UX Research Operations Specialist

At GitLab, UX Research Operations Specialists enable and scale user research capabilities across the organization by designing and managing the research infrastructure and processes, and driving participant engagement to maximize research efficiency and outcomes quality.

Core Responsibilities

  • Participant Recruitment & Management: Coordinate all aspects of participant recruitment, screening, scheduling, incentivizing and panel management for user research studies
  • Research Process Optimization: Continuously examine, experiment, and improve research operations processes to increase efficiency and quality
  • Tool & Vendor Management: Administer research toolsets, manage vendor relationships, and evaluate new tools to support research needs
  • Documentation & Training: Maintain comprehensive documentation, create training materials, and support researchers with self-service guidance
  • Governance & Compliance: Ensure research operations adhere to legal, privacy, and compliance requirements in collaboration with relevant teams
  • Insight Repository Management: Work with the UX Researchers to maintain centralized repositories for research insights and findings
  • Internal & External Outreach: Drive initiatives to grow research awareness, participant panels, and research culture across the organization
  • Cross-functional Collaboration: Partner with Product Designers, Product Managers, UX Researchers, and other stakeholders to understand and fulfill research operations needs

Core Requirements

  • Organizational Excellence: Exceptional organizational skills with ability to manage multiple concurrent projects and priorities
  • Communication & Collaboration: Strong written and verbal communication skills with ability to work effectively across diverse teams
  • Problem-Solving Mindset: Critical thinking and creative problem-solving abilities to address operational challenges
  • Adaptability: Flexibility to thrive in a fast-paced, evolving environment with changing priorities
  • Attention to Detail: Meticulous attention to detail in process execution and documentation
  • Values Alignment: Share our values, and work in accordance with those values.

UX Research Operations Specialist (Intermediate)

The UX Research Operations Specialist (Intermediate) reports to a UX Research Manager.

Job Grade

The UX Research Operations Specialist (Intermediate) is a grade 6.

Responsibilities

  • Execute established participant recruitment processes across multiple research studies simultaneously
  • Manage participant outreach, screening, scheduling, and incentive distribution according to established protocols
  • Maintain accurate documentation of recruitment activities and participant interactions
  • Administer research tools and platforms under guidance from senior team members
  • Support researchers with logistics coordination and basic operational needs
  • Respond to participant inquiries and resolve standard recruitment challenges
  • Assist in maintaining research participant panels and databases
  • Track and report on basic operational metrics such as recruitment timelines and participant satisfaction
  • Collaborate with internal teams to understand research requirements and timelines
  • Follow established compliance and privacy protocols in all participant interactions

Requirements

  • Experience with scheduling systems and research tools and platforms
  • Proficiency in using GitLab for tracking and managing work
  • Strong service orientation with experience managing stakeholder relationships

Senior UX Research Operations Specialist

The Senior UX Research Operations Coordinator reports to a UX Research Manager.

Job Grade

The Senior UX Research Operations Specialist is a grade 7.

Responsibilities

  • Execute all UX Research Operations Specialist responsibilities with increased autonomy and complexity
  • Analyze and optimize existing recruitment and operational processes to improve efficiency and quality
  • Own vendor relationships and quarterly reviews for research tools and services, assist the UX Research Leadership on contract management and renewal processes
  • Develop and maintain standardized templates, workflows, and best practices for research operations
  • Create and deliver training materials for researchers on self-service processes and tools
  • Manage research operations budget tracking, forecasting, and reporting
  • Lead participant panel growth strategies and engagement initiatives
  • Collaborate with Legal, Compliance, and Privacy teams on governance requirements
  • Report on ReOps metrics every other quarter with UXR leadership’s guidance
  • Mentor junior team members and provide guidance on complex operational challenges

Requirements

  • Demonstrated experience in process improvement and operational optimization
  • Strong analytical skills with ability to interpret data and create actionable recommendations
  • Experience managing vendor relationships and assessment

Staff UX Research Operations Specialist

The Staff UX Research Operations Coordinator reports to a Senior UX Research Manager.

Job Grade

The Staff UX Research Operations Specialist is a grade 8.

Responsibilities

  • Execute complex operational work while driving strategic initiatives across the research organization
  • Develop and implement research operations strategy aligned with organizational goals and research needs
  • Establish governance frameworks and standards for research operations across all teams
  • Lead cross-functional initiatives to improve research efficiency and impact measurement
  • Design and implement scalable systems for research data management and insight repository
  • Drive internal and external outreach programs to build research culture and participant engagement
  • Partner with UX Research leadership to identify and address operational gaps and opportunities
  • Lead complex tool implementations and system integrations
  • Establish metrics and reporting frameworks to measure research operations effectiveness
  • Influence product and business strategy through expanding the reach and impact of research insights and recommendations

Requirements

  • Experience leading cross-functional initiatives and driving organizational change
  • Strong systems thinking with ability to design scalable operational frameworks
  • Proven track record of building and optimizing research operations programs

Principal UX Research Operations Specialist

The Principal UX Research Operations Coordinator reports to a Senior UX Research Manager.

Job Grade

The Principal UX Research Operations Specialist is a grade 9.

Responsibilities

  • Execute critical operational work while setting vision and strategy for research operations
  • Communicate and drive the strategic vision for research operations across the organization
  • Establish industry best practices and drive innovation in research operations methodology
  • Lead initiatives that directly impact business outcomes through improved research capabilities
  • Build and maintain research culture across the organization through strategic outreach and education
  • Partner with UXR leadership to align research operations with company strategy
  • Establish thought leadership in the research operations community through external speaking and content creation
  • Mentor and develop people who do research on research operations across all teams
  • Lead strategic vendor partnerships and evaluate emerging technologies for research operations
  • Drive measurement and communication of research operations impact on business metrics

Requirements

  • Demonstrated experience in strategic planning and vision setting for operational functions
  • Strong leadership and mentoring capabilities with ability to influence at all organizational levels
  • Experience in external thought leadership and industry engagement

Hiring Process

Candidates for this position can expect the hiring process to follow the order below. Please keep in mind that candidates can be declined from the position at any stage of the process.

(1) Selected candidates will be invited to schedule a 30-minute screening call with one of our Global Recruiters. In this call, we will discuss your experience, understand what you are looking for in a UX Research Operations Coordinator role, discuss your compensation expectations and reasons why you want to join GitLab, and answer any questions you have.

(2) Then you will meet with our UXR Manager, who will talk about your career, experience, go through some scenario-based questions and ensure there’s time for your questions too.

(3) After that, we’ll then invite you to create a 15-minute video presenting a case study on one or two of your most interesting projects. Use a slide deck to support your presentation. We’re excited to learn more about your experience and how you’ve contributed to impactful projects. Your slide deck should include:

  • Context and Objectives: Briefly describe the project’s background, the goals, and the challenges.
  • Your Role and Contributions: Highlight your specific responsiblities and actions taken to address the challenges.
  • Processes and Tools: Share the methods, tools, workflows you used to deliver the project.
  • Outcomes and Impact: Summarize the results of your efforts and the impact on the team or stakeholders.
  • Lessons Learned: Reflect on what went well, what didn’t, and what you would do differently in the future.

Why we ask for a case study

  1. It helps us understand your hands-on experience with research operations or coordination.
  2. It demonstrates how you approach and solve complex challenges.
  3. It gives insight into your communication and storytelling skills when presenting your work.

What topics it could be about

It could be about complex projects that pose:

  • Recruitment challenges: Projects where you managed participant recruitment under tight deadlines or with complex criteria.
  • Process improvement opportunities: Examples of streamlining workflows, managing compliance, or introducing new tools or methods.
  • Data organization and insight management challenges: A project where you handle complex data requests or implement systems to organize research insights effectively.

Or, it could also be about projects that didn’t go well overall, in which case you can focus on:

  1. Challenges: What went wrong, and why?
  2. What could have been done better/differently: Reflect on alternative approaches or solutions.
  3. Enables or Disablers: What would you put in plae or remove if given another chance?

What we’re looking for

  • Problem-Solving Skills: How you approached challenges and found solutions.
  • Organizational and Time Management Skills: Your ability to manage tasks, deadlines, and competing priorities.
  • Collaboration and Communication: How you worked with researchers or stakeholders and communicated outcomes effectively.
  • Technical Proficiency: Your familiarity with tools, workflows, and compliance standards like GDPR.
  • Reflection and Growth: Your ability to learn from challenges and improve processes.

To keep the presentation relevant, please avoid

  • General descriptions of your role: Focus on specific projects, not a high-level overview of your day-to-day responsibilities.
  • Overly technical details: We don’t need an in-depth walkthrough of technical tools or systems unless it’s directly relevant to the case study.
  • Off-topic projects: Avoid examples unrelated to research operations or coordination, such as projects in unrelated fields or roles.

Submitting your case study

Some useful resources

(4) You will then meet with a Peer UX Research Ops Coordinator to learn more about your experience and operational expertise. This is a good opportunity for you to ask specific question about the day-to-day of the role too.

(5) Your final interview will be with a UX Researcher and focus on collaboration and understanding of research needs.

Successful candidates will then move into the offer process and receive an offer via a Zoom call.

Additional details about our process can be found on our hiring page.

 

About GitLab

GitLab is an open core software company that develops the most comprehensive AI-powered DevSecOps Platform, used by more than 100,000 organizations. Our mission is to enable everyone to contribute to and co-create the software that powers our world. When everyone can contribute, consumers become contributors, significantly accelerating the rate of human progress. This mission is integral to our culture, influencing how we hire, build products, and lead our industry. We make this possible at GitLab by running our operations on our product and staying aligned with our values. Learn more about Life at GitLab. Thanks to products like Duo Enterprise, and Duo Workflow, customers get the benefit of AI at every stage of the SDLC. The same principles built into our products are reflected in how our team works: we embrace AI as a core productivity multiplier. All team members are encouraged and expected to incorporate AI into their daily workflows to drive efficiency, innovation, and impact across our global organisation.

See our culture page for more!

Work remotely from anywhere in the world. Curious to see what that looks like? Check out our remote manifesto and guides.

Last modified July 24, 2025: Update file ux-research-operations-coordinator.md (b263d1d7)
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