UX Research Engagement Lead, (Senior Consultant, Business & Product Delivery)

Fearless is a digital integration consultancy on a mission to build a better tomorrow. They are seeking a UX Research Engagement Lead to lead discovery research for a state government permitting reform initiative, focusing on understanding workflows and translating research into actionable recommendations.

Responsibilities:

• Lead end-to-end discovery research strategy across two parallel tracks examining permitting workflows at multiple state agencies
• Conduct contextual inquiry and observational research at government work sites to document how processes actually operate versus how they are intended to function
• Facilitate stakeholder interviews and workshops with government staff, municipal agencies, licensed professionals, and residents to surface pain points and workarounds
• Synthesize research findings into service blueprints, process maps, functional requirements, and executive reports that support strategic decision-making
• Validate all findings with research participants before final submission to ensure process documentation and recommendations accurately reflect user reality
• Translate complex, messy workflows into clear narratives and visual artifacts that inform procurement teams, technical staff, and executive leadership
• Coordinate directly with the client Product Owner to adapt research plans as patterns emerge and communicate progress throughout the engagement
• Ensure all deliverables satisfy the Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) by tracing every finding to primary research evidence and maintaining methodological rigor

Requirements:

• Minimum of 7 years of experience in user research, service design, or related roles conducting discovery research for complex systems
• Demonstrated experience leading discovery-phase research for complex, multi-stakeholder services involving broken or fragmented processes
• Proven expertise conducting field research methods including contextual inquiry and observational research where users work
• Experience producing service blueprints, process flows, or equivalent artifacts that map workflows across multiple actors, systems, and handoffs
• Strong synthesis skills translating raw research into actionable insights and recommendations for executives, procurement teams, and technical staff
• Portfolio or case studies demonstrating discovery research outputs beyond usability testing of existing products
• Experience conducting research in state or local government contexts
• Familiarity with permitting, licensing, or rules-based regulatory processes