Senior UX Researcher

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior UX Researcher

Company: TOPdesk

Location: Budapest, Hungary

Job Type: Full-time

Category: User Experience Research / Product Development Operations

Date Posted: 2026-09-16

Experience Level: 5-10 years

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead strategic UX research initiatives across multiple product domains, defining research direction and translating knowledge gaps into actionable study plans.

• Design and independently execute complex qualitative and quantitative research studies to uncover user behaviors, needs, and pain points, directly informing product discovery and strategy.

• Synthesize insights from various studies and data sources to identify overarching patterns and strategic product opportunities, driving data-informed decision-making.

• Partner closely with UX Designers, Product Managers, and Engineers across international teams (Netherlands, Germany, Hungary) to ensure user insights are central to product development.

• Contribute to and improve the shared research practice across the organization, acting as a mentor and advocate for research quality and maturity.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a Senior UX Researcher within a software company specializing in service management. The focus is on driving product strategy through deep user understanding, emphasizing independent research execution, cross-functional collaboration, and the development of research practices. While not a traditional "Revenue Operations" role, the core function of leveraging data and insights to inform strategic decisions aligns with the operational excellence expected in GTM functions.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Own the research direction for one or more product domains, proactively identifying critical knowledge gaps and formulating comprehensive research questions and study plans.

• Independently design and execute complex qualitative and quantitative research studies, ensuring a deep understanding of user behaviors, needs, and pain points before solutions are defined.

• Synthesize findings from multiple studies and data sources to identify broader patterns, strategic product opportunities, and areas for innovation.

• Translate research findings into clear, actionable recommendations, effectively communicating trade-offs and grounding team and leadership decisions in strong, evidence-based insights.

• Collaborate closely with product teams, management, and design colleagues to align research across product domains, navigate competing stakeholder priorities, and ensure research implications are understood and acted upon.

• Provide constructive feedback and mentorship to junior researchers and other product colleagues (designers, Product Managers), reviewing their work for quality and adherence to best practices.

• Drive the improvement of research practices, standards, and ResearchOps activities within the UX research team, fostering a culture of continuous learning and operational excellence.

• Evaluate and responsibly apply new research methods, including AI-supported research techniques, to enhance efficiency and research quality.

• Regularly engage with stakeholders across product, design, and leadership to communicate findings, build organizational research maturity, and champion user-centricity.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a senior-level individual contributor role with significant autonomy and a focus on both execution and strategic influence. The emphasis on "ResearchOps" and improving practices indicates a need for someone who can contribute to the operational efficiency of the research function itself.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's, Master's, or Ph.D. degree in Human-Computer Interaction, Psychology, Human Factors, Cognitive Science, Social Sciences, Anthropology, Design, or a related field.

• Equivalent practical research experience will also be considered.

• Preferred: Foundational UX research training or certification (e.g., Nielsen Norman Group (NN/g), UXPA, or CPUX).

Experience:

• 5+ years of professional experience in UX research in a medior/senior capacity.

• Proven track record of successfully planning and leading complex end-to-end UX research studies involving multiple stakeholders or user groups.

• Experience mentoring researchers or improving shared research practices and workflows. Required Skills:

• Strong command of both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies, with the ability to select and apply them appropriately.

• Expertise in synthesizing findings across multiple studies to surface broader patterns and strategic product opportunities.

• Ability to bring clarity to complex decisions and empower teams and leadership to act confidently on evidence.

• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to present findings clearly and persuasively to diverse audiences, including direct teams and wider leadership.

• Proactive mindset with a strong drive for continuous improvement in research practice and operational efficiency.

• Fluency (C1 level) in English for effective international collaboration. Preferred Skills:

• Fluency (C1 level) in German or Dutch for enhanced collaboration within specific regional teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: The educational requirements are broad, emphasizing foundational knowledge in human behavior and interaction. The experience requirement is specific, focusing on leadership in research execution and practice improvement. The integration of AI tools is a forward-looking requirement, aligning with modern operations and research efficiency trends.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrate a portfolio showcasing complex, end-to-end UX research studies, including planning, execution, and impact.

• Provide evidence of identifying critical knowledge gaps and translating them into robust research questions and actionable study plans.

• Showcase the ability to synthesize insights from multiple sources (qualitative and quantitative) to identify strategic product opportunities and broader patterns.

• Include examples of how research findings have directly influenced product direction, decision-making, and led to measurable improvements.

• Highlight experience in collaborating with cross-functional teams (Product Managers, Designers, Engineers) and presenting findings to leadership. Process Documentation:

• Present examples of how research practices and workflows have been documented and standardized to improve consistency and quality.

• Showcase initiatives undertaken to improve "ResearchOps" activities, focusing on efficiency, scalability, and operational excellence within the research function.

• Include case studies or descriptions of how new research methods or AI-supported techniques were evaluated, adopted, and integrated responsibly into research processes.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Senior UX Researcher role, a portfolio is critical. It should not only showcase research projects but also demonstrate leadership in research strategy, process improvement, and the ability to drive organizational change. The emphasis on "ResearchOps" suggests a need for candidates who can think about research as a scalable, efficient operation.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: HUF 1,240,000 - HUF 1,450,000 monthly.

• This range is based on the provided salary data for a Senior UX Researcher in Budapest, Hungary. The figures suggest a competitive offering for experienced professionals in the region, considering the cost of living and industry benchmarks. Benefits:

• Opportunity to work in an international software company with a strong focus on service management.

• Collaboration with diverse, international teams across the Netherlands, Germany, and Hungary.

• Contribution to a shared research practice and organizational research maturity.

• Potential for growth and development within a growing company.

• [Specific benefits such as health insurance, paid time off, professional development allowances, and retirement plans are assumed to be offered, as is standard for full-time roles in established companies like TOPdesk.] Working Hours:

• Assumed 40 hours per week, with potential for flexibility around core working hours to accommodate international collaboration and research needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range provided is specific and monthly. The benefits are inferred based on typical offerings for full-time roles at international software companies. For a detailed understanding of benefits, candidates should inquire directly. The working hours are standard, but the nature of research often requires flexibility.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Software (Service Management)

Company Size: 700 employees globally, with a presence in 8 countries. This indicates a well-established, mid-to-large-sized company with a significant international footprint, offering stability and broad exposure.

Founded: TOPdesk was founded in 1993, suggesting a company with a long history, established processes, and deep domain expertise in service management software.

Team Structure:

• The UX Researcher will be part of a broader UX team, likely including other UX Researchers and UX Designers.

• They will collaborate closely with Product Managers and Engineers who are distributed across the Netherlands, Germany, and Hungary.

• Reporting structure is likely to be within a Product or Design leadership hierarchy, with direct interaction with Product domain leads and management.

• Cross-functional collaboration is a cornerstone, emphasizing a matrixed approach where research insights inform multiple product development streams. Methodology:

• Data-driven decision-making is central, with a strong emphasis on user insights derived from rigorous research.

• Agile methodologies are likely employed for product development, requiring researchers to integrate seamlessly into iterative cycles.

• A focus on "ResearchOps" suggests a commitment to optimizing research processes for efficiency, scalability, and quality.

• Continuous improvement and learning are key, encouraging the adoption of new methods and technologies.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: TOPdesk's long history and international presence suggest a company that values stability, established processes, and global collaboration. The emphasis on service management software implies a B2B focus, where understanding complex user workflows and enterprise needs is paramount. The distributed nature of teams highlights the importance of strong communication and collaboration skills.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Senior Individual Contributor. This role is for an experienced professional who can lead research initiatives independently, mentor others, and contribute to the strategic direction of product development. It's a step beyond a mid-level researcher, involving greater ownership and influence.

Reporting Structure: The Senior UX Researcher will likely report to a Head of UX, Director of Product, or a similar leadership role overseeing product development and design. They will work closely with Product Managers and UX Designers on specific product teams.

Operations Impact: The primary impact of this role is on the strategic direction and user-centricity of TOPdesk's software products. By providing deep user insights, the Senior UX Researcher directly influences product roadmaps, feature prioritization, and the overall user experience, ultimately contributing to customer satisfaction, adoption, and retention – key operational metrics for a SaaS company.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership in Research Practice: Opportunity to lead initiatives to mature ResearchOps, define best practices, and influence the research strategy across TOPdesk.

• Skill Specialization: Deepen expertise in advanced qualitative and quantitative methods, or explore new areas like AI in research, ethical AI application, or specialized product domains.

• Cross-functional Influence: Grow influence by building strong relationships and driving user-centricity across multiple product teams and leadership levels.

• Mentorship: Develop leadership and coaching skills by mentoring junior researchers and contributing to their professional development.

• International Exposure: Gain experience working with diverse teams and markets across Europe, enhancing cross-cultural collaboration skills.

📝 Enhancement Note: The growth opportunities are framed around expanding influence, refining expertise, and developing leadership capabilities within the UX research discipline and broader product development operations. The emphasis on ResearchOps suggests potential career paths into research operations management or leadership.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is described as "On-site," implying a requirement to work from one of TOPdesk's physical offices. Given the mention of Budapest, the primary work location will be the TOPdesk office in Budapest.

Office Location(s): Budapest, Hungary.

• The specific office address in Budapest should be confirmed with the hiring team. Workspace Context:

• The work environment will involve close collaboration with local and international colleagues.

• Access to necessary research tools, software, and potentially dedicated spaces for user testing or data analysis is expected.

• The Budapest office will serve as the hub for day-to-day collaboration, team meetings, and integration with local product and design teams.

• The hybrid nature of the product teams (Netherlands, Germany, Hungary) means that remote collaboration tools and practices will be essential for effective communication. Work Schedule:

• Standard full-time working hours (approximately 40 hours per week) are expected.

• Flexibility may be available to accommodate international meeting schedules and research fieldwork, particularly for a senior role.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "On-site" designation is key. While collaboration is international, the physical presence in the Budapest office is required. This suggests a culture that values in-person interaction for core team collaboration, even while engaging with remote international colleagues.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your CV and portfolio to assess experience and alignment with the role requirements.

• Hiring Manager/Team Interview: Discussion about your background, experience in UX research, and approach to complex research challenges. This may include behavioral questions and scenario-based inquiries.

• Portfolio Presentation: A critical step where you will present a selection of your work, detailing your process, insights, impact, and how you've driven product decisions. Be prepared to discuss your role, methodologies, and challenges.

• Skills Assessment/Case Study: Potentially a take-home assignment or a live exercise to assess your research planning, execution, synthesis, and communication skills. This might involve analyzing a problem or proposing a research plan.

• Cross-functional Stakeholder Interview: Meeting with Product Managers, UX Designers, or Engineers to assess collaboration style, communication effectiveness, and ability to integrate research into the product development lifecycle.

• Final Interview: Typically with a senior leader to discuss overall fit, career aspirations, and confirm mutual interest.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 2-3 complex projects that best showcase your end-to-end research capabilities, leadership, and impact. Prioritize projects where you owned the research direction and influenced significant product decisions.

• Focus on Impact: Clearly articulate the problem, your approach, the key insights, and most importantly, the impact of your research. Quantify outcomes where possible (e.g., improved conversion rates, reduced user errors, increased satisfaction scores).

• Detail Your Process: Explain your methodology, why you chose specific methods, how you synthesized data, and how you navigated challenges or stakeholder feedback.

• Showcase Collaboration: Highlight how you worked with Product Managers, Designers, and Engineers, and how you communicated findings effectively to different audiences.

• Demonstrate Maturity: For a senior role, show examples of mentoring, process improvement, or contributing to ResearchOps.

Challenge Preparation:

• Research Planning: Be ready to outline a research plan for a hypothetical product problem, including objectives, target users, methodologies, and timeline.

• Problem Framing: Practice how you would approach an ambiguous problem, identify knowledge gaps, and translate them into research questions.

• Synthesis & Recommendations: Prepare to synthesize mock data or scenarios and articulate clear, actionable recommendations grounded in evidence.

• Stakeholder Management: Think about how you would manage competing priorities or present findings that challenge existing assumptions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is designed to thoroughly assess both technical research skills and strategic thinking, as well as collaboration and mentorship capabilities. A strong, well-articulated portfolio demonstrating impact and leadership is paramount for this senior role.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Research Platforms: Familiarity with tools used for user interviews, surveys, usability testing (e.g., UserTesting.com, Lookback, Maze, SurveyMonkey, Qualtrics).

• Data Analysis & Synthesis: Proficiency in tools for qualitative data analysis (e.g., Dovetail, NVivo) and quantitative analysis (e.g., Excel, R, Python, SPSS) for synthesizing insights.

• Collaboration & Documentation: Standard office productivity suites (e.g., Microsoft Office, Google Workspace) and collaboration tools (e.g., Slack, Teams, Confluence).

• Prototyping & Design Tools (for understanding context): Familiarity with tools like Figma, Sketch, or Adobe XD, as you'll be working closely with designers.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Understanding of product analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics, Mixpanel, Amplitude) to complement qualitative findings.

• Experience in creating dashboards or reports to communicate research findings and impact to stakeholders. CRM & Automation:

• While not directly managing CRM, understanding how user feedback and insights can feed into CRM strategies or customer success platforms is beneficial.

• Awareness of how automation tools can streamline research processes or data collection where appropriate.

📝 Enhancement Note: The technology stack emphasizes tools for user research execution, data analysis, and collaboration. While direct experience with specific CRM or automation tools isn't listed as a primary requirement, an understanding of how research integrates with broader business operations is valued. The mention of "AI-supported research techniques" suggests an openness to and potential use of AI tools for research assistance.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• User-Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and advocating for the user in all product decisions, ensuring that user needs and pain points are at the forefront.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: A strong reliance on evidence and insights from research to guide strategy, rather than relying on assumptions or opinions.

• Collaboration & Transparency: Open communication and teamwork across product, design, and engineering teams, fostering a shared understanding and collective ownership of product success.

• Continuous Improvement: A proactive mindset towards refining research practices, adopting new methodologies, and enhancing operational efficiency within the research function.

• Impact & Accountability: A focus on delivering actionable insights that drive measurable product improvements and business outcomes, taking ownership of research's contribution to success.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Seamlessly embedding within product teams, working hand-in-hand with Product Managers and UX Designers throughout the product development lifecycle.

• Evidence-Based Advocacy: Presenting research findings clearly and persuasively to influence decisions and align stakeholders, even when challenging existing beliefs.

• Mentorship and Knowledge Sharing: Actively sharing expertise, providing feedback to colleagues, and contributing to a culture of learning and development within the UX team and broader organization.

• Proactive Engagement: Initiating research activities and engaging with stakeholders proactively to anticipate needs and address potential knowledge gaps before they become critical.

📝 Enhancement Note: The cultural values emphasize a blend of user advocacy, rigorous analysis, collaborative teamwork, and a forward-thinking approach to operational excellence in research. This role requires someone who can not only conduct research but also champion its value and integrate it effectively into the company's operational fabric.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Navigating International Collaboration: Effectively collaborating with and gathering insights from diverse user groups and stakeholders across different countries and cultures, requiring strong cross-cultural communication skills.

• Balancing Strategic and Tactical Research: Managing the demand for both foundational, strategic research that shapes long-term product direction and tactical, user-focused research for immediate product iterations.

• Integrating AI Responsibly: Evaluating and applying new AI-supported research techniques ethically and effectively, ensuring they enhance rather than detract from research quality and user understanding.

• Driving Research Maturity: Continuously improving research practices and advocating for user insights in an environment with potentially competing priorities, pushing for greater organizational research maturity.

• Synthesizing Complex Data: Effectively consolidating insights from multiple, diverse research studies and data sources to form coherent, actionable strategies.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Research Methodologies: Opportunity to deepen expertise in specialized qualitative and quantitative techniques, or explore emerging areas like generative AI for research.

• ResearchOps Development: Contribute to and potentially lead initiatives in building scalable, efficient research operations for a growing international company.

• Cross-Cultural Research Expertise: Develop advanced skills in conducting research across different cultural contexts and markets.

• Mentorship and Leadership Training: Gain experience in coaching and developing junior researchers, enhancing leadership capabilities.

• Product Strategy Influence: Grow influence within product development by consistently delivering high-impact insights that shape strategic roadmaps.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are geared towards the complexities of senior-level, international UX research, including ethical considerations with new technologies and the operational aspects of scaling research. The growth opportunities focus on deepening expertise, leadership development, and strategic impact.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to identify a critical knowledge gap for a product and how you planned a research study to address it. What was the outcome?" (Focus on strategic planning, problem identification, and impact.)

• "How do you prioritize research requests when multiple stakeholders have competing needs and timelines? Provide an example of how you managed this." (Focus on stakeholder management, prioritization, and negotiation.)

• "Discuss your approach to synthesizing findings from multiple qualitative and quantitative studies. How do you ensure your recommendations are actionable and grounded in evidence?" (Focus on data synthesis, insight generation, and actionable recommendations.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about TOPdesk and our service management software? How do you see UX research contributing to our specific business goals?" (Demonstrates research into the company and understanding of its domain.)

• "How would you contribute to improving our existing research practices or ResearchOps at TOPdesk? Provide an example of a process improvement you've led." (Assesses your proactive approach and experience in operational excellence.)

• "Describe your experience mentoring junior researchers or colleagues. What is your philosophy on sharing knowledge and developing others?" (Evaluates your leadership and team development potential.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each project, clearly define the problem, your role, the methodology, key findings, and the ultimate impact. Use a story-telling approach.

• Highlight Your Seniority: Emphasize your ownership, strategic contributions, and any instances where you mentored others or improved processes.

• Quantify Impact: Where possible, use data to show the positive results of your research (e.g., increased conversion, reduced support tickets, improved user satisfaction).

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

• Connect to TOPdesk: Where possible, draw parallels between your past work and the challenges TOPdesk might face, or express how your skills align with their product domain.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on showcasing strategic thinking, leadership in research, and the ability to drive tangible impact. Demonstrating an understanding of ResearchOps and a proactive approach to process improvement will be key differentiators for a senior role.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior UX Researcher position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on jobs.smartrecruiters.com.

• Customize Your Resume: Tailor your resume to highlight the 5+ years of UX research experience, specific methodologies used, and quantifiable achievements. Ensure keywords like "Qualitative Research," "Quantitative Research," "User Insights," "ResearchOps," and "Stakeholder Management" are prominently featured.

• Prepare Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 key projects that best demonstrate your end-to-end research capabilities, strategic thinking, and impact. Ensure each case study clearly articulates the problem, your process, insights, and outcomes. Be ready to present this virtually or in person.

• Research TOPdesk: Familiarize yourself with TOPdesk's service management software, its target audience, and its position in the market. Understand their company mission and values.

• Practice Your Narrative: Rehearse your answers to common UX research interview questions and practice presenting your portfolio effectively, focusing on clarity, impact, and your senior-level contributions.

⚠️ 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.