Senior Design Researcher User Science

About Canonical

Canonical is a leading provider of open-source software and operating systems for global enterprise and technology markets. The company publishes Ubuntu, a widely used platform in enterprise initiatives such as public cloud, data science, AI, engineering innovation, and IoT. Canonical operates as a globally distributed company with over 1200 colleagues across more than 75 countries, maintaining a remote-first work culture since its inception in 2004. Teams meet in person two to four times annually for strategic alignment.

The Role: Senior Design Researcher, User Science

Canonical is seeking a Senior Design Researcher for its Design Team in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This full-time role reports to the User Science Manager. The User Science team focuses on integrating user needs throughout development processes and quality standards, moving beyond traditional UX research models. This involves advocating for user insights, fostering collaborative research cultures, and innovating with frameworks and standards.

Key Responsibilities

• Conducting user research to develop diverse user insights and champion user needs across various product areas.
• Sharing research findings concisely and skillfully, providing well-matched presentations and clear documentation to different teams.
• Promoting and shaping a data-informed culture by integrating user research into existing decision-making flows with process, product, and engineering teams.
• Building research scalability and interoperability, including owning research operations infrastructure and making key methodologies accessible, actionable, and repeatable.
• Fostering a learning culture by contributing to the evolving definition of User Science through user-centered training, resource development, and outreach.

Qualifications and Experience

• A minimum of 5 to 10 years of experience in design research or a related field.
• Demonstrated ability to conduct comprehensive user research and translate findings into actionable insights.
• Experience in presenting research findings to diverse stakeholders and integrating research into product development cycles.
• Proficiency in developing and implementing research methodologies and infrastructure.

Work Environment and Culture

Canonical operates as a remote-first company, fostering a collaborative global environment. The company values diversity of experience, perspectives, and background, and is committed to maintaining a workplace free from discrimination. Compensation includes a competitive base pay, with additional benefits that may vary based on location and role, including potential annual bonuses and sales incentives.