UX Qualitative Researcher

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: UX Qualitative Researcher

Company: Veralto Global (Hach)

Location: Loveland, Colorado, United States

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: User Experience Research / Product Development

Date Posted: May 21, 2026

Experience Level: Mid-Level (2-5 years)

Remote Status: Hybrid (4 days onsite, 1 day remote)

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive impactful product improvements by identifying the core 20% of user issues causing 80% of problems through agile qualitative UX research.

• Execute end-to-end research projects, from planning and methodology selection to synthesis and presentation of actionable insights, with a focus on hardware product research.

• Partner closely with UX Designers, Engineering, Data Science, and Market Research teams to ensure an amazing end-to-end product experience across Hach's water quality solutions.

• Contribute to Veralto's mission of safeguarding the world's vital resources by enhancing the usability and effectiveness of water analysis instruments and software.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned within a fast-paced, iterative culture at Hach, a Veralto company. The emphasis is on proactive problem-solving and rapid insight generation, aligning with a GTM (Go-To-Market) operations mindset that prioritizes speed and impact. The hybrid work arrangement requires strong self-management and communication skills for seamless collaboration.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Plan, conduct, and synthesize qualitative research activities, including customer interviews, field research, on-site visits, and iterative user testing for hardware products.

• Select and apply appropriate research methodologies (qualitative and quantitative) to address specific project objectives and user experience goals.

• Collaborate intensely with UX Designers throughout the product development lifecycle to test and refine concepts, prototypes, and existing features.

• Translate research findings into clear, actionable recommendations for product teams, influencing design decisions and feature prioritization.

• Document and upload research findings and insights into a centralized repository for knowledge sharing and future reference.

• Manage research agendas, track user experience goals and metrics, and drive project execution, potentially managing the work of additional resources.

• Travel up to 20% of the time to conduct in-person customer research and field studies.

📝 Enhancement Note: The core responsibilities highlight a blend of strategic research planning and hands-on execution, emphasizing the "agile" nature of the role. The expectation for "end-to-end" research and "actionable recommendations" points towards a need for strong analytical and communication skills, crucial for operations roles focused on driving business outcomes through user-centric insights.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

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

Experience: Minimum of 3 years of experience in applied user research for consumer products, with a specific depth in hardware product research.

Required Skills:

• Proven experience conducting applied research on consumer products, with a strong emphasis on hardware.

• Demonstrated ability to manage end-to-end research projects, including creating research agendas and schedules.

• Proficiency in defining and tracking user experience goals and metrics.

• Hands-on experience with user testing, field research, survey design, and online user research tools.

• Expertise in a broad range of research methodologies, balancing qualitative and quantitative techniques.

• Ability to synthesize complex data and deliver actionable insights and recommendations.

• Strong collaboration skills to work effectively with UX Designers and cross-functional teams.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience in the water quality industry or with scientific instrumentation.

• Familiarity with agile development methodologies and fast-paced iteration cycles.

• Proficiency in statistical analysis software or advanced data visualization tools.

• Experience presenting research findings to senior stakeholders and executive leadership.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for 3+ years of experience in "applied research on consumer products with a depth in hardware product research" indicates a need for practical, real-world application of research skills, not just theoretical knowledge. The emphasis on "end-to-end product" experience and managing "research agendas and schedules" suggests a need for project management and strategic planning capabilities, common in operations roles.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrate a portfolio showcasing a minimum of 3 significant research projects, ideally including at least one hardware-focused product.

• Each project should clearly articulate the research problem, methodology employed, your specific role and contributions, key findings, and the impact of your recommendations on the product or business.

• Include examples of research plans, synthesis artifacts (e.g., affinity maps, user journey maps), and concise, impactful presentation summaries.

Process Documentation:

• Showcase your process for defining research objectives, selecting appropriate methodologies, and planning research execution.

• Provide examples of your synthesis process, detailing how you derive meaningful insights from raw data.

• Illustrate your approach to presenting findings and recommendations to diverse stakeholders, ensuring clarity and driving adoption.

📝 Enhancement Note: While specific "systems" aren't detailed, the emphasis on "experimentation tools" and "usage data analysis" implies familiarity with platforms that enable data collection and analysis for UX research. The portfolio should clearly demonstrate the candidate's ability to manage research processes and deliver measurable impact, a key aspect of operations roles.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $105,000 - $120,000 USD per year.

Benefits:

• Flexible working hours

• Professional onboarding and training options

• Career coaching and development opportunities

• Health benefits including Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance

• 401(k) plan

• Paid time off

• Bonus Pay eligibility

Working Hours: Approximately 40 hours per week. The role is hybrid, requiring 4 days in the Loveland, CO office and 1 day remote. The company offers flexible working hours.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range provided is for US residents. The inclusion of "Flexible working hours" and a "Hybrid work arrangement" indicates a focus on work-life balance and autonomy, which is often valued by operations professionals. The comprehensive benefits package is standard for full-time roles in the US.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Water Quality Technology / Environmental Solutions. Hach, a Veralto company, operates within the critical sector of ensuring global water quality, aligning with sustainability and public health initiatives.

Company Size: Veralto is a $5B global leader with approximately 16,000 associates across its network. Hach itself is a significant entity within this network. This size suggests a stable, well-resourced organization with established processes but also opportunities for impact within specific business units.

Founded: Hach was founded in 1947, and Veralto was established more recently as a spin-off from Danaher. This history indicates a company with deep expertise and a long-standing commitment to its mission.

Team Structure:

• The UX Qualitative Researcher will be part of the User Experience (UX) team.

• This team collaborates closely with UX Designers, Product Managers, Engineering, Data Science, Market Research, and Planning teams.

Methodology:

• Hach operates with a "move and iterate fast" culture, emphasizing agility and rapid problem-solving.

• The company values a data-driven approach and customer partnerships to deliver innovative solutions.

• There's a strong focus on identifying high-impact tasks and executing them proactively.

Company Website: www.hach.com, www.veralto.com

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture is described as "agile" and "fast-paced," which is a common characteristic of GTM and operations teams focused on efficiency and rapid market response. The emphasis on "purpose meets possibility" and "safeguarding the world's most vital resources" suggests a mission-driven environment, appealing to professionals who seek meaningful work.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is mid-level, requiring 3+ years of specialized experience in applied UX research, particularly with hardware. It involves independent execution of research projects and contribution to strategic product decisions.

Reporting Structure: The UX Qualitative Researcher reports into the User Experience team. Collaboration is expected across various departments, including Product, Engineering, and Market Research.

Operations Impact: The researcher's insights directly influence product design and development, impacting the usability, effectiveness, and market success of Hach's water quality solutions. This contribution is critical for customer satisfaction, adoption rates, and ultimately, revenue generation through superior product experiences.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in hardware UX research or expand into quantitative research methodologies.

• Leadership: Potential to lead research initiatives, mentor junior researchers, or transition into a UX Research Lead role.

• Cross-functional Development: Gain broader experience in product management, market research, or other GTM functions through cross-departmental collaboration.

• Industry Expertise: Develop specialized knowledge within the vital water quality sector, a growing and impactful industry.

📝 Enhancement Note: The growth opportunities are framed around deepening specialized skills and increasing influence within product development and GTM strategy, aligning with typical career progression for operations-focused roles that bridge product and customer understanding.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid work model, with 4 days per week expected in the Loveland, CO office and 1 day remote. This suggests a collaborative office environment balanced with flexibility.

Office Location(s): Loveland, Colorado, USA.

Workspace Context:

• The office environment likely supports collaboration with UX Designers, product teams, and engineers, fostering cross-functional synergy.

• Access to necessary tools and technology for research, analysis, and presentation will be provided.

• Opportunities exist for direct interaction with the wider Hach and Veralto teams, facilitating knowledge sharing and professional networking.

Work Schedule: Standard full-time hours (approx. 40 per week) with flexibility offered. This allows for efficient planning of research activities, data synthesis, and team collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid nature of the role requires strong self-discipline and effective remote communication skills, in addition to on-site collaborative capabilities. This setup is conducive to operations professionals who need dedicated focus time alongside team interaction.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Review of resume and portfolio to assess qualifications and alignment with role requirements.

• Hiring Manager Interview: Discussion focused on experience, research methodologies, and understanding of the role's objectives.

• Team/Peer Interviews: Interviews with UX Designers and potentially other cross-functional partners to evaluate collaboration style and technical fit.

• Portfolio Presentation: A dedicated session where candidates present their portfolio, showcasing key projects, research process, and impact. This is a critical step for evaluating practical skills and communication.

• Final Interview: May involve senior leadership or hiring manager to discuss overall fit, strategic thinking, and cultural alignment.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Structure for Impact: Organize your portfolio to clearly articulate the problem, your approach, key insights, and the tangible outcomes or recommendations. Use a consistent format for each case study.

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Include visuals, artifacts, and data that illustrate your research process and findings. For hardware research, show how you tested physical products or interfaces.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use metrics to demonstrate the effect of your research and recommendations (e.g., "reduced task completion time by X%", "increased user satisfaction by Y%").

• Tailor to Hach: Research Hach's products and target users. Highlight experiences that align with their mission (water quality) and their focus on hardware and integrated solutions.

• Be Ready to Discuss: Prepare to walk through your chosen projects in detail, answering questions about your decision-making, challenges, and learnings.

Challenge Preparation:

• Expect a potential research exercise or a deep dive into a past project to assess your problem-solving approach and ability to generate actionable insights under pressure.

• Be prepared to discuss how you would approach a specific research problem relevant to Hach's products or target users.

• Practice articulating your research process and findings concisely and persuasively, focusing on the "so what" for the business.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a portfolio presentation and potential research challenge underscores the practical, results-oriented nature of this role. Candidates should prepare to demonstrate not just theoretical knowledge but also their ability to apply research methodologies effectively and communicate findings that drive business value, a core competency in operations.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Qualitative Research Platforms: Tools for conducting remote interviews, usability testing (e.g., UserTesting.com, Lookback, Maze).

• Survey Tools: For designing and distributing surveys (e.g., SurveyMonkey, Qualtrics, Google Forms).

• Data Synthesis Tools: Tools for affinity mapping, journey mapping, persona creation (e.g., Miro, Mural, Dovetail).

• Prototyping Tools (for testing): Familiarity with tools used by designers (e.g., Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD).

Analytics & Reporting:

• Usage Data Analysis Tools: Experience with tools that track product usage and user behavior (specific tools likely internal or integrated).

• Data Visualization Tools: Potentially Tableau, Power BI, or similar for presenting quantitative findings or trends.

CRM & Automation: While not directly a CRM role, understanding how user feedback integrates into product roadmaps and potentially CRM data would be beneficial.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the primary focus is qualitative research, familiarity with tools used for data analysis, reporting, and potentially CRM integration highlights the operational aspect of synthesizing user feedback into actionable business intelligence. Proficiency in tools that facilitate remote collaboration and data sharing is also key.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Customer Focus: Deeply understanding user needs to deliver exceptional product experiences.

• Agility & Speed: Moving quickly to identify and solve problems, iterating based on feedback.

• Data-Driven Decisions: Using research insights to inform product strategy and design.

• Collaboration: Working effectively across diverse teams to achieve common goals.

• Impact & Ownership: Taking initiative to drive meaningful improvements and owning outcomes.

Collaboration Style:

• Highly collaborative, working closely with UX Designers, product managers, engineers, and market researchers.

• Emphasis on open communication, feedback exchange, and shared problem-solving.

• Proactive engagement to ensure research findings are understood and integrated into the product lifecycle.

📝 Enhancement Note: The team culture values proactive contribution, rapid iteration, and cross-functional partnership. These are hallmarks of effective operations teams that bridge product development, customer understanding, and market execution.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Speed and Rigor: Ensuring research is both fast enough for an agile environment and methodologically sound.

• Hardware Complexity: Navigating the unique challenges of researching hardware products, which may involve physical testing, environmental factors, and longer development cycles.

• Cross-functional Alignment: Effectively communicating and championing user needs to diverse stakeholders with different priorities.

• Driving Adoption of Insights: Ensuring research findings translate into tangible product changes and are not just documented.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Research Techniques: Opportunities to learn and apply more sophisticated qualitative and quantitative methods.

• Industry Knowledge: Deepen understanding of water quality technology and its market.

• Product Lifecycle Exposure: Gain comprehensive experience across the entire product development process.

• Mentorship: Potential to be mentored by senior researchers or product leaders within Veralto.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are common in operations roles that require bridging technical development with user needs in a fast-moving market. The growth opportunities focus on skill enhancement and strategic influence, characteristic of career development in operations and product functions.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you identified a critical user problem that others missed. What was your process, and what was the impact?"

• "How do you balance the need for comprehensive research with the demands of a fast-paced product development cycle?"

• "Walk us through your process for planning an end-to-end research study for a complex hardware product."

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Hach's mission to ensure water quality?"

• "How do you see your research skills contributing to an 'agile' and 'fast-moving' culture?"

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Select High-Impact Projects: Choose 2-3 projects that best showcase your core skills, particularly hardware research and problem-solving.

• Tell a Story: Structure your presentation like a narrative – problem, your hypothesis/approach, your execution, key findings, and the resolution/recommendations.

• Highlight Your Role: Clearly define your specific contributions.

• Focus on "So What?": Emphasize the impact of your work and the business value generated.

• Prepare for Q&A: Anticipate questions about your methodology, challenges, and how you handled difficult stakeholders.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating a proactive, results-oriented approach, aligning with operations principles. Candidates should be ready to provide specific examples of how they drive impact through research and collaboration.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this UX Qualitative Researcher position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on the Veralto Global careers site.

• Customize Your Resume: Highlight your experience with hardware product research, end-to-end project management, and delivering actionable insights. Use keywords like "qualitative research," "user experience," "field research," "usability testing," and "hardware."

• Prepare Your Portfolio: Curate a portfolio that clearly demonstrates your research process, methodologies, and the impact of your findings. Focus on projects that showcase your ability to solve complex user problems, especially in hardware contexts.

• Research Hach & Veralto: Understand their mission, products (especially water quality instruments), and company values. Prepare to discuss how your work aligns with their goals.

• Practice Your Presentation: Rehearse your portfolio presentation, focusing on clarity, conciseness, and demonstrating the business value of your research. Be ready to articulate your "why" and your impact.

⚠️ 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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