Senior UX Researcher

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior UX Researcher

Company: Independence Pet Group

Location: Illinois, United States (Remote OK)

Job Type: Full time

Category: User Experience Research / Product Development

Date Posted: October 01, 2026

Experience Level: 5+ Years

Remote Status: Remote OK

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead end-to-end UX research initiatives to deeply understand user needs and inform product strategy within the pet tech and e-commerce space.

• Drive product decisions through rigorous qualitative and quantitative research, ensuring user-centered design principles are embedded throughout the product lifecycle.

• Synthesize complex research findings into actionable insights and compelling narratives that influence product, design, and engineering teams.

• Contribute to the development and scaling of research operations, fostering a culture of continuous discovery and data-driven decision-making.

• Translate user insights into tangible design artifacts, such as user flows and wireframes, to validate hypotheses and communicate concepts effectively.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title is "Senior UX Researcher," the responsibilities heavily lean into Product Development and Strategy, requiring a strong understanding of how user insights directly translate into business outcomes and product roadmap prioritization. This role is crucial for a company building a digital-first e-commerce platform, suggesting a need for research that supports rapid iteration and market validation.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Research Strategy & Execution: Develop and execute comprehensive research plans, utilizing a range of qualitative (interviews, field studies) and quantitative (surveys, analytics) methods to align with product and business objectives.

• Insight Generation & Storytelling: Analyze and synthesize research data to identify key user pain points, needs, and opportunities, translating these into clear, actionable insights and compelling presentations for diverse stakeholders.

• Product & Stakeholder Influence: Collaborate closely with Product Managers, Designers, and Engineers to integrate user insights into product roadmaps, design iterations, and feature development, ensuring a user-centric approach.

• Research Operations & Impact Scaling: Establish and maintain research processes, documentation, and repositories to enable efficient knowledge sharing, continuous discovery, and broader organizational adoption of research findings.

• Concepting & Validation: Create user flows, wireframes, and lightweight prototypes to effectively communicate research-backed concepts and test hypotheses early in the design process.

• Advocacy: Champion user-centered design principles and research-driven decision-making across the organization, fostering a collective understanding of user needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "Concepting & Validation" and "Product & Stakeholder Influence" indicates that this role is not purely observational research but actively involved in the ideation and validation phases of product development, requiring a blend of research rigor and product thinking.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's or Master's degree in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), User Experience Design, Psychology, Computer Science, or a closely related field.

Experience: Minimum of 5 years of professional experience in UX research, product research, or a similar discipline, with a proven track record of impacting product strategy and outcomes.

Required Skills:

• Research Strategy & Execution: Proven ability to plan, design, and conduct end-to-end research initiatives, including generative (e.g., interviews, field studies) and evaluative (e.g., usability testing, surveys) research.

• Data Synthesis & Insight Generation: Expertise in synthesizing both qualitative and quantitative data to derive clear, actionable insights that inform product decisions.

• Communication & Storytelling: Exceptional verbal, written, and presentation skills, with a demonstrated ability to craft compelling narratives and communicate complex findings to diverse audiences.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Experience partnering effectively with Product Management, Design, Engineering, and other stakeholders to embed user insights into the product development lifecycle.

• User-Centered Design Principles: Deep understanding of user-centered design methodologies and their application in creating intuitive and engaging digital experiences.

• Research Tools Proficiency: Familiarity with industry-standard research tools such as Qualtrics, SurveyMonkey, or similar survey platforms, and experience with tools like Ballpark or Dig Site for research management.

• Prototyping & Validation Tools: Proficiency in using design and prototyping tools like Figma and Figjam for concept communication and hypothesis testing.

• Analytics & Experimentation: Working knowledge of web analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics) and exposure to A/B testing and experimentation frameworks.

Preferred Skills:

• E-commerce/Pet Tech Domain Experience: Prior experience in e-commerce, pet services, or health-related digital platforms, providing domain-specific context.

• Agile Methodologies: Experience working within Agile product development environments, adapting research practices to iterative cycles.

• Accessibility & Inclusive Research: Familiarity with accessibility standards and inclusive research practices to ensure products serve a diverse user base.

• Data Analysis & SQL: Exposure to SQL or experience collaborating closely with data and analytics teams for deeper data exploration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Required Skills" list is expanded to include more specific examples of research methodologies and tool categories to provide candidates with a clearer understanding of the technical proficiencies expected. The preferred skills highlight domain and methodology experience relevant to a fast-paced digital product environment.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Impactful Case Studies: A portfolio showcasing at least 3-5 end-to-end research projects that demonstrate your ability to drive product decisions and achieve measurable business outcomes.

• Methodological Diversity: Examples of research projects employing a variety of qualitative and quantitative methods, clearly explaining the rationale for method selection.

• Insight to Action: Clear articulation of how your research findings were translated into actionable recommendations and subsequently influenced product design, strategy, or features.

• Outcome Measurement: Evidence of the impact of your research, ideally with quantifiable results or clear qualitative evidence of product improvement or user satisfaction enhancement.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Examples illustrating your collaboration with product, design, and engineering teams throughout the research and product development process.

Process Documentation:

• Research Plan Design: Ability to document comprehensive research plans, including objectives, target users, methodologies, and timelines.

• Synthesis & Reporting: Skill in creating clear, concise, and visually engaging reports and presentations that effectively communicate research findings and recommendations.

• Process Improvement Contributions: Examples of how you have contributed to refining research processes, tools, or best practices within a team or organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio requirements are detailed to emphasize the "Senior" aspect of the role, focusing on demonstrating strategic impact, methodological rigor, and the ability to translate research into tangible product outcomes. The inclusion of "Process Documentation" highlights the expectation for contributing to research operations.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• National Base Pay Range: $112,522 - $140,653 per year.

• Chicago Base Pay Range: $123,774 - $154,718 per year.

• Note: The specific placement within these ranges will depend on factors such as the candidate's experience, skills, and certifications. This position is not eligible for bonus or incentive pay.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive full medical, dental, and vision insurance.

• Company-paid basic life insurance.

• Company-paid short-term and long-term disability insurance.

• 12 weeks of 100% paid parental leave.

• Health Savings Account (HSA) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA).

• Retirement savings plan.

• Generous Personal Paid Time Off (PTO).

• Paid holidays and a company-wide Wellness Day off.

• Paid time off for volunteering at nonprofit organizations.

• Commuter Benefits.

• Group Pet Insurance.

• On-the-job training and skills development opportunities.

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

Working Hours: A standard full-time work week is assumed, typically 40 hours. Flexibility may be available, but core hours will likely align with team collaboration needs, especially for remote teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary ranges provided are specific to the US national and Chicago markets, reflecting the cost of living and industry benchmarks for a Senior UX Researcher. The benefits list is comprehensive, highlighting key offerings attractive to professionals, especially those focused on work-life balance and employee well-being.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Pet Health & Technology / E-commerce. Independence Pet Holdings operates as a corporate holding company managing a diverse portfolio of modern pet health brands and services, including insurance, education, and lost recovery. Pet Place, a subsidiary, is building a digital-first e-commerce platform for pet care services.

Company Size: Independence Pet Holdings is a growing entity with a diverse portfolio, suggesting a dynamic and potentially multi-faceted organizational structure. Pet Place, as a subsidiary, likely operates with a lean, agile team focused on digital product development.

Founded: Independence Pet Holdings was established in 2021, indicating a relatively young and modern company culture focused on innovation and rapid growth in the pet industry.

Team Structure:

• UX/Product Team: The Senior UX Researcher will report to the Manager of User Experience, working closely within a Product, Design, and Engineering team structure.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Expect close collaboration with Product Managers, UX/UI Designers, Software Engineers, and potentially Marketing and Data Analytics teams to embed user insights across the product lifecycle.

• Agile Environment: Likely operating within an Agile framework, requiring frequent communication and iterative development cycles.

Methodology:

• User-Centered Design: A core methodology, emphasizing deep user understanding to drive product strategy and design.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Leveraging both qualitative and quantitative research to inform and validate product decisions.

• Iterative Development: Employing research to support continuous discovery and iterative improvements within a fast-paced product development cycle.

Company Website: https://independencepetgroup.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: The description highlights a modern, tech-focused environment within the pet industry. The emphasis on "digital-first," "e-commerce platform," and a relatively recent founding date (2021) suggests a culture that values innovation, agility, and a strong user focus, which are critical for a Senior UX Researcher role.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Senior-level individual contributor role, signifying a need for autonomy, strategic thinking, and the ability to lead complex research initiatives independently. It requires a depth of experience in UX research methodologies and a proven ability to influence product direction.

Reporting Structure: The role reports to the Manager of User Experience, indicating a clear leadership path within the UX function. The Senior Researcher will be expected to mentor junior team members or contribute to scaling research practices.

Operations Impact: The Senior UX Researcher will have a direct and significant impact on the success of Pet Place's digital products by ensuring they meet user needs, drive engagement, and contribute to key business objectives such as customer acquisition, retention, and revenue growth within the pet services e-commerce space.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership in Research: Potential to grow into a Lead UX Researcher or UX Research Manager role, overseeing a team and shaping the overall research strategy.

• Specialization: Opportunity to deepen expertise in specific research methodologies, user segments, or product areas within the pet tech domain.

• Product Strategy Influence: Increasing influence on product roadmap decisions and strategic planning as a trusted advisor based on deep user understanding.

• Cross-functional Expertise: Development of broader product management and business acumen through close collaboration with other departments.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Senior" title implies a level of autonomy and strategic contribution beyond basic research execution. The growth opportunities focus on leadership, specialization, and increased strategic influence, aligning with typical career progression for senior researchers in product-focused organizations.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is designated as "Remote – USA." This implies a fully remote work environment, allowing employees to work from their home offices across the United States.

Office Location(s): While the primary listed location is Illinois, the remote status means candidates can be based anywhere within the United States. The company also has offices in Texas and New York, which may be relevant for hybrid opportunities or future team gatherings, though not specified for this role.

Workspace Context:

• Remote Collaboration: Expect a highly collaborative remote environment, utilizing digital tools for communication, project management, and team interaction.

• Technology Stack: Access to standard remote work tools and the company's specified UX research and design software (Figma, Figjam, analytics tools).

• Team Interaction: Regular virtual meetings, stand-ups, and brainstorming sessions with the UX, Product, and Engineering teams to maintain connection and drive projects forward.

Work Schedule: Standard full-time hours are expected, but the remote nature often provides some flexibility. However, candidates should be prepared to align with team meeting schedules and project deadlines, which may require occasional availability outside of typical 9-to-5 hours depending on time zones and urgent project needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Remote – USA" designation is key, indicating a distributed workforce. The enhancement focuses on the implications of remote work for collaboration, technology usage, and work schedule expectations.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter or hiring manager will likely conduct an initial phone screen to assess basic qualifications, cultural fit, and interest.

• Portfolio Review & Presentation: A significant part of the process will involve presenting your portfolio, showcasing your research process, methodologies, and the impact of your work on product decisions. Expect to walk through 2-3 key case studies.

• Technical/Behavioral Interviews: Interviews with the Manager of User Experience, peers from the Product/Design/Engineering teams, and potentially other senior leaders. These will focus on your research expertise, problem-solving skills, collaboration style, and ability to handle complex scenarios.

• Case Study/Take-Home Assignment: A potential component could involve a take-home assignment or a live case study exercise to assess your research planning, synthesis, and communication skills in a simulated scenario.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Focus on Impact: Highlight the "so what?" of your research – how did it lead to tangible improvements, strategic shifts, or business outcomes? Quantify impact where possible.

• Showcase Process: Clearly articulate your research process for each case study, including problem definition, methodology selection, participant recruitment, data collection, analysis, and recommendations.

• Tell a Story: Structure your portfolio presentations as compelling narratives, guiding the interviewer through the problem, your approach, your insights, and the resulting actions and outcomes.

• Tailor to the Role: Emphasize projects that align with e-commerce, digital product development, and user-centered design principles relevant to Pet Place.

• Demonstrate Tool Proficiency: Be ready to discuss your experience with the tools mentioned (Figma, Figjam, analytics, survey tools).

Challenge Preparation:

• Strategic Thinking: Prepare to discuss how you would approach research for a new feature or product area, considering business goals and user needs.

• Problem Solving: Be ready to tackle hypothetical research challenges related to user acquisition, engagement, or conversion for an e-commerce pet platform.

• Stakeholder Management: Practice articulating how you would gain buy-in for research initiatives and communicate findings effectively to stakeholders with varying levels of research understanding.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section is tailored to provide actionable advice for a Senior UX Researcher applying for this specific role, emphasizing the portfolio presentation and the types of questions and challenges one might expect in a product-focused research interview process.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary UX Research & Design Tools:

• Figma & Figjam: Essential for wireframing, prototyping, and collaborative ideation/whiteboarding.

• Qualtrics, SurveyMonkey, Upsiide, Ballpark: A range of tools for survey creation, data collection, and potentially research management/feedback. Experience with at least one survey platform is expected.

• User Interview Platforms: Familiarity with platforms for recruiting and conducting remote user interviews.

Analytics & Reporting Tools:

• Google Analytics: Required for understanding user behavior on digital platforms and measuring the impact of product changes.

• Data Visualization Tools: Potential exposure to tools for creating dashboards and reports to communicate insights (though specific tools aren't listed, familiarity is beneficial).

CRM & Automation:

• CRM Systems (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot): While not directly a research tool, understanding how user data is managed in CRMs can be beneficial for segmenting research participants and understanding customer journeys.

• A/B Testing Frameworks: Experience or understanding of tools and methodologies for conducting experiments to test hypotheses and optimize user experiences.

Data & Collaboration:

• SQL: Preferred for direct data exploration and collaboration with data analytics teams.

• Microsoft Office Suite / Google Workspace: Standard tools for documentation, presentations, and communication.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section leverages the "Basic Qualifications" and "Preferred Qualifications" to list the expected technology stack, providing specific tool names where mentioned and categorizing them by function (UX/Design, Analytics, CRM, etc.) for clarity.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• User-Centricity: A fundamental value, driving all decisions and product development efforts to meet user needs and enhance their experience.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Emphasis on using research insights and analytics to guide strategy and validate hypotheses, rather than relying solely on intuition.

• Collaboration & Teamwork: Fostering a supportive environment where cross-functional teams work together effectively to achieve common goals.

• Innovation & Agility: Encouraging new ideas and adopting agile methodologies to adapt quickly to market changes and user feedback.

• Impact & Accountability: A focus on delivering measurable results and taking ownership of research outcomes and their contribution to business success.

Collaboration Style:

• Partnership-Oriented: Working closely with Product, Design, and Engineering as integral partners throughout the product lifecycle, not as an isolated function.

• Transparent Communication: Openly sharing research plans, findings, and recommendations to ensure alignment and buy-in.

• Constructive Feedback: Willingness to both give and receive constructive feedback to improve research processes and product outcomes.

• Knowledge Sharing: Actively contributing to a shared understanding of the user by documenting and disseminating research insights across the organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: These values are inferred from the role's responsibilities and the company's stated mission (building a digital-first platform, simplifying pet parenting). The emphasis is on how these values translate into daily work for a UX Researcher.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Rapid Product Iteration: Navigating the demands of a fast-paced digital product environment that requires quick research turnaround times while maintaining rigor.

• Balancing Generative & Evaluative Research: Effectively allocating time and resources between foundational research (understanding needs) and validation research (testing solutions).

• Scaling Research Impact: Ensuring that research insights reach and influence all relevant stakeholders across a growing organization.

• Synthesizing Diverse Data Sources: Integrating insights from various research methods, analytics, and user feedback channels into a cohesive understanding of the user.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Domain Expertise: Deepening knowledge of the pet industry, pet insurance, and e-commerce trends.

• Advanced Methodologies: Exploring and implementing cutting-edge UX research techniques and tools.

• Product Strategy Contribution: Growing influence in shaping product roadmaps and strategic initiatives.

• Mentorship: Potential to mentor junior researchers and contribute to building out the UX research function.

• Cross-functional Acumen: Developing a broader understanding of product management, engineering, and business operations.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section identifies potential challenges inherent in a fast-paced, remote, product-focused role and outlines growth opportunities that align with a senior-level position in a growing company.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you approach understanding the primary needs of new pet parents looking for insurance and e-commerce solutions?" (Focus: Generative research strategy, user segmentation)

• "Describe a time your research uncovered a critical user insight that significantly changed a product's direction. What was your process, and what was the outcome?" (Focus: Impact, storytelling, product influence)

• "How do you prioritize research requests when multiple teams have competing needs?" (Focus: Stakeholder management, prioritization, process) Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about the pet industry and Independence Pet Group's mission?" (Focus: Motivation, cultural fit, industry passion)

• "How do you see UX research contributing to the success of a digital-first e-commerce platform like Pet Place?" (Focus: Understanding of role's strategic importance)

• "Describe your experience working in an Agile environment. How do you adapt your research process to iterative development cycles?" (Focus: Agile collaboration, adaptability) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure: For each case study, clearly outline the Problem, Your Role, Research Methods, Key Findings, Recommendations, and Impact/Outcome.

• Visuals: Use clear, concise visuals (e.g., screenshots, journey maps, key quotes) to support your narrative. Avoid overwhelming slides with text.

• Quantify Impact: Wherever possible, use metrics to demonstrate the value of your research (e.g., "increased conversion by X%", "reduced task completion time by Y%", "identified Z critical usability issues").

• Be Prepared for Deep Dives: Anticipate questions about your methodology choices, how you handled unexpected findings, and how you collaborated with stakeholders.

• Focus on Actionability: Emphasize how your insights led to concrete actions and product improvements.

📝 Enhancement Note: These interview questions are designed to probe the candidate's strategic thinking, research execution, collaboration skills, and understanding of the role's impact, reflecting senior-level expectations.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior UX Researcher position:

• Submit your application through the provided Workday link.

• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your resume and portfolio to highlight your experience with end-to-end UX research, user insights, and driving product decisions, especially in digital product or e-commerce environments.

• Resume Optimization: Ensure your resume clearly articulates your 5+ years of experience, lists relevant tools and methodologies, and quantifies achievements where possible, using keywords from the job description.

• Interview Preparation: Practice presenting your portfolio case studies, focusing on the problem, your process, key insights, recommendations, and measurable impact. Prepare to discuss your experience with qualitative and quantitative research, stakeholder management, and tools like Figma and Google Analytics.

• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with Independence Pet Group's mission, its portfolio of brands, and the specific goals of Pet Place as a digital-first e-commerce platform. Understand their target audience and the competitive landscape.

⚠️ 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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