (designers, product managers, engineers) and external clients to translate research findings into actionable product strategies.

• Act as the primary advocate for the user, ensuring their perspectives inform every stage of product conception, design, and iteration.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the primary focus is UX Research, the role's emphasis on cross-functional collaboration, stakeholder management, and driving product strategy positions it within the broader GTM and Product Operations ecosystem, requiring a blend of research expertise and operational influence.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Develop and execute comprehensive research plans, defining clear objectives, methodologies, and timelines for discovery and evaluative research phases.

• Conduct a range of qualitative research methods, including user interviews, usability testing, contextual inquiries, and ethnographic studies, to understand user behaviours, needs, and pain points.

• Design and implement quantitative research approaches such as surveys, A/B testing, and data analysis to validate hypotheses and measure user satisfaction.

• Expertly manage stakeholder expectations, providing clear communication on research progress, insights, and recommendations, ensuring alignment with business goals.

• Translate complex research findings into compelling, actionable insights and recommendations, effectively communicating them to internal teams and clients through presentations, reports, and workshops.

• Champion user-centred design (UCD) principles and best practices within hedgehog lab and with client teams, fostering a culture of empathy and user advocacy.

• Ensure all research activities are conducted ethically and inclusively, adhering to GDPR regulations and accessibility standards.

• Continuously identify opportunities for improving the UCD practice and research methodologies within the organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The core responsibilities highlight a blend of direct research execution and strategic influence. The emphasis on "crafting projects for maximum impact" and "shaping impactful projects" suggests that this role requires not just research execution but also strategic thinking about how research can best serve business objectives and product success, a key aspect of Product Operations.

ভূম Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a background in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, Market Research, Service Design, or a related field is highly beneficial.

Experience: Minimum of 2 years of hands-on research experience in UX or closely related disciplines, with a proven track record of tackling real-world research challenges.

Required Skills:

• User Research Expertise: Demonstrated ability to design, plan, and execute both qualitative and quantitative user research studies across various project stages and environments.

• Methodological Proficiency: Strong command of a diverse toolkit of research methods (e.g., interviews, usability testing, surveys, card sorting, tree testing) and the ability to select the most appropriate methods based on project constraints and objectives.

• Stakeholder Management: Proven experience leading research projects involving diverse stakeholders, effectively balancing competing priorities, managing expectations, and securing buy-in for research recommendations.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Natural ability to work closely with designers, product managers, engineers, and clients, fostering strong working relationships and contributing to a collaborative product development process.

• Communication & Presentation: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to articulate research rationale, present findings clearly and persuasively, and influence decision-making at all levels.

• User-Centred Design (UCD) Principles: Solid understanding of the UX process and a strong commitment to user-centred design principles, advocating for their application in product development.

• Ethical & Inclusive Research: Awareness and practical application of ethical research practices, including GDPR compliance and accessibility considerations.

• Problem Solving: Ability to identify user problems, analyze complex situations, and formulate effective research approaches to gather necessary insights.

Preferred Skills:

• Agile Methodologies: Familiarity with Agile development processes and experience working within cross-functional Agile teams.

• Design Thinking: Understanding and application of design thinking frameworks to problem-solving and innovation.

• Service Design: Experience or understanding of service design principles and methodologies.

• Market Research: Background or complementary skills in market research techniques.

• Academic Research: Experience in academic research methodologies that can be applied to industry UX challenges.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "bonus, not a requirement" for Agile experience indicates a strong preference for candidates who can adapt to fast-paced, iterative development environments, which is crucial for operational efficiency in product development.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Case Studies: A curated portfolio showcasing 2-3 detailed case studies that demonstrate your end-to-end UX research process, from problem framing to actionable insights and impact.

• Methodology Selection: Clear articulation of the research methods chosen for each project, with a rationale explaining why these methods were selected given the project goals, constraints, and context.

• Problem Definition: Evidence of your ability to deeply understand and define user problems, supported by initial discovery research or contextual analysis.

• Impact & Outcomes: Demonstration of how your research directly influenced product decisions, design iterations, and ultimately, measurable outcomes (e.g., improved user satisfaction, increased conversion rates, reduced task completion times). Quantifiable results are highly valued.

• Collaboration Evidence: Examples of how you collaborated with cross-functional teams and stakeholders throughout the research process, managing their input and expectations.

Process Documentation:

• Research Plan Examples: Include examples of research plans you've developed, highlighting your approach to scoping, participant recruitment, methodology, and ethical considerations.

• Data Synthesis & Analysis: Showcase your approach to synthesizing qualitative and quantitative data, identifying key themes, patterns, and insights.

• Insight Communication: Present examples of how you communicate research findings, such as compelling presentations, user journey maps, personas, or detailed reports, tailored to different audiences.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a UX Researcher role, the portfolio is paramount. It serves as tangible proof of their ability to execute, analyze, and communicate research findings effectively. For operations roles, a portfolio demonstrating process optimization, data analysis, and measurable impact would be analogous.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on experience, location (UK), and the specific responsibilities outlined, a competitive salary range for a UX Researcher with 2+ years of experience in the UK typically falls between £35,000 and £55,000 per annum. This range can vary based on the specific office location within the UK and the candidate's negotiation skills.

Benefits:

• 28 days annual leave plus bank holidays, providing ample time for rest and rejuvenation.

• 5 Impact Days per year allocated for dedicated Learning & Development (L&D), volunteering, or innovation projects, fostering continuous growth.

• Flexible working environment, promoting work-life balance and autonomy.

• Enhanced parental policy, supporting employees through significant life events.

• Annual wellbeing budget, encouraging proactive health and wellness initiatives.

• Dedicated mental health support, ensuring comprehensive employee welfare.

• Company-supplied Apple Mac, equipping you with high-quality tools for your work.

Working Hours: Standard full-time hours are typically around 40 hours per week. The "flexible working environment" suggests a degree of autonomy in managing these hours, with core hours likely in place for team collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary estimate is derived from industry benchmarks for UX Researchers in the UK, considering the listed experience level (2+ years) and the nature of a digital product consultancy. Benefits are directly extracted from the provided information, emphasizing aspects relevant to employee well-being and professional development, which are key considerations for operations professionals.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Digital Product Consultancy / Technology Services. Hedgehog lab operates within the dynamic digital transformation sector, helping global brands enhance their digital presence and user experiences through technical expertise and human-centred approaches. This industry context means a focus on innovation, client-driven solutions, and staying ahead of technological trends.

Company Size: Hedgehog lab is a mid-sized digital agency, with multiple offices across the UK. This size typically offers a balance between the structure and resources of a larger firm and the agility and close-knit community of a smaller one, allowing for significant individual impact.

Founded: 20 years of experience (Founded circa 2004/2005). This long tenure signifies stability, deep industry knowledge, and a proven track record in delivering successful digital products. It suggests a culture that values experience and long-term client relationships.

Team Structure:

• Multi-disciplinary Teams: You will work within project-based, multi-disciplinary teams comprising UX Designers, Product Managers, Engineers (frontend, backend, mobile), and potentially other specialists. This structure fosters a collaborative environment where diverse skill sets converge to solve complex problems.

• Reporting: While not explicitly stated, UX Researchers typically report into a Head of UX/Design, a Product Lead, or a similar senior role within the design or product function. This provides a clear line of mentorship and career progression.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: The role emphasizes close collaboration with internal teams and clients, indicating a highly integrated and communicative work culture. Openness to feedback and shared problem-solving is key.

Methodology:

• User-Centred Design (UCD): This is the foundational methodology, ensuring that user needs and behaviours are at the forefront of all product development activities.

• Agile Practices: While not a strict requirement, familiarity with Agile methods is a bonus, suggesting that project delivery often follows iterative cycles, requiring flexibility and rapid feedback loops.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: The role necessitates using both qualitative and quantitative data to inform design and product strategy, promoting a culture of evidence-based decision-making.

Company Website: https://careers.hedgehoglab.com

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's history and industry position suggest a mature, client-focused organization that values expertise and collaborative problem-solving. For operations professionals, this implies a need for structured thinking, clear communication, and a results-oriented approach.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a mid-level contributor with significant autonomy. It requires a strong foundation in UX research methodologies and the ability to independently manage and execute research projects. The emphasis on "taking the lead" and "crafting projects for maximum impact" indicates a role where individuals are expected to drive initiatives and influence outcomes, moving beyond purely execution to strategic contribution.

Reporting Structure: You will likely report to a senior leader within the UX/Design team, such as a Head of UX, Design Director, or a Principal UX Researcher. This structure offers opportunities for mentorship, guidance on complex projects, and exposure to strategic decision-making processes.

Operations Impact: As a UX Researcher, your impact is critical to the success of digital products. By ensuring products are user-centred, you directly influence user adoption, satisfaction, and retention, which in turn drives key business metrics like engagement, conversion rates, and customer loyalty. Your insights help mitigate product development risks by validating concepts early and preventing costly design flaws.

Growth Opportunities:

• Senior UX Researcher/Lead UX Researcher: Progression typically involves taking on more complex, larger-scale projects, mentoring junior researchers, and potentially leading research initiatives for major client accounts.

• Specialization: Opportunities to specialize in specific research methodologies (e.g., advanced quantitative analysis, behavioural economics in UX) or product domains.

• Transition to Product Management/Strategy: The strong understanding of user needs and product development processes gained in this role can be a stepping stone to product management or UX strategy roles.

• UCD Practice Development: Contributing to the evolution of hedgehog lab's UCD practice, developing new frameworks, and training internal teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: The growth path highlights a move from executing research to leading it and influencing broader strategy. This aligns with operations career progression, where individuals often move from optimizing processes to defining them and leading broader operational initiatives.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hedgehog lab operates with a hybrid model, with established office hubs in Newcastle (HQ), Edinburgh, Leeds, Manchester, and London. This suggests a structured approach to hybrid work, likely involving a mix of in-office collaboration and remote work.

Office Location(s):

• Newcastle upon Tyne (HQ): One Strawberry Lane, NE1 4BX

• Leeds: 3 Whitehall Quay, LS1 4BW

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Spaces: Offices are designed to facilitate collaboration, likely featuring meeting rooms, breakout areas, and open-plan workspaces suitable for team discussions and workshops.

• Tools & Technology: As a digital agency, expect access to modern technology and software essential for UX research, design, and development. This would include company-provided Apple Macs, research software, and collaboration tools.

• Team Interaction: The hybrid model and emphasis on cross-functional teams mean ample opportunities for interaction with diverse colleagues, both in person and virtually, fostering knowledge sharing and collective problem-solving.

Work Schedule: The "flexible working environment" implies a degree of autonomy in structuring the workday, within the context of a full-time role (approx. 40 hours/week). This flexibility is crucial for accommodating research participant schedules and personal work-life balance, while core collaboration time will be established for team efficiency.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid nature and multiple office locations indicate a need for strong remote collaboration skills and adaptability, which are increasingly important for operations roles that often span distributed teams.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A brief call with HR or a recruiter to assess basic qualifications, cultural fit, and interest in the role.

• Portfolio Review & Technical Interview: A more in-depth discussion with a senior UX lead or hiring manager. This stage will focus heavily on your portfolio, where you'll present case studies and discuss your research process, methodologies, and impact. Be prepared to articulate your rationale for design decisions and research approaches.

• Practical Exercise/Challenge: You may be asked to complete a take-home exercise or a live problem-solving task related to UX research, assessing your ability to apply your skills to a new challenge. This could involve critiquing a user flow, outlining a research plan for a given problem, or analyzing a small dataset.

• Team/Stakeholder Interviews: Interviews with other members of the UX team, product managers, or designers to assess collaboration style, communication skills, and how well you'd integrate into the existing team dynamics.

• Final Interview: Potentially with a senior leader (e.g., Head of Design, Director) to discuss career aspirations, strategic thinking, and overall fit within hedgehog lab's vision.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 2-3 of your strongest, most relevant case studies that showcase a breadth of skills and impact.

• Tell a Story: Structure each case study as a narrative: the problem, your approach (research methods, rationale), your process, the findings, the recommendations, and the impact.

• Highlight 'Why': Clearly articulate why you chose specific research methods, why certain insights were significant, and why your recommendations were made.

• Quantify Impact: Wherever possible, use data and metrics to demonstrate the tangible outcomes of your research (e.g., "reduced task completion time by 15%", "increased user satisfaction scores by 10 points").

• Be Prepared for Deep Dives: Anticipate detailed questions about your process, challenges faced, how you handled difficult stakeholders, and what you learned.

• Practice Your Presentation: Rehearse your presentation to ensure smooth delivery, clear articulation, and effective time management.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Context: If given a hypothetical scenario, ask clarifying questions to fully grasp the business goals and user context.

• Focus on Process: Demonstrate a structured approach to problem-solving, even if you don't have all the answers immediately. Outline your steps for gathering information and making decisions.

• Think User-Centred: Always bring the user back into the equation. How would you validate assumptions? What research would you conduct?

• Consider Constraints: Acknowledge real-world constraints like time, budget, and technical limitations, and explain how you would navigate them.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on portfolio presentation and case studies is critical for UX roles. For operations roles, this translates to demonstrating process improvement projects, strategic analyses, or system implementation successes through case studies.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Research Platforms: Familiarity with tools for remote usability testing, surveys, and qualitative data analysis is expected. Examples include UserTesting.com, Maze, Lookback, SurveyMonkey, Typeform, Qualtrics.

• Collaboration & Prototyping: Experience with tools like Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD for reviewing designs and collaborating with designers.

• Data Analysis & Visualization: Proficiency in tools for analyzing quantitative data (e.g., Excel, Google Sheets, SPSS, R for advanced users) and creating clear visualizations.

• Project Management: Familiarity with tools like Jira, Asana, Trello for tracking research tasks and collaborating within Agile frameworks.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Web Analytics: Understanding of tools like Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics to contextualize user behaviour data with business metrics.

• Reporting Dashboards: Ability to use or contribute to dashboards (e.g., Tableau, Power BI, Looker Studio) to present research findings and track key UX metrics.

CRM & Automation:

• While not a direct CRM role, an understanding of how user research insights feed into CRM strategies and customer journey mapping within marketing and sales operations can be beneficial.

• Familiarity with automation tools is less critical for this specific role but can be a bonus if it aids in research data collection or analysis.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a UX Researcher, the technical stack is focused on research execution and analysis. For operations roles, the emphasis would be on CRM, marketing automation, BI tools, and integration platforms.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• User-Centricity: This is the paramount value, driving all decisions and ensuring that the user's needs and experience are always the primary consideration.

• Collaboration: A strong emphasis on working together across disciplines and with clients to achieve shared goals. Open communication and mutual respect are key.

• Excellence & Quality: A commitment to delivering high-quality work, grounded in robust research and best practices. This applies to both the research process and the final product recommendations.

• Curiosity & Continuous Learning: An intrinsic drive to understand users better, explore new methodologies, and stay abreast of industry trends and technological advancements.

• Impact & Value: A focus on delivering research that has a tangible positive impact on product success and client business objectives.

Collaboration Style:

• Integrated Teams: Working as an integral part of multi-disciplinary teams, not as an isolated function. This means active participation in team meetings, design sprints, and product reviews.

• Open Feedback: A culture that encourages constructive feedback, both given and received, to foster continuous improvement.

• Knowledge Sharing: Encouraging the sharing of insights, learnings, and best practices across the team and the wider organization.

• Client Partnership: Building strong, collaborative relationships with clients, acting as a trusted advisor on user experience matters.

📝 Enhancement Note: The values emphasize a human-centric approach combined with a drive for quality and impact, mirroring the core tenets expected in effective operations teams focused on driving business value through process and efficiency.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Research Rigor with Project Speed: In a fast-paced agency environment, ensuring thorough research while meeting tight deadlines can be a significant challenge. Developing efficient yet effective methodologies is key.

• Managing Diverse Stakeholder Expectations: Clients and internal teams may have varying levels of understanding and buy-in for UX research, requiring strong negotiation and communication skills to align expectations and advocate for user needs.

• Translating Insights into Action: The most significant challenge is ensuring that research findings are not just presented but are effectively translated into actionable design and product decisions that lead to measurable improvements.

• Navigating Ambiguity: Dealing with complex, ill-defined problems where the user needs are not immediately clear requires strong analytical skills and the ability to design research that can uncover foundational insights.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Methodologies: Opportunities to deepen expertise in specific research techniques or explore emerging methods in UX research.

• Industry Conferences & Training: Support for attending relevant conferences (e.g., UXPA, CHI) and pursuing certifications to enhance skills and knowledge.

• Mentorship: Access to senior researchers and design leaders for guidance, feedback, and career development.

• Exposure to Diverse Projects: Working with a variety of clients and industries provides broad experience and exposure to different product challenges and user groups.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges listed are common in UX research but also resonate with operations professionals facing similar pressures related to efficiency, stakeholder alignment, and translating data into actionable strategies.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to convince a skeptical stakeholder about the importance of user research. How did you approach it, and what was the outcome?" (Focus on your communication, persuasion, and stakeholder management skills.)

• "Walk me through a research project where your findings led to a significant change in product strategy or design. What was the problem, your process, the key insights, and the impact?" (Prepare a detailed case study from your portfolio.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about hedgehog lab specifically, and how do you see your skills contributing to our client work?" (Research hedgehog lab's portfolio, values, and recent projects. Connect your experience to their work.)

• "How do you approach collaboration within a multi-disciplinary team, especially when there are differing opinions or priorities?" (Highlight your teamwork abilities, communication style, and conflict resolution skills.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure is Key: Use a consistent structure for each case study: Introduction (problem/goal), Research Process (methods, rationale, participants), Findings (key insights), Recommendations (actions taken), and Impact (results, metrics).

• Visual Aids: Use slides with clear visuals, screenshots, and concise text to support your narrative. Avoid overwhelming slides with too much information.

• Focus on Your Role: Clearly articulate your personal contribution to the project, especially if it was a collaborative effort.

• Anticipate Questions: Prepare for deep dives into your methodology, data analysis, and decision-making processes. Be ready to explain the "why" behind your choices.

• Showcase Impact: Be ready to discuss both qualitative and quantitative outcomes. If exact metrics are unavailable, discuss the qualitative impact and potential business value.

📝 Enhancement Note: These interview questions are designed to probe critical skills for a UX Researcher, including strategic thinking, process execution, collaboration, and the ability to demonstrate tangible impact. Operations interviews will often focus on similar strategic and process-oriented questions, asking candidates to articulate their approach to problem-solving and driving efficiency.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this UX Researcher position:

• Submit your application through the hedgehog lab careers portal.

• Portfolio Customization: Ensure your portfolio is readily accessible (e.g., via a link on your resume or a dedicated portfolio website) and highlights your strongest UX research case studies, emphasizing your process, insights, and impact.

• Resume Optimization: Tailor your resume to highlight key skills such as qualitative/quantitative research, stakeholder management, user-centred design, and collaboration. Use keywords from the job description and quantify achievements where possible.

• Prepare Your Narrative: Practice articulating your experience and research process concisely and compellingly. Be ready to discuss your portfolio in detail during interviews.

• Research Hedgehog Lab: Familiarize yourself with hedgehog lab's work, clients, and company culture. Understand their approach to digital product consultancy and how user research fits into their strategy.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with hedgehog lab before making application decisions.