Senior user researcher

We are recruiting for a Senior User Researcher to join our Journey Experience Team. If you’re passionate about carrying out impactful research that deepens understanding of member needs and enables the delivery of exceptional digital experiences, this could be the role for you!

Who Are We?

Not just another building society. Not just another job. We’re the fourth biggest building society in the UK, and what makes us different is that we’re a mutual organisation. We don’t have shareholders; we’re owned by our members. Our colleagues say Skipton is a great place to work, and you could be one of them—bringing new ideas to help keep customers at the heart of what we do. Whatever your background and whatever your goals, we’ll help you take the next step towards a better future.

You’ll be joining the Journey Experience team, made up of:

• 2 Service Design Leads
• 4 Senior Service Design Specialists
• 3 Senior Researchers
• 6 Senior UX Design Specialists

Our role is to shape and drive exceptional member experiences by designing simple, seamless journeys that deliver meaningful value for both the business and our customers.

What’s In It For You?

Skipton values work/life balance, and we are proud to support hybrid and flexible working where possible. Our newly refurbished head office offers a vibrant and collaborative working space. You’ll also have access to a wide range of benefits, including:

• Annual discretionary bonus scheme
• 25 days standard annual leave + bank holidays, rising by 1 day per year of service (up to 30 days)
• Holiday trading scheme
• Matching employer pension contribution (up to 10% per annum)
• Colleague mortgage (conditions apply)
• Salary sacrifice scheme for hybrid & electric cars
• A commitment to training and development
• Private medical insurance for all colleagues
• 3 paid volunteering days per year
• Inclusive colleague networks, including Carers and Pride Alliance
• Health and wellbeing support, including cycle‑to‑work scheme and discounted gym membership

What Will You Be Doing?

• Shape and strengthen research capability across the organisation, ensuring teams understand and apply effective research approaches and standards.
• Develop, own and evolve the user research strategy, ensuring alignment with corporate priorities, regulatory considerations and product roadmaps.
• Champion user research at all levels, influencing senior stakeholders and ensuring insights shape product and service decisions.
• Lead the development of research practices, adopting innovative, ethical and compliant methodologies appropriate for financial services.
• Plan, design and conduct mixed‑method research to uncover member needs, motivations, pain points and behaviours.
• Collaborate with product, design, data, compliance and technology teams to define research questions and select the appropriate methods.
• Synthesise and translate findings into clear, actionable insights that inform product and strategic decisions.
• Communicate insights in engaging, evidence‑driven formats, constructively challenging assumptions and design decisions.
• Produce high‑quality deliverables, including research briefs, test plans, insight reports and personas.
• Work closely within Agile delivery teams, ensuring research is integrated, prioritised and used to balance user needs, compliance requirements and business goals.

What Do We Need From You?

• Deep experience designing and leading mixed‑method research, including usability testing, interviews, surveys, diary studies, card sorting and tree testing.
• Excellent communication and storytelling abilities, capable of turning quantitative and qualitative insights into compelling narratives for senior stakeholders.
• Proven experience advocating for user‑centred design and influencing decisions in complex or regulated environments.
• Highly collaborative and influential, able to build trusted relationships across product, design, data, engineering, risk and compliance teams.
• Experience supporting, training and upskilling colleagues across the wider experience function and business teams, empowering them to apply user‑centred and design‑thinking principles.
• Strong understanding of UX and service design principles, accessibility standards (including WCAG) and inclusive design practices.
• Experience working in Agile and hybrid delivery models, supporting continuous discovery and iterative design.
• End‑to‑end research expertise with a track record of shaping product strategy, defining opportunities and validating solutions.
• Experience designing and facilitating workshops, from discovery framing to ideation and concept testing.
• Hands‑on experience with research and analytics tools such as UserTesting, Hotjar, Miro, Figma or similar platforms.