Staff UX Research Strategist

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Staff UX Research Strategist

Company: Jobgether (Partner Company)

Location: Canada (Remote OK)

Job Type: Full-time

Category: UX Research / Product Strategy / Market Research

Date Posted: 2026-09-18

Experience Level: 7-10 Years

Remote Status: Remote OK (Canada & United States)

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead foundational and generative research to uncover unmet user needs and translate them into actionable product and business opportunities.

• Integrate market research rigor into product strategy by assessing ideal customer profiles, segmentation, value propositions, and competitive dynamics.

• Develop a forward-looking perspective on market and industry trends to identify strategic opportunities and risks.

• Act as a strategic thought partner to Product and Design leadership, influencing high-stakes product and business strategy discussions with evidence-based recommendations.

• Co-own a strategic insights function, synthesizing signals from across the business and external market to inform leadership's early view of emerging trends.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a "Staff" level, indicating a senior individual contributor with significant autonomy and influence. The blend of UX research with market research and strategic foresight suggests a focus on driving future product direction and business growth, rather than solely optimizing existing user experiences. The emphasis on AI tools signifies a forward-thinking approach to research operations.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Spearhead end-to-end foundational and generative research initiatives within new and emerging product areas.

• Translate deep user understanding and market analysis into concrete product and business opportunities.

• Conduct rigorous market research, including assessment of ideal customer profiles (ICPs), segmentation, value proposition development, product-market fit, market sizing, and competitive landscape analysis.

• Develop and articulate a proactive perspective on market and industry trends, including competitive shifts, regulatory developments, and emerging tailwinds.

• Evaluate competing strategic investment opportunities, clearly articulating assumptions, risks, potential upside, and opportunity costs in evidence-based recommendations.

• Collaborate with Product Analytics to synthesize qualitative and quantitative signals into a strategic insights function for leadership.

• Serve as a strategic thought partner to Product and Design leadership, challenging assumptions and driving product and business strategy discussions with research evidence.

• Partner with Vertical Solutions teams to deepen industry-specific understanding and identify segment-specific opportunities.

• Work with Marketing, Sales, and Client Services to translate insights into go-to-market strategies, positioning, and product launch plans.

• Coach and mentor UX Research colleagues on strategic foresight and market research methodologies, contributing to team capability growth.

• Thoughtfully apply AI tools across the research workflow for synthesis, analysis, recruiting, and documentation, ensuring research rigor is maintained.

• Identify and implement improvements to research tools, processes, and workflows, leveraging AI and automation for scalability and efficiency.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a proactive, strategic, and cross-functional role. The emphasis on "end-to-end" research, "translating needs into opportunities," and "influencing high-stakes strategic decisions" points to a researcher who owns outcomes and drives business impact, not just reports findings. The "co-ownership" of a strategic insights function suggests a high level of collaboration and integration with analytics and leadership.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While not explicitly stated, a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, Market Research, Business, or a related field is typically expected for roles of this caliber.

Experience: 7–10 years of applied research experience with a proven track record of influencing product or business strategy.

Required Skills:

• Demonstrated expertise in both UX research and market research methodologies (qualitative and quantitative).

• Proven experience in opportunity assessment, market sizing, ICP definition, segmentation, value proposition development, product-market fit, and competitive research.

• Domain expertise in digital advertising, adtech, martech, data-driven platforms, or privacy-sensitive B2B technology markets.

• Strong systems thinking capabilities to connect user, market, and business perspectives in ambiguous problem spaces.

• Experience influencing senior leaders (Directors, VPs, C-suite) through compelling strategic narratives and business cases.

• Ability to partner with analytics and data teams to synthesize quantitative and qualitative insights.

• Experience facilitating workshops (e.g., ideation, co-creation) and driving research findings into actionable decisions.

• Hands-on experience integrating AI tools into research workflows for scalable and repeatable approaches.

• Excellent communication, presentation, and storytelling skills. Preferred Skills:

• Experience researching AI-powered products or features.

• Experience working within B2B or platform environments.

• Experience in coaching or mentoring junior researchers.

• Familiarity with programmatic advertising or data privacy regulations.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for a portfolio demonstrating influence on strategy, rather than just validation, is a critical differentiator for this role. The domain expertise is highly specific, indicating the need for candidates to understand the nuances of the digital advertising and B2B tech landscape. Proficiency with AI tools is not just a preference but an expectation, suggesting a need for research operations and automation skills.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase 2-3 significant projects where your research directly influenced product or business strategy, moving beyond simple usability testing.

• Clearly articulate the strategic problem or opportunity you addressed, the research methodologies employed (UX, market, generative, etc.), and your specific role.

• Detail how you translated research findings into actionable recommendations and the ultimate impact on product direction, market positioning, or business investment decisions.

• Demonstrate your ability to work with ambiguity, identify unmet needs, and assess market opportunities.

• Include examples of how you've combined qualitative insights with quantitative data or market signals.

• Present your approach to synthesizing complex information and building compelling strategic narratives for senior stakeholders. Process Documentation:

• Evidence of establishing or refining research processes, particularly for foundational or generative research.

• Examples of how you've integrated AI tools into your research workflow to enhance efficiency, scalability, or depth of analysis.

• Documentation or examples of strategic frameworks, segmentation models, or market opportunity assessments developed through your research.

• Case studies illustrating your ability to facilitate cross-functional workshops and drive consensus on strategic priorities.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a role focused on strategic foresight and influencing business direction, the portfolio is paramount. It needs to demonstrate not just research execution but strategic impact, problem definition, and executive-level communication. The emphasis on AI integration suggests that candidates should be prepared to discuss how they've leveraged technology to improve research operations and outcomes.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $156,000 - $214,500 USD per year.

Benefits:

• Financial: Potential for annual bonuses, commissions, and equity awards. Retirement savings plans (401(k) or pension programs, depending on location).

• Health & Wellness: Comprehensive health benefits from day one of employment. Access to mental health care and wellness support programs.

• Work-Life Balance: Competitive paid time off packages, including birthday time off. Parental leave programs.

• Work Environment: Remote-first working environment. Work-from-home reimbursement. Optional global WeWork membership and access to workplace hubs.

• Professional Development: Robust training and onboarding programs. Support for professional development, including conferences, courses, books, and programmatic certifications.

• Culture: Friendly, collaborative, and supportive working environment. Social and team events to foster connection.

Working Hours: While a standard 40-hour work week is implied by the salary, the remote-first nature and focus on strategic output suggest a degree of flexibility. However, collaboration with teams across different time zones may require some adaptive scheduling.

📝 Enhancement Note: The provided salary range is specifically for the United States, but the role is open to candidates in Canada. It's crucial for Canadian applicants to research comparable salary benchmarks and cost of living adjustments for their region. The benefits package is extensive, with a strong emphasis on professional development and work-life balance, which are attractive to senior-level operations and strategy professionals.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: The company operates within the technology sector, specifically focusing on AI-powered solutions and likely serving B2B clients in areas such as digital advertising, adtech, or martech, given the role's domain expertise requirements. The mention of Jobgether's AI-powered matching process suggests a strong internal focus on leveraging AI for operational efficiency and innovation.

Company Size: The description doesn't explicitly state the size of the partner company. However, the need for a "Staff" level researcher to establish a "strategic insights function" and influence "Product and Design leadership" implies a mid-to-large sized organization with established product development and strategic planning processes. Jobgether itself is described as an AI-powered platform, suggesting it is a tech-focused organization.

Founded: The founding date of the partner company is not specified. Jobgether's founding date is not provided, but its emphasis on AI suggests a relatively modern tech company.

Team Structure:

• The UX Research team likely comprises individuals with varying levels of experience, with this role acting as a senior leader or mentor.

• This role requires extensive cross-functional collaboration with Product Management, Design, Analytics, Marketing, Sales, and Client Services teams, indicating a matrixed or highly integrated organizational structure.

• The reporting structure would likely place this role within a Product or Design organization, reporting to a Director or VP level. Methodology:

• Data-driven decision-making is central, with an emphasis on synthesizing qualitative user insights and quantitative market/product analytics.

• Strategic foresight and generative research are key to identifying future opportunities, moving beyond reactive problem-solving.

• The integration of AI tools into research workflows is a core methodological approach, aiming for scalability and efficiency.

• A strong focus on systems thinking connects user needs, market dynamics, and business objectives.

Company Website: https://jobgether.com/ (This is the platform through which applications are managed, not necessarily the hiring partner's website.)

📝 Enhancement Note: The partner company appears to be a sophisticated tech organization that values data-driven strategy and innovation, particularly through AI. The collaborative nature of the role suggests a culture that encourages cross-functional teamwork and open communication to drive strategic outcomes.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a "Staff" level position, signifying a senior individual contributor role. It sits at the top tier of individual contributor career paths, often preceding or paralleling management tracks. It demands a high degree of autonomy, strategic thinking, and the ability to influence outcomes without direct authority. For operations professionals, this equates to a senior strategist or principal researcher role, focused on shaping the future of products and business strategy through deep insights.

Reporting Structure: The Staff UX Research Strategist will likely report to a Director or VP of Product, Design, or Research. They will work closely with peer leaders in Product Management, Engineering, Marketing, and Sales. The role also involves mentoring and coaching junior UX Researchers within the team, demonstrating a leadership component.

Operations Impact: The primary impact of this role is on shaping strategic direction. By identifying unmet user needs, market opportunities, and competitive threats, the Staff UX Research Strategist directly influences investment decisions, product roadmaps, and overall business strategy. This role is crucial for ensuring the company remains competitive and innovative in dynamic markets like digital advertising and B2B tech.

Growth Opportunities:

• Strategic Leadership: Advance into a lead or management role overseeing a broader research function, or specialize further in strategic foresight or market intelligence.

• Domain Expertise: Deepen expertise within specific B2B technology niches or AI-driven product development.

• Cross-Functional Influence: Expand influence across different business units, potentially moving into strategic product management or business strategy roles.

• AI Research Innovation: Become a thought leader in applying AI to UX and market research, developing new methodologies and tools.

• Mentorship & Development: Develop leadership and coaching skills through mentoring junior researchers and contributing to team-wide capability building.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Staff" designation is key here, indicating a high level of responsibility and potential for significant career advancement. The role is designed for individuals who can operate independently, drive strategic initiatives, and mentor others, offering a clear path for growth within a strategically focused organization.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is described as "remote-first," indicating that the primary mode of work will be from a remote location. This suggests a flexible work environment where employees are empowered to work from home or potentially co-working spaces.

Office Location(s): The position is open to candidates located in Canada and the United States. While remote, there might be an optional global WeWork membership or access to workplace hubs where available, suggesting a preference for distributed teams with occasional physical collaboration opportunities.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: Despite being remote, the role emphasizes strong collaboration with Product, Design, Analytics, Marketing, and Sales teams. This implies active engagement through virtual communication tools, regular virtual meetings, and potentially asynchronous collaboration platforms.

• Operations Tools & Technology: Candidates should expect to utilize a modern technology stack, including advanced UX research platforms, market intelligence tools, AI-powered research assistants, collaboration software (e.g., Slack, Teams), and project management tools.

• Team Interaction: Opportunities for team interaction will likely be facilitated through regular virtual team meetings, 1:1s, knowledge-sharing sessions, and potentially company-wide virtual events.

Work Schedule: A standard full-time work schedule (approximately 40 hours per week) is implied. However, the remote-first nature often allows for some flexibility in daily hours, provided work is completed and collaboration needs are met. It's important to note that collaboration across time zones (Canada and US) may necessitate some availability outside of typical local working hours.

📝 Enhancement Note: The remote-first nature is a significant aspect, offering flexibility but also requiring strong self-discipline and proactive communication. The emphasis on cross-functional collaboration means that successful candidates must be adept at virtual teamwork and stakeholder engagement.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening (Jobgether AI): Your application will be processed by Jobgether's AI to match your profile against core requirements. This is an objective first pass.

• Shortlisting: Top-fitting candidates are shortlisted and shared directly with the hiring company.

• Hiring Company Interviews: The hiring company will manage subsequent interview stages, which typically include:

  • Hiring Manager Interview: Focus on your experience, strategic thinking, and alignment with the role's core responsibilities. Expect questions about your approach to generative research, market analysis, and influencing strategy.
  • Team/Peer Interviews: Conversations with UX Researchers, Product Managers, Designers, or Analysts to assess your collaboration style, technical skills, and fit within the team.
  • Portfolio Presentation: A dedicated session where you will present 1-2 key projects from your portfolio. This is critical for demonstrating your impact and strategic approach. Be prepared to discuss your process, findings, recommendations, and the resulting business outcomes.
  • Strategic Case Study/Exercise: You might be given a hypothetical problem or business challenge to analyze and present your strategic approach to, often within a time limit. This assesses your problem-solving skills and ability to apply research methodologies strategically.
  • Senior Leadership Interview: A final interview with a Director or VP to discuss your strategic vision, leadership potential, and overall fit with the company's direction.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Select High-Impact Projects: Choose projects that clearly demonstrate your ability to identify opportunities, influence strategy, and drive business outcomes, not just usability improvements.

• Tell a Story: Structure your presentation around a narrative: the strategic challenge, your approach (research methods, tools, AI integration), key insights, strategic recommendations, and the impact/ROI.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use data and metrics to showcase the tangible results of your research.

• Highlight Strategic Foresight: Emphasize how you looked beyond immediate needs to identify future opportunities or emerging trends.

• Showcase AI Integration: Be ready to discuss how you leveraged AI tools to enhance your research process, synthesis, or analysis, and the benefits derived.

• Prepare for Q&A: Anticipate questions about your decision-making process, alternative approaches, and how you handle ambiguity or conflicting data.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Business Context: Research the partner company's industry (adtech, martech, B2B tech) and their potential strategic challenges.

• Practice Strategic Thinking: Frame problems from a user, market, and business perspective. Think about how to prioritize opportunities and articulate trade-offs.

• Prepare Frameworks: Be ready to discuss or apply frameworks for market analysis, segmentation, or opportunity assessment.

• Articulate AI's Role: Be prepared to discuss how AI could be applied to solve the challenge or how it impacts the relevant industry.

• Focus on Recommendations: Ensure your approach leads to clear, actionable recommendations with defined outcomes.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process heavily emphasizes strategic thinking, portfolio impact, and the ability to influence senior stakeholders. The inclusion of AI tools in the research workflow and potential for strategic challenges means candidates should be prepared to discuss their practical experience and forward-thinking approaches in these areas.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• UX Research Platforms: Tools for surveys, unmoderated testing, usability testing, and participant recruitment (e.g., UserTesting.com, Optimal Workshop, Maze, Lookback).

• Market Research & Intelligence Tools: Platforms for competitive analysis, market sizing, trend analysis, and industry reports (e.g., Statista, Gartner, Forrester, Crunchbase).

• AI-Powered Research Assistants: Tools for AI-driven synthesis, analysis, transcription, sentiment analysis, and insight generation (e.g., Dovetail, UserTesting's AI features, specialized AI synthesis tools).

• Collaboration & Communication: Tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Google Workspace for seamless team interaction and remote collaboration.

• Prototyping & Design Tools: Familiarity with tools like Figma, Sketch, or Adobe XD can be beneficial for understanding design outputs.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Data Analysis Tools: Proficiency with tools like SQL, Python (Pandas, NumPy), R for quantitative data analysis.

• Business Intelligence (BI) Platforms: Experience with tools like Tableau, Power BI, Looker for data visualization and dashboard creation.

• Web Analytics: Tools such as Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics for understanding user behavior on digital platforms.

CRM & Automation:

• CRM Systems: Familiarity with Salesforce or similar CRM platforms to understand customer data and sales processes.

• Automation Tools: Awareness of how automation is used in marketing, sales, and operations.

• Integration Tools: Understanding of how different systems connect (e.g., Zapier, APIs) can be helpful in understanding data flow.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on AI tools is a critical differentiator. Candidates should be prepared to discuss specific AI applications they've used in research (e.g., for thematic analysis, identifying patterns, summarizing large datasets) and their impact on research efficiency and depth. Familiarity with B2B tech stacks and data platforms is also crucial.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Data-Driven Impact: A strong emphasis on using research and market data to drive tangible business outcomes and strategic decisions. This means moving beyond insights to actionable recommendations that have measurable impact.

• Strategic Foresight & Innovation: A commitment to looking beyond the immediate, anticipating future trends, and identifying novel opportunities for growth and product development.

• Collaboration & Partnership: A culture that values strong cross-functional relationships, open communication, and working together to achieve shared goals across Product, Design, Marketing, Sales, and Analytics.

• Efficiency & Scalability: An appreciation for leveraging technology, particularly AI, to make research processes more efficient, scalable, and impactful, enabling the team to do more with less.

• Intellectual Curiosity: A drive to continuously learn, explore complex problems, and challenge assumptions with a rigorous and evidence-based approach.

Collaboration Style:

• Proactive & Influential: The team likely operates with a proactive style, initiating research and insights that shape discussions rather than waiting for requests.

• Evidence-Based: All discussions and recommendations are grounded in robust research findings and market analysis.

• Systems-Oriented: A holistic view is taken, connecting user needs, business objectives, and market dynamics.

• Mentorship & Knowledge Sharing: A culture of mutual support, where senior members mentor junior colleagues and knowledge is shared freely to elevate the entire team's capabilities.

• Agile & Iterative: Embraces an iterative approach to research and strategy, adapting to new information and market shifts.

📝 Enhancement Note: The values point to a high-performance, forward-thinking team that uses research as a strategic lever. The emphasis on collaboration and mentorship suggests a supportive yet demanding environment where individuals are encouraged to grow and contribute significantly.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Navigating Ambiguity: Working in loosely defined problem spaces and translating complex, often incomplete, information into clear strategic directions.

• Influencing Without Authority: Effectively persuading senior leaders and cross-functional stakeholders to adopt research-backed strategies, especially when they challenge existing assumptions or priorities.

• Integrating AI Effectively: Implementing and scaling AI tools in research workflows while maintaining human oversight, ethical considerations, and research rigor.

• Balancing Generative and Foundational Research: Dedicating sufficient time and resources to forward-looking, generative research amidst the demands for more immediate, tactical insights.

• Synthesizing Diverse Signals: Integrating insights from user research, market analysis, competitive intelligence, and internal business data into a cohesive strategic narrative.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Strategic Leadership Development: Opportunities to refine strategic planning, business case development, and executive communication skills.

• AI in Research Specialization: Deepen expertise in applying AI for research synthesis, analysis, and automation, potentially leading to internal best practices or external speaking engagements.

• Industry Expertise Expansion: Gain deeper knowledge of specific B2B tech sectors, regulatory landscapes, or emerging market trends.

• Mentorship & Coaching: Develop leadership and coaching skills by mentoring junior researchers and contributing to the growth of the UX Research function.

• Cross-Functional Acumen: Enhance understanding of Product Management, Marketing, Sales, and Analytics functions through close collaboration, potentially opening doors to hybrid roles.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are typical for a senior strategic role, requiring strong problem-solving, communication, and adaptability. The growth opportunities are well-defined and aligned with advancing a career in strategic research and operations.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you used generative research to identify a completely new product opportunity. What was your process, and how did you influence the roadmap?" (Focus on process, strategic thinking, and impact.)

• "How do you approach assessing market sizing and competitive dynamics for a new product category? Walk me through your methodology." (Demonstrate market research rigor and analytical skills.)

• "Tell me about a significant strategic decision you influenced based on your research. What were the challenges, and how did you overcome them?" (Highlight stakeholder management, persuasion, and evidence-based arguments.)

• "How have you incorporated AI tools into your research workflow? What were the benefits, and what are the limitations you've observed?" (Showcase practical AI experience and critical thinking about technology.)

• "Imagine you need to advise leadership on where to invest resources between two competing product initiatives. How would you use research and market insights to guide their decision?" (Assess strategic prioritization and trade-off analysis.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you most about this Staff UX Research Strategist role and our company/industry?" (Research the company's mission, products, and recent news.)

• "How do you see your skills in strategic foresight and market research contributing to our growth objectives?" (Connect your expertise to business goals.)

• "Describe your ideal collaboration style with Product Managers, Designers, and Data Analysts." (Emphasize teamwork and communication.)

• "How do you approach coaching or mentoring junior researchers?" (Demonstrate leadership and team development potential.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure: Begin with the strategic context/problem, detail your research approach (methods, tools, AI), present key insights, outline your strategic recommendations, and conclude with the impact/ROI.

• Demonstrate Strategic Thinking: Clearly articulate why you chose certain methods and how your insights led to specific strategic recommendations.

• Quantify Impact: Use metrics and data to show the tangible outcomes of your research.

• Highlight AI Integration: Be prepared to discuss specific AI tools used and the advantages they provided (e.g., speed of synthesis, depth of analysis).

• Engage Your Audience: Make it a conversation, not a lecture. Be prepared for deep dives into your process and rationale.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparation should focus on demonstrating strategic impact, hands-on AI experience, and strong stakeholder influence. The portfolio presentation is a key opportunity to showcase these capabilities.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations position:

• Submit your application through the Jobgether platform.

• Portfolio Customization: Curate your portfolio to highlight 1-2 key projects that best exemplify your strategic foresight, market research capabilities, and influence on product or business strategy. Ensure these examples showcase how you addressed ambiguity and leveraged data for impactful recommendations.

• Resume Optimization: Tailor your resume to emphasize your 7-10 years of experience, specific methodologies used (generative research, market analysis, segmentation), domain expertise (adtech, martech, B2B tech), and experience with AI tools in research. Quantify achievements wherever possible.

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your research process, strategic thinking, and impact using the STAR method. Prepare specific examples for common strategy and leadership questions, and rehearse your portfolio presentation to be clear, concise, and impactful.

• Company Research: Investigate the partner company's industry, products, and any publicly available information about their strategic direction. Understand the competitive landscape and potential challenges they might face in the adtech/martech or B2B tech space.

⚠️ 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.