Senior UX Researcher - Publishing Industry

Job Title: Senior UX Researcher - Publishing Industry
Location: London - once a week in the office
Salary/Rate: £604 per day inside IR35
Start Date: 11/05/2026
Job Type: Contract - 3 months initially

Company Introduction
We have an exciting opportunity now available with one of our sector-leading publishing clients! They are currently looking for a skilled Senior UX Researcher to join their team for an initial three-month contract.

Job Responsibilities/Objectives
You'll lead our understanding of user behaviours, needs, and motivations, setting the direction for UX Research across a business or product line. You'll bring expertise in a wide range of research and testing methods, and your insights will directly influence strategy and design decisions. Along the way, you'll also play a supportive role in mentoring fellow researchers, helping the team grow stronger together

• Focuses on customer and user needs by understanding use cases, integrating UX feedback into design, aligning teams to meet expectations, sharing insights, and analysing market segments and competitors.
• Applies creative problem solving by thoroughly analysing briefs, exploring multiple perspectives, collaborating with stakeholders and designers, and using research insights and reflection to guide and test solutions.
• Leads user-centred product design by applying diverse UX research techniques, mentoring junior team members, producing research documentation, and collaborating with UX and visual designers to shape both structure and visual identity.
• Uses data-driven analysis and testing to inform strategy by regularly testing with users, establishing key metrics, iterating research methods, summarising insights, and identifying data gaps to improve decision-making.
• Demonstrates strong technical research skills by expertly using relevant tools and software across varied contexts, mentoring junior researchers, and collaborating effectively with tech teams.
• Practices self-development by taking ownership of growth, engaging in regular feedback, aligning with business needs, learning from experience, and leveraging networks to build challenges into current work.
• Effectively solves problems by gathering facts from multiple sources, analysing issues thoroughly, and independently managing day-to-day challenges.
• Is recognised as an innovative thinker who develops and implements new ideas, integrates diverse perspectives, and challenges the status quo to create fresh opportunities.
• Communicates clearly and effectively by giving direction, actively listening and questioning to understand others, and providing business context to aid understanding.
• Encourages collaboration and teamwork by fostering open communication, resolving conflicts, removing performance barriers, and promoting cross-team cooperation.
• Effectively builds strong working relationships by collaborating respectfully, resolving conflicts constructively, and fostering team cohesion.

Required Skills/Experience
The ideal candidate will have the following:

• Deep understanding of UX research best practices and tools.
• Design and oversee user research initiatives, leveraging methods such as ethnographic studies, usability testing, and analytics.
• Build strong relationships across teams and functions, fostering collaboration in research and design efforts.
• Bachelors or Masters degree in a design subject (Psychology, UX, HCI, Product Design, Design, Graphic Design, etc discipline) is preferred, but not required.
• Previous publishing industry experience could be beneficial.

If you are interested in this opportunity, please apply now with your updated CV in Microsoft Word/PDF format.

Disclaimer
Notwithstanding any guidelines given to level of experience sought, we will consider candidates from outside this range if they can demonstrate the necessary competencies.
Square One is acting as both an employment agency and an employment business, and is an equal opportunities recruitment business. Square One embraces diversity and will treat everyone equally. Please see our website for our full diversity statement.