Senior UX Researcher

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior UX Researcher

Company: Thomson Reuters

Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: User Experience Research

Date Posted: 2026-06-02

Experience Level: 5-10 years

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Define and execute end-to-end user research programs to drive product strategy and inform design decisions within a dedicated core product area, fostering subject matter expertise.

• Lead exploratory, generative, and tactical research initiatives, including discovery research to frame problem spaces and identify deep user needs, ensuring a user-centered approach.

• Plan, design, and execute a variety of research methodologies such as usability testing, concept testing, facilitated sessions, and surveys, utilizing both moderated and unmoderated formats.

• Collaborate closely with cross-functional agile teams, including UX designers, content writers, product managers, and developers, to integrate user insights and address critical customer pain points throughout the product development lifecycle.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a Senior UX Researcher within a large, established tech-focused organization (Thomson Reuters). The emphasis on B2B SaaS solutions, hybrid work, and leveraging generative AI suggests a need for experienced researchers adept at navigating complex organizational structures and applying modern research techniques to enterprise-level products. The core responsibility revolves around embedding research deeply within a product area to drive strategic decisions, rather than managing a team.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Determine and recommend optimal user-centered research approaches (qualitative and quantitative) aligned with business objectives and UX process requirements.

• Lead discovery research to identify and articulate user needs, framing complex problem spaces and providing clear direction for product development.

• Execute tactical research initiatives, including usability testing and concept testing, employing both moderated and unmoderated methods.

• Establish and track key UX project metrics and product scorecards to monitor UX project execution and overall product health.

• Develop foundational UX research artifacts, such as user journeys, behavioral archetypes, and heuristic guidelines, to support product and design teams.

• Synthesize complex qualitative and quantitative data into actionable insights to drive informed product and design decisions.

• Collaborate effectively with UX designers, content writers, product teams, development teams, and other stakeholders within an agile software development framework.

• Support, partner with, and influence multi-disciplinary teams and leadership across product and business areas to successfully execute UX projects.

• Leverage generative AI tools to enhance and accelerate research workflows and processes, demonstrating an innovative approach to research.

• Act as a self-starter, taking initiative to drive research projects from inception to completion with a high degree of autonomy.

• Commit to continuous self-development, staying abreast of emerging research techniques, tools, and AI-driven practices in UX.

• Mentor and support junior UX Researchers, fostering knowledge sharing and skill development within the team.

• Champion a user-centered, evidence-based approach to product development while effectively balancing business needs and constraints.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of strategic and tactical research execution. The emphasis on influencing leadership, working within agile, and leveraging AI suggests a need for strong communication, collaboration, and adaptability. The role requires not just conducting research but also translating findings into actionable product strategy and mentoring junior team members.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Master's degree or higher in Cognitive Psychology, Human-Computer Interaction, User Experience, Human Factors, Engineering Psychology, Interactive Design, or a related discipline.

• Equivalent industry experience will be considered in lieu of a Master's degree. Experience:

• A minimum of 5 years of dedicated UX research experience.

• Candidates with a Bachelor's degree and substantial, demonstrated industry experience will also be evaluated.

• Proven experience conducting UX research specifically on B2B SaaS solutions.

• Demonstrated expertise in conducting both exploratory/generative research and tactical research, including usability and concept testing across moderated and unmoderated formats.

• Experience conducting qualitative and quantitative research within an agile development process. Required Skills:

• Qualitative Research: Expertise in designing and conducting interviews, focus groups, contextual inquiries, and ethnographic studies.

• Quantitative Research: Proficiency in survey design, data analysis (statistical significance, correlation), A/B testing, and other quantitative methods.

• Usability Testing: Deep understanding of planning, executing, and analyzing moderated and unmoderated usability tests.

• Concept Testing: Experience evaluating new product ideas, features, or designs with target users.

• Generative AI Tools: Applied experience or strong curiosity in leveraging generative AI to accelerate research workflows and analysis.

• User Journey Mapping: Ability to create comprehensive user journey maps to visualize user experiences and identify pain points.

• Behavioral Archetypes: Skill in developing and utilizing user archetypes to represent key user segments.

• Heuristic Guidelines: Competence in establishing and applying heuristic principles for user interface evaluation.

• B2B SaaS Research: Specific experience researching complex business-to-business software-as-a-service products.

• Agile Methodology: Familiarity and practical experience working within agile development frameworks (Scrum, Kanban).

• Data Analytics: Comfort in analyzing data (qualitative and quantitative) to inform research direction and findings.

• Stakeholder Management: Ability to effectively communicate with, influence, and manage expectations of diverse stakeholders, including senior leadership.

• Product Strategy: Understanding of how user research contributes to and informs overall product strategy.

• User-Centered Design: Strong advocacy and practical application of user-centered design principles.

• Research Synthesis: Skill in consolidating and interpreting findings from multiple research activities into cohesive insights.

• Mentoring: Experience guiding and developing junior researchers.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with data analytics tools and techniques to further inform UX research direction.

• Familiarity with advanced statistical analysis or data visualization tools.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for a Master's degree or equivalent experience, coupled with 5+ years of experience in B2B SaaS UX research, signifies a mid-to-senior level role. The explicit mention of leveraging generative AI as a strong asset indicates a forward-looking approach by Thomson Reuters. The "nice-to-have" for data analytics suggests that while not strictly required, a candidate with this skill will have a competitive edge.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Case Studies of Impact: Showcase detailed case studies demonstrating research projects from inception to impact on product decisions and business outcomes.

• Methodology Diversity: Present a range of research methodologies employed (e.g., generative, evaluative, qualitative, quantitative) with clear explanations of why specific methods were chosen.

• B2B SaaS Focus: Highlight specific examples of research conducted for B2B SaaS products, illustrating understanding of enterprise user needs and workflows.

• Data Synthesis & Storytelling: Demonstrate the ability to synthesize complex data (qualitative and quantitative) into compelling narratives that drive understanding and action.

• Collaboration & Influence: Provide examples of how research findings were communicated and used to influence cross-functional teams and stakeholders, including leadership.

Process Documentation:

• Research Planning: Evidence of structured research plans, including clear objectives, hypotheses, participant recruitment strategies, and chosen methodologies.

• Execution & Moderation: Examples of research protocols, discussion guides, survey instruments, and insights into managing research sessions effectively.

• Analysis & Reporting: Showcase how qualitative and quantitative data were analyzed and synthesized, leading to actionable insights and strategic recommendations presented in clear reports or presentations.

• Impact Measurement: Demonstrate how research outcomes were tracked and measured against initial objectives or product KPIs.

📝 Enhancement Note: While a portfolio is listed as "nice-to-have," the interview process explicitly requires candidates to "walk through at least one strong past project." This indicates that a well-prepared candidate should have a portfolio ready, focusing on showcasing their ability to navigate complex B2B SaaS environments, apply diverse research methods, and demonstrate tangible impact through data-driven storytelling.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• For Ontario, Canada: $105,000 CAD - $155,000 CAD annually. Benefits:

• Hybrid Work Model: Flexible hybrid environment with 2-3 days per week in the office (role dependent), ensuring seamless digital and physical connectivity.

• Flexibility & Work-Life Balance: "Flex My Way" policies, including up to 8 weeks of "Work From Anywhere" per year, promoting better work-life integration.

• Career Development and Growth: Access to "Grow My Way" programming, skills-first approach, and continuous learning opportunities in an AI-enabled future.

• Industry Competitive Benefits: Comprehensive benefits including flexible vacation, two company-wide Mental Health Days off, Headspace app access, retirement savings plans, tuition reimbursement, employee incentive programs, and resources for mental, physical, and financial wellbeing.

• Culture: Commitment to inclusion, belonging, flexibility, and work-life balance, recognized globally.

• Social Impact: Opportunities to engage in community impact through two paid volunteer days annually and involvement in pro-bono consulting and ESG initiatives.

• Annual Bonus: Potential eligibility for an Annual Bonus based on enterprise and individual performance.

Working Hours:

• Standard full-time hours (approximately 40 hours per week), with flexibility and work-life balance initiatives like "Flex My Way" and "Work From Anywhere" policies.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range provided is specific to Ontario, Canada, reflecting local market conditions. The benefits package is extensive, emphasizing work-life balance, professional development, and well-being, which are attractive to experienced professionals in the UX field. The "Work From Anywhere" policy offers significant flexibility beyond typical hybrid arrangements.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Information Services, Technology, Media, Legal, Tax & Accounting. Thomson Reuters is a global leader in providing critical news, information, and technology solutions.

Company Size: 24,000+ employees globally. This indicates a large, established organization with structured processes, but also significant opportunities for impact within specific product areas.

Founded: The company has a long history, with roots tracing back to the 19th century, signifying stability and deep industry expertise.

Team Structure:

• The UX Research team is embedded within core product areas, operating collaboratively within agile software development processes.

• Researchers work closely with UX designers, content writers, product managers, and engineering teams, forming cross-functional units.

• The role involves influencing leadership across product and other business areas, indicating a matrixed reporting structure where impact is achieved through collaboration and influence rather than direct authority. Methodology:

• User-Centered Design: A strong emphasis on understanding and advocating for the user throughout the product development lifecycle.

• Evidence-Based Decision Making: Research findings are used to drive product and design decisions, ensuring an objective, data-informed approach.

• Agile Integration: Research activities are integrated into agile sprints and workflows, requiring adaptability and iterative research practices.

• Generative AI Integration: Proactive adoption of AI tools to enhance research efficiency and effectiveness.

Company Website: thomsonreuters.com

📝 Enhancement Note: Thomson Reuters operates in a complex B2B environment serving professional clients. The company culture values expertise, collaboration, and a commitment to truth and transparency. For a UX Researcher, this means understanding the high stakes of their clients' work and contributing to tools that support critical professional functions. The size of the company suggests formal HR structures and established career paths.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Senior UX Researcher. This level implies a high degree of autonomy, expertise in research methodologies, and the ability to influence product strategy. It suggests the individual is expected to lead research initiatives, mentor junior colleagues, and contribute to the strategic direction of a product area.

Reporting Structure: The role is embedded within a core product area, working closely with cross-functional teams. While specific reporting lines aren't detailed, the expectation to "support, partner with, and influence multi-disciplinary teams — including leadership across product and other business areas — to execute UX projects" suggests a collaborative structure where reporting to a UX Research Manager or Product Lead is likely, but influence extends broadly.

Operations Impact: The Senior UX Researcher plays a critical role in understanding and addressing customers' biggest pain points, empowering them, and guiding product development to meet business needs. By delivering research that directly informs product strategy and design, they have a direct impact on customer satisfaction, product adoption, and ultimately, the success of Thomson Reuters' B2B SaaS offerings. The role is key to ensuring products meet critical business needs and are confident to use, directly impacting revenue and client retention.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Deepen expertise within a specific product domain at Thomson Reuters, becoming a go-to subject matter expert.

• Leadership Mentorship: Opportunity to mentor junior UX Researchers, honing leadership and coaching skills.

• Cross-Functional Influence: Develop stronger stakeholder management and influencing skills by working with senior leadership across product, design, and engineering.

• Advanced Methodologies: Explore and implement advanced research techniques, potentially including more complex quantitative analysis or AI-driven research applications.

• Potential for Principal/Lead Roles: With demonstrated success and impact, progression to Principal UX Researcher or a Lead UX Researcher role is a potential long-term career path.

📝 Enhancement Note: The Senior UX Researcher role is a critical individual contributor position focused on deep product integration and strategic influence. Growth hinges on deepening expertise, expanding influence, and potentially moving into leadership or principal-level individual contributor roles within the UX research discipline.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid work model, requiring regular commuting to a local office (Toronto, ON preferred; Minneapolis, MN or Ann Arbor, MI considered). This suggests a collaborative office space designed for team interaction, but with flexibility for focused work.

Office Location(s): Toronto, Ontario, Canada (preferred); Minneapolis, MN; Ann Arbor, MI. Candidates must be able to commute to their local office on a regular basis.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The hybrid model and emphasis on cross-functional work imply an office setup that encourages team meetings, brainstorming sessions, and spontaneous collaboration.

• Technology & Tools: Access to standard office technology, collaboration software, and likely specialized UX research tools and platforms. The explicit mention of leveraging generative AI tools suggests access to relevant software or platforms.

• Team Interaction: Regular opportunities to interact with UX designers, product managers, developers, and other researchers, fostering a dynamic and communicative work environment.

Work Schedule:

• Standard full-time hours are expected, with a hybrid arrangement meaning dedicated days in the office. The "Flex My Way" policy and "Work From Anywhere" options provide significant flexibility outside of the core hybrid requirement, allowing for balance between in-office collaboration and remote work.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid nature of the role requires candidates to be comfortable working both in an office and remotely. The preference for Toronto suggests a primary hub, but there's flexibility for other locations. The emphasis on collaboration suggests an office environment that supports team activities.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Application Screening: Initial review of resume and potentially a portfolio (though described as "nice-to-have," it's highly recommended). AI assessment may be part of the initial screening.

• Hiring Manager/Recruiter Screen: A preliminary conversation to assess basic qualifications, experience, and cultural fit.

• Portfolio Review & Presentation: A dedicated session where the candidate will walk through at least one strong past project, demonstrating their research process, methodologies, insights, and impact. This is a critical step to showcase practical skills.

• Skills-Based Interviews: Interviews with cross-functional team members (e.g., UX Designers, Product Managers, fellow Researchers) focusing on specific research skills, problem-solving abilities, and collaboration style.

• Leadership Interview: Potentially an interview with a senior leader to assess strategic thinking, influence, and alignment with company values.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Focus on Impact: Clearly articulate the business problem, your research approach, the insights generated, and the tangible impact your research had on product decisions and outcomes. Use metrics where possible.

• Showcase Process: Detail your research process from planning and recruitment to synthesis and reporting. Explain why you chose specific methodologies.

• B2B SaaS Context: Tailor examples to B2B SaaS if possible, highlighting understanding of enterprise user needs, complex workflows, and business objectives.

• AI Integration: If applicable, highlight any use of generative AI tools in your research process and the benefits gained.

• Storytelling: Present your project as a compelling narrative, making it easy for interviewers to follow your thought process and understand your contributions.

Challenge Preparation:

• Be prepared for a potential case study or a hypothetical research scenario exercise. This might involve analyzing a dataset, outlining a research plan for a given problem, or interpreting research findings.

• Practice articulating your thought process clearly and concisely. For operations roles, demonstrating how you would approach a problem, what data you'd seek, and how you'd measure success is key.

• Familiarize yourself with Thomson Reuters' products and the B2B SaaS landscape to ask informed questions and contextualize your experience.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process heavily emphasizes practical application through a portfolio walkthrough. Candidates should prepare a strong case study that demonstrates their ability to deliver impactful research in a B2B SaaS context. The mention of AI in the recruitment process suggests candidates should be comfortable with technology and potentially use it to their advantage in their application.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• UX Research Platforms: Familiarity with tools for usability testing, surveys, and unmoderated research (e.g., UserTesting.com, Maze, Qualtrics, SurveyMonkey).

• Prototyping & Design Tools: Experience working with or understanding outputs from tools like Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, which are often used in conjunction with research.

• Generative AI Tools: Applied experience with AI tools relevant to research acceleration (e.g., AI-powered transcription, summarization, insight generation tools).

• Collaboration Tools: Proficiency in tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, Zoom for communication and remote collaboration.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Data Analysis Software: Comfort using tools for qualitative data analysis (e.g., Dovetail, NVivo) and quantitative analysis (e.g., Excel, SPSS, R, Python for statistical analysis).

• BI & Dashboard Tools: Experience with data visualization tools like Tableau, Power BI, or internal dashboards for reporting and presenting findings.

CRM & Automation:

• While not directly a UX Researcher tool, understanding of CRM systems (like Salesforce) and marketing automation platforms can provide context for B2B SaaS user behavior and workflows.

📝 Enhancement Note: While specific tools aren't listed, the role heavily implies the need for proficiency in standard UX research software, data analysis tools, and an openness to leveraging generative AI. Candidates should be prepared to discuss their experience with relevant platforms and their ability to adapt to new technologies.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Obsess over our Customers: A deep commitment to understanding and serving the needs of Thomson Reuters' professional clients. This translates to conducting research that genuinely addresses user pain points and business requirements.

• Compete to Win: Driving for excellence and delivering high-quality, impactful research that contributes to competitive product offerings.

• Challenge (Y)our Thinking: Encouraging critical evaluation of assumptions and approaches, including embracing new methodologies like generative AI.

• Act Fast / Learn Fast: Adapting quickly to changing project needs and iterating on research approaches based on learnings, fitting well with agile development.

• Stronger Together: Emphasizing collaboration and cross-functional teamwork to achieve shared goals.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Researchers are embedded within product teams, working daily with designers, product managers, and developers.

• Evidence-Based Influence: Collaboration involves presenting research findings clearly and persuasively to influence decisions, underpinned by solid data.

• Agile Cadence: Regular participation in agile ceremonies (stand-ups, sprint planning, retrospectives) to ensure research is integrated seamlessly.

• Knowledge Sharing: A culture that encourages sharing insights and best practices, potentially through internal presentations or documentation.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company values are strongly aligned with a user-centric, data-driven, and collaborative approach to product development. A Senior UX Researcher is expected to embody these values, driving customer understanding and fostering strong partnerships across teams.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Business Needs and User Needs: Effectively navigating the complexities of enterprise software development, where business objectives, technical constraints, and user needs must be synthesized into viable solutions.

• Influencing Stakeholders: Gaining buy-in and driving action from diverse stakeholders, including senior leadership, who may have differing priorities or perspectives.

• Integrating Research in Agile: Ensuring research remains timely and impactful within fast-paced agile development cycles, avoiding becoming a bottleneck.

• Adopting New Technologies: Staying current with and effectively integrating emerging technologies, such as generative AI, into established research practices.

• Scope Management: Managing research scope and timelines effectively to deliver actionable insights within project constraints.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deepening B2B SaaS Expertise: Gaining in-depth knowledge of specific professional domains (legal, tax, etc.) and the intricate workflows of their users.

• Advanced AI in Research: Opportunities to explore and become proficient in cutting-edge AI applications for research synthesis, analysis, and participant engagement.

• Mentorship & Leadership: Developing coaching and leadership skills through mentoring junior researchers and potentially leading research initiatives.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Enhancing skills in influencing, communication, and strategic partnership with product and engineering leaders.

• Industry Conferences & Training: Potential for participation in relevant UX research conferences and specialized training programs to stay abreast of industry best practices.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are typical for senior roles in large tech companies, emphasizing strategic thinking, influence, and adaptability. The growth opportunities are geared towards deepening expertise in a specialized domain and advancing leadership capabilities.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to influence a product decision with research findings that contradicted initial assumptions or stakeholder beliefs. How did you approach it, and what was the outcome?" (Focus on data synthesis, communication, and stakeholder management.)

• "Outline your process for conducting generative research to understand unmet needs in a complex B2B domain. What methods would you use, and how would you frame the problem space for the product team?" (Focus on discovery research, methodology selection, and problem framing.)

• "How do you balance the need for robust research with the speed required in an agile development environment? Can you provide an example of how you've adapted your research approach?" (Focus on agility, iterative research, and pragmatic execution.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Thomson Reuters and our B2B SaaS offerings, specifically?" (Research their products, target markets, and recent news.)

• "How do you see your role as a Senior UX Researcher contributing to our company values, particularly 'Obsess over our Customers' and 'Stronger Together'?" (Connect your experience to their stated values.)

• "Describe your experience working in a hybrid environment and collaborating with remote and in-office team members." (Highlight communication and collaboration skills.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Select a High-Impact Project: Choose a project that clearly demonstrates your end-to-end research process, significant challenges overcome, and measurable impact. B2B SaaS examples are ideal.

• Structure Your Narrative: Use a clear story arc: Problem -> Your Role -> Research Approach (Methods, Tools, Process) -> Key Insights -> Recommendations -> Impact/Outcome.

• Showcase Data Synthesis: Visually represent key findings and insights. Explain how you synthesized qualitative and quantitative data.

• Highlight Collaboration: Emphasize how you worked with designers, product managers, and engineers.

• Be Ready for Deep Dives: Prepare to answer detailed questions about your methodology, analysis, and decision-making process.

• AI Integration (Optional but Recommended): If you used AI tools, be prepared to explain how they assisted your research and what value they added.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview heavily relies on practical demonstration via a portfolio. Candidates should prepare to articulate their process, rationale, and impact with concrete examples, especially those relevant to B2B SaaS and agile environments. Understanding Thomson Reuters' business and values is crucial for demonstrating cultural fit.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior UX Researcher position:

• Submit your application via the Thomson Reuters careers portal (link provided in the original listing).

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 1-2 strong case studies that best represent your experience in B2B SaaS UX research, focusing on impact and your end-to-end process. Ensure it's visually appealing and easy to navigate.

• Optimize Your Resume: Tailor your resume to highlight keywords from the job description (e.g., B2B SaaS, qualitative/quantitative research, generative AI, agile, stakeholder management) and quantify achievements where possible.

• Prepare Your Project Walkthrough: Practice presenting your chosen portfolio project, focusing on clear storytelling, methodology justification, insight synthesis, and demonstrated impact. Be ready for detailed questions.

• Research Thomson Reuters: Familiarize yourself with their products, target industries (legal, tax, etc.), company values, and recent news to demonstrate genuine interest and cultural alignment during interviews.

⚠️ 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.