Sr. Manager, UX Research, Simplii Financial

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Sr. Manager, UX Research, Simplii Financial

Company: CIBC

Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: User Experience (UX) Research / Product Operations

Date Posted: October 14, 2025

Experience Level: 7+ Years (with 2+ years in leadership)

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead and execute comprehensive UX research initiatives, encompassing qualitative and quantitative methodologies, to deeply understand client needs and inform product strategy within Simplii Financial.

• Drive the strategic direction and operational efficiency of the UX Research function, ensuring research rigor aligns with business objectives and fosters evidence-based decision-making across product, design, and analytics teams.

• Manage, mentor, and scale a team of UX researchers, fostering a high-performance culture focused on delivering impactful, actionable insights that directly influence the client experience and digital transformation efforts.

• Champion research literacy and best practices throughout the organization, building scalable research infrastructure and advocating for a client-centric approach in all digital product development.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title indicates "UX Research," the core responsibilities and emphasis on "optimizing UXR operations, processes, and methodologies," "building scalable research infrastructure," and "advocating for evidence-based decision-making" strongly align with the principles and functions of a Product Operations or GTM Operations role focused on customer insights and product development lifecycle optimization. The role sits within Simplii Financial's "Digital Experience and Design team," further reinforcing its strategic importance in translating user understanding into tangible product improvements.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design, plan, and execute a diverse range of qualitative and quantitative research studies, including usability testing, in-depth interviews, surveys, concept validation, A/B tests, and diary studies, to uncover actionable user insights.

• Leverage research tools such as Maze and Alida (or equivalent) for remote testing, data analysis, and insightful reporting to stakeholders.

• Develop and manage an "insider program" to recruit, engage, and manage a panel of active clients for continuous feedback cycles, ensuring a steady stream of real-world user perspectives.

• Translate complex research findings into clear, compelling, and actionable recommendations that effectively balance user needs, business goals, and technical constraints for product and design teams.

• Define research priorities, allocate team resources strategically, and oversee the consistent delivery of high-impact insights that align with Simplii Financial's strategic business objectives.

• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including Product Management, Design, Analytics, Content Strategy, and Engineering, to embed research insights early and throughout the product development lifecycle.

• Build and maintain scalable research infrastructure, including participant recruitment systems, data governance protocols, comprehensive documentation, and centralized knowledge repositories to enhance operational efficiency.

• Advocate for and promote evidence-based decision-making by raising research literacy across the organization through workshops, training, and insight-sharing forums.

• Continuously evaluate and optimize UX research tools, processes, and methodologies to improve research throughput, rigor, and overall impact on client experience.

• Lead and mentor a team of UX researchers, fostering their professional development and ensuring the team consistently delivers high-quality, impactful research outcomes.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a strong operational component, focusing on building infrastructure, optimizing processes, and scaling research capabilities, which are key functions within a Product Operations or GTM Operations framework. The emphasis on balancing user needs, business goals, and technical constraints is also a hallmark of effective operations roles.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

Experience:

• Demonstrate 7+ years of progressive work experience in User Experience (UX), product research, or applied research roles, preferably within digital or technology-focused environments.

Required Skills:

• Qualitative Research Expertise: Proficient in designing and executing qualitative research methods such as in-depth interviews, usability testing, and contextual inquiries.

• Quantitative Research Proficiency: Skilled in quantitative research methods including survey design, experiment design (e.g., A/B testing), and statistical analysis.

• Research Tool Proficiency: Hands-on experience with research and survey platforms like Maze, Alida, or equivalent tools for remote testing, data collection, and analysis.

• Customer Panel Management: Proven experience in building, managing, or significantly contributing to an insider program, customer panel, or opt-in research community.

• Data Synthesis & Storytelling: Excellent ability to synthesize complex qualitative and quantitative data into clear, compelling narratives and actionable insights.

• Stakeholder Communication: Demonstrated ability to effectively present findings and recommendations to senior leadership and cross-functional partners, influencing decision-making.

• Leadership & Mentorship: Experience in managing, mentoring, and developing a team of researchers, fostering collaboration and high performance.

• Strategic Thinking: Ability to align research priorities and resource allocation with overarching strategic business objectives.

• Empathy & User Advocacy: A strong capacity for empathy, with a demonstrated ability to uncover real client needs and translate them into product improvements.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience in the financial services industry, understanding its unique client needs and regulatory landscape.

• Familiarity with additional UX research tools and methodologies to broaden the research toolkit.

• Experience in scaling research operations within a growing organization.

• Understanding of product development lifecycle and agile methodologies.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirements emphasize both deep research expertise and strong leadership/operational skills. The mention of specific tools like Maze and Alida, along with the requirement for managing an "insider program," points to a need for practical, hands-on operational experience beyond theoretical knowledge.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Case Studies in Process Optimization: Showcase detailed case studies demonstrating how your research initiatives led to tangible improvements in user experience, product functionality, or operational efficiency within product development lifecycles.

• Metrics-Driven Impact: Present evidence of how your research has been translated into measurable business outcomes, such as increased conversion rates, improved customer satisfaction scores (CSAT/NPS), reduced support tickets, or enhanced user engagement.

• Methodology Showcase: Include examples of research plans, methodologies employed (qualitative, quantitative, mixed-methods), and how you adapted approaches to meet specific project goals and constraints.

• Systematic Approach: Demonstrate experience in developing and implementing robust research processes, including participant recruitment strategies, data analysis frameworks, and insight dissemination protocols.

Process Documentation:

• Research Design & Execution: Document your approach to designing research studies, including defining objectives, selecting appropriate methodologies, and planning recruitment strategies.

• Data Analysis & Synthesis: Provide examples of how you analyze and synthesize qualitative and quantitative data, turning raw information into actionable insights and strategic recommendations.

• Knowledge Management: Illustrate experience in establishing and maintaining research repositories or knowledge-sharing platforms to ensure insights are accessible and leveraged across the organization.

• Operational Efficiency Improvements: Detail instances where you have optimized research workflows, implemented new tools, or streamlined processes to improve the efficiency, scalability, and impact of UX research operations.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a role of this caliber, a portfolio is crucial. It should not only showcase research outcomes but also highlight the candidate's ability to manage research as an operational function, demonstrating process maturity, scalability, and impact measurement.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• Given the Sr. Manager level, extensive experience required, and location in Toronto, a competitive salary range for this role is estimated to be between $120,000 - $170,000 CAD annually.

Benefits:

• Competitive Salary

• Incentive Pay

• Banking Benefits

• Comprehensive Benefits Program (Subject to plan and program terms and conditions)

• Defined Benefit Pension Plan (Subject to plan and program terms and conditions)

• Employee Share Purchase Plan

• Generous Vacation Offering

• Wellbeing Support Programs

Working Hours:

• Full-time position with standard working hours of 37.5 hours per week.

• The role operates under a hybrid work arrangement, requiring 2-3 days per week on-site, with flexibility for remote work on other days.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is an estimation for Toronto, Canada, for a Sr. Manager level role in a Senior position. The inclusion of "Incentive Pay" and "Defined Benefit Pension Plan" are significant for senior roles in established financial institutions.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Financial Services (Banking)

Company Size: Large Enterprise (CIBC is a major Canadian bank with tens of thousands of employees globally). This scale implies robust processes, extensive resources, and opportunities for broad impact, but also requires navigating larger organizational structures.

Founded: 1864 (CIBC has a long-standing history, indicating stability and established corporate practices, while Simplii Financial is a modern, digital-first banking brand.)

Team Structure:

• Reporting: The Sr. Manager, UX Research reports to the Senior Director within the Digital Experience and Design team at Simplii Financial.

• Collaboration: This role will work closely with Product Management, Design, Analytics, Content Strategy, and Engineering teams, requiring strong cross-functional collaboration and influence.

• Team Management: The role involves managing, mentoring, and scaling a team of UX Researchers, fostering a collaborative and high-performance environment.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Decision Making: A strong emphasis on evidence-based decision-making, leveraging research insights to guide product strategy and development.

• Client-Centricity: A core value of building a "relationship-oriented bank for the modern world," prioritizing client needs and experiences.

• Continuous Improvement: A commitment to optimizing research operations, processes, and methodologies to enhance efficiency and impact.

• Agile & Iterative: While not explicitly stated, the nature of digital product development and the mention of A/B testing suggest an agile and iterative approach to product design and research.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Understanding CIBC's long history and Simplii's digital focus is key. The culture likely blends established financial institution practices with a modern, agile approach to digital product development. The emphasis on "relationship-oriented" and "client needs" is paramount.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This position is a Senior Management role within the UX Research discipline, often considered a strategic leadership position. It sits at the intersection of deep user insights and operational excellence, with significant influence over product direction and team development.

Reporting Structure: The Sr. Manager reports to a Senior Director, indicating a significant level of responsibility and direct contribution to departmental strategy. The role also involves direct management of a team of UX Researchers.

Operations Impact: The role's primary impact is on shaping client experiences through evidence-based insights, which directly influences product usability, adoption, customer satisfaction, and ultimately, Simplii Financial's digital strategy and competitive positioning in the market. This role operationalizes user understanding to drive business outcomes.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership Expansion: Potential to grow into a Director-level role, overseeing a larger research function or expanding into broader product strategy or operations leadership.

• Strategic Influence: Opportunity to shape the UX research roadmap and contribute to high-level strategic planning for Simplii Financial's digital offerings.

• Operational Excellence: Develop expertise in scaling research operations, building robust infrastructure, and implementing best-in-class research processes that can be applied across other areas of the business.

• Industry Specialization: Deepen expertise in financial services UX research, becoming a subject matter expert in a critical and evolving industry.

• Mentorship & Development: Continued opportunity to mentor and develop a team, honing leadership and people management skills.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is a significant step for a UX researcher aiming for leadership and operational impact. The growth path is clearly defined towards broader strategic and managerial responsibilities within a large financial institution.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid Work Arrangement. This indicates a blend of on-site collaboration and remote flexibility.

Office Location(s): Toronto-161 Bay St., 4th Floor. This is a prime downtown Toronto location, suggesting a professional, corporate office environment.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Hub: The office environment likely facilitates in-person collaboration, team meetings, workshops, and ideation sessions with product, design, and analytics counterparts.

• Technology & Tools: Access to CIBC's corporate IT infrastructure, including necessary hardware, software, and potentially specialized research equipment or secure testing environments.

• Team Interaction: Opportunities for regular interaction with direct reports, peers, and senior leadership, fostering a connected and informed team dynamic.

Work Schedule:

• Standard full-time schedule of 37.5 hours per week.

• The hybrid model offers flexibility, allowing for personal management of work-life balance while ensuring dedicated time for in-office collaboration and team engagement.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model is a key aspect, requiring candidates to be comfortable working both remotely and in a central Toronto office. The office location suggests a professional, well-equipped corporate setting.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: HR or Recruiter screen to assess basic qualifications, experience, and cultural fit.

• Hiring Manager Interview: In-depth discussion with the Senior Director to evaluate leadership capabilities, strategic thinking, research methodology expertise, and alignment with team goals.

• Team/Peer Interviews: Sessions with UX Researchers, Product Managers, and Designers to assess collaboration style, technical depth, and ability to integrate research into product workflows.

• Portfolio Presentation: A dedicated session where candidates present a selection of their most impactful work, demonstrating research execution, data synthesis, operational contributions, and strategic influence. This is often a critical component for senior roles.

• Final Interview/Panel: Potentially a final round with senior leadership to confirm fit and discuss broader organizational strategy.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Focus on Impact: Highlight projects where your research directly led to significant product improvements, strategic shifts, or measurable business outcomes. Quantify impact whenever possible (e.g., "increased conversion by X%", "reduced task completion time by Y%").

• Showcase Operational Acumen: Include examples of how you've built or improved research processes, managed participant recruitment, or scaled research operations. Demonstrate your ability to run research efficiently and systematically.

• Methodology Diversity: Present a range of projects that showcase your command over various qualitative and quantitative research methods. Explain why you chose specific methodologies for each project.

• Storytelling: Structure your portfolio presentations as compelling narratives. Clearly articulate the problem, your approach, the insights derived, the actions taken based on those insights, and the resulting impact.

• Tailor to Simplii: Research Simplii Financial's current digital offerings, client base, and any known strategic priorities. Frame your examples to demonstrate how your skills and experience align with their specific challenges and opportunities.

Challenge Preparation:

• Research Operations Case Study: Be prepared for a potential case study or take-home assignment that requires you to outline a research plan for a given Simplii Financial product or feature, or to analyze a hypothetical dataset and present findings and recommendations.

• Leadership Scenarios: Prepare to discuss how you would handle common team management challenges, stakeholder conflicts, or situations where research findings are challenged.

• Strategic Alignment: Think about how UX research can directly support Simplii's broader business objectives, such as customer acquisition, retention, digital transformation, and competitive advantage.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio presentation is likely a cornerstone of the interview process for this senior role. Candidates should prepare to articulate not just what they did, but how they did it operationally and what the measurable impact was.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• UX Research Platforms: Maze, Alida (explicitly mentioned); proficiency with other platforms like UserTesting.com, Qualtrics, SurveyMonkey, or similar for surveys and remote testing is highly beneficial.

• Data Analysis Software: Tools for qualitative data analysis (e.g., Dovetail, NVivo) and quantitative analysis (e.g., SPSS, R, Python for statistical analysis; Excel for data manipulation).

• Prototyping & Design Tools (Familiarity): Understanding of tools like Figma, Sketch, or Adobe XD used by design teams to facilitate usability testing and collaboration.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Web Analytics: Experience with tools like Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, or internal CIBC analytics platforms to understand user behavior in production.

• BI Tools: Familiarity with business intelligence platforms (e.g., Tableau, Power BI) for dashboard creation and data visualization, enabling the communication of research findings alongside product metrics.

CRM & Automation:

• CRM Systems: Understanding how CRM data (e.g., Salesforce, Dynamics 365) can inform research, identify user segments, or track user journeys.

• Project Management Tools: Proficiency with tools like Jira, Asana, or Trello for managing research projects, tasks, and timelines.

• Collaboration Tools: Microsoft Teams, Slack, Confluence for team communication, documentation, and knowledge sharing.

📝 Enhancement Note: The specific mention of Maze and Alida is critical. Beyond these, a strong understanding of the broader research and analytics ecosystem is expected for a Sr. Manager role.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Trust: Building trust through reliable research, transparent communication, and consistent delivery of high-quality insights.

• Teamwork: Fostering a collaborative environment where research is integrated seamlessly with product, design, and analytics functions.

• Accountability: Taking ownership of research outcomes, ensuring insights are actionable and driving measurable impact.

• Client Focus: A deep-seated commitment to understanding and advocating for client needs, ensuring that products and services are designed with empathy.

• Data-Driven Innovation: Leveraging empirical evidence from research to inform strategic decisions and drive innovation in digital banking experiences.

Collaboration Style:

• Integrated Partnership: Working closely with product managers, designers, and engineers as a strategic partner, not just a service provider.

• Insight Evangelism: Proactively sharing research findings and advocating for user-centered design principles across the organization.

• Feedback Loops: Establishing and maintaining continuous feedback loops with stakeholders to ensure research remains relevant and actionable.

• Knowledge Sharing: Promoting a culture of learning where research insights are documented, accessible, and used to inform future decisions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The core values of "trust, teamwork, and accountability" are explicitly stated, which are foundational for any successful operations-focused role. The emphasis on empathy and client needs is also central to Simplii's mission.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Research Rigor with Speed: The fast-paced nature of digital product development often requires rapid insights. Balancing methodological rigor with the need for timely delivery will be a key challenge.

• Scaling Research Operations: As Simplii Financial grows, scaling the UX research function to meet increasing demand while maintaining quality and efficiency will be critical.

• Influencing a Large Organization: Driving widespread adoption of evidence-based decision-making and user-centricity within a large, established financial institution can be challenging.

• Integrating Diverse Data Sources: Effectively synthesizing insights from UX research with data from analytics, customer support, and market research to form a holistic view.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Research Methodologies: Opportunities to explore and implement cutting-edge research techniques, AI-driven insights, or predictive modeling for user behavior.

• Leadership Development: Formal training and on-the-job experience in strategic leadership, team building, and organizational influence within a major bank.

• Financial Services Industry Insights: Deepening understanding of the unique challenges, opportunities, and regulatory landscape of the digital financial services sector.

• Cross-Functional Skill Development: Gaining exposure to product strategy, business operations, and data analytics through close collaboration with other departments.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are typical for a senior role in a large, dynamic organization. The growth opportunities are significant, focusing on leadership, strategic impact, and industry specialization.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to make a difficult trade-off between research rigor and project timelines. How did you navigate this, and what was the outcome?"

• "How would you design a research strategy to identify unmet client needs for a new digital banking feature at Simplii Financial?"

• "Outline your approach to building and managing a successful customer panel. What are the key operational considerations?"

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What do you know about Simplii Financial's digital strategy and how do you see UX research contributing to it?"

• "How do you embody CIBC's values of trust, teamwork, and accountability in your work and leadership style?"

• "Describe a time you had to influence stakeholders who were resistant to user feedback or research findings."

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Select High-Impact Projects: Choose 2-3 projects that best demonstrate your leadership, operational skills, research execution, and impact.

• Structure Your Narrative: For each project, clearly articulate:

  1. The Business/Product Problem: What was the challenge or opportunity?
  2. Your Role & Objectives: What was your specific contribution and what were you aiming to achieve?
  3. Methodology & Process: How did you design and execute the research? Highlight operational aspects (e.g., recruitment, tool usage, process optimization).
  4. Key Insights: What were the most critical findings?
  5. Action & Impact: How were these insights translated into product changes or strategic decisions? Quantify the impact.
  6. Lessons Learned: What would you do differently next time?

• Highlight Operational Contributions: Explicitly discuss any work you've done to build research infrastructure, improve processes, manage teams, or scale research efforts.

• Be Prepared for Q&A: Anticipate questions about your methodology, decision-making, and the broader implications of your findings.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interviewers will be looking for a blend of deep research expertise, strong leadership acumen, and a practical, operations-minded approach to delivering impactful user insights.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Sr. Manager, UX Research position at Simplii Financial:

• Submit your application through the CIBC Workday job portal via the provided URL.

• Tailor Your Resume: Optimize your resume to highlight leadership experience, UX research methodologies (qualitative and quantitative), experience with specific tools (Maze, Alida), customer panel management, and any contributions to process optimization or operational scaling. Use keywords from the job description.

• Prepare Your Portfolio: Curate a selection of your most impactful projects that showcase your ability to execute research, synthesize data, influence stakeholders, and drive measurable business outcomes. Ensure it demonstrates your operational capabilities and leadership.

• Research Simplii Financial: Familiarize yourself with Simplii Financial's brand, products, target audience, and recent digital initiatives. Understand their position within the Canadian banking landscape.

• Practice Your Presentation: Rehearse your portfolio presentation to ensure a clear, concise, and compelling delivery, focusing on impact and operational contributions. Be ready to articulate your strategic approach to UX Research leadership.

⚠️ 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.

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