Usability Researcher [AQ-21452]

Aquent; Redmond (WA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Aquent partners with a global technology leader to drive world-class user experiences that touch billions. This role leads research plans, applies qualitative and quantitative methods, and translates findings into actionable guidance for product management, design, and engineering.

Collaborate across teams to recruit participants, establish UX goals and metrics, and mentor peers in research rigor while ensuring privacy and security compliance.

Qualifications

• Master’s or Bachelor’s degree in UX-related field with 1–2 years UX research experience.
• A minimum of 1 year of domain experience in technology.
• Proficiency in qualitative and quantitative research methods.

Responsibilities

• Create and lead research plans and roadmaps for product areas.
• Synthesize and distill data into actionable insights to inform design and engineering.
• Conduct in-depth research on customer identities, contexts, and journeys to guide product strategy.
• Collaborate with PM, design, and engineering to integrate security into development.

Skills

UX research experience

Qualitative methods

Quantitative methods

Stakeholder management

Project management

User experience design

Interaction design

User research communication

Education

Master’s Degree in HCI / related field

Bachelor’s Degree in HCI / related field

Job description

Aquent is proud to partner with a global technology leader renowned for its groundbreaking innovations that shape how millions worldwide connect, work, and live. This company is at the forefront of developing cutting-edge products and services that define the digital landscape, offering an unparalleled opportunity to contribute to a legacy of excellence and drive the next generation of user experiences.

What You’ll Do

• Create and lead research plans and roadmaps for various product areas, defining problems and success criteria aligned with strategic business needs.
• Apply diverse research methodologies to execute studies effectively, guiding multi-person research efforts to achieve strong product outcomes.
• Synthesize and distill complex data into clear, actionable insights, communicating findings to activate design and engineering processes.
• Conduct in-depth research to clarify customer identities, contexts, needs (e.g., Jobs To Be Done), and journeys, directly informing product strategy.
• Assess user insights across the entire user journey-from initial awareness through adoption and retention-leveraging both quantitative and qualitative data.
• Contribute to solution formation by partnering closely with product management, design, and engineering teams, integrating security as a fundamental aspect of development.
• Produce research-driven insights on industry and vertical trends to reduce uncertainty and inform future initiatives.
• Collaborate with cross-disciplinary teams, educating and mentoring on the value, rigor, and methodology of user research.
• Develop recruitment screeners and review data collection instruments, ensuring strict privacy and security compliance.
• Provide effective tools and templates for product makers to capture assumptions and express them as testable hypotheses.
• Collaborate with the team to establish well-formed user experience goals, signals, metrics, and criteria, integrating security UX Key Performance Indicators.
• Apply experience checkpoints and iterative research processes to ensure exceptional product quality and drive continuous improvement.

Required Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in Human-Computer Interaction, Human Factors Engineering, Computer Science, Technical Communications, Information Science, Information Architecture, User Experience Design, Behavioral Science, Social Sciences, or a related field AND 1+ year(s) User Experience Research experience; OR Bachelor’s Degree in Human-Computer Interaction, Human Factors Engineering, Computer Science, Technical Communications, Information Science, Information Architecture, User Experience Design, Behavioral Science, Social Sciences, or a related field AND 2+ years User Experience Research experience; OR equivalent experience.
• 1+ year(s) relevant domain experience within the technology sector.
• 1+ year(s) experience in research methods that have demonstrably impacted both product direction and detailed experience design.
• English language proficiency, with clear, accurate, and understandable oral and written communication, presentations, and research writing skills.
• Proficiency in qualitative and quantitative research methods, quality assurance, user acceptance testing, and user scenario creation and application.
• Strong analytical thinking, data analysis, problem-solving, and the ability to translate insights into practical applications.
• Experience with collaborative innovation, conflict resolution, distillation of results, industry trend analysis, and stakeholder management.
• Demonstrated decision-making ability, outcome-driven innovation, project management, project visioning, and scope management.
• Expertise in creativity, interaction design, user experience, user interface design, and user-centered design principles.

Nice-to-Have Qualifications

• Doctorate in Human-Computer Interaction, Human Factors Engineering, Computer Science, Technical Communications, Information Science, Information Architecture, User Experience Design, Behavioral Science, Social Sciences, or a related field AND 2+ years user experience research experience; OR Master’s Degree in Human-Computer Interaction, Human Factors Engineering, Computer Science, Technical Communications, Information Science, Information Architecture, User Experience Design, Behavioral Science, Social Sciences, or a related field AND 3+ years user experience research experience; OR Bachelor’s Degree in Human-Computer Interaction, Human Factors Engineering, Computer Science, Technical Communications, Information Science, Information Architecture, User Experience Design, Behavioral Science, Social Sciences, or a related field AND 5+ years user experience research experience; OR equivalent experience.

Client Description

Join a global technology leader driving innovation and empowering people and organizations worldwide to achieve more. Here, you’ll collaborate with passionate, diverse teams to create impactful solutions that shape the future. The culture prioritizes growth, inclusion, and purpose-where your ideas are valued, and your work drives real change. Wherever your passion lies and wherever your career is headed—you’ll play a role in projects that touch billions of lives. With flexible work options and a supportive environment, you’ll have the tools to thrive both personally and professionally. Be part of something that truly matters.

Why work with AQUENT?

Aquent is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, and other legally protected characteristics.