UX Researcher in Manchester

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, and 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 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.

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 award scheme.
• Buy‑as‑you‑earn (BAYE) scheme.
• Health cash plan – provided by Medicash.
• Discounted private healthcare scheme and dental plan.
• Free gym membership, with onsite 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.

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.