Senior UX Researcher (f/m/d)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior UX Researcher (f/m/d)

Company: Awin

Location: London, England, United Kingdom; Manchester, England, United Kingdom; Warsaw, Masovian Voivodeship, Poland

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: User Experience / Product Research

Date Posted: 2026-09-14

Experience Level: Mid-Senior Level (4+ years)

Remote Status: Hybrid/Remote Eligible

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead strategic and tactical user research initiatives to inform product and business decisions.

• Plan and execute a diverse range of qualitative and quantitative research methodologies.

• Translate complex research findings into clear, actionable insights and compelling narratives.

• Collaborate closely with Product, Design, Engineering, and other customer-facing teams to champion customer needs.

• Drive research operations, processes, and best practices to elevate research maturity across the organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: While this role is focused on UX Research, the emphasis on influencing product strategy, collaborating with commercial teams, and driving research operations aligns with the broader GTM and operational excellence principles. Candidates with experience in operations-adjacent roles that involve data synthesis, process improvement, and stakeholder management will find transferable skills valuable.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end research projects, from problem definition and scoping through to synthesis, recommendations, and stakeholder alignment.

• Plan and execute a range of qualitative and quantitative research activities, including usability testing, user interviews, surveys, workshops, and behavioural analysis.

• Translate complex research findings into clear, actionable insights that drive product and business decisions.

• Manage multiple research initiatives simultaneously, balancing competing priorities while maintaining quality and momentum.

• Collaborate closely with Product, Design, Engineering, Customer Success, and Commercial teams to identify research opportunities and answer high-value business questions.

• Communicate research findings confidently and effectively to a range of audiences, from practitioners to senior stakeholders.

• Influence product strategy through evidence-based recommendations and champion customer needs across the organisation.

• Support the development of research operations, processes, tooling, and best practices.

• Maintain and contribute to our insights repository to ensure research findings are accessible and reusable.

• Mentor colleagues and support the continued growth of research maturity across the business.

• Build strong relationships with stakeholders to establish effective feedback loops and strengthen the voice of the customer.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibility to "support the development of research operations, processes, tooling, and best practices" is a key indicator of an operations-focused aspect of this role. This suggests the need for candidates who can not only conduct research but also contribute to the systematic improvement and scalability of the research function itself.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong academic foundation in fields such as Human-Computer Interaction, Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, Information Science, or a related discipline is often beneficial for understanding user behaviour and research methodologies.

Experience: 4+ years of experience conducting UX Research within digital products or related fields, with a demonstrated track record of independently leading complex research projects from start to finish.

Required Skills:

• Strong understanding of qualitative and quantitative research methodologies and when to apply them effectively.

• Experienced in independently leading complex research projects from inception to outcome with minimal oversight.

• Excellent communication, facilitation, and presentation skills, with the ability to tailor messages for different audiences (practitioners to senior stakeholders).

• Skilled at synthesizing large volumes of information into clear narratives, actionable insights, and strategic recommendations.

• Confident engaging with stakeholders, challenging assumptions constructively, and influencing decision-making processes.

• Ability to prioritize effectively across multiple projects, balancing business goals, customer needs, and team capacity.

• Demonstrated ability to manage several concurrent workstreams while maintaining a high standard of delivery.

• Proactive, self-sufficient, and comfortable identifying and resolving blockers independently.

• Strong organizational skills with excellent attention to detail.

• Curious, analytical, and motivated to understand the "why" behind customer behaviour.

• Passionate about creating user-centered products and embedding customer insight into decision-making. Preferred Skills:

• Experience operating in ambiguous environments and bringing structure and direction to unclear problem spaces.

• Experience in supporting the development and refinement of research operations, processes, and tooling.

• Familiarity with maintaining and contributing to insights repositories.

• Experience mentoring junior researchers or contributing to the growth of research maturity.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for 4+ years of experience, coupled with the expectation of leading complex projects independently and influencing strategy, positions this as a Senior-level role. The emphasis on "operating in ambiguous environments" and "bringing structure and direction" is highly relevant to operations professionals who excel at process definition and problem-solving.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase end-to-end research projects, clearly detailing problem definition, research questions, methodology selection, execution, synthesis, and impact.

• Provide examples of how research findings directly influenced product features, design decisions, or business strategy, with quantifiable outcomes where possible.

• Demonstrate proficiency in a variety of qualitative and quantitative methods (e.g., usability testing, in-depth interviews, surveys, diary studies, behavioural data analysis).

• Include case studies that highlight your ability to manage ambiguity, prioritize effectively, and communicate complex insights clearly to diverse stakeholders.

• If applicable, include examples of contributions to research operations, process improvements, or the development of research tooling. Process Documentation:

• Evidence of clearly defined research plans, including research questions, participant criteria, methodologies, and timelines.

• Examples of structured synthesis frameworks and methods used to derive actionable insights from raw data.

• Documentation showcasing how research findings were communicated and socialized across different teams (e.g., presentation decks, reports, workshops).

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Senior UX Researcher, a portfolio is crucial. It should not only demonstrate research execution but also strategic thinking, problem-solving in complex scenarios, and the ability to operationalize research insights into tangible business value. The ability to show how a candidate has contributed to the "system" of research is a differentiator.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: For a Senior UX Researcher in London or Manchester, a competitive salary range would typically fall between £60,000 - £85,000 per annum, depending on experience and specific responsibilities. In Warsaw, this range might be approximately PLN 180,000 - PLN 270,000 per annum. These figures are estimates based on industry benchmarks for senior-level research roles in these major European tech hubs and may vary based on the company's compensation philosophy and the candidate's qualifications.

Benefits:

• Flexi-Week: A four-day work week at full pay, with no reduction in annual holiday allowance, prioritizing mental health and wellbeing.

• Flexi-Office: Hybrid/remote working scheme fostering a culture of mutual trust and flexibility.

• Work Expense Contribution & Remote Working Furniture: Monthly allowance for running costs and a furniture package for home office setup.

• Health and Wellbeing: Support through various initiatives and sports offers for mental and physical wellbeing.

• Development: Access to Awin Academy for extensive professional and personal growth training.

• Appreciation: Peer-to-peer recognition program for thanking and rewarding colleagues.

• Additional Benefits: Specific health and wellbeing offerings will be discussed during the interview, varying by country.

Working Hours: The standard working hours are assumed to be approximately 40 hours per week, but the "Flexi-Week" offers a unique structure by compressing work into four days, allowing for a lighter or disconnected fifth day. This provides significant flexibility.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary estimates are based on general market data for Senior UX Researchers in the UK and Poland, considering the cost of living and typical compensation structures for tech roles. The benefits package, particularly the Flexi-Week, is a significant differentiator and should be highlighted for its impact on work-life balance and employee wellbeing, a key consideration for many professionals.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Awin operates within the Affiliate Marketing and Partner Marketing sector, which is a critical component of digital marketing and e-commerce. As part of the Axel Springer group, it benefits from a broader media and technology ecosystem. This industry context means the company is focused on data-driven performance, partner relationships, and technological innovation to drive online sales and customer acquisition for its clients.

Company Size: Awin is a significant player in its field. While the exact employee count isn't provided, its global presence across multiple locations and its parent company (Axel Springer, a large media conglomerate) suggest a company size of over 1,000 employees, likely placing it in the large enterprise category. This size implies established processes, cross-functional teams, and potential for structured career growth, while also requiring effective coordination and communication to maintain agility.

Founded: Established in 2000, Awin has a long history in the affiliate marketing space. This longevity indicates stability, market expertise, and a deep understanding of the evolving digital landscape. The company has likely navigated significant industry shifts and adapted its strategies, fostering a culture of resilience and continuous improvement.

Team Structure: The UX Research team is likely embedded within the Product and Design functions, but its senior members are expected to collaborate extensively with Product Management, Engineering, Data Science, Customer Success, and Commercial teams. The structure likely involves a mix of embedded researchers within product squads and potentially a central research ops function or lead. Senior researchers are expected to operate with a high degree of autonomy and influence across these various departments.

Methodology: Awin emphasizes a customer-centric approach, driven by data and evidence. The UX Research team's methodology will involve a blend of qualitative and quantitative techniques to understand user behaviour, identify pain points, and validate solutions. The role's emphasis on "research operations" suggests a focus on systematizing research processes, ensuring consistency, and making research findings accessible and actionable across the organization.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's long history (founded in 2000) suggests a mature organization with established processes, which is relevant for operations-focused roles. The emphasis on "partner ecosystem" and "affiliate marketing" implies a business model heavily reliant on relationships and data-driven performance, making UX research critical for optimizing the platform's usability and effectiveness for all stakeholders.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is explicitly a "Senior UX Researcher," indicating a position requiring significant experience and autonomy. It sits above a standard UX Researcher and below a Lead or Principal Researcher. The responsibilities include not just executing research but also strategic influence, mentoring, and contributing to the operational maturity of the research function. This level demands strong problem-solving skills, the ability to navigate ambiguity, and a proactive approach to driving impact.

Reporting Structure: While not explicitly stated, a Senior UX Researcher typically reports to a Head of UX, Director of Product Design, or a similar leadership role within the Product or Design organization. They will likely work within a broader UX/Product team structure but will have significant dotted-line reporting or collaboration with Product Managers, Engineering Leads, and potentially other GTM functions.

Operations Impact: The impact of this role extends beyond just product usability. By providing deep user insights, the Senior UX Researcher directly influences product strategy, feature prioritization, and the overall customer experience. This, in turn, affects key business metrics such as customer acquisition, retention, conversion rates, and overall platform adoption. The ability to translate research into actionable recommendations that drive business outcomes is paramount.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership Track: Progression to Lead UX Researcher, Principal UX Researcher, or even a management role overseeing a UX research team.

• Specialization: Deepening expertise in specific research methodologies (e.g., advanced quantitative analysis, behavioural economics) or product areas.

• Research Operations: Transitioning into a Research Operations (ResOps) role, focusing on scaling research practices, tooling, and infrastructure.

• Cross-Functional Advancement: Leveraging research insights and stakeholder management skills to move into Product Management or strategic roles within GTM teams.

• Mentorship & Training: Opportunity to mentor junior researchers and contribute to the Awin Academy, further developing leadership and training capabilities.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "influencing product strategy," "driving research forward," and "mentoring colleagues" clearly marks this as a senior, impactful role. The growth opportunities highlight pathways that leverage both deep research expertise and operational management skills.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Awin operates a hybrid/remote working scheme, indicating a flexible approach to where work is done. This means the primary work environment will be a blend of remote work from home and potentially occasional in-office collaboration days at one of their hubs (London, Manchester, or Warsaw). The company promotes a culture of mutual trust, suggesting a focus on results rather than strict adherence to office presence.

Office Location(s):

• London, England, United Kingdom: A major global city with a vibrant tech scene.

• Manchester, England, United Kingdom: Another significant UK tech hub.

• Warsaw, Masovian Voivodeship, Poland: A key European capital with a growing technology sector.

Candidates can be based in or near these locations, with flexibility for remote work within these regions.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The role requires close collaboration with cross-functional teams (Product, Design, Engineering, Commercial). Expect frequent virtual meetings, workshops, and communication via collaboration tools.

• Tools & Technology: Access to standard professional tools for communication, project management, and likely specialized UX research software. The company provides a work expense contribution and furniture package for home office setups, emphasizing a commitment to productive remote work.

• Team Interaction: Opportunities for regular interaction with research peers, product teams, and stakeholders, facilitated through virtual channels and potentially in-person meetups.

Work Schedule: The standard working hours are approximately 40 hours per week, but the "Flexi-Week" model offers significant flexibility. This allows for a compressed work schedule over four days, with one lighter or entirely disconnected day per week, promoting a healthy work-life balance.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid/remote flexibility, combined with the Flexi-Week, points to a modern, employee-centric work environment. This is attractive for professionals who value autonomy and work-life integration. The provision of home office support underscores the company's commitment to enabling effective remote and hybrid work.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

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

• Hiring Manager Interview: Discussion with the hiring manager focusing on your experience, research approach, and how you've handled complex projects.

• Portfolio Presentation & Technical Interview: A key stage where you'll present a selection of your work, demonstrating your research process, synthesis skills, and impact. This will likely involve a deep dive into specific case studies and may include scenario-based questions.

• Cross-Functional Interviews: Meetings with key stakeholders from Product, Design, and Engineering to assess collaboration skills, communication style, and ability to influence.

• Final Interview: Potentially with a senior leader to discuss strategic alignment and overall fit.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 2-3 of your most impactful projects that best showcase your senior-level capabilities, problem-solving skills, and ability to drive business outcomes.

• Structure Your Narrative: For each project, clearly articulate: the problem/opportunity, your research questions, the methodology used (and why), your process (including challenges faced), key insights, recommendations, and the resulting impact (quantifiable where possible).

• Highlight Ambiguity & Influence: Emphasize instances where you navigated unclear problem spaces, managed competing priorities, and successfully influenced stakeholders and product decisions.

• Showcase Process & Operations: If possible, include examples of how you contributed to research operations, process improvements, or the development of research tooling.

• Prepare for Questions: Be ready to discuss your decision-making rationale, challenges encountered, and how you'd approach similar problems in the future.

Challenge Preparation:

• Scenario-Based Questions: Expect questions that present hypothetical research challenges. Prepare to outline your approach, methodologies, and how you'd collaborate with stakeholders.

• Methodology Deep Dive: Be prepared to discuss the pros and cons of different research methods and justify your choices.

• Insight Synthesis: Practice articulating complex findings into clear, concise, and actionable insights.

• Stakeholder Management: Prepare examples of how you've managed difficult stakeholders, handled conflicting feedback, and driven consensus.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio presentation is a critical component for senior roles. Candidates should focus on demonstrating not just research execution but strategic thinking, operational efficiency in research processes, and clear, measurable impact. Preparing for scenario-based questions that test problem-solving in ambiguous situations is key.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Qualitative Research Tools: Tools for conducting and analyzing interviews and usability tests (e.g., UserTesting.com, Lookback, Zoom, Dovetail, Maze).

• Quantitative Research Tools: Survey platforms (e.g., SurveyMonkey, Typeform, Qualtrics) and potentially tools for analysing behavioural data.

• Collaboration & Communication: Slack, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Google Workspace.

• Project Management: Jira, Asana, Trello, or similar for tracking research projects.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Data Analysis Tools: Potentially SQL for data extraction, R/Python for advanced statistical analysis, or BI tools like Tableau/Power BI for visualizing data.

• Web Analytics: Google Analytics or similar platforms to understand user behaviour on the website/platform.

• Reporting Dashboards: Tools for creating and presenting research findings and their impact.

CRM & Automation:

• While not the primary focus, understanding how CRM data (e.g., from Salesforce) or customer data platforms can inform research and how research insights can feed back into these systems is beneficial. Familiarity with how research impacts user segmentation and targeted communication strategies is a plus.

📝 Enhancement Note: While specific tools are not listed, a Senior UX Researcher is expected to be proficient with a range of qualitative and quantitative research platforms. The ability to leverage data from analytics and potentially CRM systems to inform research is a valuable operational skill.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

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

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Relying on evidence from research and data to inform strategies and validate hypotheses.

• Collaboration & Transparency: Working closely with cross-functional teams, sharing insights openly, and fostering a collaborative research environment.

• Continuous Improvement: Actively seeking ways to refine research processes, methodologies, and the overall impact of the research function.

• Curiosity & Learning: A drive to explore the "why" behind user behaviour and a commitment to ongoing professional development.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: Seamlessly partnering with Product, Design, Engineering, and Commercial teams to identify research needs and integrate insights into workflows.

• Proactive Engagement: Identifying research opportunities and initiating projects rather than waiting to be assigned.

• Constructive Influence: Effectively communicating research findings and recommendations to challenge assumptions, drive consensus, and influence strategic direction.

• Knowledge Sharing: Actively contributing to a shared understanding of users across the organization, potentially through presentations, documentation, or workshops.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "driving research operations, processes, and best practices" suggests a culture that values systematization, efficiency, and continuous improvement within the research function itself. This aligns well with operations-minded professionals.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Navigating Ambiguity: Effectively scoping research in complex or ill-defined problem spaces and providing clarity to stakeholders.

• Prioritization: Balancing competing research requests and strategic initiatives with limited resources and time.

• Driving Impact: Ensuring research findings are not just delivered but are understood, acted upon, and lead to measurable positive outcomes.

• Scaling Research: Contributing to the development of processes and infrastructure that allow research to scale effectively as the company grows.

• Cross-Functional Alignment: Gaining buy-in and influencing diverse stakeholders with potentially different priorities.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Methodologies: Opportunities to deepen expertise in specialized research techniques or quantitative analysis.

• Leadership & Mentorship: Developing leadership skills through mentoring junior team members and potentially taking on project leadership roles.

• Research Operations Development: Contributing to and learning about the operational aspects of scaling a research function, including tooling, processes, and team enablement.

• Industry Exposure: Engaging with industry best practices and potentially attending conferences or training programs.

• Strategic Product Influence: Growing your ability to shape product strategy through impactful research and strong stakeholder relationships.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges highlighted require strong problem-solving, strategic thinking, and operational execution skills, which are core to operations roles. The growth opportunities offer clear pathways for career advancement within research or related operational functions.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to define research objectives for a highly ambiguous problem space. How did you approach it, and what was the outcome?" (Focus on your process for bringing structure and clarity.)

• "How do you prioritize research requests when multiple teams have urgent needs?" (Highlight your prioritization framework and stakeholder management skills.)

• "Walk me through a research project where your insights significantly influenced product strategy or business decisions. What was your role in driving that impact?" (Emphasize your ability to translate findings into action and demonstrate ROI.)

• "How would you go about establishing or improving research operations within a growing product team?" (Showcase your understanding of process, tooling, and scalability.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Awin and our position in the affiliate marketing industry?" (Research Awin's business model, competitors, and recent news.)

• "How do you see yourself contributing to Awin's customer-centric culture?" (Connect your research philosophy to their stated values.)

• "Describe your experience mentoring or supporting the growth of other researchers." (Highlight your collaborative and developmental approach.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Select Impactful Projects: Choose 2-3 projects that best demonstrate your senior-level capabilities, problem-solving, and impact.

• Tell a Story: Structure each case study with a clear narrative: Problem -> Research Questions -> Methodology -> Process -> Insights -> Recommendations -> Impact.

• Quantify Impact: Wherever possible, use metrics to demonstrate the business value or user experience improvements resulting from your research.

• Highlight Collaboration: Explain how you partnered with Product, Design, and Engineering to ensure insights were understood and acted upon.

• Address Ambiguity: Be prepared to discuss how you navigated uncertainty and made decisions with incomplete information.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating strategic thinking, operational efficiency in research, and the ability to drive measurable business impact. Practice articulating complex processes and outcomes clearly and concisely.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior UX Researcher position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Greenhouse.

• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight your 4+ years of UX research experience, specific methodologies used, and achievements in leading complex projects. Use keywords from the job description such as "qualitative research," "quantitative research," "usability testing," "stakeholder management," and "product strategy."

• Prepare Your Portfolio: Curate 2-3 strong case studies that showcase your end-to-end research process, ability to synthesize complex information into actionable insights, and demonstrable impact on product decisions. Ensure it highlights your senior-level autonomy and problem-solving skills.

• Research Awin: Understand their business model, target users, and their position in the affiliate marketing industry. Familiarize yourself with their company culture and values.

• Practice Your Presentation: Rehearse presenting your portfolio with a clear narrative, focusing on impact and your strategic contributions. Be ready to answer in-depth questions about your methodology and decision-making.

⚠️ 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.