Senior UX Research (Pharmaceuticals)
Posted Today by Xcede
Negotiable
Undetermined
Remote
United Kingdom
Summary: The Senior UX Researcher role focuses on understanding the workflows of scientists within the drug discovery lifecycle to enhance R&D processes. The position requires leading comprehensive research efforts to identify pain points and opportunities for improvement, while producing actionable insights for stakeholders. This hands-on role demands independence, strong communication skills, and the ability to influence senior stakeholders effectively. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in user research within complex scientific environments.
Key Responsibilities:
- Lead and deliver hands-on UX research and usability testing activities to meet product and business objectives.
- Independently plan, conduct, and document in-depth interviews with scientists and map end-to-end workflows capturing Jobs to be Done (JTBD), pain points, and opportunities.
- Translate research into clear, structured outputs such as experience maps, service blueprints, and problem statements/JTBD framing that are solution agnostic and evidence-based.
- Communicate actionable research insights to stakeholders, facilitate alignment on priority opportunities, and support teams in translating research into next steps.
Key Skills:
- Strong experience in User Research/UX Research (Senior level).
- Proven ability to work in complex, domain-heavy environments (e.g., pharma, life sciences, healthcare, enterprise).
- Expertise in qualitative research (interviews, contextual inquiry) and research synthesis and insight generation.
- Demonstrated ability to create structured artefacts such as experience maps, JTBD frameworks, and workflow/ecosystem maps.
- Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills.
- Comfortable operating at pace in ambiguous environments.
- Ability to translate complex topics into clear, actionable insights.
Salary (Rate): undetermined
City: undetermined
Country: United Kingdom
Working Arrangements: remote
IR35 Status: undetermined
Seniority Level: undetermined
Industry: Other
CONTRACT - 3 MONTHS
LOCATION - REMOTE
Job Description: Senior UX Researcher
We are seeking a Senior User Researcher to drive deep understanding of how scientists work, to turn it into actionable insight that improves how R&D works at scale.
Role Details
You will rapidly build and understanding of how scientists work across the drug discovery lifecycle- identifying key workflows, jobs to be done, painpoints and opportunities for improvement across R&D.
This is a hands-on, delivery- focused role, suited to someone who can operate independently, engage senior stakeholders and produce high-quality, actionable research outputs at pace.
Role Details
You will be responsible for leading end to end research to uncover current state workflows, jobs to be done, painpoints and unmet needs in complex scientific environments (across the drug discovery lifecycle)
Your work will directly inform the design of tools, platforms, and services that accelerate scientific insight and decision-making.
This role requires someone who can operate at system level — connecting user needs, scientific processes, and organisational constraints — while influencing senior stakeholders.
Responsibilities
- Research Strategy and Planning: To lead and deliver hands on UX research and usability testing activities to meet product and business objectives
- End to End Research Execution: To independently plan, conduct and document in depth interviews with scientists and map end to end workflows that capture Jobs to be Done (JTBD),pain points and opportunities
- Insights Analysis & Synthesis: To translate research into clear, structured outputs such as experience maps, service blueprints, problem statements/JTBD framing that are solution agnostic and evidence based.
- Stakeholder Collaboration and Influence: To communicate actionable research insights to stakeholders, facilitate alignment on priority opportunities and support teams to translate research into next steps
Skills & Experience
Essential
- Strong experience in User Research/UX Research (Senior level)
- Proven ability to work in complex, domain-heavy environments (eg pharma, life sciences, healthcare, enterprise)
- Expertise in:
- Qualitative research (interviews, contextual inquiry)
- Research synthesis and insight generation
- Demonstrated ability to create structured artefacts:
- Experience maps
- JTBD frameworks
- Workflow/ecosystem maps
- Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills
- Comfortable operating at pace in ambiguous environments
- Ability to translate complex topics into clear, actionable insights
Highly Desirable
- Experience in pharmaceutical R&D or life sciences
- Understanding of:
- Drug discovery workflows (eg target validation, lead optimisation)
- Scientific data and modelling workflows
- Experience with working with standard research repository tools