Lead UX Researcher - AML Technologies - Contractor Conversion at Citi

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Lead UX Researcher - AML Technologies - Contractor Conversion

Company: Citi

Location: New York, New York, United States

Job Type: Full-time

Category: UX Research

Date Posted: 2025-06-12

Experience Level: 5-10 years

Remote Status: On-site

🎨 Role Summary

Lead comprehensive UX research initiatives for Anti-Money Laundering (AML) applications, focusing on enterprise and B2B user needs.
Apply a diverse range of qualitative and quantitative research methodologies to inform product design and development strategies.
Translate complex research findings into actionable insights and recommendations for product, engineering, and design teams.
Champion user-centered design principles and research best practices within the organization, contributing to a strong design culture.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role explicitly focuses on AML technologies within an enterprise/B2B context, indicating a need for experience with complex workflows, regulatory considerations, and sophisticated user personas typical in financial services. Emphasis is placed on the strategic application of research to drive product direction, highlighting the seniority and impact of this Lead role.

🖼️ Primary Responsibilities

Design, plan, and execute a wide variety of UX research studies, including in-depth user interviews, co-creation sessions, journey mapping, usability testing, concept validation, and surveys.
Analyze research data rigorously, synthesize findings, and deliver clear, compelling presentations and reports to stakeholders across various levels of the organization.
Collaborate closely with UX Designers to ensure research insights are effectively translated into detailed design specifications and user flows.
Define key metrics for benchmarking and measuring the success and impact of design solutions on user journeys and business outcomes.
Integrate qualitative research insights with quantitative data to develop a holistic understanding of user behavior and inform data-driven prioritization.
Develop innovative approaches and creative recruitment strategies for conducting primary research with potentially challenging or specialized user populations within the financial sector.
Actively participate in and contribute to the wider UX community of practice within Citi, sharing knowledge and fostering a culture of continuous learning.
Provide mentorship and guidance to junior user researchers and designers involved in research activities, helping to scale research capabilities across teams.
Stay current with the latest advancements in UX research practices, methodologies, tools, and technologies.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight the end-to-end nature of the role, from designing studies to presenting actionable insights. The emphasis on integrating qualitative and quantitative data, innovating research methods for specific populations, and mentoring junior staff underscores the leadership expectations for this position within a large enterprise setting.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's/University degree required; Master’s degree preferred, ideally in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Psychology, Anthropology, Design, or a related field with a strong research focus.

Experience: Extensive hands-on experience (typically 5+ years) leading qualitative and quantitative UX research within an enterprise or B2B product design environment. Proven ability to conduct research across the entire Design Thinking process. Experience with financial services or complex domain-specific applications is highly desirable. A strong portfolio demonstrating research methodologies, process, and impact is expected.

Required Skills:

Extensive experience leading and conducting generative and evaluative user research studies.
Deep expertise in a wide range of qualitative research methods (e.g., user interviews, contextual inquiry, usability testing, diary studies) and quantitative methods (e.g., surveys, analytics interpretation, A/B testing analysis).
Proven ability to design and facilitate workshops focused on UX research activities, both in-person and remotely.
Exceptional analytical skills with the ability to synthesize complex data from multiple sources into clear, actionable insights.
Outstanding written, verbal, and visual communication skills, with the ability to effectively present research findings and recommendations to senior stakeholders and cross-functional teams.
Experience working closely with senior stakeholders, product managers, engineers, and designers in a collaborative environment.
Demonstrated ability to be a creative problem solver comfortable navigating ambiguity and defining research strategies independently.
Strong attention to detail and a proactive, positive attitude.
Familiarity with common UX research tools such as UserZoom, UserTesting.com, Dovetail, EnjoyHQ, Qualtrics, or similar platforms.

Preferred Skills:

Experience within the e-commerce, internet, or mobile product space.
Familiarity and experience working within an Agile development methodology.
Direct experience within the financial services industry, particularly with commercial banking or complex regulatory technologies like AML.
Experience mentoring or leading junior researchers or designers.

📝 Enhancement Note: The required skills emphasize a strong foundation in both qualitative and quantitative research, critical for a Lead role in a data-rich environment like financial services. The preference for domain-specific experience (financial services, B2B/enterprise, AML) and Agile methodology reflects the specific context of this position within Citi. The mention of specific research tools provides valuable keywords for applicants.

🎨 Portfolio & Creative Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

Showcase a diverse range of research projects demonstrating your expertise in various methodologies (generative, evaluative, qualitative, quantitative).
For each project, clearly articulate the research objectives, methodologies used, participants recruited, key findings, and the impact of your research on product or design decisions.
Include detailed case studies that walk through your research process from planning and execution to analysis and synthesis.
Present findings and recommendations in a clear, compelling, and visually engaging manner, similar to how you would present to stakeholders.

Process Documentation:

Document your research process thoroughly, including research plans, interview scripts, survey designs, usability test protocols, and data analysis methods.
Demonstrate your approach to synthesizing qualitative data (e.g., affinity mapping, thematic analysis) and integrating it with quantitative insights.
Show how you iterated on research methods or hypotheses based on initial findings or constraints.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Lead UX Researcher role, the portfolio should heavily emphasize the strategic impact of research, the rigor of methodologies, and the ability to translate complex findings into actionable business and design recommendations. Process documentation is crucial to demonstrate the candidate's systematic approach to research.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $192,000.00 - $288,000.00 per year.

Benefits:

Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision coverage for eligible employees.
401(k) retirement savings plan with potential company contributions.
Life, Accident, and Disability insurance coverage.
Access to wellness programs and resources.
Generous paid time off packages, including vacation, sick leave, and paid holidays.
Potential for discretionary and formulaic incentive and retention awards for eligible employees.

Working Hours: Full-time, typically standard business hours, with potential for flexibility as needed to accommodate global teams or specific research activities.

📝 Enhancement Note: The provided salary range is competitive for a Lead UX Researcher role in New York City's financial sector, reflecting the seniority and specialized nature of the position. The benefits package is comprehensive, typical of a large financial institution.

🎯Team & Company Context

🏢 Company & Design Culture

Industry: Financial Services. Citi is a global bank with a significant presence in banking, commercial banking, investment banking, wealth management, and transaction services. This context implies working within a highly regulated environment with complex enterprise systems.

Company Size: 10,001+ employees (LinkedIn data: 195,224 employees). Working in a large organization like Citi means navigating complex organizational structures, collaborating across numerous departments, and potentially working on products used by a vast user base.

Founded: 1812. Citi has a long history, suggesting established processes and a mature organizational structure. The focus on innovation within AML technologies indicates a blend of traditional banking practices with modern technological advancements.

Team Structure: The role sits within the Digital Design Engineering family group under Technology. This suggests close collaboration with engineering teams. The mention of mentoring and collaborating with design leadership indicates a structured design team with opportunities for professional development and influence on design processes and systems.

Methodology: While not explicitly stated for the design team, the preference for Agile methodology suggests the team likely operates in sprints, with a focus on iterative development and continuous feedback loops, including integrating research findings throughout the product lifecycle.

Company Website: http://www.citigroup.com

📝 Enhancement Note: Inferred details about company size, industry, and founding date provide context for the work environment. The placement within the Technology group and the preference for Agile suggest how the design team likely operates and collaborates within the larger organization. The focus on AML implies a need to understand complex financial regulations and security considerations.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Design Career Level: This is a Lead-level position, indicating significant experience, strategic influence, and potentially mentorship responsibilities. The scope of responsibility involves leading research initiatives for critical AML technologies.

Reporting Structure: The role is likely within the UX Research or Digital Design Engineering team, reporting to a Design Manager or Head of UX. Collaboration with Product and Engineering leads is a key aspect.

Design Impact: As a Lead UX Researcher, you will have a direct impact on the design and direction of AML applications, influencing the user experience for internal users and potentially external financial institutions. Your research will inform critical product decisions in a high-stakes domain.

Growth Opportunities:

Potential to move into a Managerial role, leading a team of UX Researchers.
Opportunity to specialize further in areas like enterprise UX, financial technology research, or specific regulatory domains.
Growth through contributing to and shaping the overall UX research practice and methodology within Citi.
Advancement within the broader Technology or Digital Design Engineering organization based on performance and impact.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Lead" title and responsibilities clearly position this as a senior role with potential for further growth into management or specialized principal researcher roles. The impact on critical AML technologies highlights the strategic importance of the position.

🌐 Work Environment

Studio Type: On-site at 388 Greenwich Street, New York, NY. This is a major Citi location, likely a corporate office building.

Office Location(s): Primary location is New York, New York, United States. Citi has a global presence, which may involve collaboration with international teams.

Design Workspace Context:

Working on-site in a corporate office building in a major financial hub suggests a professional and structured work environment.
Access to dedicated meeting rooms and collaboration spaces for workshops and team discussions.
Proximity to product and engineering teams for seamless collaboration and communication.

Work Schedule: Full-time, on-site. The nature of financial services often involves standard business hours, but project needs may require some flexibility.

📝 Enhancement Note: The on-site requirement in a major corporate office in a financial district indicates a traditional work setup focused on in-person collaboration, typical for roles handling sensitive data and requiring close team interaction in the financial sector.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Design Interview Process:

Initial screening call with a recruiter to assess basic qualifications and experience.
Interview(s) with members of the UX team and design leadership to discuss research methodologies, process, and experience. Expect questions about your approach to complex research problems and working with stakeholders.
Portfolio review where you will be expected to present detailed case studies of your past research projects, highlighting your process, findings, and impact.
Interview(s) with Product and Engineering partners to assess collaboration style and ability to translate research into actionable insights.
Potential research exercise or design challenge to evaluate problem-solving skills and research application in a practical scenario.
Final interview(s) with hiring manager and potentially senior leadership to discuss leadership potential, strategic thinking, and cultural fit.

Portfolio Review Tips:

Curate 3-4 detailed case studies that showcase your experience with both generative and evaluative research methods, particularly in complex or enterprise environments.
For each case study, clearly articulate the business problem, research objectives, your role, the methodologies chosen and why, key findings, and the tangible impact of your research on the product or user experience.
Focus on demonstrating your research process, analytical rigor, and ability to translate insights into actionable recommendations for product and design teams.
Be prepared to discuss challenges encountered and how you overcame them.
If possible, include examples of research conducted in the financial services or B2B space.

Challenge Preparation:

If a research exercise is part of the process, carefully read and understand the prompt. Define clear research questions and propose appropriate methodologies given potential constraints (time, resources).
Structure your approach logically, outlining your plan, potential risks, and expected deliverables.
Be prepared to articulate your rationale for your chosen approach and how you would present findings to stakeholders.

ATS Keywords: UX Research, User Research, Qualitative Research, Quantitative Research, Generative Research, Evaluative Research, Usability Testing, User Interviews, Surveys, Journey Mapping, Design Thinking, Product Research, Enterprise UX, B2B UX, Financial Services, AML, Stakeholder Management, Research Synthesis, Actionable Insights, UserZoom, UserTesting.com, Dovetail, Qualtrics, Agile, Information Architecture, Interaction Design, Service Design.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section provides a detailed breakdown of a likely interview process for a Lead UX Researcher in a large financial institution, including specific types of interviews and assessment methods. The portfolio tips are tailored to the seniority and research focus of the role, emphasizing process, impact, and relevance to the domain. The ATS keywords are comprehensive and categorized for effective resume optimization.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Design Tools:

Likely extensive use of dedicated UX research platforms such as UserZoom, UserTesting.com, Dovetail, EnjoyHQ, and Qualtrics for managing studies, collecting data, and synthesizing findings. Proficiency in these or similar industry-standard tools is expected.
Potential use of collaboration and documentation tools like Confluence or similar platforms for documenting research plans, findings, and insights for the wider team.

Collaboration & Handoff:

Collaboration tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, or similar for daily communication and coordination with product, engineering, and design teams.
Project management tools such as Jira or Azure DevOps for tracking research activities and integrating with product development cycles.

Research & Testing:

Tools for remote usability testing and unmoderated studies.
Survey platforms for quantitative data collection.
Analytics tools (e.g., Adobe Analytics, Google Analytics, or internal platforms) for accessing and interpreting behavioral data to complement qualitative insights.
Tools for creating research reports and presentations (e.g., PowerPoint, Keynote, Google Slides).

📝 Enhancement Note: The tools listed are standard for a modern UX research practice, particularly within a large enterprise. The emphasis on dedicated research platforms and collaboration tools reflects the specific needs of a Lead researcher role working with cross-functional teams on complex products.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Design Values:

Emphasis on a user-centered approach, grounded in rigorous research and a deep understanding of user needs and behaviors, particularly within the complex domain of AML technologies.
Value placed on data-driven decision-making, where research insights and quantitative data are used to inform design and product strategy.
A culture of collaboration and knowledge sharing, where researchers work closely with designers, product managers, and engineers, and contribute to the wider design community within Citi.
Commitment to delivering high-quality, impactful research that addresses critical business problems and improves the user experience of complex financial applications.

Collaboration Style:

Highly collaborative, working closely with product owners to define research objectives and priorities.
Integrated within Agile teams, participating in sprint planning and review sessions to ensure research aligns with development cycles.
Regular interaction with design peers for feedback, critique, and knowledge sharing.
Frequent communication and presentation of findings to senior stakeholders and business leaders.

📝 Enhancement Note: Inferred values and collaboration style are based on the role's responsibilities, the company's industry (financial services, requiring rigor and data-driven approaches), and the mention of collaboration with product and engineering in an Agile environment.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Design Challenges:

Navigating the complexities of the AML domain and understanding the needs of highly specialized users within financial institutions.
Recruiting and conducting research with hard-to-reach or specific user populations within the financial sector.
Integrating research findings effectively into a fast-paced Agile development process.
Communicating complex research insights and their implications clearly and persuasively to diverse stakeholders, including those with limited understanding of UX research.
Balancing user needs with strict regulatory requirements and business constraints inherent in financial technology.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

Opportunities to deepen expertise in financial technology, regulatory compliance (AML), and enterprise-level UX challenges.
Access to internal training programs and resources for professional development.
Potential to attend industry conferences and workshops focused on UX research, FinTech, or enterprise design.
Mentorship opportunities within Citi's established design and technology organizations.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are specific to working in a complex, regulated domain like AML within a large enterprise. The growth opportunities highlight the potential for specialization within FinTech and the resources available in a large organization for professional development.

💡 Interview Preparation

Design Process Questions:

Be prepared to discuss your end-to-end research process for a complex project, from defining objectives and selecting methodologies to analysis, synthesis, and reporting. Use examples from your portfolio.
Explain how you prioritize research questions and decide which methodologies are most appropriate for different stages of the product development lifecycle.
Describe a time you had to adapt your research plan due to unexpected challenges or constraints, and what you learned from the experience.

Company Culture Questions:

Research Citi's values and recent initiatives, particularly in technology and digital transformation. Be prepared to discuss how your approach to UX research aligns with their focus on innovation and client service.
Ask thoughtful questions about the structure of the UX team, how research is integrated into the product development process, and how research impact is measured within the organization.
Be ready to discuss your experience collaborating with cross-functional teams (Product, Engineering, Design) and how you build strong working relationships.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

Select 3-4 strong case studies that demonstrate your breadth of experience and ability to tackle complex research problems.
For each case study, clearly articulate the problem, your research goals, the methods you used (and why), your key findings, and the impact of your research on the product or business.
Focus on storytelling – walk the interview panel through your process and highlight your critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Be prepared to discuss your choices and decisions in detail and answer questions about your methodologies and findings.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview preparation advice is tailored to a Lead UX Researcher role in a financial enterprise, emphasizing the need to showcase strategic thinking, process rigor, and the ability to demonstrate business impact. The focus on collaboration and understanding the company culture is also crucial for a senior role.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this design position:

Submit your application through this link.
Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight your relevant experience in UX research, particularly in enterprise or B2B settings and with complex domains like financial services or AML. Use keywords from the job description.
Prepare a compelling portfolio that showcases your research process, methodologies, findings, and the impact of your work on product and design decisions. Ensure case studies are detailed and clearly articulate your role and contributions.
Research Citi, its values, and its work in financial technology and AML to prepare for interviews and demonstrate your interest and understanding of the domain.
Practice presenting your portfolio case studies, focusing on clearly articulating your research process, findings, and the tangible impact of your work.

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

Lead UX Researcher - AML Technologies - Contractor Conversion