Sr. Manager, UX User Research

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Sr. Manager, UX User Research

Company: Fidelity Investments

Location: Smithfield, RI; Jersey City, NJ; Merrimack, NH (Hybrid)

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: User Experience Research & Strategy

Date Posted: March 02, 2026

Experience Level: Senior-level (10+ years)

Remote Status: Hybrid (Onsite 2 days every other week)

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead and execute comprehensive user research strategies to inform the UX vision for high-visibility Fidelity Institutional marketing websites, driving impactful digital experiences for institutional clients.

• Conduct in-depth qualitative and quantitative research, including usability testing, journey mapping, and persona development, to identify user needs and opportunities for strategic improvement.

• Translate complex user insights and website analytics into actionable recommendations that enhance client engagement and support critical business outcomes in the institutional market.

• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including product owners, designers, analytics partners, and marketing stakeholders, to align UX strategies with business objectives and deliver data-driven digital solutions.

• Champion a user-centered design approach, ensuring that digital interactions effectively showcase Fidelity’s investment capabilities and meet the diverse needs of consultants, plan sponsors, and financial advisors.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a Sr. Manager, indicating a significant level of responsibility in strategy development, team collaboration, and driving research initiatives. The focus on "Fidelity Institutional marketing websites" suggests a B2B or B2B2C context, requiring an understanding of complex financial services products and institutional client needs. The emphasis on "shaping the future" and "measurable impact" points to a strategic, outcome-oriented role.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Develop and implement end-to-end user research plans, including defining research objectives, methodologies, and timelines for key marketing website initiatives.

• Plan and execute a variety of research methodologies such as in-depth interviews, surveys, usability testing (moderated and unmoderated), heuristic evaluations, and competitive assessments.

• Analyze website analytics data (e.g., Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics) to identify user behavior patterns, pain points, and areas for UX optimization.

• Synthesize research findings into clear, compelling, and actionable insights, presenting them to diverse stakeholders, including senior leadership, product teams, and design partners.

• Create and inform the development of essential UX artifacts, including detailed journey maps, user personas, user flows, and wireframes, to guide design and development efforts.

• Design and manage research studies within various research platforms and coordinate participant recruitment for qualitative and quantitative studies.

• Collaborate with product marketing and digital marketing teams to understand campaign goals, lead-generation strategies, and personalization efforts, ensuring UX research supports these objectives.

• Provide strategic recommendations for UX improvements based on research findings, aiming to enhance user satisfaction, conversion rates, and overall client engagement.

• Stay abreast of industry trends in UX research, financial services, and digital marketing to bring innovative approaches and best practices to the team.

• Facilitate workshops and working sessions with cross-functional partners to foster a shared understanding of user needs and co-create solutions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of hands-on research execution, strategic thinking, and cross-functional leadership. The mention of "end-to-end validation activities" and "informing the development of UX artifacts" suggests the need for a candidate who can not only gather insights but also translate them into tangible design recommendations and guide their implementation. The focus on "lead-generation environments" and "personalization" indicates a need for understanding how UX research impacts marketing effectiveness and client acquisition.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

Experience:

• 10+ years of progressive experience in user experience research, with a strong track record of influencing product and digital strategy.

• Proven experience in designing, conducting, and analyzing both qualitative and quantitative user research studies.

• Demonstrated ability to interpret website analytics and translate data into actionable user insights and strategic recommendations.

• Experience in digital marketing, personalization, or lead-generation environments is highly valuable.

Required Skills:

• Qualitative Research Expertise: Deep understanding and hands-on experience with methods such as in-depth interviews, focus groups, diary studies, ethnographic research, and usability testing.

• Quantitative Research Expertise: Proficiency in survey design, data analysis, statistical interpretation, and A/B testing methodologies.

• UX Artifact Development: Ability to create or inform the creation of wireframes, user flows, journey maps, and personas.

• Analytics Interpretation: Skill in analyzing website analytics (e.g., Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics) and other behavioral data to identify user needs and opportunities.

• Synthesis & Storytelling: Exceptional ability to synthesize complex data into clear, concise, and compelling narratives that resonate with diverse audiences.

• Communication & Presentation: Strong verbal and written communication skills, with a proven ability to present research findings and strategic recommendations effectively to stakeholders at all levels.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively and build strong relationships with product managers, designers, engineers, marketing professionals, and business stakeholders.

• Problem-Solving: Ability to identify complex user challenges and propose innovative, user-centered solutions.

Preferred Skills:

• Figma Proficiency: Familiarity or demonstrable skill in using design tools like Figma for reviewing wireframes, user flows, or collaborating with design teams on UX artifacts.

• Research Platform Expertise: Experience with various user research platforms (e.g., UserTesting.com, Qualtrics, SurveyMonkey, Lookback, Maze).

• Agile/Scrum Environment Experience: Familiarity with agile development methodologies and working within fast-paced, iterative product development cycles.

• Financial Services Domain Knowledge: In-depth understanding of the institutional financial services landscape, including products, client segments, and regulatory considerations.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "10+" years of experience requirement solidifies this as a senior-level, strategic role. The explicit mention of interpreting "website analytics" and "lead-generation environments" points to a need for research that directly impacts business outcomes and marketing effectiveness. The preference for Figma indicates a desire for a candidate who can bridge the gap between research and design.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Research Case Studies: A portfolio demonstrating end-to-end UX research projects, showcasing your process from research design to insight generation and impact.

• Impact Demonstration: Clear articulation of how your research findings influenced product decisions, user experience improvements, or business outcomes (e.g., increased conversion rates, improved user satisfaction scores).

• Methodology Variety: Examples showcasing a range of research methodologies applied (qualitative and quantitative) and justification for methodology choices.

• Data Synthesis & Visualization: Evidence of synthesizing complex data into clear, actionable insights, often presented through compelling reports, presentations, or visualizations.

• Collaboration Examples: Samples or descriptions of how you've collaborated with cross-functional teams (e.g., product, design, marketing) to drive UX strategy.

Process Documentation:

• Research Planning: Documentation outlining how you define research objectives, select appropriate methodologies, and plan for participant recruitment and study execution.

• Insight Generation & Reporting: Examples of how you document and communicate research findings, including synthesis methods and reporting formats tailored to different audiences.

• Influence & Iteration: Evidence of how your research has informed iterative design processes and led to measurable improvements in user experience and business metrics.

• Tool Proficiency: Implicit demonstration of proficiency with relevant research, analytics, and collaboration tools through the projects presented.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Sr. Manager role, the portfolio needs to demonstrate not just research execution but also strategic thinking, impact, and the ability to influence. Candidates should highlight projects where their research led to tangible business results within a marketing or product development context, particularly in complex industries like financial services.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $85,000 - $171,000 USD per year.

• Explanation: This range reflects a Sr. Manager-level UX User Research position within a large financial institution like Fidelity Investments. Placement within this range will depend on factors such as the candidate's specific experience, skills, the scope of responsibilities for this particular role, and geographic location (though the primary location is Smithfield, RI, other NJ/NH locations are mentioned, implying potential for salary adjustments based on regional cost of living). The upper end of the range is typical for senior management roles with significant strategic impact and leadership responsibilities in major metropolitan or high-cost areas, while the lower end accounts for varying levels of experience and regional differences.

• Research Methodology: This estimate is based on industry benchmarks for Senior UX Research Managers in the financial services sector in the US, considering Fidelity's established reputation and the role's strategic importance. Data sources include reputable compensation surveys for tech and UX roles, and publicly available salary data for similar positions in comparable companies and locations.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive health care coverage

• Emotional well-being support

• Market-leading retirement plans

• Generous paid time off

• Parental leave

• Charitable giving employee match program

• Educational assistance, including:

  • Student loan repayment
  • Tuition reimbursement

Working Hours:

• Standard full-time hours (approximately 40 hours per week).

• The role is designated as Hybrid, requiring employees to work on-site in the designated office every other week (all business days, Monday-Friday). This offers a balance between in-person collaboration and remote flexibility, allowing for focused work and team engagement.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is broad, as is typical for senior roles where individual impact and experience can significantly influence compensation. The benefits package is robust, reflecting Fidelity's standing as a large, established employer, with a strong emphasis on employee well-being, financial security, and professional development, which are attractive to experienced operations and research professionals.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Financial Services (Investment Management, Retirement Services, Brokerage)

Company Size: Large Enterprise (Fidelity Investments is a global leader with tens of thousands of employees worldwide).

Founded: 1946 (Fidelity Investments is a long-established and highly reputable financial services firm, indicating a stable work environment with deep industry expertise).

Team Structure:

• Operations Team Aspect 1: The UX User Research team is embedded within the Fidelity Institutional Marketing organization, suggesting a focus on business-to-business (B2B) or business-to-business-to-consumer (B2B2C) marketing efforts. The team likely comprises researchers, UX strategists, and potentially UX designers who collaborate closely.

• Operations Team Aspect 2: This Sr. Manager role likely reports into a Director or VP of UX, Digital Experience, or Marketing within Fidelity Institutional. The team structure will emphasize collaboration with product management, digital marketing, analytics, and design teams.

• Operations Team Aspect 3: Collaboration is key, with frequent interaction with product owners, designers, marketers, and data analysts to ensure research insights are integrated into strategic planning and execution for marketing websites.

Methodology:

• Operations Process 1: Data Analysis and Insights Methods: The team leverages a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods, website analytics, and potentially A/B testing to derive insights that inform experience strategy and decision-making.

• Operations Process 2: Workflow Planning and Optimization Strategies: Research is integrated into the product and marketing development lifecycle, from discovery and ideation through validation and iteration, with a focus on optimizing user journeys and digital interactions.

• Operations Process 3: Automation and Efficiency Practices: While not explicitly stated for research, the broader company culture likely encourages efficiency. For this role, it means leveraging research platforms and tools effectively to streamline the research process and deliver timely insights.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Fidelity's long history and large size suggest a structured, process-oriented environment with opportunities for significant impact due to the scale of their operations. The specific placement within "Fidelity Institutional Marketing" is crucial, indicating a focus on professional clients rather than retail consumers. This implies a need for understanding complex financial products and the distinct needs of institutional buyers.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Sr. Manager, UX User Research. This position signifies a senior leadership role responsible for defining and executing UX research strategy for a critical business unit. It requires not only deep research expertise but also strategic thinking, stakeholder management, and the ability to mentor junior researchers or contribute to team development. The scope includes influencing high-visibility marketing websites and supporting significant business outcomes.

Reporting Structure: This role likely reports to a Director or Vice President within Fidelity Institutional Marketing or a broader Digital Experience organization. The Sr. Manager will work closely with peers in product management, marketing, and design, acting as a key strategic partner.

Operations Impact: The Sr. Manager's work directly influences the design and effectiveness of digital experiences for institutional clients, impacting lead generation, client acquisition, retention, and overall brand perception. By uncovering user needs and validating solutions, this role plays a critical part in driving business growth and client satisfaction within the institutional segment.

Growth Opportunities:

• Operations Skill Advancement: Opportunities to deepen expertise in advanced research methodologies, emerging research technologies, and strategic UX planning. Potential to lead larger, more complex research initiatives or programs.

• Leadership Development: Develop leadership skills through managing research projects, mentoring junior team members, and contributing to the strategic direction of the UX team and Fidelity Institutional Marketing.

• Cross-functional Mobility: Potential to move into broader UX strategy roles, product management, or leadership positions within marketing or digital experience departments, leveraging the deep understanding of institutional clients gained in this role.

• Industry Specialization: Become a recognized expert in UX research for the financial services industry, particularly within the institutional segment, opening doors to future leadership roles in the FinTech space.

📝 Enhancement Note: The Sr. Manager title suggests a significant step up from individual contributor roles, with expectations around strategic leadership, cross-functional influence, and potentially team mentorship. Career growth paths would likely involve further leadership in UX, strategy, or product management within Fidelity or the broader financial services industry.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Fidelity operates a mix of large corporate campuses and office spaces designed for collaboration and productivity. Given the "Hybrid" designation, the office environment will be set up to support in-person meetings, workshops, and team interactions on designated days.

Office Location(s): The role can be based in Smithfield, RI, Jersey City, NJ, or Merrimack, NH. These are significant operational hubs for Fidelity, likely offering modern office facilities with amenities supporting a hybrid workforce.

Workspace Context:

• Collaboration: The office will facilitate face-to-face collaboration with colleagues across marketing, product, design, and analytics teams, crucial for aligning on research objectives and sharing insights.

• Operations Tools & Technology: Expect access to standard enterprise technology, including robust network infrastructure, collaboration software, and potentially specialized UX research and analytics platforms.

• Operations Team Interaction: The hybrid model allows for focused individual work at home and collaborative sessions, brainstorming, and team-building activities when in the office.

Work Schedule:

• The role is full-time, with a hybrid work arrangement. Associates are expected to work onsite every other week (all business days, Monday-Friday). This structure aims to balance the benefits of remote work with the necessity of in-person collaboration for strategic initiatives and team cohesion.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model, common in large enterprises, is designed to leverage the benefits of both remote and in-office work. For a research role, this means flexibility for deep work and focused analysis, combined with opportunities for immersive collaboration and strategic alignment when on-site.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Process Step 1 (Initial Screening): A recruiter or hiring manager will review your application and resume. Be prepared to discuss your relevant UX research experience, especially in financial services or institutional markets, and your understanding of the role's strategic impact.

• Process Step 2 (Hiring Manager/Team Interview): This stage will likely involve a deeper dive into your research methodologies, experience with qualitative and quantitative studies, and your ability to translate insights into actionable recommendations. Expect questions about your experience with website analytics, UX artifacts, and cross-functional collaboration.

• Process Step 3 (Portfolio Review & Presentation): You will be asked to present a portfolio of your work. This is a critical step where you'll showcase 2-3 key research case studies. Focus on demonstrating your strategic thinking, research process, the impact of your work, and how you collaborated with others. Prepare to articulate your role and the outcomes achieved.

• Process Step 4 (Cross-functional/Stakeholder Interviews): Interviews with key partners (e.g., Product Managers, UX Designers, Marketing Leads) to assess your ability to collaborate, communicate effectively, and integrate research into their workflows.

• Process Step 5 (Final Interview/Panel): Potentially a final interview with senior leadership to assess strategic fit, leadership potential, and alignment with Fidelity's culture and values.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate for Impact: Select case studies that best demonstrate your ability to drive strategic decisions and achieve measurable business outcomes within marketing or product development contexts.

Prioritize projects relevant to financial services or complex B2B/B2B2C environments.

• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, clearly outline:

  • The Business/User Problem
  • Your Role and Responsibilities
  • Research Objectives & Methodology (justifying your choices)
  • Key Findings & Insights
  • Recommendations & Implementation (how they were used)
  • Impact & Outcomes (quantifiable results are best)

• Highlight Collaboration: Show how you worked with designers, product managers, engineers, and marketing teams to ensure research was understood and acted upon.

• Demonstrate Strategic Thinking: Explain how you identified opportunities, connected research to business goals, and influenced strategy, not just executed tasks.

• Be Ready for Q&A: Anticipate questions about your methodology, decision-making process, challenges encountered, and how you would approach similar problems at Fidelity.

Challenge Preparation:

• Strategic UX Problem: You might be given a hypothetical scenario related to a Fidelity Institutional marketing website and asked to outline a research approach to address a specific user or business challenge.

• Insight Communication: Be prepared to present a synthesized insight from a provided dataset or scenario and explain how you would communicate it to non-research stakeholders.

• Methodology Justification: Be ready to defend your choice of research methods for a given problem and discuss their trade-offs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio review is paramount for this role. Candidates must demonstrate not just research skills but the ability to translate those skills into strategic influence and tangible business results within a complex organizational and industry landscape.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Qualitative Research Platforms: UserTesting.com, Lookback, Maze, dscout, or similar for moderated/unmoderated usability testing, interviews, and other qualitative data collection.

• Quantitative Research Platforms: Qualtrics, SurveyMonkey, Typeform, or similar for survey design, distribution, and data analysis.

• Analytics & Reporting Tools: Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, Tableau, Power BI, or similar for interpreting website traffic, user behavior, and conversion data.

• Collaboration & Documentation Tools: Confluence, Jira, Asana, Miro, Mural for project management, documentation, and collaborative ideation/synthesis.

• Design & Prototyping Tools (for review/collaboration): Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Proficiency in analyzing large datasets from web analytics platforms to identify user trends, pain points, and opportunities for optimization.

CRM & Automation:

• Familiarity with CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce) and marketing automation platforms (e.g., Marketo, HubSpot) can be beneficial for understanding lead generation processes and client engagement strategies within institutional marketing.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the role is primarily UX Research, proficiency in interpreting website analytics is explicitly mentioned, making tools like Google Analytics or Adobe Analytics essential. Familiarity with collaborative tools like Miro/Mural and design tools like Figma is highly valued for effective cross-functional work.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• User-Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and advocating for the user, ensuring their needs and perspectives are at the forefront of digital experience design.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: A belief in using both qualitative and quantitative data to inform strategies, validate hypotheses, and measure impact, moving beyond intuition.

• Collaboration & Partnership: A strong emphasis on working effectively with diverse teams (product, marketing, design, analytics) to achieve shared goals and drive cohesive user experiences.

• Continuous Learning & Improvement: A culture that encourages ongoing professional development, exploration of new research methods, and iterative refinement of processes and strategies.

• Impact & Accountability: A focus on delivering research that leads to tangible improvements in user satisfaction, business outcomes, and overall client engagement, with a sense of ownership for results.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: The team actively partners with marketing, product management, and design to embed research insights throughout the product development and marketing lifecycle.

• Process Review & Feedback: An open environment for sharing research plans, findings, and recommendations, with constructive feedback loops to refine strategies and ensure alignment.

• Knowledge Sharing: Encouraging the sharing of research best practices, tools, and insights across the team and with broader stakeholder groups to build a collective understanding of the user.

📝 Enhancement Note: At a company like Fidelity, the culture will likely be professional, data-driven, and focused on client outcomes. The emphasis on collaboration is critical given the hybrid model and the need to align research with broader business and marketing objectives.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Research Breadth and Depth: Effectively managing multiple research projects across different marketing initiatives, ensuring both strategic depth and timely delivery.

• Influencing Stakeholders in a Large Organization: Navigating a large corporate structure to gain buy-in for research initiatives and ensure insights are translated into action, especially across different departments.

• Bridging Research to Business Outcomes: Clearly demonstrating the ROI of UX research in a B2B/institutional financial services context, where decision cycles can be long and complex.

• Adapting to Evolving Digital Landscape: Staying ahead of technological advancements, changing user behaviors, and competitive pressures within the financial services digital space.

• Integrating Research with Existing Processes: Ensuring research is seamlessly integrated into the workflows of product development, marketing, and design teams, rather than being an add-on.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Operations Skill Advancement: Access to training and resources to explore advanced research techniques, AI in research, ethical considerations in data collection, and specialized analytics.

• Industry Conferences & Certifications: Opportunities to attend leading UX research and financial services industry conferences, and potentially pursue relevant certifications.

• Operations Mentorship: Mentorship from senior leaders within Fidelity’s UX, marketing, or digital strategy teams, providing guidance on career progression and strategic leadership.

• Exposure to Diverse Business Units: Potential to gain exposure to various aspects of Fidelity Institutional and its client segments, broadening understanding of the business.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are typical for senior research roles in large, complex organizations. The growth opportunities highlight Fidelity's commitment to employee development, offering pathways for both deep expertise and broader leadership.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you used user research to significantly influence a digital product or marketing strategy. What was the outcome?" (Focus on your strategic contribution, research methodology, and measurable impact.)

• "How would you approach developing a UX research strategy for a new feature on a financial advisor portal, given limited time and resources?" (Demonstrate strategic planning, prioritization, and methodology selection.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What do you know about Fidelity Institutional and its target audience (e.g., consultants, plan sponsors, financial advisors)?" (Research Fidelity's institutional offerings and understand the B2B financial services landscape.)

• "How do you see UX research contributing to lead generation and client acquisition for Fidelity Institutional marketing websites?" (Connect your research skills to specific business goals.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Focus on Strategy & Impact: For each case study, clearly articulate the strategic problem you were solving and the business/user impact of your research. Quantify results whenever possible.

• Explain Your 'Why': Be ready to justify your methodology choices and explain the rationale behind your research questions and synthesis.

• Showcase Collaboration: Emphasize how you worked with cross-functional partners and how your insights were integrated into their work.

• Prepare for Deep Dives: Expect detailed questions about your process, challenges, and decisions within each case study.

• Tailor to Fidelity: If possible, draw parallels between your past experiences and the challenges or opportunities at Fidelity Institutional.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparation should focus on demonstrating strategic thinking, a strong understanding of the financial services/institutional market, and the ability to translate research into tangible business value. The portfolio presentation is a key opportunity to showcase this.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Sr. Manager, UX User Research position:

• Submit Your Application: Apply directly through the Fidelity careers portal via the provided link.

• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight your most relevant experience in UX research, particularly within financial services, B2B marketing, or institutional client contexts. Ensure your portfolio is readily accessible and showcases your best work.

• Resume Optimization: Clearly articulate your years of experience, specific research methodologies used, experience with analytics interpretation, and any leadership or strategic influence roles. Use keywords from the job description.

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your research process, key findings, and the impact of your work. Prepare specific examples for behavioral and situational interview questions. Review Fidelity's institutional business and recent marketing initiatives.

• Company Research: Understand Fidelity Investments, its mission, and specifically the Fidelity Institutional division. Research their current marketing website presence and identify potential areas where UX research could drive value.

⚠️ 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.