UX Researcher, Qualitative

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Qualitative UX Researcher

Company: Prenuvo

Location: Remote, USA

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: User Experience Research / Product Discovery

Date Posted: September 11, 2026

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

Remote Status: Fully Remote (USA)

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the establishment and operationalization of a repeatable qualitative UX research practice, defining cadences, methodologies, and shared toolkits for proactive product discovery.

• Drive generative research initiatives to understand patient goals, decision-making processes, and pain points across the entire Prenuvo patient journey, from commitment to post-scan follow-up.

• Synthesize complex qualitative findings into actionable insights, personas, journey maps, and opportunity areas to inform product, design, and strategic roadmaps.

• Partner closely with Design, Product Management, Quantitative UX Research, and Clinic Operations to integrate qualitative insights into product development cycles and measure their impact.

• Ensure all research activities adhere to strict privacy, consent, and HIPAA compliance standards within a sensitive healthcare context, maintaining trust and ethical research practices.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is focused on establishing and scaling a qualitative research function, emphasizing proactive discovery and building foundational processes rather than solely executing assigned studies. The emphasis on "building discovery as a practice" suggests a strategic, foundational role with significant autonomy in shaping research operations.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Establish and manage a consistent qualitative research cadence, including intake, prioritization, study design, fieldwork, synthesis, and readout processes, in collaboration with Design and Product partners.

• Develop and optimize participant outreach and recruitment channels, working closely with Clinic Operations to enhance patient access and engagement for research studies.

• Create, maintain, and iterate on a reusable qualitative research toolkit, including interview guides, consent forms, recruitment pathways, and a central repository for findings.

• Collaborate with designers to transition ad-hoc clinic shadowing into structured generative research methods, ensuring insights are shared and utilized across the team.

• Propose and implement practical guidelines for using AI in research tasks (e.g., note-taking, synthesis, recruitment support) while ensuring privacy protection and research rigor.

• Partner with Quantitative UX Researchers to explain behavioral patterns observed in data through qualitative findings and to refine hypotheses for quantitative measurement.

• Design and moderate qualitative research studies, including in-depth interviews and contextual inquiries, tailored to sensitive health decisions and patient experiences.

• Synthesize research findings into compelling artifacts such as personas, opportunity areas, journey frames, and decision maps that drive product and design strategy.

• Inform patient communication strategies regarding findings and risk, ensuring clarity and minimizing unnecessary fear.

• Translate ambiguous product and experience questions into well-defined generative research questions and appropriate qualitative methods.

• Clearly communicate research insights and their implications for experience changes to product and design teams, influencing roadmap and design conversations early in the development cycle.

• Document and socialize qualitative learnings across teams to ensure research insight compounds over time and is not siloed.

• Plan and execute research with sound judgment regarding privacy, consent, and the emotional load inherent in healthcare research.

• Ensure research studies comply with HIPAA and, where applicable, IRB or other regulatory requirements, without compromising the pursuit of critical insights.

• Identify and flag research asks that may overreach, bias participants, or jeopardize long-term trust for short-term answers.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of foundational process building and direct research execution. The emphasis on "building discovery as a practice" and "turning insight into decisions" indicates a strategic component where the researcher is expected to influence product direction and operationalize research within the organization.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, Human Factors, or a related field is typically expected for a UX Researcher role of this nature.

Experience: Minimum of 2 years of hands-on qualitative or UX research experience in a product, service, or applied research setting.

Required Skills:

• Proven end-to-end ownership of generative research studies: planning, recruitment, moderation, synthesis, and storytelling.

• Demonstrated experience in building or testing recruitment and outreach channels for research participants.

• Evidence of improving team research practices (e.g., cadence, guides, recruitment strategies, repository management) through cross-functional collaboration.

• Strong moderation skills for user interviews and other qualitative research methods, particularly in sensitive contexts.

• Proficient in synthesizing qualitative data into actionable insights and clear communication artifacts (e.g., personas, journey maps, opportunity areas).

• Ability to translate ambiguous product and experience questions into researchable topics.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills for stakeholder management and insight dissemination.

• Understanding of ethical research principles, participant privacy, and consent management. Preferred Skills:

• Experience conducting patient, caregiver, or clinician research in HIPAA-aware environments.

• Practical familiarity with IRB or similar review processes when research touches regulated health processes.

• Prior experience working on aspects of health goals or clinical result understanding.

• Familiarity with quantitative UX research methodologies for complementary insights.

• Experience with AI tools for research support (e.g., transcription, synthesis assistance) while maintaining ethical standards.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Nice to have" section strongly suggests a preference for candidates with direct experience in healthcare research and understanding of regulatory environments like HIPAA and IRB. The 2+ years of experience implies a need for practical, hands-on application of research skills, not just theoretical knowledge.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Case studies demonstrating end-to-end ownership of generative qualitative research projects, showcasing the full research lifecycle from problem definition to actionable insights.

• Examples of research artifacts created, such as detailed interview guides, participant recruitment strategies, synthesized findings (e.g., affinity maps, thematic analyses), personas, journey maps, and opportunity canvases.

• Evidence of how qualitative insights directly influenced product decisions, design iterations, or strategic direction, with clear articulation of impact and outcomes.

• Documentation of experience in building or refining research processes, toolkits, or repositories, highlighting contributions to team efficiency and research scalability.

• Demonstrations of effective communication and storytelling of research findings to diverse stakeholders (Product, Design, Engineering, Leadership). Process Documentation:

• Examples of how research plans were developed, including defining research questions, selecting appropriate qualitative methods, and outlining participant criteria.

• Portfolios should ideally include examples of how findings were synthesized and translated into clear, actionable recommendations for product and design teams.

• Showcase understanding of how to integrate qualitative findings with quantitative data to provide a holistic view of user behavior and needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the role's emphasis on "building discovery as a practice," portfolios should ideally showcase not just research execution but also contributions to research operations, process improvement, and building foundational research infrastructure within a team or organization.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $110,000 - $125,000 USD per year.

Benefits:

• Free, whole-body Prenuvo scans for team members.

• Flexible vacation policy encouraging time off for well-being.

• 401(k) retirement savings plan (company does not currently offer matching contributions).

• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance.

• Mental Health coverage.

Working Hours: The role is listed as full-time, typically implying around 40 hours per week. The flexible vacation policy suggests a degree of autonomy in managing work-life balance.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is provided, and it's crucial to note the lack of 401(k) matching. The benefits list is comprehensive, with a unique perk of free Prenuvo scans. The "Remote OK" status with preference for candidates near clinics suggests that while fully remote, some occasional travel or connection to clinic hubs might be beneficial or implicitly preferred for certain types of fieldwork or team syncs.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Healthcare Technology (specifically preventative health and advanced medical imaging). Prenuvo is disrupting traditional healthcare with its proactive, whole-body MRI scans.

Company Size: The provided data does not specify, but the nature of the role (standing up a practice) and the mention of multiple domestic and global clinics suggest a growing, mid-sized to large organization.

Founded: Not specified in the provided data.

Team Structure:

• The UX Researcher will operate within a product development framework, partnering closely with Design, Product Management, and Quantitative UX Research.

• There's an explicit mention of collaboration with clinic and ops stakeholders, indicating cross-functional alignment is key.

• The role aims to build a "practice," implying a potential for future growth into a dedicated UX research team or function. Methodology:

• Prenuvo leverages an integrated stack of hardware, software, and AI. This suggests a data-driven and technology-forward approach to healthcare.

• The company values "disciplined experimentation" and "ownership," indicating a culture that encourages initiative and learning from outcomes.

• The emphasis on proactive healthcare suggests a forward-thinking, mission-driven operational philosophy.

Company Website: prenuvo.com

📝 Enhancement Note: Prenuvo's mission to shift from "sick-care" to proactive healthcare is a significant cultural driver. The company's use of advanced technology like AI and MRI positions it as an innovative player. The "Pioneers," "Platform-Builders," and "Patients" values highlight a culture of innovation, long-term thinking, and patient-centricity, which will heavily influence how research is conducted and applied.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Mid-Level UX Researcher role, focused on establishing and leading a qualitative research practice. It offers significant autonomy and the opportunity to shape the function from its early stages. The role requires both hands-on execution and strategic thinking about research operations.

Reporting Structure: While not explicitly stated, UX Researchers typically report into a Head of Product, Head of Design, or a Director of User Research. Given the emphasis on building a practice, this role likely reports to a senior leader who champions user insights.

Operations Impact: The role is critical for informing product strategy and user experience improvements by providing deep understanding of patient needs and behaviors. Insights generated will directly influence the development of Prenuvo's services, patient journey, and competitive positioning in the preventative healthcare market. Success is defined by insights that "change what we build."

Growth Opportunities:

• Research Leadership: Opportunity to build and lead the qualitative research function, potentially growing into a Research Manager or Lead role as the team expands.

• Skill Specialization: Deepen expertise in qualitative methodologies, generative research, and specific healthcare user segments.

• Cross-Functional Influence: Develop strong strategic partnerships and influence product roadmaps across Design, Product, and Operations.

• Domain Expertise: Gain in-depth knowledge of the preventative healthcare and medical imaging industry, becoming a subject matter expert.

• Process Improvement: Lead the development and implementation of scalable research processes and toolkits.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role is positioned as a foundational one, offering a unique opportunity for an individual to significantly shape the research function at Prenuvo. Growth is likely tied to the success of establishing the practice and demonstrating its value in driving product decisions.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Fully Remote within the USA. While remote, there's a preference for candidates located near existing Prenuvo clinics, suggesting potential for occasional on-site collaboration, team events, or fieldwork in those locations.

Office Location(s): Remote, USA. Specific clinic locations are not detailed but are implied to exist domestically and globally.

Workspace Context:

• Remote work environment requiring strong self-discipline, communication, and collaboration skills.

• Access to technology and tools necessary for remote research, including video conferencing, collaboration platforms, and potentially research repository software.

• Potential for interaction with clinic staff and patients in their environment if fieldwork is conducted near a clinic.

• A culture that values "building strong relationships," suggesting regular team syncs and social interactions despite the remote setup.

Work Schedule: Standard full-time hours (approx. 40 hours/week) with a flexible vacation policy. The remote nature allows for some flexibility in managing one's schedule, provided research commitments and team collaborations are met.

📝 Enhancement Note: The preference for candidates near clinics hints at a hybrid-remote model in practice, where full remote is the norm but proximity to physical locations may facilitate certain aspects of the role or team integration.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process: (Inferred based on typical UX research hiring processes)

• Initial Screening: A brief call with a recruiter to assess basic qualifications, interest, and cultural fit.

• Hiring Manager Interview: Discussion with the hiring manager (likely a Design or Product leader) to delve deeper into experience, research philosophy, and alignment with the role's strategic objectives.

• Portfolio Review & Presentation: A dedicated session where candidates present selected case studies from their portfolio, demonstrating their research process, impact, and ability to synthesize and communicate findings. This is a critical stage for qualitative roles.

• Cross-Functional Interviews: Meetings with key stakeholders, such as Product Managers, Designers, and potentially Quantitative Researchers or Clinic Operations representatives, to assess collaboration skills and ability to influence.

• Final Interview: Potentially a conversation with a senior leader or executive to confirm fit and strategic alignment.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Showcase Generative Impact: Highlight projects where your qualitative research led to significant product changes or strategic shifts, not just incremental improvements.

• Demonstrate Process Building: Include examples of how you've contributed to research operations, developed reusable templates, or improved team research workflows.

• Tell a Story: Structure your case studies to clearly articulate the problem, your approach, key findings, and the resulting impact. Quantify impact where possible.

• Address Healthcare Context: If possible, include examples of research conducted in sensitive or regulated environments, highlighting your understanding of privacy and ethical considerations.

• Be Ready for "How": Prepare to deep-dive into your methodologies, synthesis techniques, and how you handled challenges or ambiguity.

Challenge Preparation:

• Be prepared to discuss how you would approach building a qualitative research practice from the ground up at Prenuvo.

• Anticipate questions about how you would prioritize research requests, manage stakeholder expectations, and measure the impact of your work.

• Think about specific research questions you might explore for Prenuvo's patient journey and how you would investigate them.

• Practice articulating your research philosophy and how it aligns with Prenuvo's mission and values.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio review is paramount. The role's emphasis on "building discovery as a practice" means candidates should showcase not just research execution but also their ability to create and scale research processes and influence organizational thinking about user insights.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Collaboration & Communication: Slack, Zoom, Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Slides, Meet) or similar suites for daily communication, documentation, and virtual meetings.

• Research Platforms: Tools for participant recruitment (e.g., User Interviews, Respondent.io), survey administration (e.g., SurveyMonkey, Typeform), and potentially qualitative data analysis (e.g., Dovetail, NVivo, EnjoyHQ, or even advanced spreadsheet/document-based analysis).

• Prototyping/Design Tools: Familiarity with tools used by designers (e.g., Figma, Sketch) for understanding and reviewing designs.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While this role is qualitative, an understanding of how to collaborate with quantitative researchers and interpret data from analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Amplitude, Mixpanel) would be beneficial for triangulating insights.

• Tools for creating compelling presentations and reports to share findings. CRM & Automation:

• Not directly applicable to the core responsibilities of a UX Researcher, but an understanding of how user data is managed within CRM systems could provide context for patient journeys.

📝 Enhancement Note: The job description doesn't explicitly list required tools but implies the need for standard UX research software. The emphasis on building a "toolkit" suggests the candidate will have a hand in selecting and implementing some of these tools. The mention of "AI in interview work" indicates potential exploration or use of AI-assisted research tools.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Pioneers: Embrace divergent thinking, bias for action, disciplined experimentation, and persistent grit to drive transformation in healthcare. This means being comfortable with ambiguity and driving initiatives forward.

• Platform-Builders: Focus on building sustainable foundations for future growth and efficiency. This translates to creating repeatable processes, reusable toolkits, and scalable research practices.

• Patients: Maintain a deep empathy for patients, recognizing their needs and concerns as paramount. This guides research ethics, study design, and the interpretation of findings to ensure patient well-being and trust.

Collaboration Style:

• Partnership-driven: Works closely with Design, Product, and Quantitative UX Research, acting as a collaborative partner rather than an isolated function.

• Cross-functional Integration: Actively engages with clinic operations and other stakeholders to gather context and disseminate insights effectively.

• Insight Sharing: Emphasizes documenting and socializing learnings to ensure research impact compounds across teams.

• Ethical & Trustworthy: Conducts research with high ethical standards, respecting privacy and consent, thereby building trust internally and externally.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's core values are deeply integrated into its operational philosophy. A candidate's ability to embody these values—being innovative, building for the future, and maintaining a patient-first mindset—will be crucial for success and cultural fit.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Establishing a New Practice: Building a qualitative research function from the ground up requires significant effort in defining processes, gaining buy-in, and demonstrating value.

• Healthcare Sensitivity: Navigating research in a sensitive healthcare domain with strict privacy regulations (HIPAA) and potential patient emotional load.

• Balancing Proactive vs. Reactive: Shifting from ad-hoc requests to a proactive, generative research cadence while managing ongoing product needs.

• AI Integration: Safely and effectively integrating AI tools into research workflows while maintaining ethical standards and rigor.

• Remote Collaboration: Ensuring effective communication, collaboration, and insight dissemination in a fully remote environment.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Strategic Impact: Opportunity to define and shape the future of UX research at Prenuvo, directly impacting product strategy and patient care.

• Industry Leadership: Become a leader in applied UX research within the innovative preventative healthcare technology sector.

• Process & Tool Development: Gain experience in designing and implementing scalable research operations and toolkits.

• Mentorship: Potential to mentor future researchers as the team grows.

• Cross-functional Expertise: Develop a deep understanding of product development, design strategy, and healthcare operations.

📝 Enhancement Note: The primary challenge is establishing a robust research practice. The growth opportunities are substantial for someone looking to make a significant impact and build something from the ground up, with a clear path toward leadership within the research function.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you approach building a repeatable qualitative research cadence at Prenuvo, considering our mission and current team structure?" (Focus on process, partnership, and prioritization).

• "Describe a time you had to gain buy-in for a research initiative from stakeholders who were skeptical or had limited understanding of UX research. How did you achieve it?" (Focus on influence, communication, and demonstrating value).

• "Given Prenuvo's focus on proactive healthcare, what are some key patient goals or decision points you'd prioritize exploring first, and what methods would you use?" (Focus on strategic thinking and methodological fit).

• "How do you ensure ethical research practices, particularly regarding privacy and consent, when working with sensitive health information?" (Focus on HIPAA, ethics, and risk management). Company & Culture Questions:

• "How do Prenuvo's values – Pioneers, Platform-Builders, Patients – resonate with your approach to UX research?" (Focus on cultural alignment and value demonstration).

• "Describe your experience working in a fast-paced, innovative environment. How do you maintain focus and drive progress?" (Focus on adaptability and bias for action).

• "How do you envision collaborating with our Design, Product, and Quantitative UX Research teams to ensure insights are integrated effectively?" (Focus on cross-functional partnership). Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure: Organize your presentation logically: Introduction to Prenuvo & Role, Project Overview (Context/Problem), Your Role & Approach, Key Findings & Insights, Impact & Outcomes, Learnings & Future Considerations.

• Focus on "Why": Clearly articulate the "why" behind your research questions, methodology choices, and recommendations.

• Showcase Synthesis: Demonstrate your ability to distill complex qualitative data into clear, actionable insights. Use visual aids effectively.

• Quantify Impact: Where possible, link your qualitative findings to measurable business or product outcomes.

• Be Prepared for Deep Dives: Anticipate questions on specific methodological choices, challenges encountered, and how you handled them.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should heavily focus on the candidate's ability to build research infrastructure and demonstrate strategic thinking, alongside core qualitative research skills. The "Pioneers" and "Platform-Builders" values are key to highlight in responses related to initiative and process development.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Qualitative UX Researcher position:

• Submit your application through the provided application link.

• Customize Your Resume: Highlight experience in qualitative research, generative studies, process building, and any healthcare-related projects. Use keywords from the job description like "generative research," "patient journey," "HIPAA," and "stakeholder management."

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 strong case studies that best demonstrate your end-to-end research process, ability to synthesize insights, and impact on product decisions. Ensure it includes examples of building research practices or toolkits if possible.

• Prepare Your Presentation: Rehearse your portfolio presentation, focusing on clear storytelling, demonstrating your methodology, and articulating the impact of your work. Be ready to answer questions about your approach to building research operations.

• Research Prenuvo: Understand their mission, values, and the innovative nature of their preventative healthcare services. Consider how your research skills can directly contribute to their goals.

⚠️ 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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