Lead UX Researcher

Hard Problems; Abingdon; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days annual leave

Birthday day off

End-of-year discretionary days off

Volunteer days

Private medical insurance

Employee assistance programme

Share Match plan

Pension scheme

Life assurance

Optical and medical care

Job summary

Taylor & Francis is seeking a Lead UX Researcher to sit at the centre of how the organisation understands its users, identifies opportunities and shapes digital experiences. The role covers the full product lifecycle from discovery to evaluation.

Based at the Milton Park office in Abingdon, UK, the role is hybrid with three days in the office or with customers. You will collaborate with product teams to translate insights into design decisions and measurable outcomes.

Qualifications

• Strong experience in UX or user research delivering generative and evaluative research across complex digital products or services.
• Deep expertise in qualitative research methods with judgement to select appropriate approaches for different questions and contexts.
• Mixed-methods capability including interpretation of behavioural data, surveys and quantitative evidence.

Responsibilities

• Partner with Product Designers and Product Managers to frame problems, identify assumptions and define research priorities.
• Plan and conduct generative and evaluative research, including interviews, contextual inquiry, usability testing and concept evaluation.
• Synthesize findings into clear, actionable insights that influence product priorities, design decisions and user experiences.
• Work as an embedded member of multidisciplinary product teams, contributing to discovery, ideation, experimentation and evaluation.
• Use sketching, journey mapping and lightweight prototyping to explore concepts and support design discussions.
• Collaborate with Customer Intelligence, Data Science and Analytics colleagues to connect qualitative insights with behavioural and quantitative data.
• Contribute to research standards, ethical principles and practical approaches to participant recruitment, research planning and insight management.
• Coach designers and other colleagues to conduct appropriate lightweight research independently and responsibly.
• Advocate for evidence-led design and help improve collaborative ways of working across Product, Design and Engineering.

Skills

UX research

Qualitative research methods

Mixed-methods

Communication facilitation

Insight synthesis

Cross-functional collaboration

Job description

Taylor & Francis is one of the world's largest publishers of high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarly journals, books, e-books and reference works. Part of Informa Group (listed on the London Stock Exchange, FTSE 100), it has been advancing research and enriching lives since 1798. Its purpose is to foster human progress through knowledge.

The role

Research at Taylor & Francis sits at the centre of how the organisation understands its users, identifies opportunities and shapes digital experiences. The Lead UX Researcher reports to the Head of Product Design and works within a growing design function. The role spans the full product lifecycle, from discovery and problem framing through to concept exploration, prototyping and solution evaluation.

What you would do

• Partner with Product Designers and Product Managers to frame problems, identify assumptions and define research priorities.
• Plan and conduct generative and evaluative research, including interviews, contextual inquiry, usability testing and concept evaluation.
• Synthesise findings into clear, actionable insights that influence product priorities, design decisions and user experiences.
• Work as an embedded member of multidisciplinary product teams, contributing to discovery, ideation, experimentation and evaluation.
• Use sketching, journey mapping and lightweight prototyping to explore concepts and support design discussions.
• Collaborate with Customer Intelligence, Data Science and Analytics colleagues to connect qualitative insights with behavioural and quantitative data.
• Contribute to research standards, ethical principles and practical approaches to participant recruitment, research planning and insight management.
• Coach designers and other colleagues to conduct appropriate lightweight research independently and responsibly.
• Advocate for evidence-led design and help improve collaborative ways of working across Product, Design and Engineering.

What they are looking for

• Strong experience in UX or user research, delivering generative and evaluative research across complex digital products or services.
• Deep expertise in qualitative research methods, with the judgement to select appropriate approaches for different questions and contexts.
• Mixed-methods capability, including confidence interpreting behavioural data, surveys and quantitative evidence.
• A track record of research that has influenced product decisions, design directions or strategic priorities.
• Strong understanding of product discovery and user-centred design, with experience in multidisciplinary product teams.
• Practical design literacy: sketching concepts, contributing to ideation, and working with wireframes and prototypes.
• Strong synthesis, communication and facilitation skills, with the ability to translate insights into actionable recommendations.
• An interest in developing research practices, sharing knowledge and building an evidence-led design culture.

Working arrangements

The role is based at the Milton Park office in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, UK. Candidates must have the right to work and live in the UK and must be within commutable distance of the Milton Park office. The working model is hybrid, with at least three days per week in the office or with customers and partners. The Milton Park office is due to relocate to Oxford city centre in late 2027 or early 2028.

Pay and benefits

• 25 days annual leave per year plus a day off for your birthday.
• 3 additional discretionary days off during the end-of-year holiday season.
• 4 paid volunteering days each year.
• Company-funded single cover private medical insurance.
• Employee assistance programme with 24/7 wellbeing support.
• Share Match plan (every share purchased is matched with two free shares).
• Pension scheme.
• Life assurance, plus optical and medical care.