Senior User Researcher

Lulalend; Cape Town; Hybrid; ZAR 500 000 - 750 000; Full time

Job summary

A finance technology company based in Cape Town is seeking a Senior User Researcher to lead strategic user research initiatives. You will collaborate with product teams and stakeholders to transform user insights into actionable solutions, driving innovation in the fintech space. Ideal candidates will have over 5 years of user research experience, exceptional communication skills, and a passion for understanding users.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in user research, with at least 2 years in a leadership role.
• Proven track record of delivering qualitative and quantitative research in fast-paced environments.
• Expertise in adopting the latest trends, methodologies, and tools in user research.

Responsibilities

• Plan and execute strategic user research to understand needs.
• Collaborate with Product and Marketing teams for product discovery.
• Develop user personas and journey maps from insights.

Skills

User-centered design principles

Qualitative research

Quantitative research

Exceptional communication

Collaboration with product teams

Education

Degree in Human-Computer Interaction, Psychology, or Design

Tools

UserZoom

Optimal Workshop

Figma

Job description

Job title: Senior User Researcher

Reporting to: Product Design Lead

Location: Cape Town (Hybrid)

WHAT WE DO

Lula is an innovative and human-focused FinTech company on a mission to help small businesses optimise their cash flow. Our purpose is to help SMEs manage their businesses better, faster, and more simply, so they can spend more time doing what they love.

If you’re looking for a new place to call ‘home’ that believes in the potential of the broader SME landscape in South Africa and a place where you’ll work with awesome people - then Lula’s the place for you!

We’re making business banking fast, human, Lula!

CULTURE CODE

We embrace Curiosity

We win as One

We’re Driven by Purpose

We Execute with Ambition

Overall Purpose:

As our Senior User Researcher, you’ll be at the forefront of driving innovation and shaping the future of fintech for underserved SMEs. You’ll have the opportunity to dive deep into the hearts and minds of our users and uncover the insights that will lead to groundbreaking solutions.

Your work won’t just inform product design and strategy—it will transform the experience of business owners across South Africa. This is more than just a role; it’s an adventure where your insights will lead to big, bold changes. If you’re passionate about making a real difference, this is the role for you.

Responsibilities & Competencies:

• Plan and execute top-tier, strategic research that gets to the heart of what our users need—whether it's through interviews, usability tests, or innovative design-thinking sessions.
• Partner with Product and Marketing teams to fuel product discovery with forward-looking insights.
• Handle reactive research for our product and UX teams like a pro - run unmoderated tests, write scripts for interviews, and make sure we're always learning from our users.
• Manage the logistics of research (yes, you’ll keep it all running smoothly) - from recruiting participants to scheduling sessions.
• Bring insights to life! Develop user personas, journey maps, and visualise how we can make our products and services even more brilliant.
• Break down complex research into bite-sized, actionable insights for the team, ensuring we keep the user at the centre of everything we do.
• Stay ahead of the curve—keep Lula innovative by adopting the latest trends, methodologies, and tools in user research.
• Build strong relationships with stakeholders to ensure research findings land with impact and influence.

Required Experience & Qualifications:

• 5+ years of experience in user research, with at least 2 years in a leadership role.
• A proven track record of delivering qualitative and quantitative research in fast-paced environments like fintech or SaaS.
• Expertise in user-centred design principles—you're obsessed with understanding the user.
• A strong collaborator—experience working hand-in-hand with product and UX teams.
• Exceptional communication skills that help you clearly and confidently present your findings.
• Hands-on experience with tools like UserZoom, Optimal Workshop, or similar.
• A degree in Human-Computer Interaction, Psychology, Design, or a related field is a plus.
• Experience in Figma and other UI design tools to turn insights into design patterns that are trustable and easy to communicate with other team