Senior User Researcher

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior User Researcher

Company: Ciklum

Location: Canada

Job Type: Full time

Category: User Experience Research / Product Development

Date Posted: 2026-06-12

Experience Level: 5+ years

Remote Status: Fully Remote

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead and own the entire user research process, from identifying opportunities to embedding actionable insights into product strategy and roadmaps.

• Conduct diverse research methodologies, including exploratory, assessment, evaluative, quantitative, and qualitative approaches, to inform product development.

• Collaborate closely with design and product teams to translate research findings into tangible product improvements and strategic decisions.

• Contribute to the growth and maturity of the global user research practice by sharing knowledge, developing guidelines, and mentoring junior researchers.

• Partner with presale teams to define and articulate user research strategies for potential new client projects, showcasing the value of user-centricity.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a Senior User Researcher, indicating a need for significant autonomy, strategic thinking, and mentorship capabilities. The emphasis on owning the research stream and collaborating across multiple project phases suggests a critical role in shaping product direction and driving customer-centricity within Ciklum's client engagements. The remote nature within Canada allows for a broad talent pool and flexibility.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Independently manage the end-to-end user research lifecycle for projects, encompassing opportunity identification, research planning, participant recruitment, execution, and insight synthesis.

• Seamlessly integrate user research activities within agile workflows, ensuring alignment with discovery and delivery phases of product development.

• Execute a broad spectrum of user research methods, including but not limited to usability testing, in-depth interviews, surveys, card sorting, and diary studies, adapting approaches to project needs.

• Actively partner with cross-functional teams, including product managers, designers, engineers, and business stakeholders, to champion user insights and drive data-informed decision-making.

• Contribute to the continuous improvement of Ciklum's user research practice by developing best practices, creating reusable templates, and participating in knowledge-sharing sessions.

• Provide expert consultation and strategic guidance to presale teams on user research methodologies and approaches for prospective client engagements.

• Proactively identify and articulate user needs, pain points, and behaviors to inform product strategy, roadmap prioritization, and feature development.

• Facilitate engaging workshops, design sprints, and co-creation sessions to foster cross-functional alignment and generate innovative solutions.

• Connect research findings to business objectives, crafting compelling, evidence-based narratives that influence stakeholder perspectives and guide product evolution.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of hands-on research execution and strategic influence. The expectation to "own user research stream" and "embed insight into the product" signifies a proactive and accountable role. The mention of "consult presale teams" indicates a business development aspect, requiring the researcher to articulate the value proposition of user research to potential clients.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Human-Computer Interaction, Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, Design, or a related field is highly beneficial for foundational understanding in user research principles.

Experience: A minimum of 5 years of hands-on experience in a dedicated user research role is required. This experience should demonstrate a proven track record of independently managing research projects from inception to completion.

Required Skills:

• Mastery of core user research methodologies (e.g., usability testing, interviews, surveys, ethnographic research) and the ability to apply them autonomously.

• Proven experience in assessing and validating early-stage product concepts using a variety of research techniques beyond just interviews.

• Demonstrated ability to define and analyze customer segmentation across diverse markets, understanding user groups and their needs.

• Expertise in participant recruitment strategies and best practices for securing relevant research participants.

• Exceptional facilitation skills for leading workshops, design sprints, and co-creation sessions effectively.

• Strong analytical and synthesis skills to connect disparate data points into coherent, actionable insights.

• Excellent communication, presentation, and storytelling abilities to convey research findings compellingly to diverse audiences, including senior stakeholders.

• A proactive, self-directed approach with a strong sense of ownership and the ability to drive initiatives forward with minimal supervision.

• Proficiency in using research tools such as Maze, Dovetail, or similar platforms for synthesis, data repositories, and unmoderated testing.

• Experience working within agile development environments and understanding how to integrate research seamlessly into sprint cycles. Preferred Skills:

• Experience with quantitative research methods and statistical analysis to complement qualitative findings.

• Familiarity with advanced analytics tools and techniques for analyzing large datasets.

• Experience in a consulting environment or with client-facing projects, demonstrating an understanding of consulting methodologies.

• Knowledge of UX design principles and best practices.

• Experience in mentoring or guiding junior researchers.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "core user research methods and able to execute them independently" sets a high bar for foundational skills. The requirement for an "experimental mindset combined with rigour" suggests a need for adaptability and a balanced approach to innovation and established practices. The mention of specific tools like Maze and Dovetail indicates a practical, hands-on expectation for the candidate's toolset.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A curated collection of research projects showcasing a range of methodologies and impact.

• Case studies that clearly articulate the research problem, methodology employed, participant profiles, key findings, and actionable recommendations.

• Evidence of how research insights directly influenced product strategy, roadmap decisions, or UX improvements, demonstrating tangible impact.

• Documentation of the research process, including planning documents, recruitment screener examples, and synthesis artifacts.

• Examples of how user research was integrated into agile workflows and collaborated with design and product teams. Process Documentation:

• Demonstrations of structured research planning processes, including defining research objectives, scope, and timelines.

• Examples of effective participant recruitment strategies and screening criteria.

• Artifacts showcasing rigorous analysis and synthesis of qualitative and quantitative data.

• Case studies illustrating the translation of research insights into actionable product recommendations and strategic implications.

• Examples of how research findings were communicated and socialized with stakeholders to drive empathy and alignment.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Senior User Researcher role, a robust portfolio is crucial. It should not only highlight the breadth of research skills but also the depth of strategic thinking and the ability to drive measurable business outcomes. The emphasis should be on demonstrating how research directly led to product improvements and influenced strategic direction.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on industry benchmarks for Senior User Researchers in Canada, with 5+ years of experience and a remote work arrangement, the estimated annual salary range is CAD $100,000 - $140,000. This estimate considers the cost of living and market demand for experienced UX research professionals in the Canadian market.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive Healthcare coverage.

• Basic Life Insurance.

• Short-term and Long-term Disability Insurance, as per company policies.

• Access to internal events, meetups, and workshops for professional development.

• Udemy access for continuous learning and skill enhancement.

• Language courses to support professional growth.

• Company-paid certifications to foster specialization and expertise.

• Opportunities for internal mobility and career advancement within Ciklum's global network.

Working Hours: The standard working hours are approximately 40 hours per week, aligning with full-time employment. While remote, adherence to core business hours that facilitate collaboration with teams across different time zones may be expected. Flexibility is often a characteristic of remote roles, but consistent availability for key meetings and project work is important.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary ranges for senior-level, specialized roles like User Researcher in Canada can vary significantly by province and specific company compensation structures. The provided range is a general estimate. The benefits package emphasizes professional development and employee well-being, which are attractive to experienced professionals.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Ciklum operates within the IT services and custom product engineering sector, supporting a diverse range of global clients from scaling startups to large multinational organizations across various industries. This means the operations professional will encounter varied business challenges and technological landscapes.

Company Size: Ciklum is a large organization with over 4,000 employees globally. This scale suggests a structured environment with established processes, opportunities for networking, and potential for cross-functional collaboration, while also requiring individuals to be adaptable and proactive within a larger corporate framework.

Founded: Founded in 2002, Ciklum has a significant history in the technology and outsourcing industry, indicating a stable company with experience in navigating market changes and building long-term client relationships. This stability can translate into a more predictable work environment for operations professionals.

Team Structure:

• The User Research team is part of a broader product development and engineering organization, likely with specialized sub-teams or communities of practice focused on UX, product management, and engineering.

• Reporting structure for a Senior User Researcher would typically be to a Head of UX, Director of Product, or a similar leadership role overseeing product development functions.

• Cross-functional collaboration is paramount, with constant interaction expected between researchers, product managers, UX/UI designers, engineers, and client stakeholders. Methodology:

• Data analysis and insights generation are core to Ciklum's operations, with a strong emphasis on leveraging user data to inform business and product decisions.

• Workflow planning and optimization are critical, especially given the agile nature of client projects and the need to deliver efficiently.

• Automation and efficiency practices are likely employed across various functions to streamline processes and enhance service delivery to clients.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Ciklum's identity as a custom product engineering company implies a project-based, client-centric operational model. This means operations professionals must be adaptable, skilled in managing diverse project requirements, and adept at working with external stakeholders. The global team size suggests a need for strong communication and collaboration skills across different cultures and time zones.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: As a Senior User Researcher, this role operates at an experienced individual contributor level. It requires not only deep expertise in user research methodologies but also the ability to strategically guide research efforts, mentor junior team members, and influence product and business decisions. The scope extends beyond executing research tasks to shaping the research practice and its impact.

Reporting Structure: The Senior User Researcher will likely report to a Director of Product Design, Head of UX, or a similar senior leader responsible for product strategy and user experience. This position will involve close collaboration with Product Managers, UX/UI Designers, and Engineering teams, acting as a key partner in the product development lifecycle.

Operations Impact: The operations professional's impact is directly tied to shaping user-centric product strategies, ensuring products meet user needs effectively, and driving customer satisfaction and adoption. By providing critical user insights, they enable Ciklum and its clients to reduce product development risks, optimize user experiences, and ultimately achieve better business outcomes, including increased user engagement, conversion rates, and customer loyalty.

Growth Opportunities:

• Operations Skill Advancement: Opportunities to deepen expertise in specialized research areas (e.g., behavioral economics, advanced quantitative analysis, generative AI's impact on user behavior) and lead complex, high-impact research initiatives.

• Leadership Development: Potential to move into leadership roles such as Lead User Researcher, UX Research Manager, or Head of UX, overseeing teams, defining research strategy, and managing client relationships.

• Cross-functional Expertise: Gaining broader experience in product management, design strategy, or client consulting by working on diverse projects and engaging with various business domains.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Senior" designation implies a strategic contribution beyond execution, including mentorship and practice enhancement. The growth opportunities should focus on how this role can evolve into leadership, specialized expertise, or broader product strategy involvement within Ciklum's client-facing model.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: This is a remote position, meaning the primary work environment will be home-based. Ciklum emphasizes a "friendly, open-door environment" which, in a remote context, translates to accessible communication channels and a collaborative virtual culture.

Office Location(s): The role is based in Canada, with the flexibility of remote work across the country. This allows for talent acquisition from various Canadian provinces, offering a wide geographical reach.

Workspace Context:

• The remote setting necessitates strong self-discipline and effective time management.

• Collaboration will primarily occur through digital tools (video conferencing, chat, project management software), requiring clear and concise communication.

• Access to Ciklum's digital resources, including project management platforms and communication tools, will be essential for day-to-day operations.

• Opportunities for virtual team building and engagement will be crucial for maintaining team cohesion and fostering a sense of community.

Work Schedule: The role is full-time, with approximately 40 hours per week. While remote work offers flexibility, candidates should be prepared to align with core business hours to facilitate collaboration with colleagues and clients, potentially across different time zones within Canada or internationally for specific projects.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a remote role, the emphasis shifts to the digital workspace and virtual collaboration tools. The "open-door" policy needs to be interpreted through the lens of accessible virtual communication and a supportive online team culture.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A brief call with a recruiter to assess basic qualifications, experience, and cultural fit.

• Technical Interview: A deep dive into user research methodologies, problem-solving abilities, and experience with specific research tools. This may involve discussing past projects and how specific challenges were overcome.

• Portfolio Presentation: A dedicated session where candidates present a selection of their best work, detailing their approach, insights, and impact. This is a critical stage for demonstrating practical skills and strategic thinking.

• Stakeholder Interview(s): Meetings with potential team leads, product managers, or design leads to assess collaboration style, communication effectiveness, and ability to integrate into cross-functional teams.

• Final Interview: Potentially with a senior leader to discuss career aspirations, long-term fit, and overall suitability for the role and Ciklum's culture.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 3-4 projects that best showcase your senior-level capabilities, diversity of methods, and impact. Prioritize projects with clear problem statements, robust methodologies, and demonstrable outcomes.

• Tell a Story: For each case study, clearly articulate the "why" (business problem/user need), the "what" (your role, methods used), and the "so what" (key insights, recommendations, and impact). Use a clear narrative structure.

• Quantify Impact: Where possible, use metrics to demonstrate the success of your research. For example, "reduced task completion time by X%," "identified key usability issues leading to a Y% increase in customer satisfaction."

• Highlight Collaboration: Showcase how you worked with cross-functional teams, managed stakeholder expectations, and effectively communicated findings to drive action.

• Be Prepared for Questions: Anticipate questions about your decision-making process, how you handle challenging stakeholders, and how you adapt your methods to different project constraints.

Challenge Preparation:

• Methodology Application: Be ready to discuss how you would approach a hypothetical research problem presented by the interviewer, detailing your proposed methodology, participant criteria, and expected deliverables.

• Insight Synthesis: Prepare to analyze a dataset or research findings and articulate key themes and actionable recommendations under time pressure.

• Stakeholder Management Scenario: Practice articulating research findings and advocating for user needs in a way that is persuasive and addresses potential business concerns.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio review is paramount for a Senior User Researcher. Candidates should be prepared to articulate their process, rationale, and impact in detail, demonstrating not just research skills but also strategic thinking and business acumen. The interview process likely emphasizes real-world application and collaborative potential.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Research Platforms: Maze, Dovetail (explicitly mentioned), UserTesting.com, Lookback, Remotion, or similar platforms for unmoderated testing, usability testing, and qualitative data synthesis/repositories.

• Collaboration Tools: Jira, Confluence, Asana, Trello for project management and workflow tracking within agile environments.

• Communication Platforms: Slack, Microsoft Teams for daily team interaction and remote collaboration.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Data Visualization Tools: Tableau, Power BI, or similar for presenting quantitative data and research findings.

• Survey Tools: SurveyMonkey, Typeform, Google Forms for designing and distributing questionnaires.

• Spreadsheet Software: Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets for data organization and basic analysis.

CRM & Automation:

• While not directly a CRM or automation role, understanding how user research informs CRM strategies and marketing automation is beneficial. Familiarity with how customer data is managed within CRMs like Salesforce or HubSpot can provide context for research impact.

• Prototyping Tools: Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD for understanding design outputs and providing feedback on interactive prototypes during usability testing.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of Maze and Dovetail suggests these are actively used or preferred tools. Candidates should be prepared to discuss their proficiency with these and similar platforms for efficient research synthesis and repository management. A broader understanding of how research integrates with product development tools is also valuable.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

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

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Valuing evidence-based insights derived from research to guide strategy and product choices, rather than relying on assumptions.

• Collaboration & Teamwork: Fostering a supportive environment where cross-functional teams work together seamlessly, sharing knowledge and working towards common goals.

• Continuous Improvement: A dedication to refining research processes, exploring new methodologies, and constantly seeking ways to enhance the quality and impact of research outcomes.

• Innovation & Experimentation: Encouraging a proactive approach to problem-solving, a willingness to try new methods, and a drive to create impactful products that challenge the status quo.

Collaboration Style:

• Proactive Engagement: Researchers are expected to actively seek out opportunities to collaborate with product, design, and engineering teams, rather than waiting to be assigned tasks.

• Transparent Communication: Open and honest sharing of research findings, challenges, and insights, fostering trust and alignment across teams.

• Constructive Feedback: A culture where feedback on research approaches, insights, and deliverables is welcomed and used for continuous improvement.

• Cross-Functional Partnership: Viewing product development as a shared responsibility, with the researcher acting as a key partner in ensuring user needs are met throughout the lifecycle.

📝 Enhancement Note: Ciklum's emphasis on "One Team culture" and empowering each other suggests a highly collaborative and supportive environment. For a Senior User Researcher, this means being a strong team player who can also lead initiatives and mentor others within this collaborative framework.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Rigor and Speed: Effectively conducting thorough research while meeting the fast-paced demands of agile development and client project timelines.

• Navigating Diverse Client Needs: Adapting research approaches and communication styles to suit a wide range of client industries, maturity levels, and project scopes.

• Embedding Insights Effectively: Ensuring that research findings are not just delivered but are understood, acted upon, and integrated into product roadmaps and design decisions.

• Managing Stakeholder Expectations: Effectively communicating the value and limitations of user research to diverse stakeholders, some of whom may have varying levels of understanding or buy-in.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Research Techniques: Opportunities to explore and implement cutting-edge research methodologies, generative AI's impact on research, and advanced quantitative analysis.

• Industry Conferences & Certifications: Support for attending relevant conferences (e.g., CHI, UXRConf) and obtaining specialized certifications to enhance expertise.

• Mentorship & Leadership: Potential to mentor junior researchers, lead research initiatives for major projects, and develop leadership skills within Ciklum's growing global team.

• Cross-Domain Exposure: Working across a variety of client projects and industries provides broad exposure to different business models and technological challenges, fostering versatile skill development.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges highlight the dynamic nature of consulting-driven product engineering. The growth opportunities should focus on how a Senior User Researcher can evolve their career within such an environment, moving towards leadership, specialization, or broader strategic impact.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to influence product strategy with research insights. What was the situation, your approach, and the outcome?" (Focus on your strategic thinking and impact.)

• "How do you decide which research methodology is most appropriate for a given project? Walk us through your decision-making process." (Demonstrate your methodological expertise and adaptability.)

• "Imagine a stakeholder is pushing back on your research findings because they conflict with their assumptions. How would you handle this situation?" (Assess your stakeholder management and communication skills.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "What do you know about Ciklum and our approach to product engineering?" (Show you've researched the company and understand its business model.)

• "How do you see user research contributing to the success of a custom product engineering company like Ciklum?" (Connect your role to the company's objectives.)

• "Describe your ideal remote work environment and how you stay connected and productive." (Assess your remote work habits and cultural fit.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, follow a STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) or similar framework to clearly outline the context, your role, your actions, and the outcomes.

• Focus on Impact: Emphasize the "Results" section. Quantify impact whenever possible. If direct quantitative results are unavailable, articulate the qualitative impact on decision-making, user understanding, and product direction.

• Demonstrate Process: Be ready to explain why you chose certain methods, how you adapted them, and how you synthesized your findings. Show your thinking process, not just the end result.

• Engage Your Audience: Make it a conversation. Ask clarifying questions, invite feedback, and be prepared to answer detailed questions about your work.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating not just research skills but also strategic thinking, business acumen, and strong collaboration capabilities. Candidates should be prepared to articulate their impact and how they contribute to client success within a consulting-like framework.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior User Researcher position:

• Submit your application through the provided Oracle Cloud portal link.

• Tailor your resume: Highlight your 5+ years of experience in standalone user research roles, emphasizing your proficiency in core methodologies, tool usage (Maze, Dovetail), and experience in agile environments. Quantify achievements where possible.

• Prepare your portfolio: Curate 3-4 impactful case studies that showcase your ability to own research streams, conduct diverse research, and drive product decisions. Focus on demonstrating strategic thinking and measurable outcomes.

• Practice your presentation: Rehearse presenting your portfolio, focusing on clear storytelling, articulating your process, and demonstrating the business impact of your research. Be ready to answer in-depth questions.

• Research Ciklum: Understand their business model as a custom product engineering company, their client base, and their "One Team" culture. Prepare thoughtful questions about how user research fits into their client engagements and internal practices.

⚠️ 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.