At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead impactful UX research to shape customer understanding and influence product decisions.
- Company: Join AJ Bell, a top-rated investment platform with a supportive culture.
- Benefits: Enjoy 26 days holiday, a generous pension scheme, and health benefits.
- Other info: Hybrid working model with a friendly team and regular social events.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in how people invest and improve their financial futures.
- Qualifications: Proven UX research experience and strong storytelling skills required.
The predicted salary is between 51750 - 63250 £ per year.
Reporting to the UX Research Lead, you will lead complex, higher-risk, and strategically significant research across our D2C proposition, working closely with Product Managers, UX Designers, and other stakeholders to uncover meaningful insight and shape decision‑making.
Working within an established UX Research function, you will contribute to a growing body of customer understanding while helping to raise the quality, consistency and impact of research through your expertise and judgement. You will also collaborate with other insight and research specialists across AJ Bell, helping ensure that different perspectives on customer behaviour, needs, and opportunities inform better decisions across the business.
This role combines hands‑on research delivery with the opportunity to influence thinking, improve understanding of customer needs, and contribute to the continued maturity of UX Research at AJ Bell.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead end‑to‑end UX research across complex or higher‑risk problem spaces within our D2C proposition.
- Translate product, customer, and business challenges into clear and effective research approaches.
- Design and deliver qualitative and mixed‑method research using the most appropriate methods for the context and research objectives.
- Work closely with Product Managers, UX Designers, and other stakeholders to ensure customer insight meaningfully informs decisions.
- Support colleagues in planning and conducting research where additional expertise or guidance is beneficial.
- Communicate research findings clearly and credibly, articulating evidence, implications, risks, opportunities, and trade‑offs.
- Contribute research outputs to our research repository and help build a transparent, reusable understanding of customer needs and behaviours over time.
- Promote high standards of research quality, ethics, and customer‑centred thinking through day‑to‑day practice and collaboration.
About You
- Significant experience planning and delivering UX research end‑to‑end within product, service, or digital environments.
- Strong qualitative research skills, with a proven ability to tackle complex or ambiguous research challenges.
- Experience selecting and applying appropriate research methods based on the needs of the problem rather than a preferred methodology.
- Excellent synthesis and storytelling skills, with the ability to translate evidence into clear and actionable insight.
- Confident working with stakeholders and influencing decisions through customer understanding and evidence.
- Strong judgement when operating in uncertain, complex, or higher‑risk research contexts.
- Experience working within regulated, complex, or customer‑facing industries would be beneficial but is not essential.
- Familiarity with modern research tools and platforms, including remote research and usability testing solutions.
About AJ Bell
At AJ Bell, we believe investing should feel good. Whether you're looking for an ISA, pension or dealing account, whether you want to invest with the help of a financial adviser or do it yourself, we have easy‑to‑use solutions to suit people from all walks of life.
We're one of the UK's fastest‑growing investment platform businesses, trusted by everyone from professional financial advisers to first‑time investors.
Today, over 723,000 customers trust us to manage more than £108.7 billion of assets. By continually striving to make investing simpler and more accessible, we're helping more people take control of their financial futures.
We're proud to be recognised as one of the UK's Best 100 Companies to Work For for six consecutive years, and a Great Place to Work® in 2025 and 2026, a reflection of our supportive and collaborative culture.
What We Offer
- 26 days holiday, increasing with service + buy/sell scheme + bank holidays
- 7% Pension with matched contributions
- Discretionary bonus scheme
- Share schemes (including free shares and BAYE)
- Health Cash Plan and discounted private healthcare
- Free onsite gym
- Enhanced family leave (subject to qualifying criteria)
- Travel and bike loan schemes
- Employee Assistance Programme
Life at AJ Bell
- Regular social events including summer and Christmas parties
- Learning and development opportunities tailored to you
- Casual dress code
- Friendly, supportive team environment
Our ways of working
We offer hybrid working, with a minimum of 50% of your working time per month spent in the office.
For new starters, there’s an initial period of full‑time office working to help you settle in and build relationships.
Inclusion & diversity
We’re committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels respected and able to be themselves at work.
We welcome applications from all backgrounds and make hiring decisions based on skills, experience and potential.
Senior UX Researcher in Manchester employer: Manchester Digital
At Manchester Digital, we pride ourselves on fostering a collaborative and innovative work culture that empowers our employees to excel. As a Chief Software Engineering Leader, you will not only lead a talented team but also enjoy flexible working arrangements, competitive pension contributions, and generous annual leave that grows with your tenure, making it an ideal environment for personal and professional growth.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior UX Researcher in Manchester
✨Show Off Your Portfolio
In the world of UX/UI design, your portfolio speaks volumes! Make sure it's packed with your best work and showcases your process, not just the final product. We want to see how you tackle design challenges, so consider adding case studies that reflect your thought process and user-centric approach.
✨Get Involved in Design Communities
Jump into local or online design meetups and workshops! Places like UXPA or local design events can be goldmines for networking and learning. Plus, mingling with fellow designers can introduce you to potential job openings that might not be listed elsewhere.
✨Tailor Your Applications
When you find a role that excites you, like the one at Manchester Digital for a Senior UX Researcher, make your application count! Highlight specific projects and skills that directly relate to the job description. Hiring managers are looking for candidates who fit into their specific team, so show them you’re the one!
✨Leverage Social Media
Don't underestimate the power of social media in finding a UX/UI design job! Follow design leaders on platforms like Twitter or Instagram, share your work, and engage in conversations. It’s a great way to get noticed by recruiters and even catch wind of openings at companies like Manchester Digital before they go live!
We think you need these skills to ace Senior UX Researcher in Manchester
Some tips for your application 🫡
Showcase Your Design Process:When you're applying for a UX/UI Design role like Senior UX Researcher at Manchester Digital, make sure to include examples that clearly highlight your design process. We want to see not just the final product but also the journey that led you there—wireframes, user personas, and iterations demonstrate your thought process and user-centric approach!
Tailor Your Portfolio:A tailor-made portfolio is crucial for a full-time design role! Curate your best projects that align with the kind of work Manchester Digital does. We suggest including 3-5 case studies that showcase a variety of skills such as wireframing, prototyping, and user testing to really make your application pop.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Your cover letter should not just be a summary of your CV. Use it to express why you’re excited about UX/UI Design and what draws you specifically to Manchester Digital. Mention any relevant experience, tools you’re proficient in (like Sketch or Figma), and how you can contribute to their projects.
Highlight Collaboration Skills:In the world of UX/UI Design, teamwork is crucial. Make sure to highlight any past experiences where you worked in cross-functional teams. Illustrate how you communicated design decisions and listened to feedback, as this will resonate well with the culture at Manchester Digital.
How to prepare for a job interview at Manchester Digital
✨Show Off Your Portfolio
When you're gunning for a full-time UX/UI design role, your portfolio is your best friend! Make sure you've got a solid selection of your work, showcasing not just the final designs, but the process behind them—think wireframes, user flows, and any user research you've conducted. During the interview with Manchester Digital, be prepared to discuss your design decisions and how they solve specific user problems.
✨Prepare for Design Challenges
Expect to face some practical design tasks during your interview. Manchester Digital might ask you to tackle a quick design challenge or critique an existing interface. Brush up on your problem-solving skills and try to articulate your thought process as you work through these scenarios. Showing how you approach a design problem is just as important as the final output!
✨Know the Tools of the Trade
Familiarise yourself with the tools commonly used in the industry—figma, Adobe XD, or Sketch should be second nature to you. Be ready to discuss your preferred tools during the interview and how they've shaped your design process at previous positions. This knowledge could give you an edge at Manchester Digital!
✨Show Passion for User Experience
In a full-time UX/UI design role, having a genuine passion for improving user interactions can set you apart. Be prepared to share instances when you went above and beyond to ensure a great user experience in your previous projects. This will demonstrate that you’re not just a designer, but a user advocate, which is exactly what Manchester Digital is looking for.
