UX Researcher

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: UX Researcher

Company: Accela

Location: Remote Based - US

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: User Experience Research

Date Posted: 2026-06-18T19:07:04

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

Remote Status: Fully Remote

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead and execute comprehensive user research initiatives, acting as the primary research partner for Accela's inbound product teams.

• Drive user-centered design principles by translating customer needs, behaviors, and pain points into actionable product and design recommendations.

• Collaborate closely with Product Management, UX Design, and Engineering to ensure data-driven decision-making throughout the product development lifecycle.

• Establish and maintain best practices for UX research, including the development of user personas, journey maps, and insight repositories.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is critical for a SaaS company like Accela, which serves government agencies. The UX Researcher will bridge the gap between complex government workflows and user-friendly digital solutions, requiring a strong understanding of enterprise software and potentially public sector technology. The remote nature across the US suggests a need for excellent asynchronous communication skills and experience with distributed teams.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Plan, design, and conduct a variety of qualitative and quantitative user research studies across diverse product areas including Accela Civic Application (ACA), Payments, Platform Integrations, Administration, and Civic Platform.

• Lead comprehensive usability testing efforts to rigorously evaluate product experiences and identify key areas for user interface and user experience improvements.

• Analyze and synthesize complex research findings into clear, concise, and actionable recommendations for Product Management, UX Design, and Engineering teams.

• Develop and maintain essential research artifacts such as user personas, comprehensive journey maps, and other customer experience documents to inform product strategy and design decisions.

• Partner proactively with Product Managers and UX Designers to define research objectives, align study methodologies with business goals, and ensure customer insights drive product roadmaps.

• Conduct in-depth user interviews, design and deploy surveys, perform contextual inquiries, and utilize other research activities to gain a deep understanding of customer needs, behaviors, and workflows.

• Effectively communicate research findings and strategic recommendations through compelling presentations, detailed reports, interactive workshops, and productive stakeholder discussions.

• Champion user-centered design principles across the organization, advocating for the consistent integration of user research throughout the entire product development lifecycle.

• Establish and maintain robust research best practices, refine methodologies, and build comprehensive repositories of customer insights for ongoing team reference and knowledge sharing.

• Collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams to ensure research findings are seamlessly incorporated into product roadmaps, feature development, and overall design solutions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The breadth of product areas mentioned (ACA, Payments, Platform Integrations, Administration, Civic Platform) indicates this UX Researcher will need to manage multiple research projects simultaneously, requiring strong project management and prioritization skills. The emphasis on public sector technology suggests a need to understand unique user contexts and regulatory environments common in government IT.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Psychology, Cognitive Science, Human Factors, User Experience, Research, or a closely related field, or equivalent practical experience demonstrating a strong foundation in user research methodologies.

Experience: 3+ years of dedicated experience conducting UX research, specifically for software, SaaS, or complex digital products, with a proven track record of impacting product development.

Required Skills:

• Demonstrated experience planning, designing, and executing a range of usability studies and diverse user research methodologies.

• Strong analytical and synthesis skills, with a proven ability to distill complex qualitative and quantitative data into clear, actionable insights.

• Proficiency in developing comprehensive user personas, detailed journey maps, insightful research reports, and other critical customer experience artifacts.

• Hands-on experience conducting user interviews, designing and administering surveys, performing usability testing, and employing other qualitative and quantitative research methods.

• Excellent communication, storytelling, and presentation skills, with a demonstrated ability to influence and gain buy-in from cross-functional stakeholders.

• Proven experience collaborating effectively with Product Management, UX Design, and Engineering teams in an agile or iterative development environment. Preferred Skills:

• Experience supporting multiple product teams concurrently within a dynamic, fast-paced SaaS environment.

• Specific experience conducting research for enterprise software solutions or technologies tailored for public-sector clients.

• Familiarity with accessibility standards (e.g., WCAG) and inclusive design principles for equitable product development.

• Proficiency with common UX research tools such as UserTesting, Dovetail, Maze, Qualtrics, UserZoom, or similar platforms for data collection and analysis.

• Knowledge of service design principles, advanced customer journey mapping techniques, and comprehensive experience strategy methodologies.

• Experience in establishing and scaling UX research processes and practices across a growing organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Desired Qualifications" strongly suggest that candidates with experience in enterprise SaaS and government technology will have a significant advantage. Familiarity with specific research tools is a plus, but the ability to establish processes indicates a need for strategic and foundational research thinking.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrate a portfolio showcasing a minimum of 3-5 distinct UX research projects, highlighting your end-to-end research process from planning to insight delivery.

• Include examples of research artifacts such as user personas, journey maps, usability test reports, and key findings presentations.

• Showcase your ability to translate research findings into specific, actionable product and design recommendations, detailing the impact of these recommendations.

• Provide evidence of collaboration with cross-functional teams (Product, Design, Engineering) and how your research influenced their decisions. Process Documentation:

• Detailed case studies that outline the research methodology employed, including the rationale for methodology selection based on research objectives and constraints.

• Examples of how you have documented and communicated research findings, emphasizing clarity, conciseness, and impact for diverse audiences.

• Evidence of your contribution to or establishment of research processes, including how you ensure research insights are integrated into product development workflows.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a UX Researcher role, the portfolio is paramount. It needs to clearly articulate the candidate's research process, their analytical rigor, and their ability to drive impact. Accela's focus on government solutions means demonstrating an understanding of complex user needs and stakeholder management within such environments would be highly beneficial.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $120,000 - $130,000 annually (less applicable taxes).

Benefits:

• Flexible Time Off: Encourages a healthy work-life balance and autonomy in managing personal time.

• Comprehensive Health Coverage: Includes Medical, Dental, and Vision plans to support employee well-being.

• Family Planning Benefits: Resources and support for employees planning or growing their families.

• Retirement Savings: 401(k) plan with a company match, assisting employees in building long-term financial security.

• Health Savings Account (HSA) with Company Contributions: A tax-advantaged savings account for healthcare expenses, supplemented by Accela.

• Flexible Spending Account (FSA): Offers additional pre-tax savings for healthcare or dependent care expenses.

• Insurance Coverage: Includes Life, Accident, and Disability coverage to provide financial protection.

• Business Travel Insurance: Coverage for employees traveling for company business.

• Employee Assistance Programs (EAP): Confidential support services for personal and professional challenges.

• Additional well-being benefits contributing to overall employee health and satisfaction.

Working Hours: 40 hours per week, with flexibility expected for a remote role supporting a US-based team.

📝 Enhancement Note: The provided salary range is for the base annual salary. It's important to note that this role is also eligible for an annual bonus target based on company and individual goal achievement, which can significantly increase total compensation. The extensive benefits package is typical for a mid-to-large sized SaaS company, emphasizing employee well-being and financial security.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Government Technology (GovTech) / SaaS. Accela operates within the crucial intersection of technology and public service, providing cloud-based software solutions that enhance efficiency, transparency, and citizen engagement for local governments. This industry demands reliability, security, and a deep understanding of public sector workflows.

Company Size: Accela is a mid-to-large sized company, likely employing several hundred to over a thousand individuals. This size typically means established processes, dedicated departments (like UX Research), and opportunities for specialized career growth, while still retaining some agility.

Founded: Accela was founded nearly 20 years ago, indicating a mature company with a stable market presence and deep experience in its domain. This longevity suggests a solid understanding of customer needs and a robust product suite.

Team Structure:

• The UX Researcher will likely be part of a dedicated UX/Product Design team, potentially reporting to a UX Research Manager or Director of Product Design.

• The reporting structure will involve close alignment with Product Management and Engineering leads for specific product areas, fostering a collaborative, matrixed environment.

• Cross-functional collaboration is a cornerstone of this role, requiring seamless interaction with Product Managers, UX Designers, Engineers, and potentially Marketing, Sales, and Customer Success teams. Methodology:

• Accela likely employs data-driven methodologies, with the UX Researcher playing a pivotal role in gathering and interpreting qualitative and quantitative user data to inform strategy.

• Workflow planning and optimization are core to Accela's mission; the UX Researcher will identify friction points and opportunities for streamlining user interactions with government processes.

• Automation and efficiency practices are key for government clients, and research will focus on how users interact with and benefit from these features.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Accela's focus on government software means the UX Researcher will be dealing with users who may have less technological familiarity or be bound by strict procedural requirements. Understanding these unique constraints and user motivations is key to success. The company's established history suggests a stable environment but also potentially a complex legacy system or set of processes to navigate.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a mid-level UX Researcher (2-5 years of experience). It implies a solid foundation in research methodologies and the ability to work independently on defined projects, while still benefiting from guidance on complex or strategic initiatives. The scope covers multiple product areas, indicating a broad impact.

Reporting Structure: The UX Researcher will report into a UX or Product Design leadership function, working closely with Product Managers and UX Designers across various product teams. This structure emphasizes collaboration and shared ownership of product outcomes.

Operations Impact: The UX Researcher's impact is directly tied to improving the usability, efficiency, and adoption of Accela's SaaS products. By ensuring products meet user needs and address pain points, the researcher contributes to increased customer satisfaction, reduced support costs, higher renewal rates, and ultimately, revenue growth and market competitiveness for Accela.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Opportunity to deepen expertise in specific research methodologies (e.g., advanced qualitative techniques, mixed-methods research) or product domains (e.g., Civic Platform, Payments).

• Leadership: Potential to grow into a Senior UX Researcher role, leading larger, more strategic research initiatives, mentoring junior researchers, or defining research strategy for entire product lines.

• Process Improvement: Opportunity to take ownership of refining and scaling UX research processes, tools, and best practices across Accela, potentially leading to a Research Operations role.

• Cross-functional Influence: Develop stronger strategic partnerships with Product and Design leadership, influencing product vision and roadmaps more broadly.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role offers a clear path for growth within a specialized UX research track. The emphasis on supporting multiple product areas suggests a fast-paced learning environment where one can gain broad exposure to different user types and product challenges within the GovTech SaaS space.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: This is a fully remote position, meaning employees work from their home offices. This arrangement offers maximum flexibility and autonomy.

Office Location(s): Remote Based - US. This indicates that candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States and will be working from a US-based location.

Workspace Context:

• The remote setup necessitates a highly collaborative and communicative environment, relying heavily on digital tools for interaction, ideation, and feedback.

• Access to standard office productivity and collaboration tools will be essential, likely including video conferencing, instant messaging, project management software, and shared document platforms.

• Operations team interaction will occur primarily through virtual meetings, Slack channels, and collaborative document editing, emphasizing asynchronous communication strategies.

Work Schedule: While the core working hours are typically aligned with a standard 40-hour work week, the remote nature of the role often allows for flexibility in scheduling, provided work is completed and collaboration with distributed teams is maintained. Occasional adjustments may be needed to accommodate meetings across different US time zones.

📝 Enhancement Note: As a remote role, success will hinge on self-discipline, proactive communication, and the ability to build rapport and collaborate effectively through digital channels. Candidates should be comfortable with a high degree of autonomy and digital-first interaction.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter or hiring manager will review your application and resume, focusing on relevant UX research experience and qualifications. Be prepared to discuss your portfolio highlights.

• Hiring Manager Interview: A discussion with the hiring manager to delve deeper into your experience, research philosophy, and how you approach challenges. This is a good time to ask about team dynamics and current research priorities.

• Portfolio Presentation: A critical stage where you will present a selection of your work. Prepare 2-3 detailed case studies showcasing your research process, methodologies, insights, and impact. Focus on the "why" and "how" of your research.

• Cross-functional Interviews: Interviews with Product Managers, UX Designers, and/or Engineers to assess your collaboration style, communication skills, and ability to translate research into actionable insights for different disciplines.

• Final Round: Potentially an interview with a senior leader to discuss strategic alignment and long-term fit within the organization.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select projects that best demonstrate your skills in qualitative and quantitative research, your ability to handle complexity, and your impact on product outcomes. Include at least one project involving enterprise or SaaS products.

• Tell a Story: For each case study, clearly articulate the problem, your research approach (methodologies chosen and why), your process, the key insights uncovered, and the resulting recommendations and their impact. Quantify impact where possible.

• Highlight Collaboration: Showcase how you worked with product, design, and engineering teams. Emphasize your role in influencing decisions and driving user empathy.

• Be Prepared for Questions: Anticipate questions about your methodology choices, challenges encountered, how you handled conflicting feedback, and how you measure success.

Challenge Preparation:

• Be ready for a potential case study or research critique exercise. This might involve analyzing a hypothetical problem, critiquing an existing design, or outlining a research plan for a given scenario.

• Practice articulating your thought process clearly and logically, just as you would during a portfolio presentation. Focus on demonstrating your problem-solving skills and research acumen.

• Prepare to discuss how you would approach research for Accela's specific products, showing you've done your homework on their market and user base.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio presentation is likely the most crucial part of the interview process for this role. Candidates should focus on demonstrating not just research execution, but also strategic thinking, strong analytical skills, and the ability to translate findings into tangible business value for a SaaS company serving government clients.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• User Research Platforms: Proficiency with tools like UserTesting, Maze, UserZoom, or similar platforms for remote usability testing, surveys, and participant recruitment.

• Qualitative Data Analysis Tools: Experience with tools like Dovetail, NVivo, or similar for organizing, coding, and synthesizing qualitative data from interviews and usability sessions.

• Survey Tools: Familiarity with Qualtrics, SurveyMonkey, Google Forms, or similar for designing and deploying quantitative surveys.

• Collaboration & Documentation: Strong command of tools such as Jira, Confluence, Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Slides), or Microsoft 365 for project tracking, documentation, and insight sharing.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not a primary analytics role, an understanding of how to interpret basic product analytics (e.g., from tools like Google Analytics, Amplitude, Mixpanel) to inform research questions or validate findings would be beneficial.

• Ability to create clear, data-rich reports and presentations using tools like PowerPoint, Google Slides, or specialized charting libraries. CRM & Automation:

• Understanding of how CRM systems (like Salesforce) and marketing automation platforms are used by customers, as Accela's products often integrate with or serve functions related to these.

• Familiarity with how user feedback gathered through research can inform CRM data or trigger automated customer success workflows.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Desired Qualifications" explicitly mention UserTesting, Dovetail, Maze, Qualtrics, and UserZoom, indicating a strong preference for candidates already proficient with these industry-standard UX research tools. The ability to use these tools effectively will streamline the research process and data analysis.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• User-Centricity: A deep, ingrained belief in understanding and prioritizing the needs of users—in this case, government employees and citizens interacting with public services—in all product decisions.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: A commitment to grounding product strategy and design choices in robust user research and data analysis, rather than intuition alone.

• Collaboration & Transparency: An emphasis on open communication, knowledge sharing, and working effectively across product, design, and engineering teams to achieve shared goals.

• Efficiency & Impact: A focus on delivering research that yields tangible improvements in user experience, product adoption, and operational efficiency for government clients.

• Continuous Improvement: A culture of learning, adapting, and refining research methodologies and processes to ensure ongoing effectiveness and relevance.

Collaboration Style:

• The team likely embraces a collaborative approach where UX Researchers work hand-in-hand with Product Managers to define strategy and UX Designers to translate insights into solutions.

• Expect a culture of constructive feedback, where research findings are discussed openly, and design solutions are iteratively tested and refined based on user input.

• Knowledge sharing is crucial in a remote environment; expect regular meetings, documentation sharing, and potentially internal workshops to disseminate research insights and best practices.

📝 Enhancement Note: Accela's mission-driven nature in serving government agencies suggests a culture that values making a positive impact on communities. The UX Researcher will need to align with these values, demonstrating empathy for public sector users and a commitment to improving the delivery of essential services.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Complexity of Users: Navigating the diverse needs, technical proficiencies, and legacy systems of government employees and citizens can be challenging. Research must account for varying levels of digital literacy and regulatory compliance.

• Multiple Product Areas: Simultaneously managing research for distinct product lines (ACA, Payments, Platform, etc.) requires strong organizational skills, prioritization, and the ability to switch contexts rapidly.

• Driving Adoption of Research: Ensuring that research findings are consistently understood, acted upon, and integrated into product roadmaps across multiple stakeholder groups can be an ongoing challenge.

• Remote Collaboration: Maintaining strong team cohesion, effective communication, and deep user empathy in a fully remote setting requires deliberate effort and skillful use of collaboration tools.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Methodological Depth: Opportunities to expand your expertise in advanced research techniques, mixed-methods approaches, and specialized areas like service design or accessibility research.

• Industry Exposure: Gain deep knowledge of the GovTech SaaS landscape, understanding the unique challenges and opportunities within government technology solutions.

• Strategic Impact: Grow your ability to influence product strategy and roadmaps at a higher level, contributing to the overall direction of Accela's product suite.

• Process Leadership: Potential to take on leadership roles in defining and scaling UX research practices, mentoring junior team members, or contributing to research operations.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are common in enterprise SaaS environments, particularly those serving public sector clients. The growth opportunities are significant for a motivated researcher looking to make a substantial impact and advance their career in a specialized, mission-critical industry.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to conduct research for a complex, enterprise-level product. What were the unique challenges, and how did you adapt your methodology?" (Prepare to discuss your process, stakeholder management, and outcome.)

• "How do you prioritize research requests when supporting multiple product teams with competing demands?" (Focus on your prioritization framework, communication strategy, and ability to manage stakeholder expectations.)

• "Walk me through your process for translating research findings into actionable recommendations that Product and Engineering teams can implement." (Emphasize your analytical skills, storytelling ability, and collaborative approach.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Accela and our mission to improve government services?" (Research Accela's impact, recent news, and specific product areas; connect your passion for user advocacy to their mission.)

• "How do you approach building empathy for users within a cross-functional team, especially when those users have unique professional contexts like government employees?" (Discuss methods for sharing insights, creating artifacts, and fostering user-centricity.)

• "How do you measure the success of your UX research initiatives?" (Prepare to discuss metrics related to usability improvements, feature adoption, user satisfaction, and impact on business goals.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure is Key: For each case study, follow a clear narrative: Problem/Opportunity -> Your Role -> Research Questions -> Methodology -> Process -> Key Findings -> Recommendations -> Impact/Outcome.

• Visuals Matter: Use clear visuals (screenshots, diagrams, persona excerpts, journey map snippets) to illustrate your points and make your presentation engaging.

• Focus on Impact: Clearly articulate the "so what?" of your research. How did your insights lead to better products or business outcomes? Quantify whenever possible.

• Be Prepared for Deep Dives: Anticipate questions about your methodology choices, your role versus the team's role, challenges encountered, and how you handled ambiguity or conflicting feedback.

📝 Enhancement Note: Candidates should prepare to discuss their experience with enterprise software and, ideally, government technology. Demonstrating an understanding of the unique user context in the public sector will be a significant advantage. The portfolio presentation should highlight not just the research conducted, but the tangible impact on product and business outcomes.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this UX Researcher position:

• Submit your application through the Accela careers portal via the provided Greenhouse link.

• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight your experience with UX research methodologies, SaaS products, and any experience with enterprise or public sector technology. Quantify achievements where possible, focusing on impact.

• Prepare Your Portfolio: Curate 2-3 of your strongest UX research case studies. Ensure they clearly articulate your process, insights, recommendations, and the impact of your work. Be ready to present them effectively.

• Research Accela: Understand Accela's mission, products, and the GovTech industry. Familiarize yourself with their target users and the challenges they face.

• Practice Your Pitch: Prepare to discuss your experience, research philosophy, and how you would contribute to Accela's user-centered approach during interviews and your portfolio presentation.

⚠️ 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.