Design Researcher - 12 Month FTC

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Design Researcher - 12 Month Fixed-Term Contract

Company: Lloyds Banking Group

Location: Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Job Type: Full-Time, Temporary

Category: User Experience (UX) Research / Design Research

Date Posted: May 29, 2026

Experience Level: Mid-Level to Senior (5-10 years implied)

Remote Status: Hybrid (Minimum 2 days/week in office)

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the research strategy and roadmap development for critical business areas within a large financial services organization.

• Drive product and service development by uncovering customer needs and opportunities through generative and evaluative research methodologies.

• Collaborate extensively within multi-disciplinary design, product, and engineering teams to deliver impactful, actionable insights.

• Contribute to a robust Design Research and Analytics community, fostering a culture of continuous learning and knowledge sharing.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role is a 12-month fixed-term contract (FTC), indicating a project-based need or temporary capacity increase. While the title is "Design Researcher," the responsibilities and required skills align closely with a UX Researcher role, emphasizing the application of research to product and service development within a large corporate environment. The emphasis on "shaping product and service development" and working within "design, product, and engineering teams" clearly positions this as a GTM-adjacent operations role focused on user-centric product strategy.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Develop and lead the research strategy and roadmap for assigned service or product areas, aligning with business objectives and customer needs.

• Execute a range of research activities across the product development lifecycle, including generative research (e.g., ethnographic studies, interviews) and evaluative research (e.g., usability testing).

• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams (design, product, engineering) to define research questions, prioritize initiatives, and integrate insights into product roadmaps.

• Synthesize complex research findings from qualitative and quantitative sources into clear, actionable insights and compelling customer stories that influence decision-making.

• Communicate research outcomes and strategic recommendations effectively to a diverse range of stakeholders, including senior leadership, to drive shared understanding and facilitate buy-in.

• Manage research plans and roadmaps to ensure timely delivery and alignment with strategic direction, while actively identifying and prioritizing research opportunities.

• Contribute to the broader Design Research and Analytics community by sharing expertise, mentoring junior researchers, and participating in collaborative learning initiatives.

• Conduct specialized research related to accessibility and/or vulnerable customer segments, ensuring inclusive product design.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role explicitly mentions managing the "research plan and roadmap for your service or product area," which is a key operational responsibility in product development. The emphasis on "delivering research to solve customer problems, unlock new opportunities, and guide what is created" highlights the strategic impact of this role on the GTM strategy and product iteration. The mention of "generative to evaluative research" covers the full spectrum of user research, critical for informing product strategy and execution.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While not explicitly stated, a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, Design Research, or a related field is typically expected for this level of research role.

Experience: A minimum of 5-10 years of hands-on experience in design research or UX research is implied by the salary range and breadth of responsibilities. Experience within a large, complex organization, particularly in financial services, would be highly advantageous.

Required Skills:

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

• Proven ability to develop and manage research roadmaps and plans, aligning them with strategic objectives and short-term goals.

• Skilled in synthesizing research findings and data from multiple sources (qualitative and quantitative) into impactful, actionable insights.

• Strong experience in ethnographic research methodologies such as contextual inquiry or diary studies.

• Demonstrated ability to communicate complex ideas clearly and concisely, influencing a broad range of stakeholders, including senior leadership.

• Experience in identifying and prioritizing research questions in close collaboration with design and product teams.

• Proficiency in combining qualitative and quantitative research methods to provide a holistic understanding of user needs.

• Experience conducting accessibility research and/or research with vulnerable customer groups.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience in financial services or a highly regulated industry.

• Familiarity with quantitative research techniques and survey design.

• Experience with data visualization tools to present research findings.

• Knowledge of A/B testing principles and their application in product development.

• Experience working within Agile development frameworks.

• Familiarity with user journey mapping and service design principles.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirements clearly lean towards a seasoned researcher who can operate independently and strategically. The emphasis on influencing stakeholders and synthesizing diverse data sources points to the need for strong analytical and communication skills, crucial for operations roles that bridge research and business strategy. The mention of "12 Month FTC" suggests that candidates with a proven track record of delivering results within defined project timelines will be highly valued.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrate a portfolio showcasing a range of research projects, highlighting your role and contributions across the product development lifecycle.

• Include case studies that clearly articulate the research problem, your methodology, the insights generated, and the tangible impact on product design and customer experience.

• Showcase examples of how you have synthesized qualitative and quantitative data to inform strategic decisions and drive product improvements.

• Present evidence of your ability to manage research roadmaps and plans, illustrating how you prioritize research efforts.

Process Documentation:

• Provide examples of how you have documented research processes, from planning and recruitment to analysis and reporting.

• Illustrate your approach to translating raw research data into actionable recommendations and presenting them to stakeholders.

• Showcase how you have integrated research findings into product design workflows and decision-making processes.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Design Researcher role, especially within a large organization like Lloyds Banking Group, a strong portfolio is paramount. It serves as tangible evidence of their ability to execute research, synthesize findings, and influence product strategy – key operational aspects of GTM success. The emphasis should be on demonstrating the impact of their research, not just the process.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: £61,344 - £68,160 GBP per annum.

Benefits:

• A generous pension contribution of up to 15%.

• An annual performance-related bonus.

• Access to share schemes, including free shares.

• A wide array of employee discounts and benefits, such as discounted shopping.

• 30 days of annual holiday, in addition to bank holidays.

• Comprehensive wellbeing initiatives to support employee health and work-life balance.

• Generous parental leave policies.

Working Hours: Full-time, typically 40 hours per week. The role supports hybrid working, requiring a minimum of two days per week (or 40% of working time) in the Edinburgh office. Flexible working options like job sharing are also mentioned.

📝 Enhancement Note: The provided salary range is competitive for a mid-to-senior level UX/Design Researcher in Edinburgh. The benefits package is comprehensive, typical of a large, established financial institution, and should appeal to professionals seeking stability and a good work-life balance. The mention of "Flexibility Works policy" and specific hybrid expectations is important for candidates assessing work arrangements.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Financial Services. Lloyds Banking Group is one of the UK's largest financial institutions, offering a wide range of banking and financial services. This context implies a need for robust, secure, and customer-centric solutions, with a strong emphasis on regulatory compliance and risk management.

Company Size: Large Enterprise. As part of Lloyds Banking Group, the scale of operations is significant, offering opportunities for broad impact and exposure to complex systems and processes.

Founded: The group has a long history, with significant banking heritage. This suggests a stable, established organization with a deep understanding of its customer base and market.

Team Structure:

• This role is part of a large, experienced Design Research team of over 40 researchers, indicating a strong internal community of practice.

• Researchers work within multi-disciplinary design, product, and engineering teams, fostering close collaboration.

Methodology:

• Emphasis on a data-driven approach to shape product and service development.

• Encouragement of experimentation and learning new research methods.

• A culture of mentoring, collaboration, and mutual learning among researchers.

• Integration of research findings into product development lifecycles, from generative to evaluative phases.

Company Website: https://www.lloydsbankinggroup.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: Working within a large financial institution like Lloyds Banking Group means navigating established processes and potentially a more formal corporate structure. However, the emphasis on a large, collaborative research team and multi-disciplinary working suggests a dynamic environment focused on innovation within financial services. The company's commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion is also a significant cultural indicator.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This position appears to be at a mid-to-senior level, acting as an individual contributor with significant strategic influence. The role involves leading research strategy for key areas, managing roadmaps, and influencing stakeholders, which are hallmarks of more experienced operations professionals in product development.

Reporting Structure: The researcher will be embedded within multi-disciplinary design, product, and engineering teams but will be part of a larger Design Research community, likely reporting to a Head of Design Research or similar senior leadership role within that function. This structure allows for both focused project work and broader community engagement.

Operations Impact: The core function of this role is to provide user-centric insights that directly shape product and service development, ultimately impacting customer acquisition, retention, and satisfaction. By unlocking new opportunities and solving customer problems, the research directly influences the GTM strategy and the success of financial products and services.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Opportunity to deepen expertise in specific research areas like accessibility, quantitative methods, or ethnographic studies within the large research team.

• Leadership: Potential to transition into a lead researcher role, managing multiple projects or mentoring junior team members, or potentially moving into a product management or UX strategy role.

• Cross-functional Exposure: Gaining experience across various product lines and business areas within Lloyds Banking Group, broadening understanding of the financial services landscape.

• Skill Development: Continuous learning is encouraged, with opportunities to test and learn new research methods and benefit from a strong mentoring culture.

📝 Enhancement Note: As a 12-month FTC, this role offers a focused opportunity to gain significant experience within a major financial institution, potentially leading to a permanent role or valuable experience for future GTM or product operations positions. The emphasis on mentorship and community suggests a supportive environment for professional development.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is hybrid, requiring a minimum of 2 days per week in the Edinburgh Princes Exchange office. This suggests a modern office environment designed to facilitate collaboration, team meetings, and focused work.

Office Location(s): Edinburgh Princes Exchange, United Kingdom. This is a specific location within a major city, likely with good transport links.

Workspace Context:

• The hybrid model promotes a blend of focused individual work (likely remote) and collaborative team interactions (in-office).

• Being part of multi-disciplinary teams means access to designers, product managers, and engineers, facilitating rich cross-functional discussions and co-creation.

• The presence of a large, dedicated Design Research team provides a supportive ecosystem for knowledge sharing and problem-solving.

Work Schedule: Full-time (approx. 40 hours/week) with flexibility offered, including hybrid working and job-sharing options. This allows for structured work while accommodating personal needs, crucial for maintaining productivity in research-oriented roles.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid nature of the role is a key aspect of the work environment. Candidates should be comfortable splitting their time between remote work and in-office collaboration in Edinburgh. The emphasis on collaboration within multi-disciplinary teams suggests an agile and iterative approach to product development.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process: While not detailed, a typical process for such a role at Lloyds Banking Group might include:

• Initial Screening: Review of CV and portfolio by a recruiter or hiring manager.

• First Interview: Behavioral and experience-based interview, focusing on past research projects and problem-solving skills.

• Portfolio Review / Presentation: A dedicated session where candidates present 1-2 key projects from their portfolio, demonstrating their research process, insights, and impact. This is often the most critical stage.

• Stakeholder Interview: Meeting with potential cross-functional colleagues (e.g., Product Manager, Lead Designer) to assess collaboration fit.

• Final Interview: Potentially with a senior leader to discuss strategic alignment and cultural fit.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 2-3 projects that best showcase your end-to-end research capabilities, diverse methodologies (qualitative, quantitative, generative, evaluative), and impact.

• Focus on Impact: For each project, clearly articulate the business problem, your research objectives, your specific role and methodology, the key insights, and, crucially, the tangible outcomes or impact on the product/service. Use metrics where possible.

• Showcase Collaboration: Highlight how you worked with design, product, and engineering teams.

• Demonstrate Strategic Thinking: Explain how your research informed product strategy and decision-making, not just tactical design improvements.

• Address Accessibility/Vulnerable Customers: If applicable, include a project that specifically addresses these areas.

• Prepare for Questions: Be ready to discuss your choices, defend your methods, and elaborate on insights and challenges.

Challenge Preparation:

• Be prepared for a potential case study or a hypothetical research problem during the interview process.

• Practice articulating your research process and findings concisely and persuasively.

• Revisit core UX research principles and common methodologies.

• Understand the financial services industry and the unique challenges of researching in this sector (e.g., data privacy, regulatory constraints, diverse customer segments).

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio review is likely the most critical part of the application process. Candidates should meticulously prepare to showcase their ability to translate research into actionable business outcomes, a key requirement for operations roles. Demonstrating an understanding of the financial services context will be beneficial.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools: While not explicitly listed, typical tools for a Design Researcher at this level include:

• Prototyping & Design Collaboration Tools: Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite (for asset creation/review).

• User Research Platforms: UserTesting.com, Lookback, Maze, Optimal Workshop (for usability testing, surveys, card sorting).

• Survey & Data Analysis Tools: SurveyMonkey, Qualtrics, Google Forms, SPSS, R, Python (for quantitative analysis).

• Collaboration & Communication: Microsoft Teams, Slack, Jira, Confluence.

• Whiteboarding & Ideation: Miro, Mural.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Familiarity with web analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics) and product analytics tools (e.g., Amplitude, Pendo) can be beneficial for triangulating data.

CRM & Automation:

• While not a primary focus, understanding how research insights feed into CRM strategies or product feature development informed by automated processes would be a plus.

📝 Enhancement Note: While specific tools aren't listed, the role implies proficiency in standard UX research software and data analysis tools. The ability to integrate research findings into product development workflows, which often involve CRM and automation systems, is indirectly important. Candidates should highlight their experience with tools that facilitate remote research and cross-functional collaboration.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Customer Focus: A strong commitment to understanding and serving customer needs is central, driving product and service improvements.

• Collaboration: Working effectively within multi-disciplinary teams and within the broader research community is essential.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Research insights are valued as critical inputs for strategic and tactical decisions.

• Continuous Learning & Improvement: An environment that encourages experimentation with new methods and sharing knowledge.

• Integrity & Trust: Reflecting the values of a major financial institution, ethical research practices and data handling are paramount.

• Inclusion & Diversity: A commitment to creating inclusive products and a diverse, equitable workplace.

Collaboration Style:

• Collaborative and integrated within product teams, working hand-in-hand with designers, product managers, and engineers.

• Community-oriented within the Design Research function, fostering knowledge sharing and peer support.

• Influential, communicating insights to diverse stakeholders across the business to drive alignment and action.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on collaboration, customer-centricity, and data-driven insights aligns well with the core tenets of effective operations and GTM strategies. The company's strong commitment to diversity and inclusion is a key cultural aspect for potential employees.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Scale and Complexity: Navigating the large and complex organizational structure of Lloyds Banking Group to drive research initiatives.

• Balancing Generative vs. Evaluative Research: Managing competing demands for foundational understanding versus feature validation within tight project timelines.

• Influencing Stakeholders: Effectively communicating research findings to diverse audiences with varying levels of research literacy, particularly in a large corporate setting.

• Data Triangulation: Successfully integrating insights from various sources (qualitative, quantitative, behavioral data) to form a cohesive picture.

• Fixed-Term Contract: Adapting quickly and delivering significant impact within a 12-month timeframe.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Mentorship: Access to experienced researchers within a large team for guidance and skill development.

• Methodological Exploration: Opportunities to experiment with and learn new research techniques within a supportive environment.

• Industry Exposure: Gaining deep insights into the financial services industry and the specific user needs within it.

• Cross-functional Experience: Working with a wide range of product and engineering teams.

• Potential for Permanent Role: Successful contractors may have opportunities for conversion to permanent positions.

📝 Enhancement Note: This FTC role presents a significant opportunity to tackle complex research challenges within a leading financial institution. The emphasis on learning and development, coupled with the potential for impact, makes it an attractive prospect for experienced researchers.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• Be prepared to discuss how you would develop a research strategy and roadmap for a new product feature or an existing service area.

• Expect questions about how you prioritize research questions when faced with multiple stakeholders and limited resources.

• Discuss your approach to synthesizing findings from generative and evaluative research to inform a holistic product strategy.

Company & Culture Questions:

• Research Lloyds Banking Group's current strategic priorities, recent product launches, and any known challenges in the financial services sector.

• Understand their stated values, particularly around customer focus, diversity, and inclusion.

• Be ready to discuss how your collaborative style aligns with working in multi-disciplinary teams and a large research community.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure: For each case study, clearly outline the problem, your approach, your specific contributions, the key insights, and the impact (quantified if possible).

• Storytelling: Frame your projects as compelling narratives that highlight your problem-solving skills and strategic thinking.

• Methodology Clarity: Be prepared to explain why you chose specific research methods and how they addressed the research objectives.

• Stakeholder Management: Discuss how you managed expectations and communicated with stakeholders throughout the research process.

• Accessibility Focus: If presenting a relevant project, clearly articulate the considerations for accessibility and vulnerable customers.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparing a compelling portfolio presentation is key. Candidates should focus on demonstrating not just research execution but also strategic thinking, stakeholder influence, and measurable impact, which are critical for operations roles.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Design Researcher position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on the Lloyds Banking Group careers portal.

• Portfolio Customization: Ensure your CV and portfolio are tailored to highlight experience in qualitative and quantitative research, roadmap development, stakeholder influence, and impact within product development.

• Resume Optimization: Clearly articulate your years of experience, key methodologies used, and specific achievements in synthesizing insights and driving product decisions. Use keywords from the job description such as "Design Researcher," "UX," "Qualitative Research," "Roadmapping," and "Stakeholder Management."

• Interview Preparation: Practice your portfolio presentation, focusing on storytelling and demonstrating the impact of your research. Prepare to discuss your strategic approach to research and collaboration.

• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with Lloyds Banking Group, its mission, values, and recent activities in the financial services sector. Understand their commitment to diversity and inclusion.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.