Design Researcher (12 Month FTC)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Design Researcher (12 Month FTC)

Company: Lloyds Banking Group

Location: London, United Kingdom

Job Type: Full-time, Temporary

Category: Design Research / User Experience Operations

Date Posted: July 24, 2026

Experience Level: 5-10 Years Experience

🚀 Role Summary

• Spearhead research strategy and roadmap development for the Embedded Finance business unit, driving product and service innovation.

• Conduct a blend of generative and evaluative research throughout the product development lifecycle to address customer needs and uncover new opportunities.

• Synthesize complex research findings into actionable insights that foster a shared understanding of user needs and inform strategic decisions.

• Collaborate closely with multi-disciplinary design, product, and engineering teams, influencing stakeholders across the business with clear and concise communication.

• Leverage a strong foundation in qualitative research methodologies, including usability testing, concept testing, depth interviews, and ethnographic techniques.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a Fixed-Term Contract (FTC) for 12 months, indicating a project-driven focus or a need for specialized expertise for a defined period. The emphasis on "Embedded Finance" suggests a focus on integrating financial services into non-financial platforms or customer journeys, requiring a deep understanding of user behavior in complex ecosystems.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Develop and execute comprehensive research strategies and roadmaps for the Embedded Finance domain, aligning with business objectives and product vision.

• Lead end-to-end research initiatives, from planning and participant recruitment to data collection, analysis, and reporting.

• Employ a diverse range of qualitative research methods, including moderated and unmoderated usability testing, in-depth interviews, concept validation, and ethnographic studies (e.g., contextual inquiry, diary studies).

• Integrate quantitative data and research findings from various sources (e.g., analytics, customer feedback, market research) to triangulate insights and build compelling customer narratives.

• Translate research outcomes into impactful recommendations and present them effectively to design, product, engineering, and senior business stakeholders to drive informed decision-making.

• Identify and prioritize key research questions in collaboration with design and product teams, ensuring research efforts are focused on critical business challenges and opportunities.

• Contribute to the advancement of design research practices within the organization, sharing knowledge and best practices with a large community of 40+ researchers.

• Foster a culture of continuous learning and experimentation within the research team, encouraging the adoption of new methodologies and tools.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibility to "manage the research plan and roadmap" implies a need for strong project management and strategic planning skills, essential for operations roles that require foresight and resource allocation. The explicit mention of "Embedded Finance" indicates a specialized domain requiring an understanding of financial service integration and user journeys within broader platforms.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong academic background in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, Design Research, or a related field is highly advantageous.

Experience: A minimum of 5 years of progressive experience in user research, design research, or UX research roles, with a proven track record of working collaboratively with product and design teams.

Required Skills:

• Over 5 years of experience working closely with design and product teams to identify and prioritize research questions.

• Demonstrated ability to create and manage research roadmaps and strategic plans, setting both short-term objectives and long-term direction.

• Deep qualitative research expertise, including proficiency in usability testing (moderated and unmoderated), concept testing, and in-depth interviews.

• Proven ability to synthesize research insights into actionable recommendations that foster a shared understanding of user needs and opportunities.

• Strong communication and influencing skills, capable of clearly and concisely conveying findings to diverse business stakeholders.

• Experience combining qualitative and quantitative research methods to provide comprehensive insights.

• Experience in planning and executing exploratory and discovery research phases.

• Hands-on experience with ethnographic research techniques such as contextual inquiry and diary studies.

• Demonstrated ability to triangulate research and data from multiple sources to construct compelling customer narratives. Preferred Skills:

• Experience with accessibility research and inclusive design principles.

• Familiarity with quantitative research methods and statistical analysis.

• Experience in the financial services industry, particularly with digital banking or embedded finance solutions.

• Proficiency in using various research tools and platforms for remote testing, surveys, and data analysis.

• Experience mentoring junior researchers or contributing to a research community of practice.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for "5+ years of experience" suggests this role is mid-to-senior level, expecting candidates to operate with a high degree of autonomy and strategic input. The emphasis on influencing stakeholders and synthesizing diverse data sources highlights the critical communication and analytical skills expected in operations-focused research roles.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase a minimum of 3-5 diverse research projects that demonstrate end-to-end research execution, from strategy to impact.

• Clearly articulate the research objectives, methodologies employed, and the