UX Researcher/ Service Designer (Product Discovery) - A26308

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: UX Researcher / Service Designer (Product Discovery) - A26308

Company: Activate Interactive Pte Ltd

Location: Singapore, Singapore

Job Type: CONTRACTOR

Category: User Experience (UX) / Service Design Operations

Date Posted: August 23, 2026

Experience Level: Mid to Senior Level (5+ years)

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead product discovery and user experience research for early-stage products, from initial concept through to the first release, within a technology consultancy.

• Apply a blend of generative research and service design methodologies to define and validate product hypotheses, ensuring alignment with user needs and business objectives.

• Facilitate cross-functional workshops to drive problem framing, ideation, and prioritization for new product initiatives.

• Translate complex research findings and service design artifacts into actionable insights and recommendations for product, design, and engineering teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is specifically focused on the "Product Discovery" phase, indicating a need for individuals skilled in navigating ambiguity and defining new product directions rather than optimizing existing ones. The "0→1 products" terminology explicitly points to building from scratch.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Plan and execute mixed-method research throughout the discovery lifecycle, including generative interviews, contextual inquiry, concept validation, and usability testing.

• Synthesize research data into actionable insights and clearly defined problem spaces for new product development.

• Develop and map end-to-end service journeys, ecosystems, and touchpoints, bridging front-stage user experiences with back-stage systems and operational processes.

• Design and facilitate workshops focused on problem framing, ideation, prioritization, and stakeholder alignment sessions.

• Formulate design hypotheses and identify key opportunity areas based on research findings to guide product and design decisions.

• Collaborate closely with product managers, designers, engineers, agency stakeholders, and public sector officers.

• Communicate research insights and service design recommendations effectively to both technical and non-technical audiences, including senior stakeholders, through concise readouts and compelling artifacts.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities emphasize a strong blend of deep research expertise and strategic service design thinking, requiring the candidate to not only uncover user needs but also to architect the entire service experience, including operational touchpoints.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While specific educational requirements are not detailed, a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Human-Computer Interaction, Design, Psychology, Sociology, or a related field is typically expected for this level of UX research and service design.

Experience: 5+ years of progressive experience in UX research, service design, or product research, with a proven track record in leading 0→1 product discovery initiatives.

Required Skills:

• Demonstrated expertise in planning and executing mixed-method research, encompassing generative research techniques like contextual inquiry and user interviews.

• Proficiency in synthesizing qualitative research findings into actionable insights and strategic recommendations.

• Strong understanding and practical application of service design methodologies, including journey mapping, service blueprints, and ecosystem mapping.

• Proven ability to frame complex problem spaces and generate validated design hypotheses for new product concepts.

• Skilled in designing and facilitating workshops for problem framing, ideation, and stakeholder alignment.

• Excellent communication skills with the ability to present complex information clearly and concisely to diverse audiences, including senior stakeholders.

• A robust portfolio showcasing 0→1 discovery experience, including examples of service design artifacts (e.g., journey maps, service blueprints) and research deliverables.

• Comfort operating within ambiguous environments and independently structuring research strategies. Preferred Skills:

• Experience working with government agencies, public sector entities, or other complex, multi-stakeholder environments.

• Familiarity with accessibility standards and inclusive design principles.

• Experience researching both external (citizen-facing) and internal (staff/operator-facing) user groups.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "0→1 discovery experience" and the need to operate with "ambiguity" suggests that candidates with experience in startups, new product initiatives within larger organizations, or innovation labs would be highly valued. The "public sector" preference indicates a need for navigating bureaucratic processes and understanding diverse user needs.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio demonstrating a strong command of the entire product discovery lifecycle, from initial problem definition to validated concepts.

• Specific examples of 0→1 product discovery projects, highlighting the challenges, research methodologies employed, and outcomes.

• Detailed case studies showcasing the application of service design principles, including journey maps, service blueprints, and ecosystem diagrams that illustrate front-stage and back-stage considerations.

• Evidence of mixed-method research application, with clear articulation of how qualitative and quantitative data were integrated to inform decisions.

• Demonstration of workshop facilitation skills, with examples of how ideation, prioritization, and alignment were achieved.

• Clear communication of research insights and actionable recommendations, showing how they influenced product direction and design. Process Documentation:

• Demonstrate structured approaches to problem framing and research question development for nascent product ideas.

• Showcase the process of translating raw research findings into tangible design hypotheses and opportunity areas.

• Illustrate methods for documenting and communicating service ecosystems, touchpoints, and back-stage operational dependencies.

• Provide examples of how research and service design outputs were integrated into agile development workflows.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio is critical for this role. It needs to clearly articulate not just the what of the work, but the how and why, particularly for early-stage products where strategic thinking and robust methodology are paramount. The inclusion of service blueprints signifies a need to understand operational implications.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: As this is a 12-month fixed-term contractor role in Singapore, a competitive hourly or monthly rate is expected. Based on industry benchmarks for mid-to-senior UX Researchers/Service Designers in Singapore with 5+ years of experience, the estimated range would be SGD 6,000 - SGD 9,000 per month, depending on experience and specific skill set.

Benefits:

• Fun working environment: Implies a positive and engaging company culture.

• Employee Wellness Program: Support for employee health and well-being.

• Opportunity to work on Singapore Government Agencies projects: Exposure to impactful public sector initiatives.

• Structured development framework and growth opportunities: Access to learning and career advancement resources, recognized by SHRI 2025 Gold award for Learning & Development.

Working Hours: While not explicitly stated, standard professional working hours in Singapore are typically 40 hours per week. Given the contractor nature and project-based work, there might be some flexibility, but on-site presence is expected.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary estimation is based on current market rates for similar roles in Singapore. Contractor roles often have different benefit structures than permanent positions, so it's crucial to clarify specifics. The "SHRI 2025 Gold winner" award highlights a strong commitment to employee development, which is a significant perk for ambitious professionals.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology Consultancy, with a focus on application development (mobile, web) and cloud technology. The company also engages in projects with Singapore Government Agencies.

Company Size: Activate Interactive Pte Ltd is a growing technology consultancy with a presence in Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia. The exact employee count is not specified, but the context suggests a medium-sized, expanding firm.

Founded: The founding date is not provided, but the company's description indicates a focus on providing impactful end-to-end application development and removing technology roadblocks for clients.

Team Structure:

• The UX Researcher/Service Designer will be part of a growing team, likely within a product development or design function.

• The role involves close collaboration with Product Managers, Designers, and Engineers, indicating a cross-functional team structure common in agile environments.

• Interaction with agency stakeholders and public officers is also a key component, suggesting a matrixed or project-based reporting/collaboration model. Methodology:

• The company emphasizes delivering quality, cost-effective, and impactful solutions, suggesting a results-oriented approach.

• A focus on innovation and continuous improvement is evident, aligning with modern technology development practices.

• The company's commitment to positively impacting lives through technology suggests a mission-driven operational philosophy.

Company Website: https://www.activate.sg/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's engagement with government agencies implies a need for candidates who can navigate formal processes, understand public service needs, and potentially adhere to stricter compliance or security protocols. The "SHRI 2025 Gold winner" award in Learning & Development is a strong indicator of a culture that values professional growth.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned at a mid to senior level, requiring significant autonomy and leadership in the product discovery phase. The "lead discovery and research" mandate signifies a position of influence and responsibility for defining the direction of new products.

Reporting Structure: The UX Researcher/Service Designer will report to a lead within the product or design function, likely a Head of Design, Product Lead, or a similar senior role. They will work closely with cross-functional teams, including product management, engineering, and external stakeholders.

Operations Impact: The role has a direct and significant impact on product success by ensuring that new products are built on a foundation of validated user needs and well-defined service experiences. By framing the right problems and generating evidence-based hypotheses, this role minimizes the risk of developing products that don't meet user expectations or solve critical issues.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in specific research methodologies or service design domains relevant to public sector or complex enterprise solutions.

• Leadership: Transition into a lead UX Researcher or Service Designer role, mentoring junior team members, and taking on more strategic product initiatives.

• Cross-functional Mobility: Develop a broader understanding of product management or design strategy, potentially moving into roles with more direct product ownership or design leadership.

• Industry Exposure: Gain valuable experience working on high-impact government projects, enhancing the candidate's profile for future roles in the public sector or large-scale technology initiatives.

📝 Enhancement Note: The fixed-term nature of the contract should be considered in the context of long-term career growth. However, the company's emphasis on "structured development framework and growth opportunities" suggests that successful contractors may have pathways to other roles or future projects.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is described as "On-site," implying a physical office presence in Singapore. Activate Interactive likely maintains a modern office environment conducive to collaboration and innovation, typical of technology consultancies.

Office Location(s): Singapore, Singapore. Specific office address is not provided, but it is expected to be in a commercially accessible area within Singapore.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The role requires close collaboration with product, design, and engineering teams, suggesting an open-plan office or dedicated team spaces designed for interaction.

• Tools and Technology: Access to standard UX research and design tools, collaboration platforms, and potentially specialized software for service blueprinting and journey mapping.

• Team Interaction: Frequent opportunities for interaction with colleagues through team meetings, workshops, and informal discussions. The company's emphasis on a "fun working environment" suggests a positive and supportive atmosphere.

Work Schedule: As a contractor role, the exact schedule might be project-dependent but is likely to align with standard Singapore business hours (e.g., 9 AM to 6 PM, Monday to Friday). The on-site requirement means consistent attendance at the designated office location.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "on-site" requirement is a key differentiator. Candidates should be prepared for a traditional office-based work environment, which can foster stronger team cohesion and spontaneous collaboration, often valued in consultancy settings.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your resume and portfolio to assess alignment with the required skills and experience, particularly 0→1 discovery and service design work.

• Portfolio Presentation: A dedicated session where you will present your portfolio, walking through key case studies that demonstrate your approach to product discovery, research methodologies, and service design. Be prepared to discuss your role, process, challenges, and outcomes.

• Skills-Based Interview: Behavioral and situational questions designed to probe your experience with mixed-method research, workshop facilitation, stakeholder management, and working in ambiguous environments.

• Case Study/Challenge: Potentially a small take-home assignment or an in-person exercise to assess your problem-framing, research planning, or service design thinking skills.

• Final Interview: Discussion with senior leadership or hiring managers to assess cultural fit, strategic thinking, and overall suitability for the role and company.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 2-3 projects that best showcase your 0→1 discovery and service design expertise. Prioritize projects with clear problem statements, well-defined methodologies, and demonstrable impact.

• Tell a Story: Structure each case study as a narrative: the problem, your approach (research methods, design process), your specific contributions, the challenges faced, and the results achieved.

• Highlight Ambiguity & Strategy: For 0→1 projects, emphasize how you navigated uncertainty, defined the problem space, and developed research strategies with limited initial direction.

• Showcase Service Design: Clearly present your service blueprints, journey maps, and ecosystem diagrams. Explain how they connect user-facing elements to back-stage operations and systems.

• Quantify Impact: Where possible, use data and metrics to demonstrate the impact of your work. Even for qualitative research, articulate the insights gained and how they influenced decisions.

• Be Prepared for Questions: Anticipate questions about your decision-making process, how you handled conflicting feedback, and how you collaborated with different teams.

Challenge Preparation:

• Familiarize yourself with common product discovery frameworks (e.g., Design Thinking, Lean Startup).

• Practice articulating research plans and service design concepts concisely.

• Be ready to discuss how you would approach a hypothetical problem within citizen engagement or internal officer systems.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio review is a critical gate. Candidates should invest significant time in preparing a compelling narrative that highlights their strategic thinking and ability to drive product discovery from inception. The focus on government projects suggests an understanding of user needs within that context will be advantageous.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• UX Research Tools: Proficiency in tools for user interviews, surveys, usability testing (e.g., UserTesting.com, Lookback, Maze, SurveyMonkey, Google Forms).

• Service Design Tools: Experience with diagramming and collaboration tools for creating journey maps, service blueprints, and ecosystem maps (e.g., Miro, Mural, Figma, Adobe XD, Lucidchart).

• Prototyping/Design Tools: Familiarity with design and prototyping software to visualize concepts and test hypotheses (e.g., Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD).

• Collaboration Platforms: Experience with tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, or similar for team communication and project management.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not the primary focus, an understanding of how to interpret quantitative data from analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Mixpanel) and user feedback tools is beneficial.

• Ability to create clear, concise reports and presentations summarizing research findings for various stakeholders. CRM & Automation:

• Not directly applicable for this UX/Service Design role, but an understanding of how user data is managed within CRMs or other systems can provide context for back-stage operational considerations.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis is on tools that support qualitative research, ideation, and service design visualization. While quantitative analysis is mentioned as "relevant," the core requirement is deep qualitative insight and strategic design thinking, supported by collaborative platforms.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Impact-Driven: A commitment to using technology to create positive impacts on people's lives and the environment, as stated in the company's mission.

• Innovation & Continuous Improvement: Fostering an environment where new ideas are encouraged, and processes are consistently refined for better outcomes.

• Collaboration & Teamwork: Valuing the contributions of all team members and promoting a supportive atmosphere where individuals can realize their full potential.

• Professional Growth: Dedication to employee development, as evidenced by their award in Learning & Development, Coaching & Mentoring.

• Customer Focus: Ensuring that client needs and end-user experiences are at the forefront of all development efforts.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: The role necessitates close working relationships with product, design, and engineering teams, requiring effective communication and shared understanding of goals.

• Stakeholder Engagement: Proactive engagement with clients, agency stakeholders, and public officers, involving them in the discovery and design process.

• Workshop-Centric: A culture that embraces collaborative workshops as a key method for problem-solving, ideation, and alignment.

• Data-Informed Decision Making: Valuing research insights and evidence in shaping product strategy and design.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's values suggest a culture that is both mission-oriented and focused on professional development. The emphasis on collaboration, especially with external stakeholders like government agencies, indicates a need for strong interpersonal and communication skills.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Navigating Ambiguity: The primary challenge is leading discovery for 0→1 products where the problem space and solutions are not yet clearly defined, requiring strong strategic thinking and research planning skills.

• Multi-Stakeholder Environments: Balancing the needs and expectations of diverse stakeholders, including internal teams, agency personnel, and potentially the public, within complex project structures.

• Translating Insights: Effectively communicating complex research findings and service design concepts to technical and non-technical audiences to drive alignment and action.

• Fixed-Term Contract: Adapting to a 12-month contract duration, requiring a focus on delivering immediate impact and demonstrating value within a defined timeframe.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deepen Service Design Expertise: Gain hands-on experience in complex service ecosystems, particularly within the public sector context.

• Strategic Product Influence: Contribute significantly to the foundational stages of new product development, shaping their strategic direction and user experience.

• Mentorship & Frameworks: Benefit from the company's recognized "structured development framework and growth opportunities," potentially including mentorship and access to learning resources.

• Government Project Exposure: Develop unique insights and experience working with Singapore Government Agencies, which is highly valuable for future career opportunities in the public sector or large-scale initiatives.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are inherent to early-stage product development and consultancy work. The growth opportunities are significant, especially the chance to work on government projects and leverage the company's strong L&D reputation.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you led the discovery of a 0→1 product. What was your process, what challenges did you face, and what was the outcome?" (Focus on your research strategy, problem framing, and ability to navigate ambiguity.)

• "How would you approach mapping the service journey for a citizen engagement platform that involves multiple government agencies and back-end systems?" (Demonstrate your service design thinking and understanding of complex ecosystems.)

• "Walk us through a challenging stakeholder management situation you encountered during a research project. How did you address it, and what did you learn?" (Highlight your communication, negotiation, and collaboration skills.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about working with Singapore Government Agencies, and what unique considerations do you think are important when designing for the public sector?" (Show your understanding of the domain and user context.)

• "Based on our company description and your understanding, how do you see your UX research and service design skills contributing to Activate Interactive's mission?" (Connect your skills to the company's goals and values.)

• "How do you stay updated on the latest trends in UX research and service design, and how do you apply that knowledge?" (Demonstrate your commitment to continuous learning.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Focus on Process: For each case study, clearly articulate your research plan, the methodologies used, and the rationale behind your choices.

• Showcase Ambiguity Management: Emphasize how you defined the problem space and developed a research strategy when faced with limited initial information.

• Visualize Service Design: Ensure your journey maps, service blueprints, and ecosystem diagrams are clear, detailed, and effectively communicate the end-to-end service experience.

• Highlight Collaboration: Discuss how you worked with product, design, and engineering teams, and managed feedback from various stakeholders.

• Quantify Impact (if possible): Present any metrics or outcomes that demonstrate the success or impact of your work. If direct metrics are unavailable, articulate the qualitative impact and how your work informed key decisions.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparation should focus on demonstrating a strategic, user-centered approach to product discovery and service design, with a particular emphasis on navigating ambiguity and communicating effectively with diverse stakeholders, especially in a public sector context.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Workable.

• Portfolio Customization: Ensure your portfolio is tailored to highlight your experience in 0→1 product discovery, mixed-method research, and service design. Select case studies that best exemplify your ability to navigate ambiguity and define new product directions.

• Resume Optimization: Update your resume to clearly articulate your years of experience and specific achievements in UX research and service design, using keywords from the job description such as "product discovery," "generative research," "service design," "journey mapping," and "stakeholder management."

• Interview Preparation: Practice presenting your portfolio case studies, focusing on your process, strategic thinking, and the impact of your work. Prepare to discuss your experience in government or complex multi-stakeholder environments.

• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with Activate Interactive's work, particularly their focus on technology consultancy and projects with Singapore Government Agencies. Understand their mission and values to articulate your 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.