UX Researcher (H/F)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: UX Researcher Senior (H/F)

Company: Smile Group

Location: Lille, France

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: User Experience (UX) Research, Product Design, Digital Transformation Consulting

Date Posted: 2026-06-01

Experience Level: 5-10 Years

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead user research initiatives, acting as the primary advocate for the end-user's voice throughout the product development lifecycle.

• Transform complex business challenges and user behaviors into clear, actionable strategic insights for product and design teams.

• Design and execute comprehensive qualitative and quantitative research strategies, from participant recruitment to data analysis and deliverable creation.

• Facilitate co-design workshops and present research findings to stakeholders, influencing product strategy and decision-making.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is for a Senior UX Researcher, implying a need for leadership in defining research methodologies, mentoring junior researchers (if applicable), and a strong ability to influence product strategy based on insights. The emphasis on "evangelizing the culture of research" suggests a consulting-like aspect where the candidate will educate clients and internal teams on the value and application of UX research.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Define and implement user research strategies, including the selection of appropriate methodologies (interviews, focus groups, surveys, ethnographic studies) to address specific business and product questions.

• Manage participant recruitment for all research activities, ensuring a diverse and representative sample aligned with project objectives.

• Conduct in-depth user interviews, moderating focus groups, and designing/deploying surveys to gather rich qualitative and quantitative data.

• Analyze collected data, synthesizing findings into impactful deliverables such as Personas, Experience Maps, User Journeys, and comprehensive research reports.

• Design and conduct usability testing protocols (guerilla, moderated, unmoderated), identify user pain points, and provide actionable recommendations for product iteration and improvement.

• Facilitate co-design and ideation workshops, including card sorting and tree testing exercises, to foster collaborative problem-solving and gather user input on information architecture and feature concepts.

• Effectively present research insights and recommendations to cross-functional teams (product, design, engineering) and key stakeholders, including decision-makers, to drive informed product development and strategic planning.

• Collaborate closely with UX/UI Designers to translate research insights into tangible design concepts and user-centered solutions.

• Act as a consultant to clients and internal teams, educating them on UX research best practices and fostering a user-centric culture.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of hands-on research execution and strategic influence. The role requires not only data collection and analysis but also the ability to translate findings into actionable product strategies and to "evangelize" UX research principles.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

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

Experience: Minimum of 5 years of professional experience in UX Research, with a strong preference for experience gained within an agency setting.

Required Skills:

• Advanced proficiency in defining and executing both qualitative and quantitative user research methodologies.

• Expertise in conducting in-depth user interviews, focus groups, surveys, and ethnographic studies.

• Skilled in data analysis and synthesis to create impactful UX deliverables (e.g., Personas, Experience Maps, User Journeys, research reports).

• Proven experience in designing and conducting usability testing sessions and providing actionable recommendations.

• Proficiency in facilitating co-design and ideation workshops, including techniques like card sorting and tree testing.

• Strong presentation and communication skills, with the ability to effectively articulate research findings and influence stakeholders.

• Demonstrated ability to "evangelize" the culture of research and UX methodologies to various parties, often in a consulting capacity.

• Sharp analytical mindset, rigorous scientific methodology, and high empathy.

Preferred Skills:

• Familiarity with a wide range of research, ideation, and testing tools beyond the core requirements.

• Experience working with large enterprises across diverse sectors such as automotive, finance, retail, and tech.

• Consulting experience, particularly in digital transformation projects.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for "minimum 5 years of experience" and the emphasis on influencing stakeholders and evangelizing research suggests a senior-level candidate capable of strategic thinking and client management. The mention of "ideally acquired in an agency" points towards a need for adaptability and client-facing skills.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrate a strong portfolio showcasing a range of UX research projects, highlighting your end-to-end involvement from problem definition to insight delivery.

• Include case studies that clearly articulate the research objectives, methodologies employed, participant profiles, and the resulting deliverables (Personas, Journey Maps, etc.).

• Showcase examples of how your research insights directly influenced product design decisions and led to measurable improvements or strategic shifts.

Process Documentation:

• Provide documentation of your research process, including how you define research questions, plan studies, recruit participants, and conduct analysis.

• Illustrate your approach to translating complex research data into clear, actionable recommendations for design and product teams.

• Include examples of how you've documented and communicated research findings, such as sample reports, presentation decks, or interactive dashboards.

• Showcase your experience in iterative research, demonstrating how you've used feedback loops to refine designs and product strategies.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a senior UX Researcher, the portfolio is critical. It should not only demonstrate technical research skills but also strategic thinking, problem-solving abilities, and the capacity to drive impact. The emphasis on "insights transform business problems" implies a need for case studies that show the business value derived from research.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on industry benchmarks for Senior UX Researchers with 5-10 years of experience in France, particularly in a major city like Lille, the estimated annual gross salary range is between €50,000 and €75,000. This range can vary based on specific experience, the complexity of client projects, and the candidate's negotiation skills.

Benefits:

• Company Health Insurance (Mutuelle d’entreprise): Comprehensive health coverage provided by the company.

• Public Transport Subsidy: 50% coverage of public transport costs (e.g., Navigo annual pass).

• Minimum 9 RTT Days Per Year (Jours de Réduction du Temps de Travail): Additional paid days off for reduced working hours.

• Vacation Bonus (Prime de vacances): A bonus paid annually, typically around the summer vacation period.

• Meal Vouchers (Tickets Restaurant): Meal vouchers valued at €10, with a 50% employer contribution.

Working Hours: The role is full-time, with standard working hours typically around 35-40 hours per week. The specific schedule can be discussed, with the role being hybrid, allowing for flexibility between office and remote work.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary estimate is based on typical compensation for senior UX roles in France, considering location and experience. The benefits are directly extracted from the job description, reflecting standard French employment packages.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: UX-Republic, now part of the SMILE Group, operates within the Digital Transformation, UX Design, Product Design, and IT Consulting sectors. They focus on creating high-quality user interfaces and delivering performance to clients through user-centric design and digital innovation.

Company Size: SMILE Group is a significant player, and UX-Republic, as part of it, offers the stability and opportunities of a larger entity while retaining a human-sized approach. This hybrid structure means access to broader resources and diverse projects.

Founded: UX-Republic was founded with a mission to excel in UX, Product Design, and digital transformation consulting. Its integration into SMILE Group, a larger IT services company, signifies a phase of growth and expanded capabilities.

Team Structure:

• The UX-Republic team comprises talented, passionate, and complementary professionals specializing in UX research, UX/UI design, and digital transformation consulting.

• The reporting structure likely involves direct reporting to a Head of UX, a Lead UX Researcher, or a Project Manager, with close collaboration across design and product teams.

Methodology:

• Data Analysis & Insights: A strong emphasis on transforming complex business problems and user behaviors into clear, actionable, and strategic insights through rigorous qualitative and quantitative research.

• Workflow Planning & Optimization: Designing and executing research plans that align with product development cycles, focusing on identifying friction points and recommending iterative improvements.

• Automation & Efficiency: While not explicitly stated for research, the company's broader mission in digital transformation suggests an appreciation for efficiency and leveraging tools to streamline processes, including research tool adoption.

Company Website: https://jobs.smile.eu

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture is presented as a blend of high expertise, passion for user experience, and a collaborative environment. The integration into SMILE Group provides a context of growth and expanded opportunities, while UX-Republic's core values of user-centricity and continuous improvement are maintained.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Senior UX Researcher position. It signifies a level of expertise where individuals are expected to lead research initiatives independently, mentor others, and have a significant impact on product strategy. The role demands not just execution but also strategic thinking and the ability to evangelize UX research principles.

Reporting Structure: The Senior UX Researcher will likely report to a Lead UX Researcher, Head of UX, or a senior product/design leader. They will collaborate closely with UX/UI Designers, Product Managers, and potentially client-side stakeholders.

Operations Impact: The UX Researcher is positioned as the "voice of the user" and a key influencer in transforming business problems into user-centered solutions. Their impact is directly tied to improving product performance, user satisfaction, and ultimately, business outcomes by ensuring products are relevant, usable, and desirable.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership Development: Opportunities to lead complex research projects, mentor junior researchers, and potentially transition into a Lead UX Researcher or management role within UX-Republic or SMILE Group.

• Skill Specialization: Deepen expertise in specific research methodologies (e.g., advanced qualitative techniques, complex quantitative modeling) or specialize in particular industry domains.

• Consulting Acumen: Develop stronger client-facing and consulting skills through diverse project engagements, becoming a trusted advisor to clients on UX strategy.

• Cross-functional Expertise: Gain broader exposure to Product Design, UI Design, and digital transformation strategies, fostering a holistic understanding of product development.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Senior" title and the emphasis on "evangelizing" suggest clear pathways for leadership and strategic influence. Growth opportunities would focus on deepening expertise, broadening scope, and potentially moving into management or specialized consulting roles.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is described as Hybrid, indicating a mix of in-office and remote work. The office in Lille is a hub for collaboration, client meetings, and team interaction.

Office Location(s): The primary office location mentioned is 7 Bd Louis XIV, 59800 Lille, France. This location likely serves as a base for client engagements and team collaboration for those in the region.

Workspace Context:

• The workspace is designed to foster collaboration, with opportunities to work closely with UX/UI Designers and other team members.

• Access to essential UX research and collaboration tools (FigJam, Miro, Maze, Lookback, Hotjar, Dovetail, or equivalents) is expected, supporting efficient research and design workflows.

• The environment encourages continuous improvement and a pleasure-driven daily work experience, suggesting a supportive and dynamic team culture.

Work Schedule: The role is full-time, with standard working hours, but the hybrid nature implies flexibility in balancing work location and potentially, to some extent, daily schedule, in alignment with project needs and team collaboration requirements.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model suggests a modern work environment that balances the benefits of in-person collaboration with the flexibility of remote work, a common setup for consulting and design roles.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• First Contact (Phone Call): An initial screening call to discuss career aspirations, align expectations, and provide an overview of the role and company. Be prepared to articulate your career goals and how this role fits them.

• Meeting/Interview: A more in-depth discussion to get acquainted, explore your professional background, and assess cultural fit. Research UX-Republic's mission, values, and recent projects.

• Technical Interview (with an Expert): A discussion with a UXR or Lead UX expert to evaluate your methodological skills, problem-solving approach, and understanding of UX research principles. Be ready to talk through your research process in detail and answer hypothetical scenario questions.

• Portfolio Review: A critical component where you will present selected case studies from your portfolio. Focus on demonstrating your strategic thinking, research process, impact, and collaboration skills.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 2-3 strong case studies that best represent your senior-level capabilities, covering diverse research challenges and methodologies.

• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, clearly define the problem/objective, your role and approach, the methodologies used, key findings, the actionable insights generated, and the impact/outcomes. Use visuals effectively.

• Highlight Collaboration: Showcase how you worked with designers, product managers, and stakeholders. Emphasize your ability to "evangelize" research.

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

• Be Prepared for Questions: Anticipate questions about your decision-making process, challenges faced, and how you handle disagreements or difficult stakeholders.

Challenge Preparation:

• While not explicitly mentioned, be prepared for potential case study or practical exercises during the technical interview stage. These might involve analyzing a research problem, outlining a research plan, or interpreting sample data.

• Practice articulating your thought process clearly and concisely, demonstrating your ability to think critically and apply UX research principles under pressure.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is structured to assess not only technical skills but also cultural fit and strategic thinking. The portfolio review is a key element, requiring candidates to effectively communicate their research impact and collaborative approach.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Collaboration & Ideation: FigJam, Miro (or equivalent whiteboarding/collaboration tools) are essential for co-design workshops and team brainstorming.

• User Research Platforms: Maze, Lookback (or equivalent tools for remote usability testing, session recording, and qualitative data collection) are critical for conducting and analyzing user tests.

• Data Analysis & Synthesis: Hotjar (for heatmaps, session recordings, user feedback) and Dovetail (or equivalent tools for organizing, analyzing, and synthesizing qualitative research data) are key for deriving insights.

• General Research Tools: Proficiency in survey platforms (e.g., SurveyMonkey, Typeform, Google Forms) and general data analysis software is also expected.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not a primary focus for a UX Researcher, understanding how to interpret analytics data from tools like Google Analytics or product-specific dashboards can be beneficial for context.

CRM & Automation:

• Not directly applicable to the core UX Researcher role, but understanding how CRM data (e.g., Salesforce) or user feedback platforms might inform research directions could be an advantage.

📝 Enhancement Note: The listed tools are standard for modern UX Research roles, emphasizing digital collaboration, remote testing, and efficient qualitative data synthesis. Mastery of these tools is crucial for effective execution.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• User-Centricity: Placing the end-user at the absolute core of all decision-making and design processes. This means advocating for user needs even when they conflict with initial business assumptions.

• Continuous Improvement: A commitment to ongoing learning, refinement of methodologies, and iterative design processes, ensuring that both the team's skills and the products they build are constantly evolving.

• Collaboration & Complementarity: Valuing diverse perspectives and working in complementary pairs (e.g., UXR/Designer) to leverage collective strengths and create holistic solutions.

• Performance & Quality: A drive to deliver high-quality interfaces and bring tangible performance improvements to clients through well-researched and well-designed products.

• Passion & Pleasure: Fostering an environment where professionals are passionate about their work and find daily enjoyment and fulfillment in their contributions.

Collaboration Style:

• Partnership: Working closely in tandem with UX/UI Designers to translate insights into actionable design concepts, ensuring a seamless handover and collaborative iteration.

• Consultative: Engaging with clients and internal stakeholders in a consultative manner, educating them on UX research best practices and guiding them towards user-centered decisions.

• Cross-functional Integration: Actively participating in cross-functional team meetings and discussions, integrating user perspectives into broader product strategy and development.

• Knowledge Sharing: Encouraging an environment where best practices, research findings, and lessons learned are shared openly among team members to foster collective growth.

📝 Enhancement Note: The culture emphasizes expertise, collaboration, and a user-first approach, augmented by the resources and opportunities of being part of a larger group. The "pleasure" aspect suggests a positive and supportive work environment.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Stakeholder Needs with User Needs: Navigating situations where business objectives or technical constraints may seem to conflict with ideal user experiences, requiring strong negotiation and communication skills.

• Evangelizing UX Research: Educating clients or internal teams who may be unfamiliar with or skeptical of UX research methodologies, demonstrating its value and ROI.

• Managing Diverse Projects: Adapting research strategies and methodologies quickly to suit a variety of client industries, project scopes, and timelines.

• Synthesizing Complex Data: Effectively distilling large volumes of qualitative and quantitative data into clear, concise, and actionable insights that are easily understood and acted upon by diverse audiences.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Methodology Deep Dive: Opportunities to attend workshops, conferences, or training sessions to deepen expertise in advanced qualitative and quantitative research techniques.

• Industry Exposure: Working across diverse sectors (automotive, finance, retail, tech) provides broad industry knowledge and understanding of different user bases and market dynamics.

• Mentorship & Leadership: Potential for mentorship from senior team members and opportunities to develop leadership skills by guiding junior researchers and leading research initiatives.

• Consulting Skills Enhancement: Gaining practical experience in client management, presentation, and strategic advisory through consulting engagements.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are typical for senior roles in consulting and product development, focusing on influence, strategic adaptation, and data interpretation. Growth opportunities are geared towards deepening expertise and expanding influence.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to influence a stakeholder who was resistant to your research findings. How did you approach it, and what was the outcome?" - Prepare a STAR method response focusing on communication, data presentation, and persuasion.

• "How do you decide which research methodology is most appropriate for a given problem? Walk us through your process for defining a research plan." - Be ready to discuss trade-offs between qualitative and quantitative methods, and outline your approach to scope definition, participant criteria, and timeline planning.

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What do you know about UX-Republic and SMILE Group, and why are you interested in working with us?" - Research their recent projects, company values, and integration with SMILE. Frame your interest around their expertise and impact.

• "How do you see yourself contributing to our user-centric culture and helping to 'evangelize' UX research within client organizations?" - Discuss your passion for user advocacy and your experience in educating others on UX principles.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Tell a Story: Structure each case study as a narrative with a clear beginning (problem), middle (your process/solutions), and end (impact/outcome).

• Focus on "Why" and "So What": Explain why you chose certain methods and so what the results meant for the product and business.

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals (screenshots, personas, journey maps, charts) to make your presentation engaging and your findings clear.

• Demonstrate Collaboration: Highlight how you worked with designers, product managers, and engineers. Showcase your ability to integrate insights into actionable design.

• Practice Your Delivery: Rehearse your presentation to ensure it's concise, engaging, and within the allocated time. Be prepared to answer in-depth questions about your work.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview preparation advice focuses on demonstrating senior-level strategic thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills, with a strong emphasis on the portfolio as a key tool for showcasing impact and expertise.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations position:

• Submit your application through the Smile Group careers portal via the provided URL.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 of your strongest UX research case studies that best represent your senior-level expertise, strategic thinking, and impact. Ensure these highlight your ability to transform business problems into user-centric solutions.

• Tailor Your Resume: Optimize your resume to highlight your 5+ years of experience, proficiency in both qualitative and quantitative research, experience with key tools (Maze, Miro, Dovetail, etc.), and your ability to influence stakeholders. Use keywords from the job description.

• Prepare Your Narrative: Practice articulating your research process, key findings, and the impact of your work. Be ready to discuss your experience in "evangelizing" UX research and collaborating with design teams.

• Research the Company: Gain a thorough understanding of UX-Republic's mission, values, client work, and its integration into the SMILE Group. Prepare to discuss why you are a good cultural fit.

⚠️ 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.