Senior UX Researcher - Contract

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior UX Researcher - Contract (Outside IR35)

Company: Toyota Connected Europe

Location: London, United Kingdom

Job Type: Full-Time Contract

Category: User Experience Research

Date Posted: June 01, 2026

Experience Level: 6+ Years (Senior Level)

Remote Status: Hybrid (with potential for remote work within UK, subject to project needs)

🚀 Role Summary

• This role is critical for supporting a global strategic project, demanding a strong focus on both quantitative and qualitative user research methodologies, with a particular emphasis on quantitative survey design and analysis.

• The Senior UX Researcher will be responsible for leading independent, end-to-end research projects, synthesizing complex data into clear, actionable insights to influence product and design decisions at a global scale.

• A key aspect of the role involves contributing to and evolving the global research playbook, establishing standards, templates, and best practices to ensure high-quality, consistent research outcomes across the organization.

• The position requires proficiency in a range of UX metrics and benchmarking tools, experience in Agile environments, and the ability to translate research findings into tangible recommendations for product owners.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Outside IR35" designation indicates this is a contractor role where the individual is responsible for their own tax and National Insurance contributions, typically operating as a limited company. The hybrid nature suggests a balance of remote work and in-office collaboration, likely centered around the London office for key meetings and team interactions.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Lead independent, end-to-end foundational research projects, with a significant focus on designing and executing large-scale quantitative surveys across diverse user segments and markets.

• Conduct information architecture research, including methods like tree testing and card sorting, to optimize user navigation and content discoverability across multiple markets.

• Perform moderated and unmoderated usability testing within an Agile delivery environment, providing timely feedback to design and development teams.

• Synthesize complex quantitative and qualitative findings into clear, actionable insights and develop a recommendations framework to guide global product owners in their decision-making processes.

• Partner with designers to support and enable design-led research, offering guidance on appropriate methods, study design, and interpretation of research results.

• Contribute to and help evolve the global research playbook, establishing and maintaining standards, templates, and best practices for conducting high-quality, impactful user research.

• Ensure research activities and outputs are aligned with established UX metrics, frameworks, and organizational standards, including benchmarking key performance indicators.

• Support the development and maintenance of a research repository and UX research backlog, ensuring efficient knowledge management and planning.

• Monitor and ensure research tools are utilized within budget constraints, collaborating with procurement or finance as needed.

📝 Enhancement Note: The 70/20/10 split of responsibilities (Hands-on Research Projects/Research Process & Standards/Research Operations) highlights the significant emphasis on direct research execution, with a strong secondary focus on process improvement and standardization, and a smaller but important component on operational efficiency.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

Experience:

• Minimum of 6 years of professional user research experience, with a proven track record of successfully leading research initiatives from conception to completion.

Required Skills:

• Quantitative Research Design: Demonstrated expertise in designing, executing, and analyzing large-scale quantitative surveys with statistically significant sample sizes.

• Qualitative Research Methods: Proficiency in conducting various qualitative research techniques, including interviews, focus groups, and contextual inquiries.

• Information Architecture: Hands-on experience with IA methods such as tree testing and card sorting to understand user mental models and optimize site structure.

• Usability Testing: Deep experience with both moderated and unmoderated usability testing, executed within Agile development cycles.

• UX Metrics & Benchmarking: Strong familiarity with key UX metrics (e.g., SUS, task completion rate, SEQ) and experience in establishing and tracking benchmarks for performance and user satisfaction.

• Data Synthesis & Insight Generation: Ability to synthesize complex quantitative and qualitative data into clear, concise, and actionable insights that drive product and design decisions.

• Agile Methodology: Experience working effectively within Agile development teams and adapting research processes to support iterative development cycles.

• Communication & Reporting: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to present research findings and recommendations clearly to diverse stakeholders, including product owners and design teams.

Preferred Skills:

• Advanced Quantitative Analysis: Familiarity with advanced statistical analysis techniques or a strong background in statistics.

• Information Architecture Tools: Experience with platforms like UserZoom, Maze, or Optimal Workshop for conducting various types of user research.

• Feature Prioritization Frameworks: Knowledge of product market fit assessment, KANO model, or other feature prioritization methods.

• Research Operations: Experience in developing and managing research repositories, backlogs, and ensuring efficient use of research tools.

• Cross-Market Research: Experience conducting research across multiple international markets.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "6+ years" and "Senior" designation implies a need for someone who can operate independently, mentor junior researchers (implicitly), and contribute strategically to the research function's development. The "Outside IR35" status means a focus on demonstrable value delivery and efficiency, rather than long-term employee benefits.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Quantitative Survey Design: Examples demonstrating the design, execution, and analysis of large-scale quantitative surveys, showcasing sample size, methodology, and key findings.

• Information Architecture Studies: Case studies illustrating the application of tree testing or card sorting, detailing the process, results, and impact on IA decisions.

• Usability Testing Projects: Evidence of conducting moderated and unmoderated usability tests, including study design, participant recruitment, task analysis, and actionable recommendations.

• Data Synthesis & Recommendations: Examples of how complex quantitative and qualitative data were synthesized into clear, actionable insights and strategic recommendations for product or design teams.

• UX Metrics & Benchmarking: Demonstrations of how UX metrics were used to evaluate product performance, track improvements over time, and establish benchmarks.

Process Documentation:

• Research Playbook Contribution: Evidence of contributions to developing or refining research processes, standards, templates, or best practices, ideally within a team or organizational context.

• Agile Research Integration: Examples of how research activities were integrated into an Agile workflow, including collaboration with product managers and designers.

• Reporting & Communication: Examples of clear, concise reporting of research findings, potentially including dashboard elements or executive summaries that inform decision-making.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a contract role, the portfolio is paramount. Candidates should prepare detailed case studies that highlight their ability to deliver end-to-end research, particularly focusing on quantitative rigor and the ability to translate findings into strategic product and design guidance. Demonstrating impact and efficiency will be key.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• As this is a contract role (Outside IR35), compensation will be negotiated based on experience, skills, and market rates for senior UX researchers in London. A typical day rate for a Senior UX Researcher in London with 6+ years of experience and specialized quantitative skills could range from £400 to £650 per day, depending on the specific project's complexity and duration. This equates to