Senior User Researcher

Aquent is partnering with a leading enterprise organization that is at the forefront of innovation within the retail sector. This organization is dedicated to creating groundbreaking products and services that redefine customer experiences and drive new revenue streams. Their mission is to continually evolve and stay ahead in a dynamic market, leveraging cutting-edge technology and deep customer understanding.

Are you a visionary researcher eager to shape the future of products from the ground up? We're seeking a highly strategic and commercially-minded individual to join a pioneering Product Ventures team. In this pivotal role, you won't just test designs; you'll be the architect of understanding, uncovering critical insights that directly inform what gets built next, driving the very foundation of new product development and market expansion. Your expertise will be instrumental in de-risking early-stage opportunities and ensuring that customer needs are at the heart of every innovation.

You will play a crucial role in a fast-paced, ambiguous, and scrappy environment, focusing on core product research rather than just usability. You'll join an established research team, collaborating closely with product management, engineering, and executive stakeholders to size customer problems, test early concepts, map personas, and guide strategic product decisions. This is an incredible opportunity to make a tangible impact on the direction of new product offerings and revenue streams.

What You'll Do

• Lead end-to-end qualitative and mixed-methods research to validate early venture concepts, explore net-new market opportunities, and map customer workflows.
• Act as a strategic thought partner to Product Management and Business leaders, helping to evaluate, prioritize, and sequence product bets.
• Devise creative sourcing and research strategies to gather rich user signals in complex enterprise environments where direct user access can be limited.
• Plan and facilitate learning workshops, concept testing sessions, and co-creation exercises across cross-functional teams.
• Distill complex user insights into clear, commercially minded recommendations that influence strategy and communicate effectively with executive leadership.
• Thoughtfully experiment with and utilize AI tools to accelerate qualitative synthesis, research planning, and moderation workflows, maintaining a healthy, grounded skepticism.
• Champion research rigor across the organization by empowering and guiding cross-functional partners to execute light research activities when appropriate.

What You'll Bring

• 5-7+ years of experience conducting UX/product research, with a strong focus on enterprise (B2B) software or data-driven platforms.
• Demonstrated track record of leading ambiguous discovery initiatives from inception to strategic impact, moving beyond strict usability or evaluative testing.
• High curiosity about business models, product-market fit, and revenue potential, adept at pairing user needs with viable enterprise solutions.
• Ability to clearly present complex, ambiguous findings to director- and VP-level stakeholders with confidence and actionable clarity.
• A pragmatic, resourceful mindset that thrives in ambiguity, adapts quickly to changing priorities, and finds creative ways to get answers.
• Curiosity about incorporating emerging AI tools into the research process, balanced with critical judgment regarding data quality, synthesis validity, and moderation ethics.

Desired Qualifications That Will Set You Apart

• Experience working within new venture incubators, innovation labs, or early-stage 0-to-1 product environments.
• Hands-on experience conducting research around platform interoperability, workflow optimization, or surveying/data analytics tools.
• Experience running research programs with constrained, niche, or difficult-to-recruit B2B participant pools.