Lead User Researcher (12 month FTC) in Leeds

The FCA regulates financial services firms in the UK to keep financial markets fair, thriving and effective. By joining us you will help protect consumers, drive economic growth and shape the future of UK finance services.

Responsibilities

• Provide professional leadership for the user research community, shaping direction and promoting consistent, high‑quality practice across the organisation.
• Maintain and continuously evolve standards for user research, ensuring approaches remain relevant, effective and aligned with organisational priorities.
• Contribute to the delivery of the user‑centred design leadership roadmap in collaboration with the Centre of Excellence Leads, aligning activity with strategic outcomes.
• Assess and prioritise emerging demand alongside Centre of Excellence Leads, ensuring resources focus on high‑value impact areas.
• Advance user research practice, building on existing foundations to develop capability and maturity across the community.
• Deliver impactful work that supports outcomes focused on helping consumers avoid financial harm and promoting fair, effective markets.
• Enable products and services to better meet the needs of firms, consumers and internal users by embedding user‑centred insights into design and delivery.
• Engage with and support a collaborative community of practitioners, contributing to a positive culture that advances user‑centred thinking and organisational effectiveness.

Qualifications

Minimum

• Relevant user research experience at Lead or Head of Profession level.
• Experience working in project/programme environments involving business & IT change.
• Research experience within financial services, government/regulatory body, technology or consultancy (IT consultancy).

Essential

• Prior experience helping adopt a wide range of user research methods organisationally, leading a community of practice to continually assure, improve and innovate user research, and persuading sceptical colleagues and stakeholders.
• Effectively include all types of users in research activities and advocate inclusive practices to design accessible services that work for everyone.
• Demonstrate experience leading research within a product or technology organisation where user‑centred design is embedded in decision‑making.
• Guiding adoption of effective analysis and synthesis techniques, continually improving practices to deliver clear, meaningful and actionable findings.
• Understanding how digital technology is shaping user behaviour and identifying the challenges and opportunities this creates for FCA service design and delivery.
• Interpreting organisational goals and challenges, and aligning research across teams to inform policy development and service propositions.
• Knowledge of technologies used to build and run digital services, and collaborating effectively with colleagues across digital disciplines.

Benefits

• 28 days annual leave plus bank holidays.
• Hybrid model: work a minimum of 40% in the office each month (minimum 50% for senior leaders; from September, 50% for all staff, 60% for Directors and Executive Directors).
• Non‑contributory pension (8–12% depending on age) and life assurance at eight times your salary.
• Private healthcare with Bupa, income protection and 24/7 Employee Assistance.
• 35 hours of paid volunteering annually.
• A flexible benefits scheme designed around your lifestyle.

We are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive culture and we welcome applicants from all backgrounds. We are a Disability Confident Employer and provide tailored support for applicants with disabilities or long‑term conditions.