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Senior Design Researcher - User Science

Remote, Home based - EMEA·Added 1 month ago

Canonical

232 open roles

Overview

Job details

  • Fully remote

    Only from certain places, per the ad: “This role will be based remotely in the EMEA region.”

Requirements

  • Have the right to work in Spain

    Canonical doesn't mention sponsorship, but this role may fit the Digital nomad visa.

  • Have senior-level experience

    Senior-level role.

  • University degree

    “Bachelor's or Master's degree in a related field such as Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Engineering or similar, or a compelling narrative about your alternative chosen path.” — per the ad.

Pay & benefits

What you'll get

Your base pay will depend on various factors including your geographical location, level of experience, knowledge and skills. In addition to the benefits below, certain roles are also eligible for additional benefits and rewards including annual bonuses and sales incentives based on revenue or utilisation. Our compensation philosophy is to ensure equity right across our global workforce.

In addition to a competitive base pay, we provide all team members with additional benefits, which reflect our values and ideals. Please note that additional benefits may apply depending on the work location and, for more information on these, you can ask in the later stages of the recruitment process.

  • Fully remote working environment - we've been working remotely since 2004!
  • Personal learning and development budget of 2,000USD per annum
  • Annual compensation review
  • Recognition rewards
  • Annual holiday leave
  • Parental Leave
  • Employee Assistance Programme
  • Opportunity to travel to new locations to meet colleagues at 'sprints'
  • Priority Pass for travel and travel upgrades for long haul company events

The role

We are hiring a Senior Design Researcher for our Design Team.

User Science is an evolving design discipline at Canonical. While we have long incorporated diverse research on user needs into our products, the mission of the newly formed User Science team is to expand beyond traditional models of UX research, integrating user needs end-to-end in development processes and quality standards across the company.

This mission requires skillful advocacy as well as organizational learning and change. As process pioneers, we draw insights from others, foster collaborative user research cultures, and constantly innovate with frameworks and standards.

This role sits in the design team reporting to the User Science Manager.

How you'll work

Location: This role will be based remotely in the EMEA region.

The role entails

  • Conducting user research: Developing user insights in diverse formats, identifying and championing user needs across product areas.
  • Sharing findings concisely and skillfully: Supporting different teams with well-matched research presentations and clear documentation systems.
  • Promoting and shaping a data-informed culture: Working closely with process, product, and engineering teams to integrate user research into existing decision-making flows.
  • Building research scalability and interoperability: Owning research ops infrastructure, making key methodologies more accessible, actionable, and repeatable.
  • Fostering a learning culture: Contributing to the evolving definition of User Science through user-centered training, resource development, and outreach.

What we are looking for in you

  • Exceptional academic track record from both high school and university
  • Bachelor's or Master's degree in a related field such as Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Engineering or similar, or a compelling narrative about your alternative chosen path.
  • Deep research expertise: Proficiency in both qualitative and quantitative user research methodologies, including user interviews, usability testing, A/B testing, surveys, and data analysis. Exceptional depth in either qualitative or quantitative skills.
  • Strong technical curiosity: An alignment with and interest in open-source culture and the ability to engage deeply with technical subjects and stakeholders.
  • Proficiency in visual design and/or information design: Capability to translate complex data or ideas into strong, convincing visuals, ensuring that insights are both accessible and memorable.
  • A talent for storytelling and collaboration: Outstanding ability to craft narratives that effectively explain research findings and resonate with diverse audiences.
  • A knack for turning chaos into clarity: Meticulous organization and archivist skills, with the ability to transform scattered findings or disparate processes into cohesive, structured knowledge systems.
  • Portfolio: A robust portfolio showcasing a range of user research and/or design projects that highlight the ability to derive actionable insights from research and directly influence 1) product design and strategy or 2) organizational change.

Hiring process

6 steps5 interviewsa task to doabout 3 months in all
  1. Application

  2. Written interview

    In your own time

    A written submission tailored to the role presenting your academic and professional accomplishments; you choose format and length, and two domain experts grade it.

  3. Psychometric assessment (GIA)

    Online test · 30–45 min

    A cognitive-ability test measuring aptitude, problem solving and speed of learning, required for all applicants.

  4. Technical assessment

    Not every role

    A domain-specific assessment for some roles, graded by domain experts and discussed in later interviews.

  5. Early stage interviews

    With future colleagues and stakeholders · 3 sessions

    Three interviews with future colleagues and stakeholders focused on technical and domain skills.

  6. Talent interview

    With Talent Science team

    Interview with the Talent Science team including a 10-minute Personality Profile Analysis; compensation is first discussed here.

  7. Late stage interviews

    With potential manager, Hiring Lead and senior stakeholders

    Meet your potential manager, the Hiring Lead and senior stakeholders; management and leadership candidates also meet the CEO.

  8. Offer and onboarding · With a Hiring Lead

  • After application review you get a personal dashboard showing your assessment and interview plan.
  • The written interview is submitted anonymously to reduce bias early on.
  • You may apply to a single job once, or to four different jobs, in any 180-day period.

About Canonical

Canonical is the publisher of Ubuntu, the world's most widely used open-source operating system for cloud, IoT, and enterprise environments. Founded in 2004, the company is a global leader in open-source software, providing secure, supported Ubuntu solutions to enterprises, developers, and device manufacturers. With a distributed workforce spanning over 80 countries, Canonical drives innovation in areas like AI, edge computing, and cloud-native technologies, making it a key player in the open-source ecosystem.

Canonical has a strong presence in Spain, with a significant number of open roles across engineering, product, marketing, and sales. The company is known for its fully remote-first culture, allowing employees to work from anywhere, including Spain. For international professionals, Canonical offers a unique opportunity to contribute to world-class open-source projects, collaborate with a global team, and enjoy flexible work arrangements. The company values autonomy, excellence, and a passion for open-source, making it an attractive employer for those seeking a dynamic, remote-friendly environment.

Industry
Cloud/Ubuntu
Founded
2004
Employees
1,000–5,000
Headquarters
London, UK

Good to know if you are moving

  • Canonical is a remote-first company, allowing employees to work from anywhere, including Spain, with no requirement to relocate to a central office.
  • The company offers a diverse, international work environment with colleagues from over 80 countries, providing a global perspective.
  • Canonical is a major contributor to open-source projects, offering opportunities to work on widely-used technologies like Ubuntu, Kubernetes, and OpenStack.
  • Employees often receive a competitive salary and benefits, including home office setup allowances and professional development opportunities.
  • The company values autonomy and self-motivation, making it ideal for professionals who thrive in a flexible, results-driven culture.

In their own words

About the company & team

Canonical is a leading provider of open source software and operating systems to the global enterprise and technology markets. Our platform, Ubuntu, is very widely used in breakthrough enterprise initiatives such as public cloud, data science, AI, engineering innovation and IoT. Our customers include the world's leading public cloud and silicon providers, and industry leaders in many sectors. The company is a pioneer of global distributed collaboration, with 1200+ colleagues in 75+ countries and very few office based roles. Teams meet two to four times yearly in person, in interesting locations around the world, to align on strategy and execution.

The company is founder led, profitable and growing.

Canonical is a pioneering tech firm that is at the forefront of the global move to open source. As the company that publishes Ubuntu, one of the most important open source projects and the platform for AI, IoT and the cloud, we are changing the world on a daily basis. We recruit on a global basis and set a very high standard for people joining the company. We expect excellence - in order to succeed, we need to be the best at what we do.

Canonical has been a remote-first company since its inception in 2004. Work at Canonical is a step into the future, and will challenge you to think differently, work smarter, learn new skills, and raise your game. Canonical provides a unique window into the world of 21st-century digital business.

Additional information

We are proud to foster a workplace free from discrimination. Diversity of experience, perspectives, and background create a better work environment and better products. Whatever your identity, we will give your application fair consideration.

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