UX Researcher

About the role 

Were building a centralised UX Research capability within a FTSE 250 financial services organisation and this role is a key part of that foundation. 

As a midweight UX Researcher youll lead meaningful research that shapes product direction builds shared confidence and helps teams make better decisions earlier. Youll be aligned to a specific business area (either Direct to Consumer or Advised) while sitting within a growing central UX Research team giving you both focus and community. 

This is a hands-on role for a confident researcher who can independently plan and deliver high-quality discovery research work closely with designers and product teams and clearly communicate insight to influence outcomes. 

What youll be doing 

• Lead generative and tactical discovery research end-to-end from framing the problem through to insight and recommendations 

• Select and apply appropriate research methods to meet research goals with autonomy and confidence 

• Partner closely with UX Designers on tactical discovery supporting early exploration and shaping ideas before evaluative testing 

• Conduct a mix of qualitative and quantitative research including: 

• Moderated discovery interviews 

• Unmoderated think-aloud studies 

• Surveys 

• In-person observation where appropriate 

• Synthesise research into clear actionable insights that teams can use immediately 

• Present findings and recommendations to stakeholders tailoring the message to different audiences 

• Provide strong evidence to support decision-making helping teams move forward with confidence 

• Contribute to the development of research practices ways of working and tooling as the function matures 

What good looks like in this role 

• You can run discovery research independently and know how to adapt when things change 

• Youre comfortable making methodological decisions and explaining why youve taken a particular approach 

• Stakeholders trust your work and understand the value of research because you communicate it clearly 

• Designers see you as a partner not a handover point 

• Youre confident speaking up when evidence challenges assumptions and you do it constructively 

• You help establish thoughtful pragmatic research practices rather than over-engineering process 

Skills & experience were looking for 

• Proven experience working as a UX Researcher leading studies independently 

• Strong grounding in qualitative research with experience applying quantitative methods where appropriate 

• Confidence choosing and applying research methods to answer real product questions 

• Experience collaborating with designers and product teams in an agile or iterative environment 

• Ability to synthesise complex findings into clear compelling insight 

• Comfortable presenting research outputs to a range of stakeholders 

• Experience working in regulated environments or financial services is helpful but not essential 

How we work 

Were establishing a research culture that values thoughtful execution  doing just enough research to make confident decisions without slowing teams down. Youll be encouraged to challenge norms gently bring strong evidence to the table and help embed research as a strategic partner rather than a gatekeeper. 

You wont be expected to line-manage in this role but you will be expected to take ownership of your work and contribute to shaping how research shows up across the organisation. 

About AJ Bell

AJ Bell is one of the fastest-growing investment platform businesses in the UK offering an award-winning range of solutions that caters for everyone from professional financial advisers to DIY investors with little to no experience. We have over 644000 customers using our award-winning platform propositions to manage assets totalling more than 103.3 billion. Our customers trust us with their investments and by continuously striving to make investing easier we aim to help even more people take control of their financial futures.

Having listed on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange in December 2018 AJ Bell is now a FTSE 250 company.

Headquartered in Manchester with offices in central London and Bristol we now have over 1500 employees and have been named one of the UKs Best 100 Companies to Work For for six consecutive years and in 2025 named a Great Place to Work.

At AJ Bell you can expect a friendly working environment with a strong sense of teamwork we have a great sense of pride in what we do and this is reflected in our guiding principles.

Our perks and benefits

• Starting holiday entitlement of 25 days increasing up to 31 days with length of service
• Holiday buy and sell scheme
• A choice of pension schemes with matched contributions up to 6%
• Discretionary bonus scheme
• Annual free share awards scheme
• Buy As You Earn (BAYE) Scheme
• Health Cash Plan provided by Medicash
• Discounted private healthcare scheme and dental plan
• Free gym membership with an on-site gym providing a wide range of free classes
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Bike loan scheme
• Sick pay pledge
• Enhanced maternity paternity and shared parental leave
• Discounted nursery fees at Kids Planet on Exchange Quay
• Loans for travel season tickets
• Death in service scheme
• Dedicated time for proof-of-concepts and assessing new tech
• Support to attend conferences events and meet-ups
• Paid time off for volunteer work
• Charitable giving opportunities through salary sacrifice
• Calendar of social events including monthly payday drinks annual Christmas party summer party and much more
• Parking at Exchange Quay
• Personal development programmes built around you and your career goals including access to personal skills workshops
• Ongoing technical training
• Professional qualification support
• Talent management programmes
• Peer recognition scheme with rewards including restaurant and shopping vouchers or time off
• Monthly leadership breakfasts and lunches
• Casual dress code
• Access to a range of benefits from our sponsorship deals

Hybrid working

At AJ Bell our people are the heart of our culture. We believe in building strong connections by working together. Thats why we offer a hybrid working model where youll spend a minimum of 50% of your working time per month in the office. For new team members an initial period will be full-time in the office to help you immerse yourself in our business and build valuable relationships with your colleagues.

AJ Bell is committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and all employees are empowered to bring their whole self to work.

We do not discriminate on the basis of race sex gender identity sexual orientation age pregnancy religion physical and mental disability marital status and any other characteristics protected by the Equality Act 2010. All decisions to hire are based on qualifications merit and business need.

If you like the sound of the above or just want to know more about the company and the role wed love to speak to you.

Remote Work :

No

Employment Type :

Full-time