User Researcher II

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: User Researcher II

Company: Renaissance Learning North America

Location: Remote - US

Job Type: Full-time

Category: User Experience (UX) Research / Product Research

Date Posted: 2026-09-18

Experience Level: Mid-Level (3-5 years)

Remote Status: Fully Remote

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive user-centric product development by designing, planning, and executing comprehensive research studies.

• Synthesize qualitative and quantitative research findings into actionable insights to inform product strategy and optimization.

• Collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams, including UX designers, product owners, product managers, and engineers, to ensure user needs are met.

• Contribute to the continuous improvement of research methodologies and processes to enhance insight quality and efficiency.

• Analyze user behavior metrics and usability benchmarks to identify key opportunities and validate design decisions.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title is "User Researcher II," the core responsibilities and required experience (3-5 years) align with a mid-level research role. The emphasis on "under general supervision" and "guidance from senior team members" suggests a role that is developing autonomy but still benefits from mentorship, typical for a Level II position. The integration of UX research into product development and optimization highlights its critical role in the Go-To-Market (GTM) strategy, bridging user needs with business objectives.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design, plan, and execute end-to-end research studies using a mix of qualitative and quantitative methodologies, with oversight from senior researchers.

• Conduct user interviews, contextual inquiries, observational studies, usability testing sessions, and surveys to gather deep user insights.

• Synthesize research findings into clear, actionable insights and compelling narratives, presenting recommendations to cross-functional teams to drive alignment and decision-making.

• Analyze user behavior metrics and usability benchmarks, contributing to the identification of key opportunities and user needs for product enhancement.

• Collaborate closely with UX designers, product managers, product owners, and engineers throughout the product development lifecycle, from discovery to validation.

• Support the evaluation and optimization of research methodologies to enhance the quality, efficiency, and impact of research insights.

• Assist with research operations, including participant recruitment, scheduling, consent management, and maintaining research repositories.

• Contribute to A/B testing initiatives by providing research-based hypotheses and analyzing results to inform iterative design improvements.

• Ensure adherence to research ethics and informed consent practices throughout all research activities.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities are framed to emphasize the impact on product strategy and optimization, which is crucial for GTM alignment. The "support" and "assist" aspects indicate a collaborative environment where learning and development are encouraged, fitting for a Level II role.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Anthropology, Social Science, Design Research, Psychology, Cognitive Science, or a related field. Experience:

• 3-5 years of hands-on experience in User Experience (UX) Research.

• Equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience will also be considered. Required Skills:

• Proficiency in qualitative research methods, including in-depth user interviews, contextual inquiry, and observational studies.

• Working knowledge of quantitative research methods, including survey design and basic statistical analysis.

• Familiarity with mixed-methods research approaches to triangulate findings and gain comprehensive insights.

• Experience with evaluative research techniques such as usability testing and heuristic evaluation.

• Ability to design and execute research protocols and discussion guides effectively.

• Experience with participant recruitment, screening, and scheduling for research studies.

• Strong understanding of research ethics and informed consent practices.

• Experience conducting research with diverse user groups to ensure inclusive product design. Preferred Skills:

• Exposure to generative and exploratory research techniques to uncover unmet user needs and future opportunities.

• Portfolio showcasing research projects, methodologies applied, and the measurable impact of insights on product outcomes.

• Experience in the education technology sector.

• Familiarity with data synthesis tools and techniques.

• Experience contributing to or analyzing A/B test results.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Bonus Points" section explicitly mentions a portfolio, which is critical for UX Researcher roles. This is framed as a preferred skill, but given its common requirement in the field, it's advisable for candidates to prepare one. The experience level is clearly defined as 3-5 years, aligning with a mid-level researcher.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase a range of research projects, demonstrating end-to-end study execution from planning to reporting.

• Clearly articulate the methodologies used (qualitative, quantitative, mixed-methods) and the rationale behind their selection for each project.

• Highlight the actionable insights derived from your research and how they directly influenced product decisions or design iterations.

• Quantify the impact of your research whenever possible, using metrics related to usability improvements, user satisfaction, or adoption rates.

• Include examples of deliverables such as research reports, personas, journey maps, or presentations to stakeholders. Process Documentation:

• Demonstrate an understanding of research operations processes, including participant recruitment, scheduling, consent management, and the maintenance of research repositories.

• Show evidence of contributing to the refinement and optimization of research methodologies to improve efficiency and insight quality.

• Detail your approach to synthesizing complex research data into clear, concise, and impactful recommendations for cross-functional teams.

• Illustrate your collaboration process with UX designers, product managers, and engineers, showcasing how research findings are integrated into the product development lifecycle.

📝 Enhancement Note: A strong portfolio is crucial for UX research roles, as it provides tangible evidence of a candidate's skills and impact. This section emphasizes the need to demonstrate not just research execution but also the ability to translate findings into actionable product improvements and communicate effectively with stakeholders.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• The base salary range for this position is $82,200.00 - $113,100.00 annually.

• This range is based on national market data and may vary depending on the candidate's experience level and specific location within the US. Benefits:

• World-Class Health Benefits: Comprehensive Medical, Prescription Drug, Dental, and Vision insurance plans.

• Telehealth services for convenient medical consultations.

• Health Savings Account (HSA) and Flexible Spending Account (FSA) options for pre-tax healthcare expenses.

• Retirement Savings: 401(k) and Roth 401(k) plans with a company match to support long-term financial planning.

• Paid Time Off: Generous Paid Vacation and Sick Time Off accruals.

• Holidays: 12 paid company holidays per year.

• Family Support: 20 total weeks of Parental Leave, with 14 weeks paid, and access to the Milk Stork program.

• Professional Development: Tuition Reimbursement program to support continuous learning.

• Insurance Coverage: Life Insurance and Disability Insurance.

• Well-being Programs: Access to Well-being resources and Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) for mental and emotional support. Working Hours:

• Standard full-time work hours are assumed to be approximately 40 hours per week, aligning with typical professional roles.

• As a remote position, there may be flexibility in daily scheduling, but core collaboration hours will likely be expected to align with team needs and time zones.

📝 Enhancement Note: The provided salary range is specific and valuable. The benefits are extensive and well-detailed, offering a strong value proposition to potential candidates. The "working hours" are inferred to be standard but acknowledge potential remote flexibility.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Education Technology (EdTech). Renaissance is a global leader providing pre-K–12 education technology solutions aimed at personalizing learning paths for students.

Company Size: Renaissance is a large organization, indicated by its presence in over one-third of US schools and operations in more than 100 countries. While the exact employee count isn't provided in the raw data, its global reach suggests a significant workforce.

Founded: The founding date is not explicitly stated, but the company is described as a "global leader," implying a well-established presence in the market.

Team Structure:

• The UX Researcher II will likely be part of a dedicated UX Research team or embedded within product development teams.

• Collaboration is a key aspect, involving UX designers, product owners, product managers, and engineers. This indicates a matrixed or cross-functional team structure common in agile product development environments.

• Guidance from senior team members suggests a hierarchy within the research function, supporting professional development. Methodology:

• Renaissance focuses on creating "energizing learning experiences" through personalized learning paths, driven by data analysis and technology.

• The company values are: "trust each other, win together, strive for the best, own our actions, and grow and evolve," which point to a culture of accountability, teamwork, and continuous improvement.

• Research methodologies are expected to be data-driven, aiming to discover opportunities and validate designs for product optimization.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's mission in education technology and its stated values provide context for the type of research conducted and the collaborative environment. This information is crucial for candidates to understand the company's purpose and operational ethos.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is designated as a "User Researcher II," signifying a mid-level position. It involves conducting research with general supervision and collaborating with cross-functional teams. The expectation is for the individual to independently manage research projects while also seeking guidance from senior members, indicating a phase of growing autonomy and expertise.

Reporting Structure: The role reports to a senior member of the UX Research team or a UX Research Manager. The collaborative nature of the role means frequent interaction with Product Managers, UX Designers, and Engineers, suggesting a cross-functional reporting dynamic within project teams.

Operations Impact: As a UX Researcher, the primary impact is on product strategy and optimization. By providing user insights, this role directly influences the design and development of educational technology solutions. This contributes to:

• Enhancing user experience and satisfaction among educators and students.

• Identifying key opportunities for new features or product improvements that drive user adoption and retention.

• Validating design decisions, reducing the risk of costly product failures.

• Ensuring that products effectively meet the needs of diverse user groups within the K-12 education sector.

• Ultimately, contributing to the company's mission of improving student growth through technology. Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Advancement: Opportunities to deepen expertise in various qualitative and quantitative research methodologies, including generative and evaluative techniques. Potential to take on more complex research projects and lead research initiatives.

• Specialization: Possibility to specialize in specific research areas (e.g., early childhood education, assessment research, learning analytics) or user groups.

• Leadership Development: As experience grows, opportunities may arise to mentor junior researchers, lead research projects, or transition into a senior researcher or research lead role.

• Cross-functional Exposure: Gaining broader product development experience through close collaboration with product management, design, and engineering teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: This analysis focuses on how UX research contributes to the broader "operations" of product development and GTM strategy by ensuring user-centricity. The growth path emphasizes skill development and potential leadership within the research function.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: This is a fully remote position, allowing employees to work from their home offices across the United States.

Office Location(s): Remote - US. While specific office locations are not relevant for this remote role, the company has a significant presence in North America.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The role requires significant collaboration with distributed teams (UX designers, product managers, engineers). This implies a reliance on digital collaboration tools and effective remote communication practices.

• Operations Tools and Technology: Candidates should be comfortable using standard remote work tools (e.g., video conferencing, instant messaging) and UX research-specific software for data collection, analysis, and synthesis.

• Team Interaction: While remote, opportunities for team interaction will likely occur through regular video calls, virtual team meetings, and potentially occasional in-person or virtual team offsites (though not explicitly mentioned).

Work Schedule:

• The role is full-time, typically expected to be around 40 hours per week.

• As a remote position, there may be flexibility in daily scheduling, allowing for better work-life integration. However, candidates should be prepared to align with core business hours and team meeting schedules, which may span various US time zones.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis is on the remote work environment and the tools/practices necessary for effective collaboration and research execution in a distributed setting.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter will likely conduct an initial phone screen to assess basic qualifications, interest, and cultural fit.

• Hiring Manager Interview: A conversation with the hiring manager to delve deeper into your experience, research philosophy, and understanding of the role.

• Portfolio Review & Presentation: A crucial stage where you will present selected research projects from your portfolio. This typically involves explaining your process, methodologies, insights, and impact. Be prepared to discuss how your work has influenced product decisions.

• Cross-functional Interviews: Interviews with potential collaborators, such as UX Designers, Product Managers, or Engineers, to assess your collaboration style and ability to communicate research effectively to diverse stakeholders.

• Take-Home Exercise (Potential): Some companies may assign a small research-related task or case study to evaluate practical skills.

• Final Interview: May involve a senior leader or a panel interview to make a final decision.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 2-3 projects that best showcase your skills and impact, aligning with the job description's requirements (qualitative, quantitative, mixed-methods, impact).

• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your role, the research methods used, key findings, actionable insights, and the resulting product outcome or impact. Quantify impact where possible.

• Focus on Process: Explain why you chose certain methods and how you navigated challenges. Demonstrate your thought process.

• Know Your Audience: Tailor your presentation to the interviewer's background (e.g., more technical details for engineers, business impact for product managers).

• Be Prepared for Questions: Anticipate questions about your methodology, how you handled conflicting data, how you collaborated, and what you would do differently.

Challenge Preparation:

• Methodology Deep Dive: Be ready to discuss the pros and cons of various research methods and when to apply them.

• Problem-Solving Scenarios: Practice thinking through how you would approach a hypothetical research problem for an EdTech product.

• Insight Generation: Demonstrate your ability to move beyond data reporting to generating meaningful, actionable insights.

• Collaboration Scenarios: Prepare examples of how you've successfully collaborated with non-researchers and influenced product direction.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section provides actionable advice tailored to UX researcher roles, emphasizing the portfolio's importance and the need to demonstrate impact and collaboration skills.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Qualitative Research Platforms: Tools for conducting remote user interviews and usability testing (e.g., Zoom, Google Meet, UserTesting.com, Lookback).

• Survey & Data Collection Tools: Platforms for designing and distributing surveys, collecting feedback (e.g., SurveyMonkey, Qualtrics, Google Forms).

• Data Analysis & Synthesis Tools: Software for organizing, analyzing, and synthesizing qualitative data (e.g., Dovetail, NVivo, Miro, Mural for affinity mapping).

• Prototyping & Design Tools (Familiarity): Understanding of tools used by designers (e.g., Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD) to effectively test prototypes.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Product Analytics Tools (Familiarity): Understanding of how to interpret data from tools like Google Analytics, Mixpanel, or Amplitude to complement qualitative findings.

• Spreadsheet Software: Proficiency in Excel or Google Sheets for basic data analysis and reporting.

• Presentation Software: Tools like PowerPoint, Google Slides, or Keynote for creating compelling research reports and presentations.

CRM & Automation:

• While not directly managing CRM/automation, a User Researcher may interact with systems that track user feedback or product usage, requiring an understanding of data flow and user journeys within these platforms.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section focuses on the typical tools and technologies a UX Researcher would utilize or interact with, emphasizing data analysis, synthesis, and communication platforms.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Trust Each Other: Fostering an environment where team members can rely on each other for support, honest feedback, and shared success in research initiatives.

• Win Together: Emphasizing collaborative success, where research insights contribute to collective product wins and company goals.

• Strive for the Best: A commitment to high-quality research, rigorous analysis, and continuous improvement in methodologies and deliverables.

• Own Our Actions: Accountability for research plans, execution, and the impact of insights provided. Taking responsibility for outcomes.

• Grow and Evolve: Encouraging continuous learning, skill development, and adaptation to new research techniques and industry trends.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Working closely with UX designers, product managers, and engineers to ensure research is integrated seamlessly into the product development lifecycle. This involves regular communication, feedback loops, and shared understanding of user needs.

• Process Review Culture: Openness to discussing and refining research processes, methodologies, and deliverables with peers and stakeholders to ensure effectiveness and efficiency.

• Knowledge Sharing: Actively sharing research findings, best practices, and learnings across teams to build a strong, user-informed culture throughout the organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's stated values are directly translated into how a UX Researcher would operate within the team and the broader organization, emphasizing collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Methodologies: Effectively integrating qualitative and quantitative research to provide a holistic view, while managing the resources and timelines associated with each.

• Translating Insights into Action: Ensuring that research findings are not just reported but are clearly understood and acted upon by product teams to drive meaningful product improvements.

• Navigating Remote Collaboration: Maintaining strong communication and collaboration with distributed teams, ensuring alignment and shared understanding without constant in-person interaction.

• Research Ethics and Data Privacy: Upholding rigorous ethical standards and data privacy regulations, especially when working with sensitive user data.

• Measuring Research Impact: Quantifying the impact of research efforts on product outcomes and business metrics can be challenging but is crucial for demonstrating value.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Methodologies: Opportunities to learn and apply more advanced research techniques, such as longitudinal studies, diary studies, or sophisticated experimental designs.

• Domain Expertise: Deepening knowledge of the K-12 education landscape, pedagogical principles, and the specific needs of educators and students using Renaissance products.

• Mentorship: Receiving guidance from senior researchers on complex projects, career development, and strategic thinking.

• Conferences & Certifications: Potential for attending industry conferences (e.g., CHI, UXPA) or pursuing certifications in UX research or related fields.

• Cross-functional Skill Development: Gaining exposure to product management, design thinking, and agile development processes.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section identifies potential challenges specific to the role and the remote/EdTech environment, alongside clear pathways for professional growth and skill development.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to use both qualitative and quantitative research to solve a complex product problem. What were the challenges and how did you overcome them?" (Focus on mixed-methods approach, problem-solving, and synthesis.)

• "How do you ensure your research findings are actionable and understood by non-researchers (e.g., engineers, product managers)?" (Focus on communication, storytelling, and stakeholder management.)

• "Walk us through a research project where your insights led to a significant product change or improvement. What was the impact?" (Focus on impact demonstration, case study articulation, and ROI.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Renaissance and our mission in education technology?" (Research the company's products, values, and recent news.)

• "How do you approach collaboration within a remote, cross-functional team?" (Provide examples of effective remote collaboration and communication strategies.)

• "How do you stay up-to-date with the latest trends and best practices in UX research?" (Demonstrate a commitment to continuous learning and professional development.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure: For each project, follow a clear narrative: Problem/Opportunity -> Your Role -> Research Questions -> Methodology -> Participants -> Key Findings -> Actionable Insights -> Impact/Outcome -> What You Learned.

• Visuals: Use compelling visuals (e.g., anonymized quotes, key data points, screenshots of prototypes tested) to illustrate your findings and process.

• Conciseness: Be mindful of time. Practice delivering your presentation clearly and efficiently, allowing ample time for Q&A.

• Focus on "So What?": Always bring it back to the impact of your work. How did your research make a difference?

📝 Enhancement Note: These interview questions are designed to probe key competencies for a UX Researcher, including methodological rigor, communication, impact, and cultural fit, with specific advice on how to approach them.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this User Researcher II position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Greenhouse.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 of your strongest UX research projects that best demonstrate your skills in qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods research, with a clear emphasis on the impact of your insights.

• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight relevant experience, skills, and achievements that align with the job description, using keywords from the posting (e.g., qualitative research, usability testing, data synthesis, cross-functional collaboration).

• Prepare Your Presentation: Practice walking through your portfolio projects, focusing on storytelling, methodology, insights, and quantifiable impact. Be ready to articulate your research process and decision-making.

• Research Renaissance: Understand the company's mission, products (especially for K-12 education), values, and recent news to articulate your interest and cultural fit effectively.

⚠️ 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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