UX Researcher

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: UX Researcher

Company: Dayforce

Location: Canada

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: User Experience Research / Product Development

Date Posted: May 13, 2026

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

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Conduct generative and evaluative user research to inform the design and development of Human Capital Management (HCM) products used by millions of workers globally.

• Collaborate closely with Product Management, Design, and Engineering teams to ensure user needs are central to product strategy and roadmap definition.

• Translate complex research findings into clear, actionable insights that drive product improvements and strategic decision-making.

• Advocate for user-centered and human-centered design principles, including accessibility and inclusive design, throughout the product lifecycle.

• Contribute to the continuous growth and skill development of the broader UX research team through knowledge sharing and best practice adoption.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the role's focus on HCM products and the company's global presence, the UX Researcher will likely encounter a diverse user base with varying technical proficiencies and cultural backgrounds. The research will need to account for these differences to ensure product inclusivity and effectiveness.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design and execute comprehensive user research studies, including defining research questions, developing study plans, creating screeners and discussion guides, and coordinating participant recruitment for key product areas such as Workforce Management, Payroll, Talent, or Platform.

• Conduct both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies, encompassing discovery research, usability testing, surveys, interviews, and competitive analysis, to uncover user needs, pain points, and opportunities.

• Synthesize research data from multiple sources (user interviews, market trends, competitive insights) to identify patterns, themes, and actionable insights that directly inform product requirements, feature prioritization, and overall product strategy.

• Actively partner with product teams to support opportunity framing, requirements development, and the validation of product concepts and designs throughout the entire product development lifecycle.

• Coach and mentor product designers and other cross-functional team members on research methods, best practices, and the interpretation of research findings, fostering a shared understanding of user needs.

• Champion accessibility and inclusive design principles, ensuring research outcomes and product recommendations promote equitable experiences for all users.

• Proactively identify opportunities to connect research findings to broader product strategy, contributing to a more user-centric approach to long-term product planning.

• Collaborate effectively with a diverse group of stakeholders, including Product Managers, Designers, Engineers, and Marketing, to ensure research insights are understood and integrated into product roadmaps.

• Contribute to the evolution of the UX research practice at Dayforce by sharing learnings, participating in team retrospectives, and actively seeking opportunities for professional development.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibility to "Coach and guide product designers on research methods, analysis, and best practices" suggests this role may involve some mentorship or enablement of less experienced researchers or designers involved in research activities, indicating a mid-level to senior-leaning expectation for guiding others.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

Experience:

• 2-5 years of experience in UX research, with a demonstrated track record of conducting end-to-end research across the product development lifecycle.

Required Skills:

• Proven ability to design and execute a variety of user research methodologies (e.g., usability testing, in-depth interviews, surveys, field studies, diary studies).

• Strong experience in both generative (discovery) and evaluative (validation) research techniques.

• Demonstrated ability to synthesize complex qualitative and quantitative data into clear, actionable insights and compelling narratives.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with a strong ability to present research findings and recommendations effectively to diverse stakeholders, including executive leadership.

• Experience collaborating with cross-functional teams, including Product Management, Design, and Engineering, throughout the product development process.

• Familiarity with product development and prioritization frameworks (e.g., PRDs, opportunity framing, RICE).

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with market, competitive, or industry research integration into user insights.

• Experience influencing product strategy and roadmap decisions through research.

• Portfolio showcasing end-to-end research impact on product decisions and user experience improvements.

• Familiarity with advanced statistical analysis or data visualization tools.

• Experience working in Agile/Scrum development environments.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "2-5 years" experience level, combined with the requirement to "work with guidance from senior researchers while developing autonomy" and the ability to "coach and guide product designers," suggests this role is best suited for a candidate who has moved beyond entry-level research tasks and is ready to take ownership of research initiatives and begin influencing product direction.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A robust portfolio is essential, showcasing a range of research projects from conception to impact.

• Demonstrate end-to-end research project ownership, including problem definition, methodology selection, execution, and the translation of findings into actionable product recommendations.

• Highlight specific examples where your research directly influenced product strategy, feature prioritization, or design decisions, leading to measurable improvements.

• Include case studies that illustrate your ability to synthesize complex data into clear, compelling narratives that drive stakeholder understanding and buy-in.

Process Documentation:

• Evidence of well-documented research plans, including clear objectives, methodologies, participant criteria, and timelines.

• Examples of how research findings were translated into actionable insights, such as user stories, personas, journey maps, or prioritized recommendations.

• Documentation demonstrating collaboration with product teams, including contributions to opportunity framing and requirements gathering.

• Artifacts that showcase your understanding and application of product development frameworks (e.g., PRDs, RICE scores derived from research).

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "end-to-end research impact on product decisions" in the "What Would Make You Stand Out" section strongly implies that candidates should prepare a portfolio that clearly articulates the business and user value derived from their research efforts, not just the research process itself.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• The provided salary range for this position in Canada is $77,800 - $139,000 CAD per year.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive Wellness Initiatives: Programs and resources designed to support employee physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

• Excellent Time Away From Work Programs: Generous paid time off policies, including vacation, sick leave, and potentially holidays, to ensure work-life balance.

• Competitive Pay and Benefits: Including health insurance, retirement savings plans (e.g., RRSP matching), and potential performance-based bonuses or incentives.

• Opportunities for Community Impact: Paid volunteer days and engagement with the Dayforce Cares charity, allowing employees to contribute to social causes.

• Professional Development Support: Opportunities for continuous learning, skill enhancement, and career advancement within the organization.

Working Hours:

• Standard full-time work hours are expected, typically around 40 hours per week.

• While the role is on-site, Dayforce may offer some flexibility in daily scheduling to accommodate team collaboration and individual needs, subject to business requirements.

📝 Enhancement Note: The stated salary range is a guideline, and the final compensation will be determined by factors such as candidate experience, specific skills, demonstrated impact, and the specific location within Canada. The company emphasizes a commitment to fair and competitive compensation that reflects the candidate's value.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology / Human Capital Management (HCM) Software (SaaS)

Company Size: Large Enterprise (The provided data does not specify exact numbers, but Dayforce is a global company with significant operations, indicating a large employee base).

Founded: Dayforce (formerly Ceridian) has a long history in the payroll and HR technology space, with its current iteration as Dayforce evolving through strategic development and acquisitions, aiming to provide a unified HCM platform.

Team Structure:

• The UX Researcher will be part of a broader UX Research team, likely reporting to a UX Research Manager or Lead.

• This team collaborates closely with dedicated Product Management and Design teams for specific product areas (e.g., Workforce Management, Payroll, Talent).

Methodology:

• Dayforce champions a user-centered design approach, grounded in human-centered design principles, aiming to deliver experiences akin to modern consumer software within the enterprise space.

• Research initiatives are integrated throughout the product development lifecycle, from early discovery and opportunity framing to iterative design validation and post-launch analysis.

• Emphasis is placed on data-driven decision-making, where research insights provide the foundation for product strategy and feature development.

• Agile methodologies are likely employed, necessitating close collaboration and iterative feedback loops between research, design, product, and engineering.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Dayforce's mission to "Make Work Life Better™" suggests a company culture that values employee well-being and aims to create positive experiences not only for their customers but also for their own employees. This often translates to a supportive work environment for research teams focused on user empathy.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level:

Reporting Structure:

• The UX Researcher will likely report to a UX Research Manager or Lead within the broader UX/Product organization.

Operations Impact:

• The UX Researcher's contributions are critical to ensuring Dayforce's HCM platform is intuitive, efficient, and valuable for millions of users.

• By grounding product decisions in user needs and market insights, the role directly impacts product adoption, customer satisfaction, and ultimately, Dayforce's competitive advantage and revenue growth in the HCM market.

Growth Opportunities:

• Senior UX Researcher: Progression to a senior level involves taking on more complex research challenges, leading larger research initiatives, mentoring more junior researchers, and having a greater strategic influence on product roadmaps.

• Specialization: Opportunity to specialize in specific research areas (e.g., qualitative methods, quantitative analysis, accessibility research) or product domains within HCM.

• Research Leadership: Potential to move into management roles, leading a team of UX Researchers, defining research strategy for product portfolios, and influencing organizational research practices.

• Cross-functional Mobility: With a deep understanding of user needs and product development, there are opportunities to transition into Product Management or Design leadership roles.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role's emphasis on "continuous growth skills and expertise" and "partnering with the broader research team to continuously grow skills" highlights a commitment to professional development, suggesting clear pathways for advancement and skill enhancement within the UX research function.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: On-site

Office Location(s): The job is posted for Canada, with Dayforce having significant operations in Toronto, Ontario. The specific office location will be confirmed upon further inquiry or during the interview process.

Workspace Context:

• The on-site environment will likely foster strong collaboration and communication with co-located or easily accessible Product Management, Design, and Engineering teams.

• Access to necessary research tools, software, and potentially dedicated lab spaces for user testing may be available.

Work Schedule:

• A standard 40-hour work week is expected for full-time employees.

• While on-site, the company culture may support some flexibility in daily working hours, provided that core collaboration times are met and research activities are effectively managed.

📝 Enhancement Note: As an on-site role in Canada, candidates should consider the specific office location's amenities, accessibility, and local working culture. Dayforce's global presence suggests a modern, professional office environment that supports productivity and collaboration.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter will review your application and resume, focusing on relevant UX research experience, especially in SaaS/enterprise environments.

• Hiring Manager Interview: A discussion with the hiring manager to assess your overall fit, understanding of UX research principles, and alignment with the team's needs. This may include behavioral questions related to collaboration and problem-solving.

• Portfolio Review & Presentation: You will likely be asked to present a selection of your work from your portfolio. This is a critical stage where you'll showcase your research process, methodologies, insights, and the impact of your work. Be prepared to discuss specific case studies in detail.

• Skills-Based Exercise/Case Study: A practical exercise or case study may be assigned to evaluate your research design, analysis, and synthesis skills. This could involve analyzing a dataset, developing a research plan for a given problem, or presenting findings from a hypothetical study.

• Cross-functional Team Interviews: Interviews with peers from Product Management, Design, and Engineering to assess your collaboration style, communication effectiveness, and ability to integrate research into cross-functional workflows.

• Final Interview: Potentially with a more senior leader to discuss strategic thinking, career aspirations, and final cultural fit.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 2-3 projects that best demonstrate your end-to-end research capabilities, impact, and relevant methodologies for enterprise software and HCM.

• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your role, the research questions, the methods used, your key findings, the insights derived, and most importantly, the tangible impact your research had on the product or business.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use metrics (e.g., improved conversion rates, reduced task completion times, increased user satisfaction scores) to demonstrate the value of your research.

• Showcase Problem-Solving: Highlight how you navigated challenges, adapted your methods, or influenced stakeholders based on your research.

• Clear Communication: Ensure your presentation is well-structured, visually appealing, and easy to follow. Practice your delivery to be concise and engaging.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Context: If given a case study, thoroughly understand the problem domain and the target users.

• Prioritize Methods: Be ready to justify your choice of research methods based on the problem, timeline, and available resources.

• Focus on Insights: Demonstrate your ability to move beyond data reporting to extracting meaningful insights that lead to actionable recommendations.

• Consider Constraints: Think about potential constraints (time, budget, technical limitations) and how you would address them.

• Articulate Strategy: Be prepared to explain how your research would fit into the broader product development strategy and how you would communicate your findings to different audiences.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "end-to-end research impact" and "influencing product strategy" means candidates must be prepared to demonstrate not just research execution skills, but also strategic thinking and the ability to connect research outcomes to business objectives.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• User Research Platforms: Tools for participant recruitment, scheduling, and potentially remote usability testing (e.g., UserTesting.com, Maze, Lookback, Optimal Workshop).

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

• Collaboration & Prototyping Tools: Familiarity with tools used by design and product teams for ideation and feedback (e.g., Figma, Miro, Confluence).

• Data Analysis Software: Potentially statistical analysis tools (e.g., SPSS, R, Python libraries) or qualitative data analysis software (e.g., NVivo, Dovetail).

Analytics & Reporting:

• Product Analytics Tools: Experience with tools that track user behavior within the platform (e.g., Google Analytics, Mixpanel, Amplitude) to complement qualitative insights.

• Reporting & Dashboarding Tools: Ability to create clear reports and dashboards to communicate research findings, potentially using tools like Tableau, Power BI, or even advanced Excel/Google Sheets.

CRM & Automation:

• While not a direct CRM role, understanding how user data is managed and how insights can feed into CRM or marketing automation strategies for customer understanding might be beneficial.

• Familiarity with enterprise software systems, including HCM platforms, is a plus.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role involves working with "HR and workforce management tools," implying a need for familiarity with enterprise-grade software and potentially the ability to integrate research findings with data from these systems. A strong understanding of SaaS product development workflows is key.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• User-Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and advocating for the user in all product decisions is paramount.

• Collaboration: A strong belief in the power of teamwork, encouraging open communication and shared problem-solving across departments.

• Data-Driven Innovation: Utilizing research insights and data to inform strategic decisions and drive continuous improvement.

• Impact & Excellence: Striving to deliver high-quality research that has a tangible positive impact on products and users, fostering a culture of continuous learning and skill development.

• Inclusivity & Accessibility: A dedication to creating products that are usable and beneficial for a diverse global workforce.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Seamlessly working with Product Managers, Designers, and Engineers to embed research throughout the product development lifecycle.

• Open Feedback Culture: Encouraging constructive feedback loops to refine research approaches and product designs collaboratively.

• Knowledge Sharing: Actively participating in team meetings, workshops, and informal discussions to share learnings, best practices, and research expertise.

• Empowerment: Fostering an environment where team members feel empowered to propose research ideas, challenge assumptions, and contribute to strategic discussions.

📝 Enhancement Note: Dayforce's brand promise, "Makes Work Life Better™," suggests a culture that prioritizes employee well-being and positive user experiences. This likely translates into a supportive and empathetic internal culture for its employees, including its research teams.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Diverse User Needs: Effectively researching and catering to a wide range of users across different industries, roles, and technical proficiencies within the HCM space.

• Integrating Research into Fast-Paced Development: Ensuring research insights are delivered in a timely manner to keep pace with agile development cycles without compromising rigor.

• Demonstrating ROI: Clearly articulating the business value and return on investment of UX research initiatives to stakeholders who may not have a deep understanding of research methodologies.

• Influencing Strategy: Moving beyond providing insights to actively shaping product strategy and roadmap priorities based on research findings.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Research Methodologies: Opportunities to deepen expertise in specialized research techniques, quantitative analysis, or mixed-methods research.

• Industry Conferences & Training: Support for attending industry events (e.g., UXPA, CHI) and participating in relevant training programs to stay abreast of latest trends and best practices.

• Mentorship: Access to senior researchers and leaders for guidance on career development, strategic thinking, and navigating complex organizational dynamics.

• Product Domain Expertise: Deepening knowledge of Human Capital Management, Payroll, Workforce Management, and Talent solutions to become a domain expert.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenge of "integrating research into fast-paced development" is common in SaaS environments. Candidates should be prepared to discuss strategies for effective and efficient research execution within Agile frameworks.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you used generative research to identify a new product opportunity or unmet user need. What was the outcome?"

• "How do you prioritize research requests when faced with multiple competing demands from different product teams?"

• "Walk us through your process for synthesizing complex qualitative and quantitative data into actionable insights. Provide an example."

Company & Culture Questions:

• "Based on your understanding of Dayforce and the HCM industry, what do you see as the biggest UX challenges for our products?"

• "How do you advocate for accessibility and inclusive design within a product team?"

• "Describe your experience collaborating with Product Management and Engineering. How do you build strong working relationships?"

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• "Choose one project from your portfolio that best demonstrates your ability to influence product strategy. Walk us through it, focusing on the problem, your approach, the insights, and the impact."

• "How did you measure the success or impact of your research in this project?"

• "What challenges did you face during this project, and how did you overcome them?"

• "If you had more time or resources, what additional research would you have conducted for this project?"

📝 Enhancement Note: Be prepared to discuss specific metrics and quantifiable outcomes for your portfolio projects. The interviewers will be looking for evidence of strategic thinking and the ability to connect research activities to business objectives.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this UX Researcher position at Dayforce:

• Submit your application through the provided link on the Dayforce careers portal.

• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight your experience in UX research, particularly within SaaS or enterprise software environments. Quantify your achievements and use keywords from the job description (e.g., generative research, evaluative research, HCM, product strategy).

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 impactful projects that showcase your end-to-end research process, methodology, insights, and demonstrated impact on product decisions. Ensure it's easily shareable and highlights your ability to translate findings into actionable recommendations.

• Prepare Your Presentation: Practice presenting your portfolio case studies, focusing on clear storytelling, strategic impact, and the ability to answer in-depth questions about your process and findings.

• Research Dayforce: Familiarize yourself with Dayforce's HCM platform, its mission ("Makes Work Life Better™"), and its position in the market. Understand the types of users and problems your research would address.

⚠️ 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.