UX researcher job description template: methods, the decisions research feeds and how to screen for it
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"UX researcher: conduct user research to inform product decisions" fits a generative researcher who spends weeks in the field before a product exists, an evaluative researcher running usability tests every sprint, a quantitative researcher building surveys and reading behavioral data, and a research operations lead who manages panels, consent and tooling. Strong candidates look for three things in the posting: which questions the team needs answered, how much influence research has on what gets built, and whether they will be the only researcher. A useful UX researcher job description answers those, names the methods and participant groups, and asks for evidence of research that changed a decision. Below are the seat types, a copy-ready template, the classification lines with sources, screening and scorecard rows, and the mistakes that make research postings look like design postings. If you are hiring designers alongside, start from the UX designer job description template.
Name the seat first
| Seat | What the work looks like | Must-have that separates it |
|---|---|---|
| Generative or discovery researcher | Field studies, in-depth interviews, diary studies, opportunity framing before design starts | Has shaped a product direction or roadmap from early research, not only tested finished designs |
| Evaluative or usability researcher | Moderated and unmoderated tests, prototype studies, benchmark tasks, fast readouts | Has run tests on a sprint cadence and turned findings into fixes the team shipped |
| Quantitative UX researcher | Survey design, sampling, behavioral data analysis, metrics such as task success or satisfaction | Has designed a survey or metric that held up to scrutiny and combined it with qualitative work |
| Research operations | Participant recruitment and panels, incentives, consent, tooling, repository | Has built a recruiting and consent process other researchers relied on |
| First or solo researcher | All of the above, plus teaching product managers and designers to run their own studies | Has set up research from nothing and chosen what not to study |
Then settle the facts: the product and its users, the participant groups (consumers, clinicians, administrators, children with parental consent), the share of generative versus evaluative work, how participants are recruited and paid, the tools, the team size, whether research reports into design, product or a central team, and how findings reach decisions. If accessibility research is part of the job, say which users and which standard, such as the W3C's WCAG 2.2.
The UX researcher job description template
[Senior] UX Researcher, [Generative / Evaluative / Quantitative /
Research Operations] — [Product area]
[Company], [city, state] — [On-site / Hybrid: days / Remote within:
states], travel about [N]% [for field studies]
Pay: $[min]–$[max] per year, plus [bonus / equity, if any].
[Benefits summary, if required.] [Exempt or non-exempt, after review.]
SUMMARY
You will help [team] decide [type of decision] for [product],
used by [user groups]. About [N]% of the work is [generative /
evaluative], with participants recruited through [panel / vendor
/ customers]. You will be [one of N researchers / the first
researcher] and will report to [title], working with [product
managers, designers, engineers, data scientists].
WHAT YOU WILL DO
- Plan studies that answer the team's most important questions,
and push back on studies that would not change a decision.
- Run [interviews / usability tests / diary studies / surveys]
with [participant groups].
- Recruit and screen participants and handle consent and
incentives with [research ops / vendors].
- Turn findings into clear recommendations and follow them into
the roadmap.
- Keep the research repository usable for others.
YOU MUST HAVE
- [N] years planning and running UX or similar research, with
case studies you can walk through.
- Experience with [qualitative / quantitative / mixed] methods,
and a clear reason for choosing one over another.
- Clear writing and presenting for [product and leadership]
audiences.
- [Experience researching with (specific participant group), if
the work requires it.]
NICE TO HAVE
- Background in [psychology, HCI, anthropology, market research]
or equivalent experience.
- Experience with [tools], [accessibility research].
If you meet the must-haves and none of these, please apply.
HOW WE HIRE
[Recruiter screen; conversation with (lead); a case study
presentation of your choosing (redact as needed); a short planning
exercise of at most (N) minutes; meeting product and design
partners.]
[EEO STATEMENT]
Need an adjustment to apply or interview? Contact [address].Classification, pay and EEO
Not legal advice. The tests below were checked against Department of Labor fact sheets as of October 2026. State overtime rules can be stricter; confirm classification with counsel.
Exempt or nonexempt. No regulation names UX research, so status depends on the primary duty. The administrative exemption covers office work directly related to the management or general business operations of the employer or its customers with discretion and independent judgment on matters of significance (DOL Fact Sheet 17C). The learned professional exemption requires advanced knowledge in a field of science or learning customarily acquired by a prolonged course of specialized intellectual instruction (DOL Fact Sheet 17D). Both require a salary of at least the standard level, which the Department of Labor lists as $684 a week. A senior researcher who decides what to study and advises leaders is a stronger fit than a coordinator who schedules sessions.
Pay and EEO. Post the approved range and check pay transparency laws by state. This page does not quote pay figures. Close with a short EEO statement and an accommodation contact, and offer adjustments for the case study presentation, since some candidates will need more time or a different format.
From must-haves to screening questions and scorecard rows
| Must-have | Screening question | Scorecard competency | Evidence of a strong answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research that changed a decision | "Tell me about a study whose findings changed what the team built. What would have happened without it?" | Research impact | Names the decision, the evidence and the change, not just the deliverable |
| Method choice | "Why did you choose that method over another for this question?" | Methodological judgment | Matches method to question, names its limits, mentions a method they rejected |
| Participants | "How did you recruit and screen participants for your last study, and who did you miss?" | Sampling and rigor | A screener, a realistic sample, awareness of bias in who showed up |
| Influence | "Describe a time stakeholders disagreed with your findings. What did you do?" | Stakeholder influence | Brought them into the research, separated evidence from opinion, kept the relationship |
| Prioritization | "What research request did you decline or reshape, and why?" | Research strategy | Ties the decision to the team's goals and offers a cheaper way to answer |
For the later rounds, adapt the interview guide for designers, replacing the portfolio review with a research case study. The UX designer phone screen questions include collaboration questions that work for researchers too, and the Boolean search strings for UX designers can be adapted by swapping in research titles and methods. Probing questions on curiosity help in the final round.
Common mistakes in UX researcher job descriptions
A design posting with "research" in the title
If the job includes wireframes and visual design, say what share. Researchers who expect to research full time will leave a hybrid role they did not sign up for.
No word on influence
Candidates want to know whether research is consulted before decisions or after. Say where research sits and give an example of a decision it changed.
Every method listed
Naming twenty methods tells candidates nothing. Name the two or three the team uses most and the questions behind them.
Silence on participants
Researching with nurses, children or administrators needs specific experience and consent processes. Name the groups.
Hiding that they will be alone
A first researcher needs to set up operations, teach others and say no. That is a different hire from a researcher joining a team of ten.
Before you publish
- The seat, the decisions research feeds and the participant groups are in the summary.
- The generative and evaluative split, and any design work, are stated.
- Team size and reporting line are clear, including whether this is the first researcher.
- Classification has been reviewed against the actual duties.
- The pay range, EEO statement and accommodation contact close the posting.
Questions people ask
What does a UX researcher do that a UX designer does not?
A UX researcher plans and runs studies, such as interviews, usability tests and surveys, and turns what they find into decisions for product and design teams. Designers often run lightweight tests too, but a dedicated researcher owns the method, the recruitment of participants, the quality of the evidence and how findings are shared across teams.
Should a UX researcher job require a degree in psychology or HCI?
Not necessarily. Many strong researchers come from psychology, human-computer interaction, anthropology, sociology or market research, and others learned on the job. Ask for evidence of studies they planned and ran and a decision those studies changed, and accept equivalent experience.
Is a UX researcher exempt from overtime?
Possibly, but the title does not decide it. Exemption depends on the primary duty meeting a test such as the administrative or learned professional exemption, and on a salary of at least the standard level, $684 a week as listed by the Department of Labor. Research coordinators who mainly schedule sessions are judged on their own duties. Check state law.
What portfolio should a UX researcher share?
Ask for one or two case studies that show the research question, the method and why it was chosen, how participants were recruited, what was found and what changed as a result. Tell candidates they can redact confidential details; the reasoning matters more than the client names.