User Experience Researcher

Horizontal Talent; Minneapolis (MN); On-site; USD 68,000 - 117,000; Full time

Job summary

Horizontal Talent is seeking a UX Researcher to join a collaborative Enterprise Product team focused on complex, workflow-driven systems that support internal teams and business operations. This contract role suits a researcher who thrives turning ambiguity into actionable insights and partners with product, design, engineering, and business stakeholders to improve essential tools.

You will lead research from discovery through evaluative testing, plan and conduct mixed-method studies, and

Qualifications

• 4+ years of UX research experience in enterprise software, internal tools, or B2B platforms.
• Experience applying both qualitative and quantitative methods.
• Ability to collaborate with product, design, engineering, and business teams.
• Strong communication for presenting insights, trade-offs, and recommendations.

Responsibilities

• Lead research from discovery through evaluative testing across enterprise experiences.
• Partner with product, design, engineering, and stakeholders to set research goals and success metrics.
• Plan and conduct qualitative and quantitative studies using interviews, contextual inquiry, journeys, usability tests, surveys, and data analysis.
• Identify user needs, pain points, and opportunities in complex workflows and internal tools.
• Translate findings into actionable insights, frameworks, and narratives to inform product decisions.

Skills

UX research

Enterprise software

Qualitative methods

Quantitative methods

Cross-functional collaboration

Stakeholder communication

Independent contractor

Storytelling

Ambiguity to insights

Job description

Join a collaborative Enterprise Product team as a UX Researcher focused on complex, workflow-driven systems that support internal teams and business operations. This contract opportunity is ideal for a researcher who enjoys turning ambiguity into clear insights and partnering closely with product, design, engineering, and business stakeholders to improve tools that matter.

Responsibilities

• Lead research efforts from discovery through evaluative testing across enterprise product experiences
• Partner with product managers, designers, engineers, and business stakeholders to define research goals, questions, and success measures
• Plan and conduct qualitative and quantitative research using interviews, contextual inquiry, journey mapping, usability testing, surveys, and data analysis
• Explore complex workflows, operational processes, and internal tools to identify user needs, pain points, and improvement opportunities
• Translate findings into clear, actionable insights, frameworks, and narratives that support product and design decisions
• Advocate for user-centered decision-making while balancing business goals and technical constraints
• Work independently in a fast-moving environment and communicate progress, risks, and recommendations clearly
• Help strengthen evidence-based, human-centered practices across UX, product, and engineering teams

Skills

• 4+ years of UX research experience supporting enterprise software, internal tools, or B2B platforms
• Strong background researching complex workflows, data-rich interfaces, and process-driven systems
• Experience applying both qualitative and quantitative research methods appropriately
• Ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional partners across product, design, engineering, and business teams
• Clear communication skills with the ability to present insights, implications, and trade-offs in a simple, compelling way
• Strong problem framing, synthesis, and storytelling skills
• Ability to work independently as a contractor and deliver high-quality outcomes with minimal supervision
• Comfort navigating ambiguous problem spaces and evolving priorities

Preferred Skills

• Experience researching store operations, supply chain, finance, HR, or similar enterprise domains
• Background working in agile or iterative product development environments
• Strong portfolio or case studies showing enterprise research work and measurable impact on product decisions
• Experience working with distributed teams

Horizontal is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and we welcome candidates from all backgrounds and experiences. We value thoughtful perspectives, collaborative problem-solving, and a respectful environment where everyone can contribute and succeed.

The pay range for this role is $49 - $85 per hour based on qualifications and experience.