UX Research Lead (12-month maternity cover)

About Builder.ai 

We’re on a mission to make software development building so easy everyone can do it – regardless of their background, tech knowledge or budget.  We’ve already helped thousands of entrepreneurs, small businesses and even global brands, like the BBC, Makro and Pepsi achieve their software goals and we’ve only just started. 

With a truly global footprint encompassing offices across EMEA, APAC, and the Americas, Builder.ai is driving innovation on a worldwide scale. Having secured over $450 million in funding to date, supported by prominent investors including QIA and Microsoft, the opportunity to join Builder.ai has never been more exciting.

Life at Builder.ai

At Builder.ai we encourage you to experiment! Each role at Builder has unlimited opportunities to learn, progress and challenge the status quo. We want you to help us become even better at supporting our customers and take software development building to new heights.

Our global team is diverse, collaborative and exceptionally talented. We hire people for their differences but all unite with our shared belief in Builder’s mission to unlock human potential through the power of software.

In return for your skills and commitment, we offer a range of great perks, from private healthcare and discretionary variable pay or commission scheme, to employee stock options, generous paid leave, and trips abroad #WhatWillYouBuild

About the role

We’re looking for an experienced Research Lead to join our Design team on a 12-month maternity cover, reporting to the VP of Design. This is a great opportunity to have a real impact on shaping AI-powered products for a global audience, directly influencing the customer experience of over 150,000 monthly visitors searching for business tech solutions.

At Builder.ai, we use cutting-edge AI and a modular software approach to deliver high-quality solutions faster and more efficiently. As part of the Design team and in collaboration with Product, AI, Design, and Data, you’ll work closely with product managers, designers, and engineers to bring clarity to complex challenges and unlock growth through user insights. From exploratory studies to in-product experimentation, you'll lead all research activities using a wide range of qualitative and quantitative methods to inform product direction and design decisions. You’ll also be a key contributor to our research-led customer experience roadmap, ensuring our product vision is grounded in real user insight and aligned with the company’s ambitious growth targets.

If you’re passionate about user research and design — and excited by the potential of AI to redefine what software can do — while wanting to influence strategy and stay hands-on, this role is for you.

You'll be responsible for

• Lead end-to-end UX research across the product lifecycle—from early discovery to post-release evaluation—using a mix of qualitative, quantitative, and behavioral methods.
• Own and evolve the research roadmap, covering product development, the B2B sales funnel, and revenue growth initiatives.
• Translate insights into action by identifying opportunities, prioritizing research focus areas, and delivering measurable impact through product engagement, CX metrics, and ROI.
• Collaborate with product, design, AI, data, growth, revenue, and delivery teams to influence strategy and decision-making at all levels.
• Implement and refine research methodologies, tools, and frameworks to drive efficiency and scalability across teams while mentoring a mid-level researcher.

• 7+ years of UX research experience, with a strong track record in senior or lead roles — ideally in B2B or SaaS. A Master’s degree in Psychology, HCI, or a related field is preferred.
• Proven ability to lead end-to-end research and deliver clear, strategic insights that influence product direction, design decisions, and business growth.
• Strong proficiency in a wide range of qualitative and quantitative methods, including interviews, surveys, focus groups, usability tests, customer journey mapping, funnel analysis, and behavioral analytics.
• Experience with market research, competitive analysis, A/B testing, and synthesising insights from multiple data sources to uncover actionable opportunities.
• Confidence in using research and analytics tools such as UserTesting, Qualtrics, Hotjar, Google Analytics, Mixpanel, Qlik, or similar platforms.
• Experience in developing research roadmaps, frameworks, and user-centred processes at team or organisational level to drive business impact.
• Skilled at managing multiple projects and driving alignment across cross-functional teams around shared goals.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to confidently present research findings and influence stakeholders at all levels.
• Passionate about the impact of research on product innovation and growth, especially within AI-enabled and data-rich product ecosystems.