At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead research to understand learners and design user-friendly solutions.
- Company: Join a dynamic startup within an established business focused on learner experience.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, generous leave, flexible hours, and professional development opportunities.
- Other info: Collaborative team environment with excellent growth potential.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by shaping learner experiences with innovative design.
- Qualifications: Expertise in generative research and hands-on design skills required.
The predicted salary is between 69000 - 81000 £ per year.
As Senior UX Researcher / Designer, you will play a vital role in understanding our learner audience. This role sits within our Learner Experience (LX) division, a fully-funded zero to one startup within our established business. You will guide rich, foundational research that shapes what we build before design work begins. Bringing genuine research depth and being comfortable with exploring ambiguous, early-stage problems, you will also be hands-on enough in design to turn what you learn directly into work that ships.
You will be responsible for:
- Foundational Generative Research: Heading up exploratory research to build a deep, evidence-based understanding of learners, their needs, behaviours, and unmet problems in ambiguous, early-stage problem spaces, setting up continuous discovery practices.
- Methodological Rigour & Infrastructure: Applying structured research methodology, study design, sampling strategies, and bias mitigation, whilst building a robust research repository and knowledge base to compound insight over time.
- Cross-Functional Insight Sharing: Sharing generative insights clearly with Product Management, UX Design, and Growth Marketing to shape decisions, product directions, and commercial conversations and positioning.
- Design Delivery: As a small, start-up style team, dedicating roughly 30% of your capacity to translating research insights directly into simple, elegant, production-ready, and highly accessible user experience design solutions.
- Team Collaboration & Growth: Working closely with the Lead UX Designer to manage and balance capacity, mentoring colleagues to raise research maturity across the Learning Experience team.
You'll report directly into our Chief Product Officer (CPO). On a day-to-day basis, you will work hand-in-hand with the Lead UX Designer to coordinate design and research capacity across our squads. You’ll also collaborate closely with both of our Learning Experience Product Managers, Technical Leads, the Growth Marketing Lead, and the wider Learning Experience division.
What you'll bring:
- Generative Research Expertise: Strong skills in foundational research methods, interview design, diary studies, sacrificial concepts, prototyping, Jobs-to-be-Done frameworks, and segmentation research.
- Methodological Rigour: Proven ability to apply structured study design, sampling strategy, and bias mitigation with real methodical precision, and synthesis frameworks that transform messy findings into actionable insights.
- Hands-on Design Delivery: Comfort dedicating ~30% of your time to executing high-quality, elegant, and shippable design solutions utilizing design systems.
- Accessibility Standards: Experienced in designing and researching inclusively to meet WCAG standards for diverse access requirements.
- Collaboration & Mentorship: Passionate about sharing knowledge, mentoring peers to raise research maturity, and providing direct, empathetic feedback.
Bonus / Nice to have:
- AI-Driven Experiences: Familiarity researching and designing for AI-mediated interactions, including balancing AI visibility, user control, and trust-building.
- AI Tool Integration: Intentional and effective use of AI tools in your own practice for synthesis, prototyping, or exploring directions faster.
Salary and benefits:
- £69,000 - £81,000 dependent upon experience
- 33 days annual leave (Inclusive of bank holidays)
- 3 gifted days off at Christmas
- EMI Share Options Scheme
- Generous individual learning and training allowance
- Truly flexible hours to suit when you work best
- Full home working set up and beautiful collaborative office space
- Free Leeds City Centre office parking
- Nomad working policy with family travel insurance
- Enhanced 26 weeks maternity and 4 weeks paternity (fully paid)
- Health cash plan (from glasses to massages)
- 6% employer pension contribution
Location: Our beautiful office space in Leeds is our key hub for collaboration, and we love to get together in person. We operate a flexible hybrid working model, including supporting our Genios who are based remotely across the UK. If you are more than 50 miles away from the office, we offer full remote working support, with the opportunity to join colleagues for in-person collaboration several times a year. We will discuss ways of working with you at interview however if you have any questions before you apply please reach out to recruitment@genio.co
Senior UX Researcher/ Designer in Leeds employer: Genio
Genio is an exceptional employer that fosters a supportive and dynamic work culture, making it an ideal place for Sales Development Representatives to thrive. With a strong emphasis on collaboration, employee growth opportunities, and a generous benefits package including flexible working hours and a comprehensive health cash plan, Genio empowers its team members to excel while maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Located in the vibrant city of Leeds, employees enjoy a beautiful office space and the option for hybrid working, ensuring a fulfilling and rewarding career experience.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior UX Researcher/ Designer in Leeds
✨Show Off Your Portfolio
In the world of UX/UI design, your portfolio speaks volumes! Make sure it's packed with your best work and showcases your process, not just the final product. We want to see how you tackle design challenges, so consider adding case studies that reflect your thought process and user-centric approach.
✨Get Involved in Design Communities
Jump into local or online design meetups and workshops! Places like UXPA or local design events can be goldmines for networking and learning. Plus, mingling with fellow designers can introduce you to potential job openings that might not be listed elsewhere.
✨Tailor Your Applications
When you find a role that excites you, like the one at Genio for a Senior UX Researcher/ Designer, make your application count! Highlight specific projects and skills that directly relate to the job description. Hiring managers are looking for candidates who fit into their specific team, so show them you’re the one!
✨Leverage Social Media
Don't underestimate the power of social media in finding a UX/UI design job! Follow design leaders on platforms like Twitter or Instagram, share your work, and engage in conversations. It’s a great way to get noticed by recruiters and even catch wind of openings at companies like Genio before they go live!
We think you need these skills to ace Senior UX Researcher/ Designer in Leeds
Some tips for your application 🫡
Showcase Your Design Process:When you're applying for a UX/UI Design role like Senior UX Researcher/ Designer at Genio, make sure to include examples that clearly highlight your design process. We want to see not just the final product but also the journey that led you there—wireframes, user personas, and iterations demonstrate your thought process and user-centric approach!
Tailor Your Portfolio:A tailor-made portfolio is crucial for a full-time design role! Curate your best projects that align with the kind of work Genio does. We suggest including 3-5 case studies that showcase a variety of skills such as wireframing, prototyping, and user testing to really make your application pop.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Your cover letter should not just be a summary of your CV. Use it to express why you’re excited about UX/UI Design and what draws you specifically to Genio. Mention any relevant experience, tools you’re proficient in (like Sketch or Figma), and how you can contribute to their projects.
Highlight Collaboration Skills:In the world of UX/UI Design, teamwork is crucial. Make sure to highlight any past experiences where you worked in cross-functional teams. Illustrate how you communicated design decisions and listened to feedback, as this will resonate well with the culture at Genio.
How to prepare for a job interview at Genio
✨Show Off Your Portfolio
When you're gunning for a full-time UX/UI design role, your portfolio is your best friend! Make sure you've got a solid selection of your work, showcasing not just the final designs, but the process behind them—think wireframes, user flows, and any user research you've conducted. During the interview with Genio, be prepared to discuss your design decisions and how they solve specific user problems.
✨Prepare for Design Challenges
Expect to face some practical design tasks during your interview. Genio might ask you to tackle a quick design challenge or critique an existing interface. Brush up on your problem-solving skills and try to articulate your thought process as you work through these scenarios. Showing how you approach a design problem is just as important as the final output!
✨Know the Tools of the Trade
Familiarise yourself with the tools commonly used in the industry—figma, Adobe XD, or Sketch should be second nature to you. Be ready to discuss your preferred tools during the interview and how they've shaped your design process at previous positions. This knowledge could give you an edge at Genio!
✨Show Passion for User Experience
In a full-time UX/UI design role, having a genuine passion for improving user interactions can set you apart. Be prepared to share instances when you went above and beyond to ensure a great user experience in your previous projects. This will demonstrate that you’re not just a designer, but a user advocate, which is exactly what Genio is looking for.
