User Researcher

We are seeking a Staff User Researcher to define how research operates across BEP's full product portfolio and elevate product and design decisions through systematic user insight. In close partnership with the VP of Design, you'll shape research strategy, organization design, and the roadmap for scaling the function - while building the operations, processes, and standards that support seven product lines.

The ideal person is a builder who thrives in ambiguity and gets energized by creating structure where none exists. You've been the first or early researcher before and understand what it takes to establish research as a respected, strategic function.

Buyers Edge Platform stands at the forefront of revolutionizing the food service industry through technology, purchasing power and partnerships. We are dedicated to empowering stakeholders across the entire food service ecosystem (operators, distributors, manufacturers) with efficiency and unprecedented visibility. With a diverse portfolio of over a dozen brands, our mission is clear: to reduce costs, streamline the food service supply chain, and propel the industry from manual to automated.

Today, we are one of the largest players in food service, with over 200K operator locations across North America and over $60 billion of aggregated spend volume. Our commitment to food service excellence is proven in four distinct areas of value:
Digital Procurement Network, Fresh Solutions, Supply Chain Management, and Software. Buyers Edge Platform is not just a provider – we are a strategic partner on the journey towards a more efficient, connected, and automated future for the food service industry.

This is a fully remote role. We are unable to offer sponsorship for work authorization.

• Define and execute the vision, strategy, and operating model for research at BEP
• Design scalable research operations across 7 product lines with varying maturity, users, and business models
• Establish foundational systems: research repository, intake and prioritization processes, governance, quality standards, participant recruitment, and data privacy practices
• Partner with design leadership to shape the roadmap and long‑term plan for growing research as a strategic capability

• Uplevel the design team’s research capability through coaching, workshops, critiques, and office hours
• Create practical frameworks, templates, and toolkits that make high‑quality research easier and more consistent
• Model strong research craft while empowering designers to confidently own appropriate research
• Exercise sound judgment on when to lead directly vs. enable from the sidelines

• Lead complex, ambiguous research initiatives that inform product direction and executive decisions
• Proactively identify gaps in organizational understanding and initiate research to address them
• Synthesize insights across products to uncover patterns, opportunities, and strategic recommendations
• Translate findings into compelling narratives that drive alignment and action
• Partner closely with Product, Design, and cross‑functional leaders to ensure research meaningfully shapes roadmaps

• Establish research as a trusted, strategic voice within product and design leadership
• Clearly communicate the value and impact of research to stakeholders
• Advocate for users in critical decision‑making moments
• Help embed user‑centered thinking across BEP’s product organization

• 8–10+ years of experience in user research, ideally in B2B SaaS or enterprise software
• Experience building research practices, systems, and team capability from scratch
• Deep expertise across qualitative and quantitative methods, with strong judgment on when and how to apply them
• Experience designing research operations that scale (repositories, panels, governance, intake processes)
• Strong coaching and enablement skills
• Proven ability to influence product and design strategy through research insights
• Comfort with ambiguity and leading without predefined structure
• Excellent communication and storytelling skills…