Senior Director UX Research

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Director, UX Research

Company: Remitly

Location: London, United Kingdom (also open to Raleigh, NC; Philadelphia, PA; Amsterdam)

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: User Experience Research / Product Strategy

Date Posted: 2026-04-10

Experience Level: Senior Level (10+ years)

Remote Status: On-site (with hybrid/remote options in other specified locations)

🚀 Role Summary

• Defines and owns the global UX Research strategy, aligning with overarching company and product objectives to drive impactful user insights.

• Leads and governs the UX Research function across the organization, ensuring rigorous standards for quality, methodology, and business impact.

• Partners closely with senior Product, Design, and Visual leadership to influence strategic roadmap decisions and champion user-centricity.

• Serves as a key advocate for user and customer needs at the executive level and throughout the broader organization, translating complex findings into actionable strategies.

• Oversees the execution of complex, high-impact research programs designed to address critical strategic business challenges and opportunities.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the primary location is London, the inclusion of Raleigh, Philadelphia, and Amsterdam suggests a global team structure and potential for hybrid or remote work arrangements in those specific regions, catering to a broader talent pool. The role's seniority implies a significant focus on strategic leadership and influencing product direction, rather than just execution.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Develop and articulate a clear, compelling UX Research strategy that directly supports Elsevier's mission to advance science and healthcare through data-driven insights.

• Establish and maintain organizational standards for UX research methodologies, ensuring consistency, rigor, and ethical practices across all research initiatives.

• Collaborate with cross-functional leaders (Product, Engineering, Data Science, Commercial) to identify key research questions and translate business objectives into actionable research plans.

• Champion user and customer perspectives in high-level strategic discussions, influencing product roadmaps, investment decisions, and go-to-market strategies.

• Direct and manage large-scale research programs that tackle ambiguous, high-priority business problems, ensuring timely and impactful delivery of insights.

• Leverage a deep understanding of both qualitative and quantitative data, along with testing outcomes, to inform strategic decision-making, prioritize initiatives, and shape future product development.

• Build, mentor, and develop a high-performing UX Research team, fostering a culture of continuous learning, skill enhancement, and diverse methodological expertise.

• Define, implement, and track key research performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the effectiveness and impact of the research function, identifying areas for improvement and innovation.

• Act as a thought leader and external representative for Elsevier's UX Research capabilities, engaging with industry peers, presenting at conferences, and contributing to the broader UX community.

• Identify, vet, and manage relationships with external research partners and agencies to supplement internal capabilities and scale research efforts as needed.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a strategic leadership role focused on establishing research frameworks, influencing executive decisions, and building team capabilities. The emphasis on "complex, high-impact research programmes" and "strategic business challenges" indicates a need for experience in tackling large-scale, ambiguous problems with significant business implications.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: A Bachelor's or Master's degree in Human-Computer Interaction, Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, Statistics, or a related field is typically expected for this level of role, demonstrating a foundational understanding of research principles.

Experience: Extensive experience (10+ years) leading UX Research within complex, product-led organizations is essential. This includes significant experience in strategic planning, team leadership, and influencing senior stakeholders.

Required Skills:

• Strategic UX Research Leadership: Proven ability to define, own, and execute a global UX Research strategy aligned with business objectives.

• Methodological Expertise: Deep, hands-on expertise in a wide range of qualitative (e.g., in-depth interviews, ethnography, usability testing) and quantitative (e.g., surveys, A/B testing analysis, statistical modeling) research methodologies.

• Stakeholder Influence & Collaboration: Demonstrated track record of successfully influencing senior executives (C-suite, VPs) and cross-functional leaders to integrate user insights into product and business strategies.

• Complex Problem Solving: Strong strategic thinking skills, with a demonstrated ability to tackle ambiguous, complex, and high-stakes problem spaces.

• People Leadership & Development: Experience in building, coaching, mentoring, and developing high-performing research teams, fostering a positive and growth-oriented culture.

• Data Literacy & Insight Translation: Strong analytical skills and the ability to synthesize diverse data sources (user research, market data, analytics) into clear, actionable insights that drive decision-making.

• Communication & Persuasion: Exceptional ability to communicate complex research findings and strategic recommendations clearly, concisely, and persuasively to diverse audiences, including executive leadership.

• Product Strategy Alignment: Experience collaborating closely with Product Management, UX Design, and Engineering teams to shape product roadmaps and inform development priorities.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience within the information, analytics, or healthcare/life sciences industries.

• Familiarity with agile development methodologies and integrating research within fast-paced product cycles.

• Experience managing external research partners and agencies effectively.

• Proficiency in defining and tracking research KPIs and demonstrating ROI for research initiatives.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for "extensive experience leading UX Research at scale within complex, product-led organizations" suggests the ideal candidate will have managed research functions in large enterprises with multiple product lines and significant user bases. The emphasis on "influencing senior stakeholders" and "strategic thinking" indicates a need for a candidate who can operate at a high level, not just as a hands-on researcher.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrate a history of leading significant research initiatives that had a measurable impact on product strategy and business outcomes.

• Showcase examples of developing and implementing research strategies that addressed complex, ambiguous problem spaces.

• Provide evidence of influencing senior leadership and cross-functional teams through compelling research insights and recommendations.

• Highlight experience in building, mentoring, or leading research teams, including examples of capability development and process improvement.

Process Documentation:

• Articulate your approach to defining and scaling UX Research processes within a large organization.

• Detail how you ensure the quality, rigor, and ethical application of research methodologies.

• Explain your methods for integrating research insights into product development lifecycles and strategic planning.

• Describe how you measure the impact and effectiveness of research programs and communicate these findings to stakeholders.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Senior Director role, the portfolio should emphasize strategic impact, leadership, and process establishment rather than just individual research projects. Candidates should be prepared to discuss how they've scaled research operations, influenced organizational strategy, and developed research talent.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: The U.S. National Base Pay Range provided is $118,300 - $219,800 annually, with potential for geographic differentials.

• London, UK Estimate: Given the seniority of the "Senior Director" title and London's status as a major global hub, the salary for this role in London would likely align with or exceed the higher end of the U.S. range, potentially falling between £120,000 - £200,000+ GBP annually, depending on experience and