Sr. UX Researcher - Patient (Remote)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Sr. UX Researcher - Patient

Company: Rula

Location: Los Angeles, California, United States (Remote)

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: User Experience Research / Product Operations

Date Posted: 2026-08-25

Experience Level: 5-10 Years

Remote Status: Remote Solely

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead end-to-end UX research initiatives focused on the patient journey to enhance understanding and identify opportunities for improvement within the mental healthcare ecosystem.

• Drive product strategy and decision-making by translating complex patient insights, behavioral data, and user journey mapping into clear, actionable recommendations for product, design, and marketing teams.

• Independently manage and execute a research program, demonstrating a high degree of ownership from problem framing to influencing product roadmap prioritization and development.

• Utilize a robust mix of qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods research approaches to deliver high-quality, timely insights that inform iterative product development and measurable improvements in patient acquisition, onboarding, and conversion.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned within a "remote-first" company, emphasizing the need for strong self-management, proactive communication, and the ability to collaborate effectively across distributed teams. The focus on "patient experience" in a mental healthcare context suggests a need for high empathy, ethical research practices, and sensitivity to user needs. The emphasis on "Product & Funnel Impact" and "Product Strategy" indicates this role is critical in driving business outcomes through user-centered design and research.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design, plan, and execute comprehensive UX research studies across the patient lifecycle, from initial discovery and consideration through to booking and first session attendance, using appropriate qualitative and quantitative methodologies.

• Conduct in-depth user interviews, usability testing, surveys, persona development, and journey mapping to uncover user needs, pain points, and motivations within the mental healthcare journey.

• Analyze behavioral data and user feedback to identify key trends, opportunities for optimization, and areas of friction within the patient acquisition, onboarding, and conversion funnels.

• Translate research findings into compelling, data-driven narratives and strategic recommendations for Product Managers, Designers, Data Analysts, and Marketing stakeholders, influencing product roadmap and feature prioritization.

• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams to ensure research insights are integrated into the product development process, from ideation and concept testing to iterative design and post-launch analysis.

• Frame ambiguous product and business questions into clear, researchable problems, defining the scope and methodology required to deliver actionable answers that support strategic decision-making.

• Develop and maintain longitudinal research programs, such as user satisfaction trackers or ongoing experience measurement initiatives, to monitor key performance indicators and track the impact of product changes.

• Actively contribute to the User Research team's best practices, knowledge sharing, and methodological advancements, fostering a culture of user-centricity across the organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The description highlights "strategic problem framing" and the ability to "turn ambiguous business and product questions into clear, decision-oriented research plans." This implies the Sr. UXR will not just execute research but will proactively identify research needs and shape the research agenda for a critical product area. The emphasis on "Product & Funnel Impact" suggests a strong focus on metrics and measurable outcomes, requiring the candidate to connect research findings directly to business KPIs like conversion rates and user activation.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, Data Science, or a related field is typically expected for roles of this caliber, providing a strong theoretical foundation for research methodologies.

Experience: 5+ years of dedicated UX Research experience, with a proven track record of independently leading research programs and driving product decisions in a fast-paced environment.

Required Skills:

• UX Research Expertise: 5+ years of comprehensive experience in UX research, encompassing a wide range of qualitative (interviews, ethnography, usability testing), quantitative (surveys, A/B testing analysis), and mixed-methods approaches.

• Research Program Leadership: Demonstrated ability to take high ownership of a research area, independently defining research questions, selecting appropriate methodologies, executing studies from start to finish, and synthesizing findings into actionable insights.

• Product & Funnel Optimization: Proven experience researching and improving critical user journeys such as acquisition, onboarding, activation, and conversion funnels, with a measurable track record of translating research into product impact.

• Methodological Agility: Ability to deliver high-quality research efficiently, making sound trade-offs on methodology, sample size, and depth based on decision-making needs and timelines; comfortable with iterative research and adapting plans as new information emerges.

• Strategic Problem Framing: Skill in translating ambiguous business and product challenges into clear, decision-oriented research plans that guide product development and prioritization.

• Cross-functional Collaboration & Influence: Proven capability to partner effectively with Product, Design, Data/Analytics, and Marketing teams, building consensus around research implications and influencing decisions without direct authority.

• Communication & Storytelling: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to synthesize complex qualitative and quantitative findings into compelling narratives tailored for diverse audiences, including senior leadership.

• Behavioral Data Analysis: Understanding and ability to leverage behavioral data, alongside qualitative insights, to inform research and product strategy.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience in multi-sided marketplaces (e.g., platforms serving both consumers and professionals).

• Experience researching across multiple connected product surfaces (e.g., mobile and web).

• Experience managing longitudinal research programs or user trackers (e.g., for trust, satisfaction).

• Prior work with product, design, or marketing teams focused on acquisition and conversion strategies.

• Background in healthcare, mental health, or other sensitive regulated domains.

• Experience with products where trust, confidence, or risk are critical user behavioral drivers.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for "5+ years of UX Research experience" combined with "High degree of ownership" and "Strategic problem framing" strongly suggests this role is for a senior individual contributor who can operate autonomously and proactively shape the research agenda. The "Product & Funnel Impact" requirement indicates a need for candidates who can connect their research directly to business outcomes, using metrics and data to demonstrate ROI.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrated Research Impact: Showcase case studies that clearly outline research problems, methodologies employed, key findings, and, most importantly, the tangible impact of your research on product decisions, user experience improvements, and business metrics (e.g., conversion rates, user engagement).

• Methodological Breadth: Include examples of research projects that demonstrate proficiency across a range of qualitative (e.g., in-depth interviews, usability testing, diary studies) and quantitative (e.g., surveys, A/B test analysis, segmentation studies) methods.

• Problem Framing & Strategic Thinking: Present instances where you proactively identified research opportunities, framed ambiguous problems, and developed research plans that addressed significant business or product challenges.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Highlight projects where you successfully partnered with Product, Design, Data, and Marketing teams, illustrating your ability to communicate insights effectively and influence stakeholders to drive action.

• Iterative Design & Measurement: Include examples of how your research supported iterative product development cycles and how you might have set up or contributed to ongoing measurement programs to track user experience over time.

Process Documentation:

• Research Plan Development: Showcase well-structured research plans that detail objectives, target participants, methodologies, recruitment strategies, timelines, and anticipated deliverables.

• Synthesis & Reporting: Provide examples of how you synthesize complex qualitative and quantitative data into clear, concise, and actionable insights, presented in formats tailored to different audiences (e.g., executive summaries, detailed reports, presentations).

• Impact Measurement: Illustrate how you have measured and communicated the impact of your research findings, linking them to specific product changes or business outcomes, and how you would approach establishing metrics for ongoing user experience tracking.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the "high degree of ownership" and "autonomous" nature of the role, the portfolio should strongly emphasize the candidate's ability to independently define and execute research, not just execute tasks assigned by others. The focus on "Product & Funnel Impact" means case studies must clearly articulate the business outcomes driven by the research.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $166,000 - $203,000 USD per year.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive Health Insurance: Medical, dental, and vision coverage to ensure employee well-being.

• Life and Disability Insurance: Providing financial security for employees and their families.

• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) / Health Savings Accounts (HSA): Options for pre-tax savings on healthcare expenses.

• Retirement Savings Plan: Access to a 401(k) plan to support long-term financial planning.

• Generous Time Off: Including paid parental leave for all parents, and two company-wide shutdown weeks annually for rejuvenation.

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP): Confidential support for mental, emotional, and physical well-being.

• Stipends:

  • Quarterly department stipend for team building or gatherings.
  • Home office stipend for new hires and a $50 monthly stipend for internet or cell phone expenses.
  • $50 monthly wellness stipend for ongoing personal wellness initiatives.

• Remote Work Support: A 100% remote work environment with working hours designed to support a healthy work-life balance.

• Community & Belonging: Access to community and employee resource groups that foster inclusion and support diverse identities.

Working Hours: Standard full-time working hours are implied, likely around 40 hours per week, with an emphasis on supporting a healthy work-life balance and flexibility for remote employees. The company notes "working hours to support a healthy work-life balance, ensuring you can meet both professional and personal commitments."

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range provided is competitive for a Senior UX Researcher in the US, especially for a remote role with a company focused on a critical and growing sector like mental healthcare. The extensive benefits package, particularly the stipends for home office and wellness, and the emphasis on work-life balance and company-wide shutdowns, highlight Rula's commitment to employee well-being, which is a significant draw for operations and research professionals.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Healthcare Technology / Mental Health Services. Rula operates in a rapidly evolving sector, aiming to destigmatize mental health and improve access to care through technology. This context implies a mission-driven culture, a focus on user empathy, and a need for agility in response to healthcare regulations and market demands.

Company Size: Rula is a remote-first company, and while the exact employee count isn't specified, the nature of the role and benefits suggests a growing, well-funded startup or scale-up environment. This typically means opportunities for impact and influence, but also a need for adaptability and resilience.

Founded: The founding date is not provided, but Rula's mission-driven approach and focus on innovation suggest it is a relatively modern company, likely founded within the last decade, aiming to disrupt traditional mental healthcare delivery.

Team Structure:

• The Sr. UX Researcher will sit within the User Research team, which implies a dedicated group of researchers focused on understanding user needs.

• This role will work closely with Product Managers, Product Designers, Data/Analytics teams, and Marketing, indicating a highly collaborative, cross-functional structure common in tech companies.

• The reporting structure is not explicitly stated but is likely to be a direct report to a Head of Research, UX Lead, or potentially a Director of Product, given the seniority of the role. Methodology:

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Rula emphasizes grounding product decisions in rigorous research and a deep understanding of patients, suggesting a strong reliance on data analysis and user insights.

• User-Centricity: The core mission revolves around improving the patient experience, highlighting a commitment to user-centered design and research principles throughout the product development lifecycle.

• Iterative Development: The role's focus on identifying opportunities, translating insights, and influencing development suggests an iterative approach to product building, where research plays a continuous role.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's focus on mental health and its remote-first approach are key cultural indicators. For operations professionals, this means a likely emphasis on clear documentation, asynchronous communication, and a strong sense of mission alignment. The "remote-first" nature suggests a need for candidates who are comfortable with self-direction and proactive engagement.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Senior User Experience Researcher role, indicating a position of significant individual contribution and expertise. It signifies a professional who can operate with a high degree of autonomy, lead complex research initiatives, and influence strategic product decisions. The role is focused on a specific product area (patient experience) and requires the ability to frame problems, execute research end-to-end, and drive measurable impact.

Reporting Structure: The Sr. UXR will be part of the User Research team and will work closely with Product, Design, Data/Analytics, and Marketing. While the direct manager is not specified, it's likely a lead researcher or a director overseeing product development functions. The emphasis on influencing decisions "without direct authority" highlights the importance of strong communication and collaboration skills.

Operations Impact: The impact of this role is substantial, directly influencing the core patient acquisition, onboarding, and retention funnels. By understanding and improving the patient journey, the Sr. UXR will play a critical role in Rula's ability to attract and retain users, thereby driving revenue growth and fulfilling its mission to make mental healthcare accessible. The research findings will shape what Rula builds, test, and prioritizes, making this a strategic position within the product organization.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership in Research: Potential to become a lead researcher for specific product areas or grow into a management role within the User Research team as the company scales.

• Strategic Influence: Deepen influence on product strategy and roadmap development, potentially taking on broader research responsibilities or contributing to company-wide user research best practices.

• Domain Expertise: Develop deep expertise in the mental healthcare technology sector, a growing and impactful field, making you a valuable asset in this niche.

• Cross-functional Development: Gain extensive experience collaborating with diverse teams (Product, Design, Data, Marketing), enhancing your understanding of the full product development lifecycle and business operations.

• Mentorship: Opportunity to mentor junior researchers as the team grows.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Sr." title and emphasis on autonomy and strategic influence suggest that career progression could involve leading larger research initiatives, specializing in a particular aspect of the patient journey, or moving into a management track. The remote-first nature also means growth could involve leading remote research teams or initiatives.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Rula is a "remote-first" company, meaning the primary work environment is virtual. While there might be occasional in-person gatherings or team-building events (supported by a quarterly department stipend), the day-to-day operations will be conducted remotely.

Office Location(s): The role requires candidates to be based in the United States, with the exception of Hawaii. Specific city locations are not a constraint due to the remote nature, though the salary range is tied to the US market, and the listed location of Los Angeles, California, suggests a primary hub or a benchmark for compensation.

Workspace Context:

• Digital Collaboration: Expect a heavily digital workspace relying on communication tools (e.g., Slack, Zoom), project management software, and collaborative document platforms.

• Autonomous Work: The environment fosters high autonomy, requiring self-discipline, proactive communication, and effective time management to succeed.

• Cross-functional Interaction: Opportunities for interaction will be primarily virtual, through scheduled meetings, asynchronous communication channels, and collaborative online tools with Product, Design, Data, and Marketing teams.

Work Schedule: While the role is full-time (implying approximately 40 hours per week), Rula emphasizes supporting a "healthy work-life balance." This suggests flexibility in scheduling, allowing individuals to manage their time effectively to meet professional commitments while accommodating personal needs, provided core collaboration hours are met.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "remote-first" aspect is paramount. Operations professionals in this environment need to be adept at asynchronous communication, virtual collaboration, and managing their own productivity without direct physical oversight. The emphasis on work-life balance suggests a mature approach to remote work, aiming to prevent burnout.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your application, focusing on alignment with required qualifications and demonstrated impact in previous roles, particularly related to product funnels and user journey research.

• Hiring Manager/Recruiter Call: A discussion to delve deeper into your experience, research philosophy, and fit with Rula's mission and culture.

• Portfolio Presentation & Cross-functional Interview: A key stage where you'll present 1-2 case studies from your portfolio, showcasing your research process, strategic thinking, collaboration skills, and the impact of your work on product decisions and business outcomes. This will likely involve Product Managers, Designers, and Data Analysts.

• Research Team Interview: An opportunity to discuss your methodological expertise, approach to problem framing, and how you contribute to a research team's growth and best practices.

• Final Interview/Executive Conversation: A discussion with senior leadership to assess strategic thinking, leadership potential, and overall alignment with Rula's vision.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Quantify Impact: For each case study, clearly articulate the problem, your approach, the key insights, and most importantly, the measurable impact of your work. Use metrics (e.g., conversion rate improvements, engagement increases) wherever possible.

• Showcase Problem Framing: Highlight instances where you identified an opportunity or a vague problem and successfully translated it into a well-defined research plan.

• Demonstrate Collaboration: Explain how you partnered with cross-functional teams, managed stakeholder expectations, and influenced decisions, even without direct authority.

• Methodological Depth: Be prepared to discuss the trade-offs you made in your methodology and why you chose specific approaches for particular research questions.

• Tailor to Rula: Research Rula's product and patient journey. Frame your case studies to highlight how your experience is directly relevant to their challenges in mental healthcare access and patient experience.

Challenge Preparation:

• Product Sense & Strategy: Be ready to discuss how you would approach researching a specific Rula product feature or a challenge within the patient journey. Think about problem framing and potential research methodologies.

• Data Interpretation: Prepare to discuss how you integrate qualitative insights with quantitative and behavioral data to form a holistic understanding of user behavior.

• Communication & Influence: Practice articulating complex findings clearly and persuasively, as you'll need to influence product decisions. Consider how you would present findings to different stakeholders (e.g., executives vs. product teams).

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio review is critical. Given the emphasis on "Product & Funnel Impact" and "High degree of ownership," candidates must demonstrate not just research execution but also strategic thinking and the ability to drive measurable business outcomes. The interview process is designed to assess these capabilities thoroughly, including through presentations and cross-functional interactions.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Research Platforms: Tools for participant recruitment, survey deployment, and data collection (e.g., UserTesting, Qualtrics, SurveyMonkey, Typeform, User Interviews).

• Collaboration & Communication: Slack, Zoom, Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Slides), Microsoft Teams.

• Product Development & Design: Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite (for reviewing designs), Jira, Confluence (for project management and documentation).

• Data Analysis & Visualization:

  • Analytics Platforms: Google Analytics, Amplitude, Mixpanel, or similar product analytics tools for understanding user behavior and funnel performance.
  • Data Warehousing/SQL: Proficiency in querying data from data warehouses (e.g., Snowflake, BigQuery, Redshift) using SQL is often crucial for quantitative analysis and behavioral data exploration.
  • Data Visualization Tools: Tableau, Looker, Power BI, or similar for creating dashboards and communicating quantitative insights.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Product Analytics Tools: Essential for tracking user behavior, identifying drop-off points in funnels, and measuring the impact of product changes.

• Business Intelligence (BI) Tools: For creating dashboards and reports that synthesize key performance indicators (KPIs) related to patient acquisition, engagement, and conversion.

CRM & Automation:

• While not a primary focus for UX Research, understanding how CRM data (e.g., Salesforce) or marketing automation platforms might inform user segmentation or campaign effectiveness could be beneficial.

• Experimentation Platforms: Tools for A/B testing and multivariate testing (e.g., Optimizely, VWO) to validate hypotheses derived from research.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the job is for UX Research, proficiency with product analytics tools and potentially SQL is increasingly important for Sr. UXRs to complement qualitative findings with quantitative behavioral data and to measure the impact of their recommendations. Understanding how to use data to inform research questions and validate hypotheses is key.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Mission-Driven: A strong commitment to Rula's mission of making mental healthcare accessible and destigmatized, influencing how decisions are made and priorities are set.

• User-Centricity: Placing the patient's needs and experience at the forefront of all product development and strategic planning.

• Data-Informed: A dedication to using rigorous research and data analysis to guide decisions, measure impact, and ensure effectiveness.

• Collaboration & Inclusivity: Fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment where all employees feel safe, seen, heard, and valued, encouraging open communication and mutual respect.

• Ownership & Autonomy: Empowering individuals to take initiative, drive projects forward independently, and feel accountable for their contributions.

• Well-being: A strong emphasis on employee well-being, work-life balance, and providing resources and support for mental and physical health.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Partnership: A highly collaborative approach, working closely with Product, Design, Data, and Marketing teams to ensure a unified and user-centered approach to product development.

• Open Communication: Encouraging transparency and open dialogue across teams to share insights, discuss challenges, and align on strategies.

• Feedback-Oriented: A culture that values constructive feedback, both for product iterations and for personal/team development.

• Asynchronous & Remote-First: Adapting collaboration to a remote environment, utilizing digital tools effectively for communication, documentation, and shared understanding.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's stated values of "diversity, equity, and inclusion" and "well-being" are significant. Operations professionals should be prepared to engage in discussions around these values and understand how they translate into daily work practices and team interactions. The remote-first collaborative style requires proactive engagement and clear communication.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Navigating Ambiguity: Dealing with complex, ill-defined problems in the mental healthcare space and translating them into actionable research plans and product improvements.

• Driving Impact in a Remote Setting: Ensuring research insights are effectively communicated and acted upon across distributed teams, overcoming potential communication barriers.

• Balancing Rigor and Speed: Delivering high-quality, impactful research within fast-paced product development cycles, making necessary trade-offs without compromising research integrity.

• Ethical Considerations: Conducting research in the sensitive domain of mental health requires a high degree of ethical awareness, empathy, and adherence to privacy standards.

• Cross-functional Alignment: Influencing stakeholders and securing buy-in for research recommendations, especially when competing priorities exist.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Methodologies: Opportunity to deepen expertise in specialized research techniques, advanced quantitative analysis, or causal inference methods.

• Domain Specialization: Becoming a subject matter expert in patient acquisition and retention within the mental healthcare technology sector.

• Strategic Product Development: Gaining deep insights into product strategy, roadmap planning, and the business drivers of a high-growth tech company.

• Leadership Development: Potential to mentor junior team members, lead research initiatives, or contribute to the strategic direction of the User Research function.

• Industry Trends: Staying abreast of advancements in UX research, mental health tech, and digital health.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges highlight the need for a proactive, strategic, and resilient researcher. The growth opportunities point towards a role that offers significant professional development in both research craft and strategic product thinking, particularly within a mission-critical industry.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you approach researching the primary barriers patients face when considering Rula for mental healthcare, and how would you translate those findings into actionable product recommendations?" (Focus on problem framing, methodology, and impact).

• "Describe a time you had to influence a cross-functional team (Product, Design, Marketing) to adopt a research-backed recommendation that faced resistance. What was your strategy and the outcome?" (Focus on influence, communication, and stakeholder management).

• "Imagine Rula wants to improve its patient onboarding process. What research questions would you prioritize, what methods would you use, and how would you measure success?" (Focus on strategic thinking, funnel optimization, and metrics). Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Rula's mission to improve mental healthcare accessibility, and how does that align with your personal values or career goals?" (Focus on mission alignment and cultural fit).

• "How do you approach building trust and rapport with research participants, especially when dealing with sensitive topics like mental health?" (Focus on empathy, ethical research, and participant management).

• "Describe your ideal collaboration with Product Managers and Designers. How do you ensure research findings are integrated effectively into the product development process?" (Focus on collaboration style and process integration). Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, clearly define the problem, your role, the research questions, the methods used, key findings, your recommendations, and the resulting impact (quantified if possible).

• Focus on "Why": Explain the rationale behind your methodological choices and strategic decisions.

• Highlight Collaboration: Describe how you worked with others and how your insights influenced their work.

• Showcase Problem-Solving: Demonstrate your ability to tackle ambiguous problems and derive clear, actionable insights.

• Be Ready for Deep Dives: Anticipate questions about your process, data analysis, and how you handled challenges or unexpected findings.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating strategic thinking, end-to-end research ownership, cross-functional influence, and a deep understanding of how research drives measurable product and business impact, especially within a healthcare context.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Ashby.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 1-2 compelling case studies that best showcase your experience in researching patient journeys, improving funnels (acquisition, onboarding, conversion), and driving measurable product impact. Ensure these examples highlight your problem-framing abilities and cross-functional influence.

• Optimize Your Resume: Tailor your resume to emphasize keywords related to UX research, patient experience, product strategy, qualitative/quantitative methods, and funnel optimization. Quantify your achievements and responsibilities wherever possible to demonstrate impact.

• Prepare Your Presentation: Rehearse your portfolio presentation to clearly articulate your research process, insights, recommendations, and the outcomes achieved. Be ready to discuss your methodologies and strategic rationale in detail.

• Research Rula: Thoroughly understand Rula's mission, target audience, product offerings, and the challenges within the mental healthcare landscape. Prepare to discuss how your skills and experience can specifically address their needs.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.

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