UX Researcher

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: UX Researcher

Company: Ruby Labs

Location: Croatia (Remote)

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: User Experience Research / Product Operations

Date Posted: 2026-04-01

Experience Level: Mid-Level (3-5 years)

Remote Status: Fully Remote

🚀 Role Summary

• Own and execute the end-to-end UX research function, driving user understanding across product portfolios, with a strong emphasis on conversion rate optimization (CRO) and user journey analysis.

• Proactively identify research opportunities and design studies to uncover user motivations, behavioral patterns, and friction points within funnels, onboarding, and core product experiences.

• Translate complex, often ambiguous, research findings into clear, actionable insights and testable hypotheses for product, growth, and design teams.

• Champion a user-centered mindset throughout the organization by creating and maintaining user personas, journey maps, and a centralized research repository.

• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including CRO specialists, growth marketers, and product managers, to integrate research findings directly into product development and iterative improvement cycles.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a strategic contributor rather than a support function, indicating a high degree of autonomy and influence for the UX Researcher. The emphasis on CRO and funnel optimization suggests a strong alignment with revenue operations and growth initiatives.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design and execute comprehensive UX research studies, selecting appropriate qualitative and quantitative methodologies (e.g., interviews, usability tests, diary studies, surveys, card sorting) to address specific research objectives.

• Investigate user behavior across critical touchpoints, including acquisition funnels, onboarding sequences, paywalls, and subscription management, to pinpoint areas of friction and unmet needs impacting conversion and retention.

• Leverage behavioral data analysis from tools like Hotjar, Mixpanel, PostHog, and Google Analytics to complement qualitative findings and provide a holistic view of user interactions.

• Partner effectively with CRO, growth, and product teams to translate research insights into data-driven, testable hypotheses for A/B testing and feature validation.

• Synthesize research findings into compelling, decision-driving reports and presentations for product, design, and leadership stakeholders, clearly articulating recommendations and their potential impact.

• Develop and maintain user personas, journey maps, and mental models to effectively communicate user needs and advocate for user-centered design principles across the company.

• Proactively identify and scope new research opportunities, driving studies from initial planning through to final synthesis and actionable recommendations with minimal supervision.

• Contribute to the establishment and maintenance of a centralized research repository, ensuring research findings are accessible and leveraged by relevant teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of deep user research expertise and strategic business impact, particularly concerning conversion optimization. The expectation to "push back when a study isn't needed" emphasizes critical thinking and resourcefulness in research design.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a background in fields like Psychology, Cognitive Science, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), or a related discipline is highly beneficial, providing a strong theoretical foundation for research methodologies.

Experience: Minimum of 3 years of dedicated experience in UX research, product research, or a similar role focused on understanding user behavior and informing product strategy.

Required Skills:

• Demonstrated proficiency in designing and conducting a wide range of qualitative research methods, including in-depth interviews, usability testing, and diary studies.

• Strong command of quantitative research techniques such as surveys, card sorting, and behavioral data analysis.

• Hands-on experience utilizing user testing platforms (e.g., UserTesting, Maze, Lookback).

• Proven ability to analyze and interpret behavioral data from analytics tools (e.g., Mixpanel, Hotjar, PostHog, Google Analytics).

• Experience researching consumer-facing digital products, with a preference for subscription-based or funnel-driven models.

• Exceptional analytical and synthesis skills, with the ability to translate complex, ambiguous findings into clear, prioritized, and actionable insights.

• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, with a talent for storytelling through data and presenting findings effectively to diverse audiences.

• High degree of ownership and autonomy; ability to independently drive research projects from inception to conclusion.

• Adaptability and comfort working in a fast-paced, fully remote environment.

Preferred Skills:

• Prior experience in a Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) or growth-focused product environment.

• Familiarity with A/B testing methodologies and experimentation frameworks.

• Background in behavioral psychology, cognitive science, or human-computer interaction.

• Experience conducting research across multiple product verticals simultaneously.

• Knowledge of accessibility research and inclusive design principles.

• Experience in building or scaling a research function within a growing organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "high ownership mindset" and "driving studies end-to-end without needing to be managed" suggests that candidates with a proactive and self-directed approach will be highly valued. The preference for subscription or funnel-driven product research indicates a need for experience in understanding complex user journeys and conversion optimization.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase a minimum of 2-3 end-to-end research projects that demonstrate your ability to define research questions, select appropriate methodologies, execute studies, and synthesize findings into actionable recommendations.

• For each project, clearly articulate the problem statement, your role and responsibilities, the research methods employed, key insights derived, and the impact of your recommendations on product decisions, user experience, or business metrics.

• Include examples of how you have translated research findings into user personas, journey maps, or other artifacts that inform product strategy and design.

• Demonstrate experience with data analysis, including how you've used behavioral data from tools like Mixpanel, Hotjar, or PostHog to inform your research.

Process Documentation:

• Detail your process for scoping research studies, including how you identify research needs and define objectives in collaboration with stakeholders.

• Illustrate your approach to selecting the most effective research methodology for different types of research questions, emphasizing efficiency and impact.

• Provide examples of how you synthesize and communicate research findings, showcasing your ability to create clear, concise, and persuasive reports and presentations.

• Describe your process for integrating research into product development cycles, from initial ideation and validation to iterative testing and optimization.

📝 Enhancement Note: A strong portfolio is crucial for this role. Candidates should focus on demonstrating a structured research process, the ability to derive actionable insights from data, and a clear impact on product or business outcomes, particularly in conversion-focused scenarios.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on industry benchmarks for experienced UX Researchers in the Central European Time (CET) region, a competitive salary range is estimated between €45,000 - €70,000 annually, depending on experience, specific skills, and negotiation. This range is typical for fully remote, independent contractor roles in countries like Croatia, Bulgaria, and Poland, considering the company's remote-first approach and the role's strategic impact.

Benefits:

• Remote Work Environment: Enjoy the flexibility and autonomy of working from your chosen location, promoting an optimal work-life balance.

• Unlimited Paid Time Off (PTO): Take advantage of an unlimited PTO policy, empowering you to prioritize personal well-being and recharge as needed without rigid day counting.

• Paid National Holidays: Receive paid time off for national holidays in your respective country, allowing for cultural observance and rest.

• Company-Provided MacBook: Utilize a high-quality MacBook provided by the company to ensure efficient and seamless productivity.

• Flexible Independent Contractor Agreement: Benefit from the advantages of an independent contractor arrangement, offering potential tax efficiencies, greater autonomy, networking opportunities, and the freedom to manage your work schedule and location.

Working Hours: This is a full-time position, with expectations aligning with approximately 40 hours per week. The role requires strong collaboration within the CET time zone (approximately +/- 4 hours), suggesting core working hours that facilitate team synchronization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary estimate is based on publicly available data for UX Researcher roles in Eastern and Central Europe, adjusted for remote work and the independent contractor model. The benefits package emphasizes flexibility and autonomy, aligning with a modern remote work culture.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology, focused on consumer products across Health, Education, and Entertainment sectors. Ruby Labs operates as an innovative product development and operations company.

Company Size: While not explicitly stated, the mention of "fast-growing team" and "scaling a research function" suggests a company that is past the startup phase and likely in a growth or expansion stage, possibly ranging from 50-250 employees.

Founded: The company was founded with a mission to create and operate innovative consumer products, driving the future of consumer-led experiences. The exact founding date is not provided, but the emphasis on innovation implies a forward-thinking and dynamic organizational history.

Team Structure:

• The UX Research function is being established or scaled, indicating that this role will likely be foundational in defining research practices and processes within the organization.

• Collaboration is expected with Product, Growth, and Design teams, suggesting a cross-functional matrix structure where research insights are integrated into various project streams.

Methodology:

• Data-driven decision-making is a core tenet, with a strong emphasis on research and validation to inform product and growth strategies.

• A user-centric approach is paramount, aiming to deeply understand user needs, motivations, and behaviors to drive product innovation and optimization.

• Efficiency and impact are key, with a focus on translating research into testable hypotheses and measurable business outcomes, particularly in conversion rate optimization.

Company Website: https://rubylabs.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture appears to be fast-paced, ambitious, and results-oriented, with a strong commitment to data-driven innovation and user understanding. The remote-first environment necessitates a high degree of self-motivation and effective asynchronous communication.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a Mid-Level UX Researcher (3+ years of experience). It offers significant autonomy and the opportunity to "own the research function," implying potential for lead or senior roles as the function scales. The focus on strategic contribution and direct impact on CRO and product decisions elevates it beyond a purely execution-oriented position.

Reporting Structure: While not explicitly detailed, the role will likely report into a Head of Product, Director of Product, or potentially a Growth Lead, given the close collaboration with these functions. The expectation for high autonomy suggests a manager who provides strategic direction rather than micro-management.

Operations Impact: The UX Researcher will have a direct and measurable impact on revenue and business decisions by:

• Identifying key friction points in acquisition funnels and onboarding, directly influencing conversion rates.

• Validating product features and strategies based on user needs, reducing development waste and increasing product-market fit.

• Providing data-driven insights that inform CRO hypotheses and experimentation roadmaps.

Growth Opportunities:

• Scaling Research Function: Opportunity to build and shape the UX research practice at Ruby Labs, defining processes, tools, and best practices for a growing organization.

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in areas like CRO research, subscription product research, or behavioral analytics through hands-on project experience.

• Leadership Potential: As the research function grows, there will be opportunities to mentor junior researchers, lead larger-scale initiatives, or potentially move into a Research Lead or Manager role.

• Cross-functional Advancement: Develop strong partnerships with Product, Growth, and Design, potentially opening doors to roles with broader product strategy or growth responsibilities.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers a compelling opportunity for a mid-level researcher to make a significant impact and grow with the company, particularly in shaping a new or expanding research function. The emphasis on autonomy and strategic contribution is a key differentiator.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: This is a 100% remote position, offering complete flexibility in work location.

Office Location(s): While the primary location listed is Croatia, the role is open to candidates located within approximately +/- 4 hours of CET (Central European Time). This includes countries such as North Macedonia, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Romania, Poland, Lithuania, Slovenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Serbia, and Ukraine. This broad geographic scope is designed to facilitate optimal collaboration during overlapping core working hours.

Workspace Context:

• The work environment is characterized by high autonomy and a fast-paced, results-driven culture.

• Collaboration will primarily occur through digital channels, utilizing various communication and project management tools.

• Access to company-provided technology (MacBook) ensures a consistent and productive remote setup.

• The remote-first nature encourages a strong emphasis on asynchronous communication and proactive information sharing.

Work Schedule: Full-time employment with an expected commitment of around 40 hours per week. While remote, the requirement to collaborate within a ~4-hour window of CET suggests a need for availability during typical European business hours to facilitate real-time communication and meetings.

📝 Enhancement Note: The location requirement is based on time zone alignment for effective collaboration, not on a specific physical office. This is a key consideration for candidates applying from the eligible countries.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Recruiter Screening (40 minutes): An initial conversation to assess your background, experience, motivation for the role, and cultural fit. Be prepared to discuss your career trajectory, research philosophy, and why Ruby Labs.

• Home Task Assignment: A practical exercise designed to evaluate your research skills, analytical thinking, and ability to synthesize findings. This will likely involve analyzing a dataset, proposing research questions, or outlining a research plan for a given scenario. Focus on clarity, methodology, and actionable insights.

• Final Interview (60 minutes): This interview will likely involve deeper discussions about your experience, a review of your portfolio, and potentially a presentation of your home task. Be ready to elaborate on your research process, decision-making rationale, and how you've driven impact in previous roles. Expect questions about your approach to user-centered design, CRO, and working in a remote, fast-paced environment.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select projects that best showcase your end-to-end research capabilities, particularly those demonstrating impact on conversion, user experience, or product strategy.

• Structure for Clarity: Organize your portfolio logically, with each project clearly outlining the problem, your approach, key findings, and the resulting actions or impact. Use visuals where appropriate.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, include metrics and data to demonstrate the tangible outcomes of your research. For CRO-focused projects, highlight improvements in conversion rates, engagement, or retention.

• Tell a Story: Frame your portfolio pieces as narratives that highlight your problem-solving skills and strategic thinking. Explain your rationale and decision-making process at each stage.

• Highlight Collaboration: Showcase how you effectively partnered with product, design, and growth teams to integrate research insights.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Goal: For the home task, ensure you fully grasp the objective and expected deliverables. Focus on demonstrating your core research competencies.

• Methodology Justification: Be prepared to explain why you chose specific research methods and how they best addressed the research questions.

• Actionable Insights: Prioritize turning raw data into clear, concise, and actionable recommendations that directly address the business or user problem.

• Presentation Practice: Rehearse presenting your findings and recommendations, ensuring you can articulate complex ideas clearly and concisely within the allocated time.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process emphasizes practical application of research skills through a home task and a review of your portfolio. Demonstrating a clear understanding of how research drives business outcomes, especially in conversion optimization, will be critical.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• User Testing Platforms: Experience with tools such as UserTesting, Maze, Lookback, or similar is required for conducting usability tests and gathering user feedback.

• Behavioral Analytics: Proficiency in analyzing data from platforms like Mixpanel, Hotjar, PostHog, or Google Analytics is essential for understanding user behavior patterns and identifying friction points.

• Survey Tools: Familiarity with tools for creating and distributing surveys (e.g., SurveyMonkey, Typeform, Google Forms) for quantitative data collection.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Data Visualization: Ability to interpret and present data from analytics platforms effectively. While specific dashboarding tools aren't listed, familiarity with creating clear reports and presentations is key.

• CRO Tools: Exposure to tools that support conversion rate optimization efforts, potentially including A/B testing platforms.

CRM & Automation:

• While not directly a CRM role, understanding how user data flows from CRM or marketing automation platforms into analytics tools can be beneficial.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role requires hands-on experience with a suite of user research and analytics tools. The company specifically mentions Hotjar, Mixpanel, and PostHog, indicating these are likely primary tools for data analysis.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• User-Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and advocating for the user in all product decisions. This translates to a focus on empathy, user needs, and delivering exceptional user experiences.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Reliance on evidence, research, and data to inform strategy, validate hypotheses, and measure impact. This involves a critical approach to problem-solving and a commitment to continuous learning.

• Ownership & Accountability: A strong sense of responsibility for driving projects to completion and taking initiative to identify and solve problems independently. This fosters a proactive and results-oriented environment.

• Agility & Speed: Operating in a fast-paced environment requires adaptability, the ability to iterate quickly, and a willingness to embrace change. Efficiency in research and development cycles is highly valued.

• Collaboration & Transparency: Open communication and effective teamwork across functions to achieve shared goals. This includes sharing insights, providing constructive feedback, and working collaboratively to drive product success.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: The UX Researcher will work closely with Product Managers, Growth Marketers, and Designers, requiring strong communication and partnership skills to ensure research findings are effectively integrated into their workflows.

• Proactive Communication: Given the remote nature, proactive and clear communication, both asynchronous and synchronous, is essential for effective collaboration.

• Feedback Culture: An environment where constructive feedback is welcomed and utilized for continuous improvement of research processes and product outcomes.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture emphasizes ambition, speed, and impact. The values suggest a team that is driven, data-oriented, and collaborative, with a strong focus on achieving significant growth and success.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Establishing Research Processes: As a key figure in scaling the research function, you may face the challenge of defining and implementing robust research methodologies and infrastructure from an early stage.

• Balancing Research Needs with Speed: Operating in a fast-paced, growth-oriented environment requires balancing the need for thorough research with the urgency of product development and CRO testing.

• Synthesizing Ambiguous Data: Dealing with complex user behavior and potentially sparse initial data can be challenging, requiring strong analytical and critical thinking skills to derive clear insights.

• Driving Adoption of Insights: Effectively communicating and ensuring the adoption of research findings across multiple teams can require strong persuasion and stakeholder management skills.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Research Function Leadership: Opportunity to build and lead the UX research practice, developing strategic vision and operational frameworks.

• CRO & Growth Specialization: Deepen expertise in conversion rate optimization research, funnel analysis, and growth experimentation through direct application.

• Cross-Functional Skill Development: Gain exposure to product strategy, growth marketing tactics, and design principles through close collaboration with these teams.

• Industry Exposure: Potential to engage with new technologies and methodologies in consumer product development and user research.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role presents significant opportunities for professional growth by allowing the researcher to shape a critical function within a growing company, while also developing specialized skills in high-demand areas like CRO and growth analytics.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you identified a significant user problem that others had overlooked. How did you validate it, and what was the impact of your findings?" (Focus on your research process, problem identification skills, and ability to drive action.)

• "How would you approach researching user drop-off points in a subscription onboarding funnel? What methodologies would you prioritize and why?" (Demonstrate your understanding of funnel analysis, CRO research, and methodological trade-offs.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Ruby Labs' mission and our focus on consumer products across health, education, and entertainment?" (Research the company's products and values, and articulate your alignment.)

• "How do you stay user-centered in a fast-paced, remote environment where direct user interaction might be limited between research cycles?" (Highlight your strategies for maintaining user empathy and advocacy.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Focus on Impact: For each case study, clearly articulate the business problem, your research objectives, the specific actions you took, the key insights you uncovered, and the quantifiable results or impact of your work.

• Demonstrate Process: Walk through your research process step-by-step, explaining your methodology choices and how you adapted them.

• Tell a Story: Frame your projects as compelling narratives that showcase your problem-solving abilities and strategic thinking.

• Be Prepared for Questions: Anticipate questions about your decision-making, challenges faced, and alternative approaches you considered.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparation should focus on demonstrating a strong command of research methodologies, analytical rigor, the ability to translate insights into actionable business strategies (especially for CRO), and effective collaboration within a remote, fast-paced environment.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this UX Researcher position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Ashby.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 of your strongest UX research projects that highlight your end-to-end process, analytical skills, and impact on product or business metrics. Ensure each project clearly details the problem, your methodology, key insights, and outcomes.

• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight experience in qualitative and quantitative research methods, user testing platforms, behavioral data analysis tools (Mixpanel, Hotjar, PostHog), and any experience with CRO or subscription products. Quantify achievements wherever possible.

• Prepare for the Home Task: Familiarize yourself with common UX research challenges and practice outlining research plans, analyzing data, and synthesizing findings into actionable recommendations.

• Research Ruby Labs: Understand their product portfolio, company mission, and values. Prepare to articulate why you are a good fit for their fast-paced, ambitious, and user-centric culture.

⚠️ 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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