UX Researcher

AJ Bell; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading financial services company in Manchester is seeking a Midweight UX Researcher to build a central UX Research capability. The successful candidate will lead research projects, collaborate with designers, and communicate findings to influence product decisions. With the opportunity to work in a hybrid model, this role requires strong skills in both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies. Join a dynamic team in a growing organization that values research as a strategic partner.

Benefits

Starting holiday entitlement of 25 days

Health Cash Plan

Free gym membership

Discretionary bonus scheme

Enhanced maternity/paternity leave

Qualifications

• Experience independently leading UX research studies.
• Ability to adapt research methodologies based on changing needs.
• Strong communication skills to convey the value of research.

Responsibilities

• Lead full-cycle UX research from problem framing to insights.
• Select and implement appropriate research methods autonomously.
• Synthesize research findings into actionable insights.

Skills

Proven experience working as a UX Researcher

Strong grounding in qualitative research

Confidence choosing and applying research methods

Experience collaborating with designers

Ability to synthesise complex findings

Comfortable presenting research outputs

Experience in regulated environments

Job description

Job Description

About the role

We’re 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, you’ll lead meaningful research that shapes product direction, builds shared confidence, and helps teams make better decisions earlier. You’ll 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 you’ll 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.

You’re comfortable making methodological decisions and explaining why you’ve 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

You’re 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 we’re 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

We’re establishing a research culture that values thoughtful execution—doing just enough research to make confident decisions, without slowing teams down. You’ll 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 won’t 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 644,000 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 1,500 employees and have been named one of the UK’s ‘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. That's why we offer a hybrid working model, where you’ll 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.