UX Researcher

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: UX Researcher

Company: CivilGrid

Location: Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Product Research & Development / User Experience

Date Posted: 2026-09-15

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

Remote Status: Hybrid (2 days in office minimum)

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead qualitative UX research to deeply understand customer workflows within the civil design and infrastructure space, translating complex user needs into actionable product insights.

• Drive product strategy by synthesizing qualitative and quantitative research findings, influencing roadmap decisions and prioritizing features that directly address user pain points.

• Establish and scale a robust, repeatable UX research practice, including developing templates, a centralized research repository, and fostering a continuous customer feedback loop across product teams.

• Conduct usability testing on prototypes and in-progress designs, facilitating rapid iteration and ensuring user-centered design principles are embedded throughout the product development lifecycle.

• Collaborate closely with Product Managers, Designers, and Engineers to integrate user insights early and often, ensuring the product effectively serves the needs of civil engineers, GIS teams, and field crews.

📝 Enhancement Note: While this role is titled "UX Researcher," its focus on understanding complex technical workflows in a B2B context (civil engineering, utilities, infrastructure) and its direct impact on product strategy and roadmap decisions align it closely with roles that bridge user research and product operations, particularly in technical SaaS environments. The emphasis on building a research practice from the ground up also suggests a strong need for operational rigor and process development.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Plan, recruit for, and execute comprehensive qualitative research studies, including in-depth user interviews, contextual inquiries, and usability testing sessions, to uncover insights into how customers plan, scope, and execute civil design projects.

• Partner with Product Managers and Designers from the initial stages of the product development lifecycle to collaboratively define research questions and objectives, ensuring research efforts are aligned with strategic product goals.

• Synthesize complex qualitative data into clear, concise, and compelling insights, effectively communicating findings to product stakeholders (PMs, Designers, Engineers, Leadership) in a manner that drives informed decision-making and shapes product roadmap priorities.

• Perform iterative usability testing on wireframes, prototypes, and early-stage product builds, providing actionable feedback to design and engineering teams to facilitate rapid iteration and improve user experience.

• Develop and implement lightweight, scalable research processes and tools, including creating research templates, establishing a shared research repository, and fostering a regular cadence of customer engagement across the product organization.

• Support quantitative research efforts, such as designing and deploying surveys and analyzing usage data, to complement qualitative findings and provide a holistic understanding of user behavior and product performance.

• Translate findings from technical B2B users (civil engineers, GIS specialists, field crews) into product requirements and user stories that engineering teams can readily implement.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities emphasize a proactive approach to building research infrastructure ("build a lightweight, repeatable research practice") which is critical in a growing startup. This implies the researcher will not just execute studies but also architect the research function, requiring strategic planning and operational efficiency.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: A Bachelor's or Master's degree in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, Computer Science, or a related field is typically expected, though equivalent practical experience will be strongly considered.

Experience: 3–5 years of dedicated experience in UX Research, with a significant portion focused on B2B or technical product environments. Demonstrated ability to conduct end-to-end research studies independently, from planning and recruitment to synthesis and reporting, with minimal oversight.

Required Skills:

• Proven expertise in planning and executing various qualitative research methodologies, including user interviews, contextual inquiry, and usability testing.

• Strong ability to synthesize messy, qualitative data into clear, actionable insights and translate them into a coherent point of view for product teams.

• Excellent communication and presentation skills, capable of articulating complex research findings to non-researchers (PMs, Engineers, leadership) without relying on jargon.

• Ability to engage effectively with technical users such as civil engineers and field technicians, asking insightful follow-up questions to understand their workflows, even without prior specific industry background.

• A bias for action and a preference for rapid, focused research ("fast, focused research") to deliver timely insights that inform product development cycles.

• Proficiency in turning qualitative input into clear direction that product managers and engineers can act upon. Preferred Skills:

• Experience researching for technical, spatial, or mapping/GIS-based products.

• Prior industry experience in Utilities, Construction, or Civil Engineering sectors.

• Proven experience in establishing or significantly improving a UX research practice or repository from scratch, particularly within an early-stage company environment.

• Familiarity with quantitative research methods, including survey design and analysis of usage data.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Bonus Points" strongly suggest that candidates with domain expertise in Civil Engineering, Utilities, or GIS will have a significant advantage. This implies the ability to quickly grasp complex technical concepts and jargon is highly valued, and prior experience in these fields will accelerate the researcher's ability to contribute meaningfully.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase a minimum of 2-3 comprehensive UX research case studies demonstrating end-to-end project ownership from problem definition to actionable recommendations.

• For each case study, clearly articulate the research objectives, methodologies employed (qualitative and/or quantitative), participant profiles, and the synthesis process.

• Highlight the impact of your research on product decisions, roadmap prioritization, or design iterations, quantifying outcomes where possible (e.g., "reduced research time by X%", "improved task completion rate by Y%").

• Include examples of how you translated raw findings into clear, digestible insights and presented them to cross-functional teams, demonstrating your communication and storytelling abilities.

• If applicable, include examples of how you contributed to or established research processes, templates, or repositories. Process Documentation:

• Demonstrating an ability to document research plans, discussion guides, and synthesis frameworks is crucial.

• Your portfolio should implicitly or explicitly show how you managed the research process, including participant recruitment, scheduling, and data management.

• Evidence of creating or contributing to a centralized research repository or knowledge base would be highly beneficial.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the emphasis on "building a lightweight, repeatable research practice," a candidate's portfolio should ideally showcase not just research execution but also their ability to systematize and scale research operations. This includes demonstrating how they've established processes, created templates, or managed research data efficiently.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: The base salary range for this role in Boston is $119,000 - $184,997 USD per year.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive company-funded medical, dental, and vision insurance plans, with medical coverage offered at no cost to the employee.

• Flexible Spending Account (FSA) for health and dependent care expenses.

• Unlimited Paid Time Off (PTO) with a company culture that actively encourages its use.

• 401(k) retirement savings plan.

• Meaningful early-stage equity in a growing startup.

• A flexible, remote-friendly work environment.

Working Hours: While the role is remote-friendly, a hybrid arrangement is expected with a minimum of 2 days per week in the downtown Boston office. The standard working hours are assumed to be around 40 hours per week, with flexibility often provided in how the work is structured, aligning with typical full-time employment in the tech industry.

📝 Enhancement Note: The provided salary range ($119,000 - $184,997) is a competitive benchmark for a Mid-Level UX Researcher in a high-cost-of-living area like Boston, especially for a Series A startup offering equity. The range accounts for variations in experience within the 3-5 year window and the specific impact a candidate can demonstrate. The emphasis on "meaningful early-stage equity" is a significant component of total compensation for startup roles.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology, specifically focused on Infrastructure, Civil Engineering, Utilities, and Construction Software (SaaS). CivilGrid operates within the critical $4.7T US infrastructure market, aiming to modernize how projects are planned, designed, and built.

Company Size: Early-stage Series A startup. This implies a dynamic, fast-paced environment where individual contributions have a significant impact, and roles can be broad. The company is likely to be agile, with less bureaucracy than larger, established firms.

Founded: Founded by industry insiders with over 10 years of experience in utilities and civil engineering, indicating a deep understanding of the market's pain points and a product vision grounded in real-world experience.

Team Structure:

• The UX Researcher reports directly to the Head of Product, indicating a close alignment with product strategy and leadership.

• The product organization likely consists of Product Managers, UX Designers, and Software Engineers, with whom the researcher will collaborate daily.

• The company culture values direct feedback, ownership, proximity to customers, and a blend of in-person and remote collaboration. Methodology:

• CivilGrid emphasizes a data-driven approach, leveraging customer insights to inform product development and strategy.

• The company prioritizes shipping work that matters and staying close to the customers and field teams they serve.

• Collaboration is key, with a default towards in-person interaction for critical discussions and remote flexibility for other work.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: As a Series A startup, CivilGrid's culture is likely to be highly energetic and focused on rapid growth and product-market fit. The founders' background in the industry is a significant asset, suggesting a pragmatic and user-centric approach to product development. The emphasis on "shipping work that matters" points to a results-oriented environment.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a Mid-Level UX Researcher (3-5 years of experience). It offers the opportunity to be a foundational member of the research function, with significant autonomy and influence over product direction. The role requires not just execution but also the strategic development of research processes.

Reporting Structure: The UX Researcher reports directly to the Head of Product. This close reporting line ensures that user insights are communicated directly to key decision-makers, facilitating rapid integration into product strategy and roadmap planning.

Operations Impact: The UX Researcher's insights will have a direct and significant impact on CivilGrid's product strategy, roadmap prioritization, and ultimately, its ability to solve critical problems for its users in the infrastructure sector. By ensuring the platform is user-centric and addresses real-world workflows, the researcher will contribute to increased user adoption, customer satisfaction, and revenue growth.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Opportunity to become the go-to expert for user insights in the civil engineering and infrastructure domain, potentially leading to specialized research roles.

• Leadership: As the research function matures, there's potential to grow into a Research Lead or Manager role, building and mentoring a team of researchers.

• Process Development: Significant opportunity to define and refine the research operations and best practices within a growing startup, gaining experience in operationalizing research.

• Cross-functional Expertise: Deepen understanding of Product Management, Design, and Engineering through close collaboration, enhancing overall product development acumen.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role is ideal for someone who wants to build something from the ground up. The opportunity to establish research practices within a growing startup provides unique career development beyond just executing research tasks, offering a path toward leadership in research operations and product strategy.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: CivilGrid operates a hybrid work model. While offering remote flexibility, there is an expectation for employees to be in the downtown Boston office at least 2 days per week, suggesting a focus on collaborative work and team cohesion. This hybrid approach aims to balance the benefits of remote work with the advantages of in-person interaction.

Office Location(s): The primary office is located in downtown Boston, Massachusetts, United States. This location offers access to a vibrant tech ecosystem and is convenient for employees based in or near the city.

Workspace Context:

• The workspace is designed to foster collaboration, with expectations of regular in-person interaction for key discussions and team building.

• As a tech startup, employees can expect access to modern tools and technologies necessary for UX research and product development.

• The environment encourages direct feedback and close proximity to customers, facilitating a deep understanding of user needs and workflows.

Work Schedule: While specific hours may be flexible, the role is full-time. The hybrid model requires dedicated in-office days, balancing focused individual work with collaborative team sessions. This structure allows for flexibility while ensuring essential face-to-face collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model with a minimum of two days in the Boston office is a key differentiator. This indicates a company that values both flexibility and in-person collaboration, likely seeking to foster a strong team culture and facilitate spontaneous brainstorming sessions critical for product innovation.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A brief call with a recruiter or hiring manager to assess basic qualifications, cultural fit, and interest in the role and company.

• Hiring Manager Interview: A deeper dive with the Head of Product to discuss your experience, research philosophy, and approach to problem-solving. This stage will likely include scenario-based questions related to UX research challenges.

• Portfolio Review & Presentation: A dedicated session where you will present 1-2 detailed UX research case studies from your portfolio. This is a critical stage to demonstrate your research process, synthesis skills, and ability to communicate insights effectively to a cross-functional team. Be prepared to discuss the impact of your work.

• Cross-functional Interview(s): Interviews with key stakeholders such as a Product Manager, UX Designer, or Lead Engineer. These interviews will assess your ability to collaborate, integrate feedback, and understand technical constraints.

• Final Interview: Potentially a conversation with a founder or senior leader to discuss overall fit, strategic thinking, and long-term vision.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 1-2 case studies that best showcase your ability to handle complex B2B/technical research and drive product decisions. Highlight projects where you independently managed the research process and delivered actionable insights.

• Structure for Impact: For each case study, clearly define the problem, your research goals, methodology, key findings, and the resulting product recommendations or outcomes. Use visuals to illustrate your process and findings.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use data and metrics to demonstrate the impact of your research on the product or business. For example, mention improvements in conversion rates, task completion, or user satisfaction.

• Tell a Story: Frame your case studies as narratives. Explain the context, the challenges you faced, your approach, and the resolution. This makes your presentation more engaging and memorable.

• Prepare for Questions: Anticipate questions about your decision-making process, how you handled conflicting feedback, and how you would adapt your approach to CivilGrid's specific context.

Challenge Preparation:

• Be prepared for a potential take-home assignment or a live design/research exercise that simulates a real-world problem CivilGrid faces. This might involve analyzing a user scenario, proposing research methods, or synthesizing hypothetical data.

• Practice articulating your thought process clearly and concisely, especially when discussing technical or complex user workflows.

• Research CivilGrid's product and the broader civil engineering/infrastructure market to understand their user base and challenges.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio review is paramount. Candidates should prepare to walk through their research process, decision-making, and the impact of their work in detail. Emphasizing how they built or improved research processes will be a strong plus, given the role's mandate.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

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

• Design & Prototyping Tools: Familiarity with tools used by designers, such as Figma, Sketch, or Adobe XD, to review prototypes and provide feedback.

• Survey & Data Collection Tools: Experience with survey platforms like SurveyMonkey, Typeform, or Google Forms for quantitative data gathering.

• Collaboration & Documentation Tools: Proficiency in tools like Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Slides), Confluence, Notion, or similar for documenting research, sharing insights, and collaborating with teams.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Data Analysis Tools: Basic understanding of how to interpret usage data from analytics platforms (e.g., Amplitude, Mixpanel, Google Analytics) to complement qualitative findings.

• Presentation Software: Advanced skills in tools like PowerPoint, Google Slides, or Keynote for creating compelling presentations of research findings.

CRM & Automation:

• While not a primary focus for this role, familiarity with CRM systems (like Salesforce) and how user data is managed within them can be beneficial for understanding the broader customer data landscape in a B2B context.

• Experience with project management tools (e.g., Jira, Asana, Trello) used by product and engineering teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "building a lightweight, repeatable research practice" suggests that familiarity with tools that facilitate organization, documentation, and collaboration is key. This includes not just direct research tools but also platforms for knowledge management and communication.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Customer-Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and advocating for the customer, ensuring their needs and workflows are at the forefront of product development.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Utilizing research insights, both qualitative and quantitative, to inform strategic decisions and product roadmap prioritization.

• Collaboration & Transparency: Working closely with cross-functional teams (Product, Design, Engineering) and sharing insights openly to foster a shared understanding of the user.

• Ownership & Impact: Taking initiative, owning research projects end-to-end, and focusing on delivering tangible impact that drives product success and company growth.

• Pragmatism & Efficiency: Employing "fast, focused research" methodologies to deliver timely and actionable insights, prioritizing speed and effectiveness in a startup environment.

Collaboration Style:

• Proactive Partnership: Engaging with PMs and Designers early in the product development process to shape research questions and ensure alignment.

• Cross-Functional Communication: Regularly sharing research findings and insights with product, design, and engineering teams through presentations, reports, and informal discussions.

• Feedback Integration: Actively seeking and incorporating feedback on research plans and findings from stakeholders to ensure relevance and buy-in.

• Knowledge Sharing: Contributing to a shared understanding of users by maintaining a research repository and participating in team discussions about user needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company values highlight a blend of rigorous research practice and agile startup execution. The emphasis on "shipping work that matters" and "staying close to customers" suggests a culture that is both impact-oriented and deeply user-focused.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Domain Complexity: Learning and deeply understanding the intricate workflows and technical nuances of civil engineering, utilities, and infrastructure projects. This requires a steep learning curve for someone new to the industry.

• Building Research Infrastructure: Establishing a formal UX research practice from its early stages within a fast-paced startup environment, requiring prioritization, process development, and stakeholder buy-in.

• Balancing Speed and Rigor: Adhering to the startup's need for rapid insights ("fast, focused research") while maintaining the rigor and quality expected of UX research.

• Cross-functional Alignment: Ensuring consistent integration of user insights across different product teams and stakeholders who may have competing priorities.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Industry Expertise: Opportunity to become a subject matter expert in the civil infrastructure and utilities sector, a critical and often underserved market.

• Research Operations Leadership: Gaining invaluable experience in building and scaling research operations, which is a sought-after skill in the tech industry.

• Product Strategy Influence: Directly contributing to the strategic direction of a product that aims to revolutionize a major industry.

• Mentorship: Learning from experienced industry insiders (founders) and a growing product team, with potential for mentorship from the Head of Product.

📝 Enhancement Note: The primary challenge lies in navigating a complex technical domain and simultaneously building out the research function. Success in this role will not only demonstrate research acumen but also significant operational and strategic capabilities.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you approach understanding the core workflows of civil engineers and field crews using our platform for the first time?" (Focus on methodology, questions, and potential pitfalls).

• "Describe a time you had to influence a product roadmap based on your research findings. What was your approach, and what was the outcome?" (Highlight persuasion, data synthesis, and impact).

• "How would you balance the need for rapid, iterative research with the desire for deep, foundational understanding in a fast-paced startup environment?" (Showcase your prioritization and methodology adaptation skills). Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you specifically about CivilGrid's mission and the infrastructure/civil engineering industry?" (Demonstrate research into the company and industry).

• "How do you see yourself contributing to a hybrid work environment and fostering collaboration with remote and in-office team members?" (Address your adaptability and team-building approach).

• "How do you measure the success of your UX research efforts, and how do you communicate that impact to stakeholders?" (Focus on metrics, ROI, and stakeholder management). Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Start with the 'Why': Clearly articulate the business problem or user need that drove your research project.

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals (screenshots, diagrams, quotes) to illustrate your process, findings, and recommendations.

• Focus on Impact: Emphasize the tangible outcomes of your research, such as product changes, improved metrics, or strategic shifts.

• Be Prepared to Dig Deep: Anticipate questions about your methodology choices, how you handled challenges, and your thought process at each stage.

• Connect to CivilGrid: Where possible, draw parallels between your past experiences and the challenges CivilGrid faces, showing you've thought about how your skills apply to their context.

📝 Enhancement Note: Candidates should prepare to discuss how they would establish research processes and embed user-centricity in a product organization that may not have had a dedicated researcher before. Highlighting experience in building research frameworks will be particularly valuable.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this UX Researcher position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Ashby.

• Tailor your Resume: Highlight specific UX research experience, focusing on B2B or technical product environments. Quantify achievements and responsibilities, using keywords from the job description (e.g., qualitative research, usability testing, data synthesis, product strategy).

• Prepare Your Portfolio: Select 1-2 strong case studies that demonstrate end-to-end research ownership, impact, and your ability to communicate complex findings. Ensure it is easily accessible (e.g., PDF, personal website).

• Research CivilGrid: Understand their product, target users (civil engineers, utilities, municipalities), market, and mission. Prepare to articulate why you are a good fit for their specific needs and culture.

• Practice Your Presentation: Rehearse your portfolio presentation, focusing on clear storytelling, demonstrating impact, and anticipating questions about your process and decision-making.

⚠️ 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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