I'm a specialist in Research Operations. I help research leaders deliver practices that are ethical, efficient and scalable. I help researchers focus on what they do best - research.

About Me

My name is Kate Towsey. Since 2012, I’ve specialised in consulting on Research Operations for large organisations. A significant contributor to the emerging practice of Research Ops, I started the ResearchOps Community in 2018 and instigated the #WhatisResearchOps initiative, a global movement that put Research Ops on the map. That same year, I moved from England to Sydney, Australia, where I’ve built and now manage a global team delivering Research Operations for Atlassian.

In 2019, having learned the value of focused and slow-growing, I founded an invite-only community for people delivering Research Operations globally. It’s small. It’s manageable. There is power in tiny. It's called the Cha Cha Club.

I run workshops on Research Ops strategy around the world and collaborate with Rosenfeld Media and other interesting partners in growing and shaping the practice.

I coach newbies to Research Ops and consult for large organisations on topics including operational strategy, research labs, participant recruitment services, data governance, knowledge management, research communications and more.

I’m a regular guest on podcasts and speaker at conferences. I'm currently writing Research at Scale: The Research Operations Handbook, which is due to be published by Rosenfeld Media in 2022. 

Talks and workshops

I usually spend a good chunk of my time travelling around the world to share with (and learn from) research and operational professionals. It's one of my favourite things to do. COVID-19 put a dent in much of that, so I'm writing a book instead! Lemonade out of lemons, indeed.

I am however doing virtual talks and have enjoyed several this year. Reach out if you'd like me to talk at your conference.  

Workshops

Nothing until further notice. 

Talks

Past

UX New Zealand, 2020 | Research Ops War Stories and Triumphs
Future London Academy, UX Research Live | 14 April, 2021 | How to Scale Operations to Turbocharge Your Research Practice
UserZoom Webinar | 30 June, 2021 | Turbocharge Your Research Practice With ResearchOps

Upcoming

WebExpo, Prague | 21 September, 2021 |  Research Ops War Stories and Triumphs

Previous Talks

Interviews and Podcasts

Starting a Research Ops Practice

ResearchOps is an integral part of doing effective and efficient research, but getting a practice set up can be a lot of work.

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The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up (Your User Research Process)

Research Ops Manager at Atlassian Kate Towsey talks to us about clearing the way for great research with an organizational machete.

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An Interview with Kate Towsey

Explore the future of Research in our new series of interviews, Researchers Spilling Tea, featuring minds from some of the world's leading companies.

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What is ResearchOps

The Aurelius podcast is a show that brings you insights, thoughts and tactics from leading UX designers, product leaders and user researchers from across multiple industries and companies.

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ResearchOps Spotlight

Kate is at the forefront of ResearchOps and has contributed to the emerging discipline by setting up an online community for researchers where they can discuss their challenges and crowdsource new ideas. We were able to chat with Kate about her experiences working as a research consultant, as well as the exciting opportunities and challenges she’s facing in her new gig as the Research Operations Lead at Atlassian.

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The future is scalable

When it comes to Research Operations, Kate Towsey is an expert. In addition to her current experience leading the team at Atlassian, she has years of experience working independently for a variety of clients. In her free time, she also started the largest community for professionals in this space. As the field of UX research continues to grow exponentially, scaling effectively will be paramount. Join us to better understand how to scale your growing research team.

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UXResearch.fm

We interview pioneering UX Researchers and chat about career trajectories , research methods and much more

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Contact Me