UX Researcher

Are you our next UX Researcher? This is an exciting and unique opportunity to work within a multidisciplinary team conducting user research with over 7 million online learners and a growing group of university partners and educational institutions.

For over 15 million learners, FutureLearn is the gateway to high-quality lifelong learning – something we’re truly passionate about in our mission to transform access to education. Partnering with over 260 international educational institutions and businesses, we up-skill learners and fire up their creativity, interest – and, of course, their CVs! – with our online courses. We’re building a connected, collaborative, global community where learning is available for all. We’re on the cusp of emerging from a plucky EdTech start-up into a truly transformational business, with meaty goals for the next five years. You could help us achieve those goals, working in a dynamic environment and with a truly passionate team.

Whats the opportunity?

This role sits within the UX Design team, which consists of Product Designers and the Head of UX. As your Line Manager, the Head of UX will give you guidance and direction as you work on research tasks. You will also be encouraged to work independently and manage your own work within projects.

You will work closely with the Product Designers, Strategists, Data Scientists, and product teams, to plan and conduct user experience research using various qualitative and quantitative research methods. You’ll support teams to do research, deliver insights, and to design outstanding user experiences. You’ll also create empathy for our users across the entire company by championing UX Research and user testing.

What does success look like?

• Plan and conduct user research using appropriate methods in an iterative, agile business. Methods could include: usability studies, remote and face-to-face interviews, focus groups, online surveys, desk research, guerrilla testing, contextual inquiry, card-sorting, tree tests and diary studies.
• Work closely with product teams to undertake research projects at all stages: understanding objectives, planning, recruiting, writing discussion guides, advising on stimulus, setting up and facilitating research, analysing and delivering findings.
• Recruit diverse and appropriate participants globally, managing the process from start to finish. This may include using agencies, manually recruiting using surveys and using opportunity samples.
• Present findings and recommendations clearly to key stakeholders and the broader business, balancing user and business needs.
• Promote user research in the business by identifying opportunities for further research and supporting the research team in educating others about methods.
• Help to train and encourage other people in the company to conduct research.
• Define and build templates, processes, and guidelines for research, including consent, privacy, and asset/information storage.
• Identify, create and maintain reliable resources, tools, and documentation to support customer insights discoveries in collaboration with designers and product teams.
• Help build strong partnerships between our product, growth, data and community teams to support FutureLearn's growth.

What you will bring to the table:

A solid understanding of user research methodologies and how to use them appropriately.

• We are looking for a Junior/Mid -level UX researcher with previous experience conducting user research in a digital product setting, including:Confident use of a selection of qualitative and quantitative user research methods.
  
• Ample hands-on facilitation and interviewing experience with a variety of people.
• Use of relevant software tools and technology to conduct and deliver research.
• Experience of testing ideas, prototypes and live products on mobile and desktop.
• Recruitment of participants.
• Presenting findings and recommendations to stakeholders.
• Ability to champion UX research and its value across the whole organisation.
• Experience of research for learning platforms is a bonus but not essential.

You will be:

• An excellent listener with a natural empathy for the user. You’ll have a passion for understanding their needs whilst demonstrating the rigour, focus and attention to detail needed to gather insight methodically.
• An analytical problem-solver, able to balance user and business needs to quickly develop recommendations based on evidence.
• An excellent communicator and storyteller, with the ability to get your ideas across easily, confidently and succinctly, both verbally and in writing, to different audiences.
• Very comfortable analysing and presenting qualitative data, and gathering and handling it ethically.
• Able to interpret quantitative data (e.g. from surveys) using basic descriptive statistics.
• Proactive in staying up to date with developments in UX research, keen to develop your expertise and ready to spot chances to use new or adapted techniques where appropriate.
• Creative and pragmatic in your approach, making the most of available resources.
• Happy to work with light direction, be flexible and accept specific direction as required.
• Comfortable working on a few tasks concurrently, happy to switch focus when needed.
• Highly organised, with great time-management.
• Enthusiastic about collaborative working and encouraging others to get involved in research.

Quite simply, you will be a delight to work with, and we’ll wonder how we ever got by without you!

What can we offer you?

• Competitive salary based on experience and qualification
• Fully flexible working environment/hours, with stylish offices in Holborn
• 28 days’ holiday (plus 8 days’ public holiday)
• Buy and sell up to 5 days’ holiday
• Charity day (volunteer for a charity of your choice)
• Cycle to work scheme, and showers and secure bike parking in the office
• Season Ticket loan
• Pension (4% employer / employee contribution)
• Open University Staff Fee Course Waiver Programme
• Personal training budget and dedicated time to take our online courses
• A diverse and inclusive team to work with

What happens next?

Ready to go for it? Click 'Apply for this job' below, include your CV and a cover letter telling us why you'd like to become a FutureLearner, and how you’ll nail this role.

Recruitment Process

Please contact jobs@futurelearn.com if you require any reasonable adjustments or alterations to be made to support you through the recruitment process.

We can't wait to meet you!

Diversity Statement

We value all the great benefits that diversity brings and encourage everyone to bring their whole self to work – regardless of gender, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age or disability.

We encourage freelancers and people who have been made redundant as a result of COVID-19 to apply for opportunities at FutureLearn. We believe that in these difficult times, good employers have to rise to the occasion and play their part in the community. At FutureLearn, we take care of each other.