Senior UX Strategist & Researcher, Research Operations

Job Description:HelloFresh is going AI-first. Join us in leading the shift and building the infrastructure that makes world-class research and strategy possible at scale. As a Senior UX Strategist & Researcher in Research Operations, you'll own work from operational gap to scalable program — designing the tools, processes, and systems that let researchers and product teams move faster, ask sharper questions, and act on insight with confidence. You'll use AI as a genuine creative and operational partner to build things that weren't possible even last year — from AI-assisted product validation workflows to automated recruitment pipelines.The most valued teammates today don't just respond to requests. They proactively identify where the system breaks down, build programs before anyone has to ask, and earn a seat at the strategic table by making everyone around them more effective. This isn't a single-lane role. If you thrive on variety and want your fingerprints across the full UX and research ecosystem, you’ll make an impact here. We're looking for someone who can conduct a research study in the morning, turn insights into a visual artifact by afternoon, and spend the next sprint building the AI agent or operational system that makes the next ten studies faster. Above all, we are looking for people who will make HelloFresh better. We believe skills are built in many ways. If you don't “tick every box” but think you'd thrive here, we'd love to hear from you.About the teamThe Insight & Experience Innovation (IXI) practice is a multidisciplinary, global team of UX Research Strategists and Research Operations Specialists within HelloFresh Group's UX organization. We sit at the intersection of operational excellence, human insight, and strategic direction — partnering with cross-functional leadership to shape what gets built and why.You will … Build and scale research infrastructure: Own the development of the systems, tools, and programs that enable researchers and cross-functional partners to make evidence-based decisions at scale — spanning knowledge management, recruitment, democratization, tooling, governance, and more. Translate diverse and ambiguous cross-functional needs into scalable programs and improved ways of working.Drive AI-assisted tooling and automation: Identify and build AI-powered workflows and automations. Accelerate discovery and the product design lifecycle end-to-end— from intake and recruitment through synthesis and implementation. Bring new capabilities into live operations and establish clear guardrails for when and how to deploy them.Influence at strategic altitude: influence decision-makers— often at senior or executive level — by presenting in formats that force a decision in the room, not a follow-up meeting. Build concept artifacts and feasibility frameworks that make choices in system design tangible.Proactively drive operational excellence: Lead discovery workshops to proactively identify operational gaps, forecast resource needs, and define the team's strategic roadmap. Shape the agenda with intention— surface problems early, propose solutions, and own the outcome.Match teams to the right solutions: Serve as an operational consultant to researchers and cross-functional stakeholders. Understand their workflows, goals, and constraints well enough to recommend the right program method, mechanism, or tool for their use case. Advocate their value and onboard new teams into these systems.Lead strategic research for insights to action: When needed, own the end-to-end research and strategy work streams, from scoping through execution to insight delivery and application, balancing generative, evaluative, qualitative, and quantitative methods. Make insights visible - build the prototype and concept visualizations needed to express strategic direction.Shape experiences across the ecosystem: Partner with product, design, marketing, operations, and business teams to understand and shape experiences across the full customer and service ecosystem. Proactively identify which bets need de-risking. Challenge briefs before executing them. Connect findings to business decisions, market context, and KPIs. Use AI as a force multiplier: Integrate AI across the full stack, removing the execution barriers that kept researchers in their lane. Push the edges of what's possible — experiment with AI-assisted co-creation and novel applications – upskilling others in this domain. Apply strong critical judgment throughout — knowing what good looks like and when to override the model is as important as knowing how to use it.You have…5+ years in UX research, UX strategy, Research Operations, or a closely related field within a tech environmentHands-on experience building and scaling business-critical research systems to enable research quality and consistency Mixed-methods toolkit with strong judgment for when to apply which approach, rightsized to the level of speed and rigor required for the contextExperience influencing senior-level stakeholders — changing significant decisions, not just informing themAbility to prototype and visualize strategic direction independently — through concept sketches, lo-fi prototypes, service blueprints, or AI-assisted artifactsGenuine AI fluency in a research or strategy context — demonstrated point of view on how AI should change our workflows and where its limits are, as well as practical experience applying AI in real project contextsStrong business acumen - able to connect research to trade-offs, market context, and commercial implicationsYou’ll get…Competitive salary, 401k with company match that vests immediately upon participationGenerous PTO, including sabbatical, and parental leave of up to 16 weeksComprehensive health and wellness benefits with options at $0 monthly, effective first day of employmentTuition reimbursement for continuing education (upon 2 years of service)Up to 85% discount on subscriptions to HelloFresh meal plans (HelloFresh, Green Chef, Everyplate, and Factor_) Access to Employee Resource Groups that are open to all employees, including those pertaining to BIPOC, women, veterans, parents, and LGBTQ+Inclusive, collaborative, and dynamic work environment within a fast-paced, mission-driven company that is disrupting the traditional food supply chainThis job description is intended to provide a general overview of the responsibilities. However, the Company reserves the right to adjust, modify, or reassign work tasks and responsibilities as needed to meet changing business needs, operational requirements, or other factors.Colorado Pay Range$94,815—$109,650 USD