Lead UX Researcher

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Lead UX Researcher

Company: Asda

Location: Asda House, Leeds, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom

Job Type: Full time

Category: User Experience Research / Product Insight

Date Posted: 24 August 2026

Experience Level: 5-10 Years (Mid to Senior Level)

Remote Status: Hybrid (3 days in office, 2 days flexible)

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead and mentor a team of UX researchers to deliver impactful customer insights across Asda's digital and ecommerce platforms.

• Define and evolve research standards, methodologies, and operational processes to ensure high-quality, actionable research outputs.

• Drive product strategy and business decisions by translating complex customer data into clear, strategic recommendations for senior stakeholders.

• Collaborate cross-functionally with Product, Design, CRO, Engineering, and business teams to embed a customer-centric approach throughout the product development lifecycle.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a leadership opportunity within a growing UX team at a large, established retail organization. The emphasis on "insight leader" and "practice builder" indicates a strategic focus on establishing and scaling research operations, rather than just executing individual research projects. The hybrid model with a minimum of 3 days in office suggests a culture that values in-person collaboration for strategic initiatives and team development.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Research Leadership & Delivery: Own and lead end-to-end UX research initiatives for key digital products, including Asda Groceries and George.com, ensuring research directly informs product improvements and business objectives.

• Team Management & Development: Provide line management, mentorship, and professional development for a team of mid-weight and senior UX researchers, fostering a culture of learning and high performance.

• Methodology & Best Practice: Define, uphold, and evolve research standards, methodologies (mixed-methods), and best practices to ensure consistency, quality, and impact across all research activities.

• Insight Translation & Communication: Transform complex research findings into clear, actionable insights and compelling narratives that influence product direction, investment decisions, and senior stakeholder understanding.

• Research Operations & Tooling: Build and evolve research operations, including knowledge management systems, tooling (e.g., UserTesting, dscout), and processes to enhance efficiency, scalability, and the overall impact of the research function.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner closely with Product Managers, Designers, CRO specialists, Engineers, and business stakeholders to embed research insights into agile workflows and decision-making processes.

• Strategic Influence: Confidently communicate research direction and findings to senior leadership, influencing strategic priorities and resource allocation for digital product development.

• Practice Evolution: Drive the continuous improvement of research practices within Asda, exploring new methods, technologies (including AI), and approaches to enhance research quality, impact, and efficiency.

• Hiring & Onboarding: Lead the recruitment and onboarding of new research talent as the team grows, contributing to the strategic build-out of the UX research function.

• Broader Retail Integration: Evolve how digital journey insights connect with broader in-store and retail experiences, ensuring a holistic customer view.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a dual focus on hands-on research leadership and strategic practice building. The emphasis on "owning and leading research delivery" alongside "building and evolving research operations" and "line managing" indicates a role that requires both strategic vision and tactical execution. The inclusion of "connecting customer insight to digital product and ecommerce outcomes" and "evolving research practices" points to a need for a researcher who can demonstrate clear business impact.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• A degree in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, Design Research, or a related field is typically expected for this level of role. Equivalent practical experience will also be considered. Experience:

• Significant experience (5-10 years) in user experience research, with a strong track record of delivering end-to-end research projects across digital products and ecommerce platforms.

• Demonstrated experience in building, shaping, or significantly improving research practices, frameworks, and operations within an organization.

• Proven experience in leading and developing a team of researchers, including performance management, mentorship, and career development. Required Skills:

• Mixed-Method Research Expertise: Deep understanding and practical application of a wide range of qualitative and quantitative research methods (e.g., usability testing, in-depth interviews, surveys, diary studies, card sorting, A/B testing analysis).

• Research Operations & Tooling: Proficiency with research platforms like UserTesting, dscout, or similar; experience in establishing and managing research operations, including knowledge management and participant recruitment processes.

• Stakeholder Management & Influence: Proven ability to build strong relationships, manage expectations, and effectively influence decision-making with cross-functional teams and senior leadership.

• Insight Synthesis & Communication: Exceptional ability to translate complex research data into clear, concise, and actionable insights, with strong presentation and storytelling skills to convey findings to diverse audiences.

• Agile Product Development: Experience working within agile, multidisciplinary product teams, understanding sprint cycles, and integrating research seamlessly into product development workflows.

• Leadership & Mentorship: Demonstrated capability to lead, mentor, and develop research talent, fostering a collaborative and high-performing team environment.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience in the retail or ecommerce industry, understanding the unique challenges and opportunities within this sector.

• Familiarity with AI tools and technologies and their potential application in enhancing research quality, impact, and efficiency.

• Experience with Customer Relationship Management (CRM) data and its integration with qualitative insights.

• Knowledge of Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) principles and how research informs testing strategies.

• Experience working with large-scale digital platforms serving millions of users.

📝 Enhancement Note: The experience level suggests a need for someone who can not only execute research but also strategize and build the function. The emphasis on "turning complex research into clear, actionable insight" and "strong stakeholder management and influencing skills" points to a candidate who can bridge the gap between research findings and business outcomes. The mention of AI indicates a forward-thinking approach to research methodologies.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Case Studies of End-to-End Research Delivery: Showcase detailed examples of research projects from initial problem definition through to actionable insights and demonstrated impact on product or business outcomes.

• Demonstration of Methodological Breadth: Highlight experience with a variety of research methods, explaining the rationale for choosing specific methods for different research questions.

• Impact Metrics & ROI: Include examples where research directly influenced product decisions, led to measurable improvements (e.g., increased conversion, reduced task completion time, improved customer satisfaction), and contributed to business goals. Quantifiable results are highly valued.

• Process Evolution Examples: Present instances where you identified opportunities to improve research processes, operations, or tooling, and the positive outcomes of those changes.

• Leadership & Mentorship Examples: If applicable, include examples of how you have mentored junior researchers, led team initiatives, or contributed to the growth of a research practice.

Process Documentation:

• Research Planning & Prioritization: Demonstrate how you have planned and prioritized research initiatives, aligning them with product roadmaps and business objectives, especially in a complex, multi-team environment.

• Insight Dissemination & Knowledge Management: Showcase examples of how you have effectively shared research findings across an organization and contributed to building a shared understanding of the customer, potentially through repositories or knowledge-sharing sessions.

• Operational Efficiency Improvements: Provide examples of how you have streamlined research workflows, implemented new tools, or refined processes to increase the efficiency and scalability of research operations.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Lead UX Researcher, a portfolio is crucial. It should not just list projects but tell a story of impact, leadership, and strategic thinking. The emphasis on "turning complex research into clear, actionable insight" and "connecting customer insight to digital product and ecommerce outcomes" means case studies should clearly articulate the problem, the research approach, the insights, and the tangible business results.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• Competitive salary plus benefits.

• Based on industry benchmarks for a Lead UX Researcher in the UK, with 5-10 years of experience and leadership responsibilities, a typical salary range would likely fall between £60,000 - £85,000 per annum. This can vary based on specific experience, skills, and the final negotiation. Benefits:

• Discretionary Company Bonus: Performance-based bonus opportunities.

• Company Pension: Up to 7% matched company pension contributions.

• Company Car Allowance: £5,700 annual allowance for a company car.

• Colleague Discount: 15% discount on Asda and George.com purchases.

• Comprehensive Wellbeing Support:

  • Stream access for wellbeing resources.
  • 24/7 virtual GP service.
  • Counselling services.
  • Health and dental cash plans.
  • 24/7 employee assistance helpline.

• Extensive Discounts: Access to discounts across a wide range of services and activities, including travel, entertainment, and leisure.

• Inclusion Networks: Participation in Asda Allies Inclusion Networks.

• Generous Parental Leave Policies: Including maternity, adoption, paternity, shared parental, and neonatal care leave, plus support for fertility treatments.

Working Hours:

• 37.5 hours per week.

• The role offers flexibility, with a hybrid working arrangement allowing for 2 days of flexible work outside the office.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary estimate is based on current market data for similar Lead UX Researcher roles in major UK cities, considering the experience level and leadership component. The extensive benefits package, particularly the wellbeing support and parental leave, are significant advantages for attracting and retaining talent. The mention of a company car allowance is also a notable perk.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Retail (Supermarkets, Fashion, Ecommerce)

Company Size: Large Enterprise (Asda is a major UK retailer with tens of thousands of employees globally).

Founded: 1949. Asda has a long history and a significant presence in the UK market, known for its value proposition and extensive store and online presence.

Team Structure:

• UX Research Team: The role involves leading a small, growing team of UX researchers (currently 2, with plans for expansion). This team likely operates within a broader Digital, Product, or Customer Experience department.

• Reporting Structure: The Lead UX Researcher will likely report to a Head of UX, Director of Product, or a similar senior leader within the digital/product organization.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: The role requires close collaboration with Product Managers, UX/UI Designers, CRO Specialists, Data Analysts, Engineers, and various business stakeholders across different departments.

Methodology:

• Agile & Iterative: The product development environment is described as agile, implying iterative cycles of design, development, and testing.

• Data-Driven & Customer-Centric: The company is actively transforming its digital platforms and emphasizes customer insight as central to this mission. This suggests a strong emphasis on using data and research to inform decisions.

• Hybrid Work Model: Asda employs a hybrid working model, balancing in-office collaboration with remote flexibility.

Company Website: https://corporate.asda.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: Asda's scale means this role offers the opportunity to impact millions of customers. The focus on "modernizing digital platforms" and "improving the quality of the experience" indicates a company in a phase of significant digital evolution, making it an exciting time to join. The "Proud to be Asda" slogan suggests a culture that values inclusivity and authenticity.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a "Lead" position, indicating a senior individual contributor and management role. It sits above a Senior UX Researcher and below a Head of UX or Director. It requires strategic thinking, practice-building capabilities, and team leadership.

Reporting Structure: The Lead UX Researcher will manage a small team and report to a higher-level manager within the digital product organization. This provides exposure to senior leadership and strategic decision-making within the company.

Operations Impact: The role has a direct impact on the success of Asda's digital and ecommerce platforms (Asda Groceries, George.com). By ensuring customer insight drives product development, the Lead UX Researcher influences customer satisfaction, conversion rates, user engagement, and ultimately, revenue. The role is crucial in transforming how customers shop digitally.

Growth Opportunities:

• Team Expansion & Leadership: Opportunity to grow and shape a UX research team, potentially leading to a Head of UX Research role or similar management positions as the practice matures.

• Strategic Practice Development: Influence the broader UX and product development strategy at Asda, contributing to how customer insight is valued and utilized across the organization.

• Cross-Functional Expertise: Gain deep experience working with diverse teams (product, design, engineering, marketing, retail operations), enhancing understanding of a large, complex retail business.

• Industry Trends & Innovation: Opportunity to explore and implement new research methodologies and technologies, including AI, contributing to Asda's digital transformation.

• Retail Sector Specialization: Deepen expertise in the fast-paced and dynamic retail industry, a valuable specialization in the job market.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Lead" title implies a significant step up from a Senior Researcher, requiring not only advanced research skills but also the ability to strategize, manage, and influence at a higher level. The growth potential is tied to the success and expansion of the UX research practice itself.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Asda House in Leeds is the company's headquarters, likely a modern corporate office environment.

Office Location(s): Asda House, Leeds, West Yorkshire. This is the primary location for the 3 days per week in-office requirement.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The hybrid model with 3 days in office is designed to foster collaboration, team building, and in-person strategic discussions. Expect a dynamic office setting with opportunities for interaction.

• Tools & Technology: Access to standard corporate IT infrastructure, as well as specialized UX research tools (UserTesting, dscout, etc.) and collaboration platforms.

• Team Interaction: Regular opportunities to engage with the UX research team, product teams, design, and other stakeholders within the Asda House office.

Work Schedule:

• Standard working hours (37.5 per week) with a hybrid arrangement.

• Flexibility is offered, with the ability to work remotely for 2 days per week, allowing for focused individual work or personal commitments.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "on-site presence at Asda House three days per week" and the "hybrid way of working with a minimum 3 days a week in one of our Home Offices" indicates that while flexibility exists, the company prioritizes in-person interaction for key team functions and strategic initiatives.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter or hiring manager will review applications and resumes, looking for alignment with the core requirements, particularly experience in mixed-method research, team leadership, and stakeholder influence.

• Hiring Manager Interview: A conversation with the hiring manager (Clare Tempest) to discuss your background, leadership experience, approach to research operations, and team management philosophy.

• Portfolio Review & Presentation: A dedicated session where you will present a selection of your best work. This is a critical stage to showcase your research process, insights, impact, and leadership capabilities. Be prepared to discuss case studies in detail.

• Cross-Functional Stakeholder Interviews: Interviews with key partners (e.g., Product Managers, Design Leads, Engineering Leads) to assess your collaboration style, communication skills, and ability to integrate research into product development.

• Senior Leadership Interview: A final interview with a senior leader (e.g., Head of Product, Director of Digital) to evaluate strategic thinking, business acumen, and overall fit with Asda's vision.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate for Impact: Select 3-4 strong case studies that best represent your experience in end-to-end research, team leadership, and driving business outcomes.

• Structure Your Narratives: For each case study, clearly articulate:

  • The Problem: What was the business or user challenge?
  • Your Role & Approach: What was your specific contribution, and what research methods did you employ and why?
  • Key Insights: What were the most critical findings?
  • The Impact: How did your research influence decisions, and what were the measurable results (e.g., improved metrics, product changes)?
  • Lessons Learned: What did you learn from the project?

• Highlight Leadership: If presenting team leadership examples, focus on how you enabled your team, mentored them, and improved their output or processes.

• Be Ready for Questions: Anticipate questions about your methodologies, decision-making processes, how you handle challenging stakeholders, and how you measure research success.

• Tailor to Asda: Briefly research Asda's current digital initiatives and challenges (e.g., online grocery, George.com growth) and be prepared to speak about how your experience aligns.

Challenge Preparation:

• While not explicitly mentioned, be prepared for potential exercises. This could involve a take-home assignment to analyze a hypothetical problem or a live case study discussion where you're asked to outline a research plan for a given scenario. Focus on demonstrating your strategic thinking, methodological rigor, and ability to translate challenges into actionable research plans.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process at a company like Asda is typically multi-stage to ensure a good fit across teams and leadership. The portfolio review is highlighted as a crucial element, suggesting candidates should invest heavily in preparing compelling case studies that demonstrate both research expertise and business impact.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• User Research Platforms: UserTesting, dscout (or similar platforms for remote usability testing, qualitative data collection, and user feedback).

• Collaboration Tools: Microsoft Teams, Slack, Jira, Confluence (for team communication, project management, and documentation).

• Design & Prototyping Tools: Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD (understanding these tools is beneficial for collaboration with designers, even if not directly used for design).

Analytics & Reporting:

• Web Analytics: Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics (understanding how to interpret data and connect it with research findings).

• Business Intelligence Tools: Tableau, Power BI (familiarity with data visualization and reporting for stakeholder presentations).

• Survey Tools: SurveyMonkey, Qualtrics (for quantitative data collection and feedback surveys).

CRM & Automation:

• CRM Systems: Salesforce, Dynamics 365 (understanding how customer data is managed and how research can inform CRM strategies).

• Customer Data Platforms (CDPs): Experience with platforms that consolidate customer data would be advantageous.

• Automation Tools: Awareness of how automation impacts customer journeys and how research can inform automated processes.

📝 Enhancement Note: The mention of UserTesting and dscout indicates a reliance on established qualitative research tools. A strong candidate will be familiar with these and possess a general understanding of the broader digital product development technology stack, including analytics and collaboration platforms. The mention of AI suggests an openness to exploring AI-powered research tools.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Customer Centricity: A core value, evident in the mission to improve customer experience through insight.

• Collaboration: Emphasis on working together across product, design, engineering, and business teams to achieve shared goals.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: A commitment to using data and research to inform strategy and execution.

• Efficiency & Impact: A focus on delivering tangible outcomes and driving improvements that benefit the business and customers.

• Innovation: Openness to new methods and technologies, including AI, to enhance research practices.

• Inclusivity: As highlighted by "Asda Allies Inclusion Networks" and the desire for colleagues to be "proud to be themselves."

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: The role is designed to embed research within product teams, requiring proactive collaboration and communication.

• Partnership Approach: Working closely with Product, Design, and Engineering to ensure research is integrated early and often in the product lifecycle.

• Influence & Advocacy: A style that involves confidently communicating insights to influence stakeholders and advocate for the customer.

• Continuous Improvement: A culture that embraces feedback and strives for ongoing enhancement of processes and practices.

📝 Enhancement Note: Asda's values, particularly around customer focus, inclusivity, and collaboration, are key to understanding the cultural fit for this role. The emphasis on embedding research into agile teams suggests a collaborative and integrated working style is essential.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Scaling Research Operations: Building and evolving research operations and tooling to support a growing team and an expanding digital portfolio.

• Driving Insight Adoption: Ensuring that research insights are consistently understood, acted upon, and integrated into product roadmaps across a large organization with diverse stakeholders.

• Balancing Strategic vs. Tactical: Managing the demands of leading a team, building practice, and delivering high-impact research projects simultaneously.

• Connecting Digital to Physical: Bridging the gap between digital customer experiences and Asda's broader in-store and retail operations, a complex challenge in a multi-channel business.

• Navigating Organizational Complexity: Working within a large, established retail organization requires strong navigation and influencing skills.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Leadership Development: Formal and informal opportunities to hone team management, strategic planning, and stakeholder influence skills.

• Industry Best Practices: Exposure to cutting-edge research methodologies and technologies, including AI, within a large-scale retail context.

• Cross-Functional Learning: Deep understanding of product management, UX/UI design, engineering, and business strategy within the retail sector.

• Professional Networking: Opportunities to connect with industry peers and attend relevant conferences or training.

• Mentorship: Potential for mentorship from senior leaders within Asda's digital and product organizations.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are typical for a lead role in a large, evolving organization. They offer significant opportunities for professional growth, particularly in areas of leadership, strategic development, and navigating complex business environments.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe your philosophy on building and scaling a UX research practice. What are the key components of effective research operations?"

  • Preparation: Focus on your experience in defining standards, implementing tooling, managing knowledge, and fostering a high-performing team. Use examples from your portfolio.

• "How do you ensure research insights translate into actionable product decisions and drive measurable business impact?"

  • Preparation: Prepare case studies that clearly demonstrate the link between your research, the resulting product changes, and specific business outcomes (e.g., conversion lifts, satisfaction scores).

• "Walk us through how you would approach leading and mentoring a team of UX researchers, especially as the team grows."

  • Preparation: Discuss your leadership style, experience with performance management, professional development strategies, and how you foster collaboration and skill-sharing within a team.

• "How do you balance the needs of different stakeholders (e.g., Product, Design, Engineering, Marketing, Senior Leadership) and influence their decisions with research findings?"

  • Preparation: Be ready to share examples of navigating competing priorities, communicating complex information effectively to different audiences, and building consensus.

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Asda and this specific role within our digital transformation journey?"

  • Preparation: Research Asda's recent digital initiatives, their competitive landscape, and articulate how your skills and aspirations align with their mission.

• "How do you foster a customer-centric culture within product teams?"

  • Preparation: Discuss methods for sharing customer insights, advocating for user needs, and embedding empathy into team processes.

• "Describe your experience working in agile environments. How do you integrate research effectively into agile sprints and product roadmaps?"

  • Preparation: Highlight your understanding of agile methodologies and practical examples of how you've made research a seamless part of the development cycle.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Storytelling: Frame your portfolio presentations as compelling narratives that highlight your problem-solving skills, strategic thinking, and impact.

• Focus on Impact: For each case study, clearly articulate the "so what?" – what was the tangible benefit or outcome of your research? Quantify results wherever possible.

• Demonstrate Leadership: Explicitly discuss your role in leading research, mentoring others, or improving processes, even within individual project examples.

• Showcase Methodological Rigor: Explain why you chose specific methods and how they were best suited to answer the research questions.

• Be Prepared for Deep Dives: Anticipate detailed questions about your methodology, data analysis, and decision-making process.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview preparation emphasizes demonstrating strategic thinking, leadership, and a clear understanding of how research drives business value, which are critical for a "Lead" role. The portfolio presentation is a key opportunity to showcase these capabilities.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Lead UX Researcher position:

• Submit Your Application: Apply directly through the provided Workday link. Ensure your CV is up-to-date and tailored to the role.

• Craft a Compelling CV: Highlight your experience in mixed-method UX research, team leadership, stakeholder management, and research operations. Use keywords from the job description.

• Prepare Your Portfolio: Curate 3-4 strong case studies that showcase your end-to-end research delivery, leadership experience, and demonstrable business impact. Be ready to present these in detail.

• Research Asda: Familiarize yourself with Asda's digital strategy, their key platforms (Asda Groceries, George.com), and recent news to demonstrate genuine interest and understanding.

• Practice Your Narrative: Rehearse your responses to common interview questions, particularly those focusing on leadership, strategic thinking, and driving impact through research. Practice presenting your portfolio confidently.

⚠️ 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.