Ux Researcher

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: UX Researcher

Company: TEKsystems

Location: Dearborn, Michigan, United States

Job Type: CONTRACTOR

Category: User Experience Research

Date Posted: 2026-07-24

Experience Level: 5-10 years

Remote Status: Hybrid (3 days in office expected for Michigan-based candidates)

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead comprehensive UX research initiatives within the automotive financing and lending sector, focusing on enhancing customer and dealer experiences.

• Employ a blend of qualitative (70%) and quantitative (30%) research methodologies to uncover deep user needs and behaviors.

• Translate complex research findings into actionable insights and compelling narratives to influence product, design, and business strategy.

• Collaborate closely with Product Managers, UX Designers, and Engineers to champion customer-centric decision-making throughout the product lifecycle.

• Manage research operations, including participant recruitment, screening, and logistics, ensuring ethical standards and data privacy.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is classified as a Contractor position, implying a project-based engagement. The hybrid work arrangement for Michigan-based candidates suggests a need for local presence for specific activities, even if the role is largely remote. The emphasis on automotive financing and lending indicates a specialized domain knowledge requirement.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Spearhead end-to-end UX research from discovery to post-launch evaluation, ensuring a holistic understanding of user journeys.

• Design and execute qualitative research studies including user interviews, usability testing, diary studies, card sorting, and journey mapping workshops.

• Conduct quantitative research such as surveys, tree testing, and analysis of behavioral analytics to validate qualitative findings.

• Synthesize insights from diverse data sources including customer feedback, engagement metrics, NPS/MPS scores, and usability findings.

• Develop and maintain key UX artifacts such as personas, customer journey maps, and service blueprints to communicate user understanding.

• Partner with cross-functional teams to integrate research insights into product requirements, user stories, and design iterations.

• Mentor and guide product team members on UX research best practices and methodologies.

• Present research findings and strategic recommendations to diverse stakeholder groups, including executive leadership.

• Oversee research operations, including participant recruitment, screening, incentive management, and logistics.

• Ensure adherence to ethical research standards, participant privacy, and data security protocols.

📝 Enhancement Note: The detailed list of research methodologies (user interviews, usability testing, surveys, diary studies, card sorting, tree testing, journey mapping workshops) indicates a requirement for a researcher proficient in a wide array of qualitative and quantitative techniques. The responsibility to "mentor and coach" suggests a senior-level expectation for this role, even if not explicitly stated as "Senior UX Researcher."

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Psychology, Design, Human Factors, or a closely related field. Equivalent practical experience will also be considered. Experience:

• Minimum of 5 years of dedicated UX Research experience.

• Proven track record of working across the entire product or service lifecycle, from conception to post-launch.

• Demonstrated ability to operate autonomously and effectively in ambiguous environments with minimal direct supervision. Required Skills:

• Expertise in qualitative research methodologies (user interviews, usability testing, diary studies, etc.) forming approximately 70% of the research focus.

• Proficiency in quantitative research methods (surveys, tree testing, behavioral analytics) comprising approximately 30% of the research focus.

• Strong stakeholder management and cross-functional collaboration capabilities.

• Proven ability to synthesize complex research findings into clear, concise, and actionable insights.

• Deep understanding of service design principles and experience creating related artifacts.

• Familiarity with accessibility and inclusive design research practices.

• Commitment to ethical research standards, participant privacy, and data security.

• Experience with research operations, including participant recruitment and management. Preferred Skills:

• Prior experience within the automotive industry, specifically in automotive software, financial services, banking, lending, or credit-related sectors.

• Experience conducting research programs specifically for dealers or direct customer-facing initiatives.

• Familiarity with customer engagement analytics and behavioral data analysis tools.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for a strong emphasis on qualitative research (70%) with complementary quantitative experience (30%) highlights the need for a researcher skilled in in-depth exploration and narrative building, supported by data validation. The mention of "operating independently in ambiguous environments with minimal oversight" points to a need for proactive problem-solving and self-direction.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase a minimum of 3-5 distinct UX research projects that demonstrate end-to-end research execution from problem definition to actionable insights and impact.

• Clearly articulate the research objectives, methodologies employed, and the rationale behind methodological choices for each project.

• Present concrete examples of how research findings directly influenced product decisions, design iterations, or business outcomes, quantifying impact where possible.

• Include examples of key research artifacts created, such as personas, journey maps, service blueprints, and research reports.

• Demonstrate proficiency in synthesizing both qualitative and quantitative data to form comprehensive user insights. Process Documentation:

• For each portfolio project, detail the process followed for participant recruitment, screening, and data collection, highlighting efficiency and ethical considerations.

• Document the analysis and synthesis process, explaining how raw data was transformed into meaningful insights and strategic recommendations.

• Illustrate the process of communicating research findings to diverse stakeholders, including how complex information was simplified for various audiences.

• Show evidence of how research insights were integrated into product development workflows and decision-making processes.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "business impact" and "quantifying impact where possible" in the portfolio requirements is critical for operations roles. Candidates should prepare to demonstrate not just the research process but also the tangible results and value delivered by their research efforts, aligning with GTM and operations objectives.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• $55.00 - $60.00 per hour. Benefits:

• Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance.

• Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital coverage.

• 401(k) Retirement Plan (Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available).

• Voluntary Life Insurance and Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) for employee and dependents.

• Short-term and long-term disability coverage.

• Health Spending Account (HSA).

• Transportation benefits.

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

• Paid Time Off (PTO), Vacation, or Sick Leave. Working Hours:

• Standard full-time hours, likely aligning with a 40-hour work week. Flexibility may be available, but core hours for collaboration are expected.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hourly pay rate for this contractor role falls within the mid-range for experienced UX Researchers in the US market. The benefits package listed is comprehensive for a contract position, offering a good level of support. The mention of "eligibility requirements" and "job classification" implies that some benefits may have specific conditions for temporary roles.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology Staffing and Services. TEKsystems operates within the broader IT and business services sector, providing talent and solutions to a wide range of clients.

Company Size: 80,000+ employees globally, working with over 6,000 clients, including 80% of the Fortune 500. This indicates a large, established organization with extensive reach and resources.

Founded: TEKsystems is an Allegis Group company, which has a long history in the staffing and services industry.

Team Structure:

• The UX Researcher will likely be part of a larger UX/Product Design team, potentially embedded within specific client project teams or a dedicated TEKsystems practice.

• Reporting structure would typically be to a UX Lead, Design Manager, or a Project Manager, depending on the client engagement.

• Close collaboration is expected with Product Managers, UX Designers, Engineers, Business Analysts, and client stakeholders. Methodology:

• TEKsystems focuses on "transforming" clients by activating ideas and solutions, suggesting a proactive and solution-oriented approach.

• Emphasis on "Full-Stack Technology Services" and "real-world application" implies a practical, results-driven methodology.

• The company's involvement with 80% of the Fortune 500 suggests a capability to handle complex, enterprise-level projects and a structured approach to service delivery.

Company Website: https://careers.teksystems.com/us/en

📝 Enhancement Note: As a staffing and services company, TEKsystems places individuals in client roles. Therefore, the "team structure" and "methodology" described are more reflective of TEKsystems' client engagement approach rather than its internal operations. The UX Researcher will integrate into a client's team structure and follow their methodologies, while being supported by TEKsystems' talent management framework.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as an experienced individual contributor role, requiring 5+ years of experience. It involves leading research initiatives and mentoring junior team members, suggesting a mid-to-senior level of expertise within the UX research discipline.

Reporting Structure: The role will report to a manager or lead within the client organization's product development or design team, or potentially a TEKsystems project lead. The focus is on delivering research outcomes for specific client projects.

Operations Impact: The UX Researcher's impact is direct and significant, influencing product strategy, design decisions, and ultimately, the success of automotive financing and lending products by ensuring they meet user needs and business objectives. This role bridges user needs with business goals, driving efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Advancement: Deepen expertise in specialized research areas (e.g., automotive lending, complex financial services UX) and master advanced qualitative and quantitative techniques.

• Leadership Development: Gain experience in mentoring junior researchers, leading research strategy for complex projects, and influencing executive-level stakeholders.

• Project Variety: Exposure to diverse projects within the automotive and financial services sectors, broadening industry knowledge and portfolio breadth.

• Potential for Full-Time Conversion: While a contract role, successful performance may lead to opportunities for full-time positions with TEKsystems or the client organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a contractor role, "career growth" is often viewed through the lens of skill acquisition, portfolio enhancement, and establishing a strong professional network that could lead to future engagements. The opportunity to work with large clients in specialized industries like automotive finance is a significant growth factor for a researcher's resume.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is primarily remote, with a hybrid option for candidates located in Michigan. This means the primary work environment is a home office, but on-site work at the client's Dearborn, MI location may be required 3 days per week for those local.

Office Location(s): Dearborn, Michigan, United States. This location is specified as a potential on-site requirement for local candidates.

Workspace Context:

• Remote Flexibility: Offers the autonomy and comfort of a home office, allowing for focused work on research analysis and documentation.

• Collaborative Environment: When working on-site or virtually, expect a collaborative atmosphere with product teams, designers, and engineers. Tools like Miro are essential for virtual collaboration.

• Operations Tools & Technology: Access to industry-standard UX research tools (Figma, Dovetail, UserZoom, Miro) is expected, enabling efficient workflow and output.

Work Schedule:

• A standard 40-hour work week is typical. Flexibility in daily scheduling may exist, but availability for scheduled interviews, usability tests, and team meetings is crucial. Occasional local travel might be required for in-person dealership interviews or research activities.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid requirement for Michigan-based candidates is a key detail. It implies that while remote work is the default, there's a need for on-site collaboration or research activities, emphasizing the importance of local candidates being prepared for this arrangement.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

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

• Portfolio Review & Presentation: Candidates will be asked to present their portfolio, showcasing 2-3 key UX research projects. This will involve discussing methodologies, insights, impact, and collaboration.

• Technical/Skills Assessment: This may involve a practical exercise, a case study, or in-depth discussion of research scenarios to evaluate problem-solving skills and methodological knowledge.

• Team/Stakeholder Interviews: Interviews with key stakeholders (e.g., Product Managers, UX Designers, client representatives) to assess collaboration style, communication skills, and strategic thinking.

• Final Decision: Based on overall assessment of skills, experience, portfolio, and cultural alignment.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Storytelling is Key: Structure your portfolio presentations around compelling narratives. Clearly define the problem, your approach, the insights you uncovered, and the tangible business impact of your research.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use metrics to demonstrate the value of your work. This could include improvements in conversion rates, task completion times, user satisfaction scores, or reduction in support tickets.

• Showcase Process: Detail your research process, including participant selection, data collection methods, and analysis techniques. Explain why you chose specific methods.

• Highlight Collaboration: Provide examples of how you collaborated with cross-functional teams (designers, PMs, engineers) and how your research influenced their work.

• Tool Proficiency: Briefly mention the tools you used (Figma, Dovetail, UserZoom, Miro) and how they facilitated your research.

Challenge Preparation:

• Anticipate Research Scenarios: Be prepared to discuss how you would approach research for specific automotive financing or lending scenarios (e.g., understanding dealer pain points with a new digital tool, testing a customer loan application process).

• Methodology Justification: Be ready to defend your choice of research methodologies based on project goals, timelines, and available resources.

• Synthesizing Complex Data: Practice explaining how you would synthesize findings from multiple sources (interviews, surveys, analytics) into a cohesive strategy.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "business impact" and "quantifying impact" in portfolio review tips is crucial for operations-minded roles. Candidates should prepare to demonstrate how their UX research directly contributes to revenue goals, efficiency, or customer retention.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: For design collaboration, reviewing mockups, and potentially creating prototypes for usability testing.

• Dovetail: A robust platform for synthesizing research data, organizing qualitative findings, and generating insights. Essential for managing large volumes of qualitative data.

• UserZoom and/or UserTesting: Platforms for conducting remote usability testing, surveys, and other moderated or unmoderated research methods at scale.

• Miro: A collaborative online whiteboard tool, vital for remote workshops, journey mapping, affinity diagramming, and brainstorming sessions.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Excel: Fundamental for data analysis, organizing survey results, and creating basic reports.

• Power BI (Preferred): Advanced business intelligence tool for creating interactive dashboards and visualizations, enabling deeper data analysis and reporting.

• Qualtrics (Preferred): A comprehensive survey platform for designing, distributing, and analyzing complex surveys and feedback programs.

• Adobe Analytics (Preferred): A powerful web analytics solution for tracking user behavior on digital platforms, providing quantitative insights.

CRM & Automation:

• While not explicitly listed as primary UX tools, familiarity with CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce) and automation platforms might be beneficial for understanding the broader customer journey and data flow.

📝 Enhancement Note: The specific mention of tools like Dovetail and UserZoom/UserTesting indicates a need for hands-on experience with platforms designed for professional UX research operations, data synthesis, and remote testing at scale. Proficiency in these tools will be a significant advantage.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Customer-Centricity: A fundamental value, driving all research and product decisions to ensure user needs are met.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Emphasizing the use of research insights and analytics to inform strategy and product development.

• Collaboration & Partnership: Fostering strong working relationships with product, design, engineering, and business teams to achieve shared goals.

• Continuous Improvement: A commitment to ongoing learning, iteration, and optimization of products, services, and research processes.

• Ethical Conduct: Upholding high standards for participant privacy, data security, and responsible research practices.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: The role requires seamless collaboration with diverse teams, acting as a bridge between user needs and business objectives.

• Proactive Communication: Regular updates, clear articulation of findings, and active participation in team discussions are expected.

• Feedback Exchange: A culture that encourages constructive feedback on research plans, methodologies, and insights to refine outcomes.

• Knowledge Sharing: Willingness to share research findings broadly and mentor colleagues on UX research best practices.

📝 Enhancement Note: The values highlight a professional environment that prioritizes user needs, data integrity, and collaborative problem-solving, which are core tenets of effective operations and GTM functions.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Navigating Ambiguity: Operating effectively in unclear project requirements or rapidly evolving business landscapes, requiring strong self-direction and problem-solving skills.

• Domain Complexity: Mastering the nuances of automotive financing and lending to conduct relevant and insightful research.

• Influencing Stakeholders: Effectively communicating research insights to diverse audiences, including executives, and driving adoption of recommendations across different departments.

• Balancing Qualitative and Quantitative: Effectively integrating both research approaches to provide comprehensive and validated insights.

• Remote Collaboration Dynamics: Maintaining strong team cohesion and effective communication in a hybrid or fully remote setting.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Specialized Industry Knowledge: Gaining deep expertise in the automotive finance and lending sector, a high-value niche.

• Advanced Research Techniques: Opportunity to refine skills in specific qualitative or quantitative methods, or explore emerging research technologies.

• Cross-Functional Exposure: Working closely with product, design, and engineering teams provides broader business context and understanding of product development lifecycles.

• Portfolio Expansion: Building a robust portfolio with impactful case studies from a specialized industry.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenge of "influencing stakeholders" is particularly relevant for operations roles, as success often hinges on the ability to drive change and alignment across different business units.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to conduct user research with a tight deadline or limited resources. How did you prioritize and what was the outcome?" (Assesses efficiency, prioritization, and adaptability).

• "Walk me through a complex research project where your findings significantly influenced a product decision. What was the challenge, your approach, and the business impact?" (Evaluates end-to-end research capability and impact demonstration).

• "How do you approach synthesizing findings from multiple research methods (e.g., interviews, surveys, analytics) into a cohesive strategy?" (Tests analytical and synthesis skills). Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about the automotive financing and lending industry, and how do you see UX research contributing to success in this space?" (Assesses industry interest and strategic thinking).

• "Describe your experience working in a hybrid or remote environment. How do you ensure effective collaboration and communication with your team?" (Evaluates adaptability to work arrangements and collaboration skills).

• "How do you ensure your research is actionable and leads to tangible business outcomes?" (Focuses on impact and operationalizing insights). Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Focus on Impact: For each case study, clearly articulate the problem, your role, the research methods used, key insights, recommendations, and most importantly, the measurable business impact.

• Quantify Results: Use metrics (e.g., improved conversion rates, reduced error rates, increased user satisfaction) to demonstrate the value of your research.

• Tell a Story: Structure your presentation like a narrative, guiding the interviewer through the research journey and highlighting critical decision points.

• Showcase Collaboration: Explain how you worked with designers, product managers, and engineers, and how your insights were integrated into their workflows.

• Be Prepared for Deep Dives: Anticipate questions about your methodology choices, challenges faced, and alternative approaches you considered.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview questions emphasize strategic thinking, impact measurement, and practical application of UX research principles, aligning with the operational needs of driving business outcomes.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations position:

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

• Tailor your resume: Highlight your 5+ years of UX research experience, emphasizing qualitative methodologies, stakeholder management, and experience across the full product lifecycle. Use keywords from the job description such as "user interviews," "usability testing," "journey mapping," "personas," and "Figma."

• Curate your portfolio: Select 2-3 of your strongest UX research projects that best demonstrate your ability to conduct end-to-end research, synthesize complex data, and drive measurable business impact, particularly within complex industries or for B2B/dealer-facing initiatives if possible.

• Prepare your portfolio presentation: Practice articulating the problem, your methodology, key insights, recommendations, and quantifiable business impact for each selected project. Be ready to discuss your collaboration process with cross-functional teams.

• Research TEKsystems and the automotive finance sector: Understand TEKsystems' role as a staffing and services provider and familiarize yourself with current trends and challenges in automotive financing and lending to demonstrate industry interest and strategic thinking.

⚠️ 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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