UX Researcher II, Amazon Leo

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: UX Researcher II, Amazon Leo

Company: Amazon

Location: Redmond, Washington, United States

Job Type: Full-time

Category: User Experience Research / Product Development

Date Posted: April 13, 2026

Experience Level: Mid-Level (3+ years)

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive impactful user research initiatives within Amazon Leo, focusing on customer experience for satellite broadband services.

• Define and execute end-to-end research plans, from study design and participant recruitment to data analysis and actionable insight delivery.

• Collaborate closely with UX Designers, Product Managers, and Engineering teams to translate customer needs into product improvements and inform strategic decisions.

• Leverage generative AI tools to enhance research workflows, accelerate ideation, and synthesize user feedback efficiently.

• Contribute to the continuous improvement of UX Research practices and establish scalable mechanisms for research efforts within a growing team.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "UX Researcher II" title and the "3+ years of proven success leading User Research projects" requirement indicate a mid-level role. The focus on "Amazon Leo" and "Low Earth Orbit satellites" suggests a highly innovative and technically complex product area. This role is critical for translating user needs into a novel service offering, requiring strong analytical and strategic thinking.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Partner with UX Designers and Product Managers to identify critical research opportunities and prioritize research questions based on current knowledge, project objectives, and identified risks.

• Lead the design, planning, execution, and reporting of user research studies using a variety of methodologies, including lab-based testing, remote testing, iterative prototype testing, and survey design.

• Synthesize qualitative and quantitative research findings into clear, actionable insights and recommendations that directly inform product vision, design iterations, and development roadmap adjustments.

• Communicate complex research findings and strategic implications persuasively to diverse audiences, including executive leadership, product teams, and engineering stakeholders.

• Develop and maintain long-term research plans, roadmaps, and opportunity frameworks that align with Amazon Leo's business strategy and customer experience goals.

• Champion customer-centricity by advocating for user needs and insights throughout the product development lifecycle, ensuring designs meet customer expectations and drive business impact.

• Evaluate and integrate generative AI tools into research workflows to enhance efficiency, accelerate ideation, and improve the synthesis of user feedback.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of tactical execution (study design, moderation) and strategic contribution (research plans, informing product vision). The emphasis on "driving impact to the business and customer experience" suggests that the role requires not just research execution but also a strong understanding of business outcomes and the ability to influence product strategy.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree in Human-Computer Interaction Design (HCDE), Human Factors, Cognitive Psychology, or a closely related field.

Experience: Minimum of 3 years of demonstrated success in leading User Research projects with a tangible impact on product development and customer experience.

Required Skills:

• Proven expertise in leading end-to-end User Research projects, encompassing study design, participant recruiting, moderation, data analysis, and comprehensive reporting.

• Hands-on experience with diverse research methodologies, including lab-based and remote user testing, iterative prototype testing, survey design, and the ability to strategically apply multiple methods within a single study.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to synthesize complex qualitative and quantitative data into actionable insights.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with a proven ability to present complex concepts clearly and persuasively to various organizational levels.

• Demonstrated experience in collaborating effectively with UX Designers, Product Managers, and cross-functional engineering teams.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience conducting research for consumer-facing or enterprise SaaS/service experiences, particularly in a global context.

• Proficiency in mixed research methods, including generative, behavioral, attitudinal, and evaluative approaches.

• Familiarity with behavioral science principles and their application in user research.

• Experience leveraging generative AI tools to enhance research workflows and ideation processes.

• A passion for staying abreast of the latest advancements in behavioral science, research methods, and UX design, and applying these to practical applications.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Basic Qualifications" specify a Bachelor's degree in fields directly related to human-computer interaction and psychology, underscoring the foundational importance of understanding human behavior and design principles. The "Preferred Qualifications" suggest that experience with more complex, globalized, or cutting-edge products (like satellite broadband) and advanced tools (like generative AI) would be highly advantageous.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio demonstrating past work experience and key deliverables, such as detailed study plans, insightful research reports, user personas, journey maps, and documented impact on product decisions.

• Evidence of successful research leadership, showcasing the ability to define research strategy and drive projects from inception to completion.

• Examples of translating raw user data into clear, actionable recommendations that influenced product design and strategy.

Process Documentation:

• Showcase your approach to documenting research processes, including methodology selection rationale, ethical considerations, data collection protocols, and analysis frameworks.

• Provide examples of how you have contributed to establishing or refining research processes and mechanisms to ensure scalability and consistency.

• Illustrate your understanding of the end-to-end product development lifecycle and how research integrates at each stage.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the role's focus on driving impact and informing product strategy, a portfolio is crucial. It should not only showcase past research projects but also highlight the candidate's strategic thinking, ability to influence product decisions, and understanding of how research integrates into a larger product development ecosystem. Demonstrating experience with process definition and refinement is also key for a role contributing to scaling research efforts.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $130,100 - $176,000 USD annually.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive health insurance package including medical, dental, and vision coverage.

• Prescription drug coverage and access to a Medical Advice Line.

• Basic Life & AD&D Insurance with options for Supplemental Life Plans.

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and dedicated Mental Health Support.

• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) for healthcare and dependent care expenses.

• Adoption and Surrogacy Reimbursement coverage.

• 401(k) retirement savings plan with company matching.

• Generous Paid Time Off (PTO) and parental leave policies.

• Sign-on payments and Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) as part of the total compensation package.

Working Hours: Standard full-time, 40 hours per week. While the role is on-site, Amazon typically offers flexibility within core working hours to accommodate various work styles and personal needs, provided business objectives are met.

📝 Enhancement Note: The provided salary range is specific to the Redmond, Washington location. Amazon's compensation structure often includes base salary, sign-on bonuses, and Restricted Stock Units (RSUs), which are significant components of total compensation for mid-level and senior roles. The benefits package is extensive, covering health, wellness, financial planning, and family support, reflecting Amazon's commitment to employee well-being.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology, Telecommunications & Satellite Communications. Amazon Leo is part of Amazon's ambitious initiative to provide global broadband internet service via a satellite constellation, placing it at the forefront of next-generation connectivity solutions.

Company Size: Amazon is a global technology giant with hundreds of thousands of employees worldwide. The Amazon Leo team, while part of this larger organization, operates with an entrepreneurial spirit to build new products and services.

Founded: Amazon was founded in 1994. The Amazon Leo initiative represents a significant investment and expansion into new technological frontiers, requiring leaders with an ownership mindset and the ability to navigate complex, fast-evolving projects.

Team Structure:

• The UX team within Amazon Leo is a growing, cross-functional group dedicated to ensuring customer-centricity in product development.

• Researchers will likely report through a UX leadership structure, collaborating closely with Product Management, Engineering, and Marketing teams.

Methodology:

• Data-driven decision-making is core to Amazon's culture, with a strong emphasis on customer obsession and deep dives into user insights.

• Workflow planning and optimization are critical, especially in a new product area like satellite broadband, where agility and iterative improvement are key.

• Automation and efficiency practices are increasingly important, with the integration of tools like generative AI to accelerate research and development cycles.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Amazon's culture is famously customer-obsessed, data-driven, and emphasizes "ownership" and "bias for action." For a UX Researcher, this means research insights must be directly tied to customer needs and business impact, requiring strong analytical skills and the ability to influence decisions. The "Amazon Leo" initiative implies a fast-paced, innovative environment akin to a startup within a large corporation.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This UX Researcher II role is positioned at a mid-career level, requiring independent contribution and leadership in research projects. It offers the opportunity to shape the user experience for a groundbreaking new service, providing significant visibility and impact.

Reporting Structure: The role likely reports to a UX Research Manager or Lead within the Amazon Leo organization. Collaboration will be extensive with Product Managers, UX Designers, Engineers, and potentially marketing and business development teams, requiring strong cross-functional communication and influence.

Operations Impact: The research conducted will directly influence the design of existing and new programs for Amazon Leo. Insights will inform executive leaders' decisions, shape the customer journey from discovery to utilization, and ultimately impact the success of a major new Amazon initiative.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Development: Deepen expertise in advanced research methodologies, generative AI for research, and specialized UX practices for complex service offerings.

• Leadership Progression: Advance to Senior UX Researcher roles, lead larger research initiatives, or transition into UX management or program management within Amazon Leo or other Amazon divisions.

• Cross-functional Exposure: Gain experience working with diverse teams across Amazon, potentially leading to opportunities in program management, product strategy, or specialization in specific customer segments.

📝 Enhancement Note: Mid-level UX roles at Amazon often provide a clear path for growth into senior individual contributor roles or management positions. The unique nature of the Amazon Leo project offers a chance to build expertise in a cutting-edge technology domain, which can be a significant differentiator for future career opportunities within or outside Amazon.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: This is an on-site role in Redmond, Washington. Amazon typically provides modern office spaces designed to foster collaboration and productivity, equipped with necessary technology for UX research and team interactions.

Office Location(s): The primary work location is Redmond, Washington, which is part of the Seattle metropolitan area, a major hub for technology companies.

Workspace Context:

• Employees can expect a collaborative workspace designed to encourage interaction with UX Designers, Product Managers, and Engineers.

• Access to necessary tools and technology for conducting user research, including usability labs, testing software, and potentially specialized hardware for the Leo project.

• Opportunities for informal and formal collaboration sessions, design reviews, and research debriefs with team members.

Work Schedule: The standard work week is 40 hours. While on-site, Amazon often promotes a culture of flexibility within core business hours, allowing individuals to manage their schedules effectively to balance project demands with personal needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: As an on-site role, it emphasizes in-person collaboration, which is often crucial for fast-paced product development and complex problem-solving. The Redmond location places the role within a vibrant tech ecosystem, offering access to talent and resources.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter will likely review your resume and portfolio for basic qualifications and experience alignment.

• Hiring Manager Interview (Phone/Video): A discussion focusing on your experience, research philosophy, and alignment with Amazon's leadership principles. Expect questions about your approach to research challenges and past impactful projects.

• UX Research Team / Cross-functional Interviews: Multiple rounds with other UX Researchers, UX Designers, and Product Managers. These interviews will delve deeper into your research methodologies, analytical skills, collaboration style, and ability to translate insights into action. Expect case studies or scenario-based questions.

• Portfolio Review: A dedicated session where you will present selected case studies from your portfolio, detailing your process, findings, and the impact of your research. Be prepared to discuss your role, the challenges faced, and the outcomes achieved.

• Bar Raiser Interview: A final interview conducted by an Amazonian outside the hiring team, focused on assessing your fit with Amazon's culture and leadership principles.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 2-3 projects that best showcase your end-to-end research capabilities, problem-solving skills, and measurable impact. Prioritize projects that align with the scope of Amazon Leo (e.g., service design, complex user journeys, new technology adoption).

• Structure for Impact: For each case study, clearly articulate the problem, your research goals, methodology, process, key insights, recommendations, and most importantly, the impact of your work on the product and business. Use visuals to illustrate your process and findings.

• Highlight Collaboration: Demonstrate how you partnered with cross-functional teams (designers, PMs, engineers) and how your research influenced their work.

• Showcase Adaptability: Include examples of how you adapted research methods to unique challenges or constraints, and how you used data to inform decisions under ambiguity.

Challenge Preparation:

• Anticipate UX Scenarios: Be prepared for questions that present hypothetical user research challenges related to a satellite broadband service (e.g., understanding adoption barriers, improving onboarding, evaluating new features).

• Think Like an Owner: Frame your answers around Amazon's Leadership Principles, demonstrating your customer obsession, bias for action, and ability to dive deep.

• Articulate Research Rationale: Clearly explain why you would choose specific research methods for a given problem, considering the trade-offs and expected outcomes.

• Prepare for AI Integration: Be ready to discuss how you might leverage generative AI tools to enhance your research process, from ideation to synthesis.

📝 Enhancement Note: Amazon's interview process is known for its rigor and emphasis on their Leadership Principles. For a UX Researcher, demonstrating the ability to translate research into business impact and influence product strategy is paramount. A well-prepared portfolio that clearly articulates impact and process is essential.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• User Research Platforms: Familiarity with tools for remote usability testing, survey creation, and participant management (e.g., UserTesting.com, Lookback, SurveyMonkey, Qualtrics).

• Collaboration Suites: Proficiency in tools for team communication and collaboration (e.g., Slack, Microsoft Teams, Amazon Chime).

• Prototyping & Design Tools: Understanding of how UX Researchers collaborate with designers using tools like Figma, Sketch, or Adobe XD for prototype testing.

• Generative AI Tools: Experience or aptitude for using AI tools to assist in research synthesis, content generation, ideation, and workflow optimization.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Data Analysis Software: Skills in analyzing qualitative and quantitative data, potentially using tools like Excel, R, Python (for advanced analysis), or specialized qualitative data analysis software (e.g., NVivo, Dovetail).

• Reporting & Visualization Tools: Ability to create clear, compelling reports and presentations, potentially using tools like PowerPoint, Google Slides, Tableau, or Looker for data visualization.

CRM & Automation:

• While not a direct CRM role, understanding how user feedback and insights integrate with customer data and product roadmaps is beneficial. Familiarity with project management tools (e.g., Jira, Asana) for tracking research initiatives.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of "generative AI tools" in the job description is a key indicator of the expected technology stack. Proficiency in standard UX research tools is a given, but demonstrating an ability to integrate and leverage emerging AI technologies will be a significant advantage.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Customer Obsession: A deep commitment to understanding and advocating for the user, ensuring their needs are at the forefront of product development.

• Ownership: Taking responsibility for research outcomes, proactively identifying opportunities, and driving projects to completion with minimal direction.

• Bias for Action: Moving quickly and pragmatically to deliver insights and influence product decisions, even with incomplete information.

• Dive Deep: Conducting thorough, rigorous research and analysis to uncover root causes and provide comprehensive understanding.

• Invent and Simplify: Finding innovative ways to conduct research and present findings, simplifying complex information for stakeholders.

Collaboration Style:

• Highly collaborative, working closely with UX Designers, Product Managers, and Engineers to ensure research is integrated seamlessly into the product development process.

• Emphasis on open communication, constructive feedback, and shared ownership of product success.

• Researchers are expected to be effective communicators who can articulate complex ideas clearly and persuasively to diverse audiences.

📝 Enhancement Note: Amazon's Leadership Principles are deeply embedded in its culture and hiring process. For a UX Researcher, aligning with principles like Customer Obsession, Ownership, Bias for Action, and Dive Deep is critical for success and growth within the company.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Pioneering a New Service: Researching and defining user experiences for a novel satellite broadband service presents inherent ambiguity and the need to establish foundational understanding of customer needs and behaviors in this domain.

• Balancing Research Rigor with Speed: Operating in a fast-paced environment requires balancing the need for thorough, high-quality research with the demand for rapid insights to inform product development timelines.

• Cross-functional Influence: Effectively translating research insights into actionable product changes requires strong influencing skills and the ability to navigate diverse stakeholder priorities.

• Scaling Research: As Amazon Leo grows, developing and implementing research processes and mechanisms that can scale efficiently will be a key challenge.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Cutting-edge Technology: Gain in-depth experience researching novel technologies and complex service offerings in the satellite communications sector.

• Advanced Methodologies: Opportunity to experiment with and refine advanced research techniques, including generative AI integration and mixed-methods approaches.

• Leadership Development: Potential to lead significant research initiatives, mentor junior researchers, and contribute to the strategic direction of the UX function within Amazon Leo.

• Industry Exposure: Access to internal Amazon resources, conferences, and learning opportunities related to UX, product development, and emerging technologies.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are inherent to working on innovative, large-scale projects within a dynamic tech company. The growth opportunities highlight the unique value proposition of this role for a UX professional seeking to advance their career in a forward-thinking environment.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to influence a product decision with your research findings, especially when there was resistance." (Focus on your communication, data articulation, and stakeholder management skills).

• "How would you approach designing a research plan for a brand new satellite internet service for users who have never experienced such a product before?" (Demonstrate your ability to handle ambiguity, select appropriate generative and evaluative methods, and define key research questions).

Company & Culture Questions:

• "How do you embody Amazon's 'Customer Obsession' leadership principle in your research work?" (Prepare specific examples of how you prioritize customer needs and advocate for them).

• "Describe a situation where you had to take ownership of a research project with minimal direction. What was the outcome?" (Showcase your initiative, problem-solving, and ability to drive results independently).

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Impact-Focused Narrative: For each project, start with the business problem or user challenge, clearly state the impact you achieved (e.g., "This research led to a 15% increase in feature adoption," or "Informed a strategic pivot that saved X development hours").

• Methodology Justification: Explain why you chose specific research methods, detailing the trade-offs and how they best addressed the research objectives.

• Visual Storytelling: Use screenshots, mockups, quotes, and data visualizations to make your presentation engaging and easy to follow.

• Role Clarity: Be explicit about your role in the project, especially if it was a collaborative effort.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparing for Amazon interviews requires a deep understanding of their Leadership Principles and the ability to articulate experience through specific STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) method examples. For this role, demonstrating how research directly translates to business impact is critical.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations position:

• Submit your application through the Amazon Jobs portal.

• Portfolio Customization: Select 2-3 of your most impactful UX research projects. Ensure these highlight your end-to-end research process, strategic thinking, ability to drive product decisions, and measurable impact. Tailor your portfolio presentation to showcase experience relevant to a complex service offering like satellite broadband.

• Resume Optimization: Update your resume to clearly articulate your years of experience, specific research methodologies used, and quantifiable achievements. Integrate keywords from the job description such as "User Research," "Study Design," "Generative AI," "Product Development Lifecycle," and "Cross-functional Collaboration."

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your experience using the STAR method, focusing on Amazon's Leadership Principles. Prepare specific examples for how you embody Customer Obsession, Ownership, Bias for Action, and Dive Deep. Rehearse your portfolio presentation to be concise, impact-driven, and engaging.

• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with Amazon's mission, the Amazon Leo initiative, and the company's approach to innovation and customer experience. Understand the competitive landscape for satellite broadband services.

⚠️ 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.

---