Senior Design Researcher (12 month FTC)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Design Researcher (12 Month Fixed-Term Contract)

Company: Lloyds Banking Group

Location: London, United Kingdom

Job Type: Full-time, Temporary

Category: User Experience & Research Operations

Date Posted: August 18, 2026

Experience Level: Mid-Senior (5+ years)

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the design research strategy for critical Intelligent Customer Products, focusing on AI-powered solutions and customer experiences.

• Develop and manage comprehensive research roadmaps and plans to guide product and service development across the entire lifecycle.

• Deliver impactful, actionable insights derived from both generative and evaluative research to solve customer problems and identify new opportunities.

• Collaborate closely with multi-disciplinary design, product, and engineering teams to translate research findings into tangible product improvements and strategic direction.

• Synthesize complex data from qualitative and quantitative methods, including ethnographic studies, to create compelling customer narratives for diverse stakeholders.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role operates within a large financial services organization, requiring a strong understanding of how research insights can directly influence product strategy and development for customer-facing AI technologies. The emphasis on a 12-month FTC suggests a project-based need, likely involving the launch or significant enhancement of specific product lines.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Develop and execute comprehensive research strategies that align with business objectives for Intelligent Customer Products.

• Create and maintain detailed research plans and roadmaps, ensuring alignment with product development timelines and strategic priorities.

• Conduct in-depth qualitative research, including moderated and unmoderated usability testing, concept testing, and user interviews.

• Plan and execute exploratory and discovery research to uncover unmet customer needs and identify new market opportunities.

• Employ ethnographic research techniques such as contextual inquiry and diary studies to gain deep contextual understanding of user behaviors and environments.

• Combine qualitative and quantitative research methodologies to triangulate data and provide a holistic view of customer insights.

• Synthesize research findings into clear, concise, and actionable recommendations for design, product, and engineering teams.

• Present research insights and strategic recommendations effectively to a range of stakeholders, including senior leadership, to influence decision-making.

• Foster a culture of continuous learning and knowledge sharing within the Design Research and Analytics community.

• Contribute to the development of AI-powered products and services by ensuring a deep understanding of user needs and potential challenges.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibility to "shape the development of AI-powered products and services" indicates a need for researchers who can not only understand current user needs but also anticipate future behaviors and ethical considerations related to AI adoption. This requires a strategic mindset beyond traditional UX research.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong academic background in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, Design, or a related field is highly beneficial. Equivalent practical experience will be considered.

Experience: 5+ years of demonstrable experience working in design research, user experience research, or a similar role, with a proven track record of influencing product development.

Required Skills:

• Proven ability to identify and prioritize key research questions in collaboration with design and product teams.

• Expertise in creating research roadmaps and strategic plans that define both short-term objectives and long-term direction.

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

• Skill in synthesizing complex research data into impactful, actionable insights that foster a shared understanding of user needs.

• Strong communication and influencing skills, with the ability to articulate findings clearly and concisely to diverse business stakeholders.

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

• Proficiency in combining qualitative and quantitative research methods for robust analysis.

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

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

• Experience in accessibility research and ensuring inclusive design practices.

• Familiarity with quantitative research techniques and statistical analysis.

• Experience working with AI or machine learning product development teams.

• Skills in mentoring junior researchers or contributing to team development.

• Experience within the financial services industry.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "5+ years of experience" and the requirement to "identify and prioritise the right research questions" points towards a role where the candidate is expected to be self-directed and capable of strategic planning without extensive oversight. The mention of "accessibility" as a strength suggests that inclusive research practices are highly valued.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase a range of projects demonstrating end-to-end research lifecycle management, from initial discovery to evaluative testing.

• Include case studies detailing how research insights directly influenced product strategy, design decisions, and business outcomes, with measurable impact.

• Provide examples of research plans, roadmaps, and methodologies used, clearly articulating the rationale behind methodological choices.

• Highlight experience in synthesizing diverse data sources (qualitative, quantitative, ethnographic) into cohesive and actionable insights.

• Demonstrate strong presentation skills through examples of how research findings were communicated to various stakeholder groups, including senior leadership. Process Documentation:

• Evidence of establishing and managing research processes for product teams, ensuring consistency and quality.

• Examples of how research findings are documented and shared to create a lasting, accessible knowledge base for product development.

• Demonstrations of how research processes are adapted to different project needs and team dynamics within a hybrid work environment.

• Insights into how research findings are integrated into agile development workflows and feedback loops.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the role's seniority and focus on strategy, a portfolio should emphasize the candidate's ability to not just conduct research but to strategically plan, manage, and translate it into tangible business value, particularly in the context of complex product development and AI initiatives.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: £72,702 - £80,780 GBP per annum.

Benefits:

• A generous pension contribution of up to 15%.

• An annual performance-related bonus.

• Share schemes, including free shares.

• Benefits adaptable to lifestyle, such as discounted shopping.

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

• A range of wellbeing initiatives.

• Generous parental leave policies.

Working Hours: 35 hours per week, full-time.

📝 Enhancement Note: The provided salary range falls within the mid-to-senior level for specialized research roles in London, reflecting the experience and strategic impact required. The comprehensive benefits package is typical for a large financial institution, offering strong support for employees' financial, personal, and professional well-being.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Financial Services. Lloyds Banking Group is one of the UK's leading financial services groups, operating across retail banking, commercial banking, insurance, and wealth management. This context means a strong emphasis on customer trust, data security, regulatory compliance, and large-scale customer impact.

Company Size: Large enterprise (over 10,000 employees). This scale implies complex organizational structures, diverse teams, and significant opportunities for cross-functional collaboration and impact, but also potential for bureaucratic processes.

Founded: 2009 (as Lloyds Banking Group, formed by the merger of Lloyds TSB and HBOS). The company has a long heritage in UK banking, indicating a blend of traditional values with modern innovation.

Team Structure:

• The Design Research team is large and experienced, with over 40 researchers. This size suggests specialization within the team (e.g., accessibility, quantitative, UX) and a robust internal community for support and knowledge sharing.

• The Senior Design Researcher will work within a multi-disciplinary team comprising design, product, and engineering professionals.

• Reporting structure is likely to be to a Head of Design Research or a senior product leader, with close collaboration across product verticals. Methodology:

• Focus on shaping product and service development through design research.

• Encouragement of testing and learning new research methods.

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

• Application of research to solve customer problems, unlock opportunities, and guide product creation.

• Interest in developing AI-powered products and services.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: The description highlights a culture that values research and encourages continuous learning and collaboration. For operations professionals, this means opportunities to work within established frameworks while also contributing to innovation, particularly in the rapidly evolving area of AI and customer products within a regulated industry.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as "Senior," indicating a level of autonomy, strategic input, and responsibility for significant project areas. It requires not just execution but also the ability to define research direction and influence stakeholders.

Reporting Structure: The Senior Design Researcher will report into a leadership role within the Design Research or Product organization and work closely with product managers, designers, and engineers. Collaboration is key, suggesting a matrixed reporting environment typical of large, agile product development teams.

Operations Impact: The role's primary impact is on shaping the development of customer-facing products and services, particularly those leveraging AI. Success will be measured by the quality of insights delivered, their influence on product strategy, and ultimately, their contribution to solving customer problems and unlocking business opportunities within the Intelligent Customer Products domain.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in AI product research, accessibility, or advanced qualitative/quantitative methodologies.

• Leadership: Potential to mentor junior researchers, lead larger research initiatives, or transition into a research lead or manager role.

• Cross-functional Exposure: Gain experience working with diverse product teams and understanding the broader business strategy of a major financial institution.

• Skill Development: Opportunities to learn and apply new research techniques, tools, and to stay abreast of advancements in AI and user experience design.

• Career Progression: Potential to move into permanent roles within Lloyds Banking Group or leverage the experience gained for senior research positions elsewhere.

📝 Enhancement Note: As a 12-month fixed-term contract, this role is ideal for experienced researchers looking to gain specific experience in AI product development within a large, reputable organization. While a permanent role isn't guaranteed, the experience and network gained can be a significant stepping stone for future career growth.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid working model, requiring at least two days per week (40% of time) in an office location. This indicates a blend of in-person collaboration and remote flexibility.

Office Location(s): London, 25 Gresham Street. This is a central London location, implying a professional and accessible work environment with opportunities for networking and engagement within the city's business hub.

Workspace Context:

• The London office will serve as a hub for collaborative activities, team meetings, and cross-functional interactions.

• Access to internal company resources, research facilities, and technology infrastructure.

• Opportunity to engage with a large, established community of over 40 researchers, fostering a supportive and knowledge-rich environment.

• The hybrid model allows for focused, individual work at home, balanced with team-based activities and stakeholder engagement in the office.

Work Schedule: Standard 35-hour work week, full-time. The hybrid arrangement provides flexibility in structuring the working week, balancing office days with remote work.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model with a minimum office presence suggests that collaboration, team cohesion, and in-person stakeholder engagement are still highly valued. Candidates should be comfortable with this structure and prepared to contribute actively during their office days.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Likely involves a review of CV and portfolio by a recruiter or hiring manager to assess alignment with core requirements.

• First Interview: Focus on experience, research methodologies, stakeholder management, and strategic thinking. Expect behavioral questions and discussions about past projects.

• Portfolio Presentation/Case Study: A crucial stage where candidates present their work, showcasing research process, insights, impact, and communication skills. This may involve a prepared presentation or a live walk-through of a selected project.

• Final Interview(s): May involve meeting with senior leadership, key stakeholders from design, product, or engineering teams, and assessing cultural fit and strategic alignment.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 3-4 projects that best demonstrate your expertise in qualitative and quantitative research, roadmap development, AI product considerations, and stakeholder influence.

• Structure for Impact: For each project, clearly outline the problem, your role, the research questions, methodologies used (and why), key insights, the impact of your findings on the product/business, and lessons learned.

• Quantify Impact: Where possible, use metrics to demonstrate the success of your research (e.g., improved conversion rates, reduced user errors, increased customer satisfaction).

• Showcase AI Experience: If you have experience with AI products, highlight how you approached user needs, ethical considerations, and the unique challenges of researching AI interfaces.

• Tailor to LBG: Briefly mention how your skills and experience align with Lloyds Banking Group's mission and the specific needs of the Intelligent Customer Products team.

Challenge Preparation:

• Be prepared to discuss how you would approach research for a hypothetical AI product or feature.

• Practice articulating complex research findings into simple, actionable recommendations for non-researchers.

• Think about how you would manage conflicting stakeholder priorities or feedback.

• Consider how you would measure the success of your research in a large organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio review is a critical component for senior research roles. Candidates should focus on demonstrating strategic thinking, the ability to drive impact, and clear communication of complex research findings, especially concerning AI product development.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Research Platforms: Proficiency with various usability testing tools (e.g., UserTesting.com, Optimal Workshop, Lookback, Maze) for moderated and unmoderated testing.

• Qualitative Analysis Software: Experience with tools for thematic analysis, affinity mapping, and synthesizing qualitative data (e.g., Dovetail, Miro, Mural, NVivo).

• Quantitative Analysis Tools: Familiarity with survey platforms (e.g., Qualtrics, SurveyMonkey) and basic statistical analysis tools or methods for interpreting quantitative data.

• Collaboration Tools: Extensive use of tools like Miro, Mural, Confluence, and Jira for planning, documentation, and team collaboration.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Familiarity with analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics) to contextualize qualitative findings with user behavior data.

• Ability to interpret dashboards and reports to identify trends and inform research questions. CRM & Automation:

• While not a core CRM role, understanding how research integrates with CRM data or customer feedback systems is beneficial.

• Awareness of how automation impacts customer experience and research needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: While specific tool requirements aren't listed, a strong candidate will be proficient in a range of industry-standard research and collaboration tools. The ability to integrate research findings with quantitative data from analytics platforms is a key differentiator for senior roles.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Customer Focus: A deep commitment to understanding and serving customer needs, driving product development that genuinely solves problems and enhances user experience.

• Collaboration: Working effectively within multi-disciplinary teams, fostering open communication and shared ownership of product outcomes.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Utilizing robust research and data to inform strategic choices and measure impact.

• Innovation: Encouraging experimentation with new research methods and contributing to the development of cutting-edge AI-powered products.

• Integrity & Trust: Upholding high ethical standards in research and data handling, crucial within the financial services sector.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Actively partnering with design, product, and engineering teams throughout the product development lifecycle.

• Influence and Advocacy: Effectively communicating research insights to gain buy-in and drive action from stakeholders at all levels.

• Knowledge Sharing: Contributing to a learning culture by sharing research findings, methodologies, and best practices within the broader research community.

• Constructive Feedback: Participating in peer reviews and providing/receiving feedback to continuously improve research quality and team effectiveness.

📝 Enhancement Note: Lloyds Banking Group emphasizes its values-led culture. For this role, it means demonstrating how research practices align with customer-centricity, ethical considerations (especially with AI), and collaborative problem-solving within a large corporate structure.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

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

• AI Product Nuances: Researching novel AI-powered products requires understanding user trust, transparency, and ethical implications, which can be more complex than traditional software.

• Balancing Generative and Evaluative Research: Effectively managing research needs across the entire product lifecycle, from early exploration to iterative refinement.

• Hybrid Work Dynamics: Ensuring effective collaboration and seamless research execution across both in-office and remote working arrangements.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• AI Research Specialization: Gaining deep expertise in user research for artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data-driven products.

• Strategic Impact: Developing a stronger ability to translate research findings into high-level business strategy and product roadmaps.

• Cross-Disciplinary Learning: Understanding the intricacies of product management, engineering processes, and business operations within a major financial institution.

• Mentorship: Opportunity to mentor junior researchers and learn from experienced professionals within a large research community.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are typical for senior roles in large organizations, particularly in emerging tech areas like AI. The growth opportunities are geared towards developing specialized expertise and strategic influence, making this a valuable experience for career advancement.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you approach developing a research roadmap for a new AI-powered financial advice tool?" (Focus on prioritization, stakeholder alignment, and iterative planning).

• "Describe a time you had to influence a senior stakeholder with your research findings. What was the situation, your approach, and the outcome?" (Assess communication, persuasion, and impact).

• "Imagine we're seeing low adoption of a new feature. How would you use research to diagnose the problem and propose solutions?" (Demonstrate problem-solving, methodological flexibility, and actionable insights). Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about working at Lloyds Banking Group, particularly within the financial services sector and with AI products?" (Research LBG's mission, values, and recent initiatives in AI/digital transformation).

• "How do you see your research style fitting into a hybrid working environment and a large, established organization?" (Discuss collaboration, communication, and adaptability).

• "How do you ensure your research has a measurable impact on business objectives and customer experience?" (Prepare examples of ROI or tangible product improvements driven by your work). Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Narrative Arc: Structure your presentation with a clear beginning (problem/opportunity), middle (your research process and insights), and end (impact and learnings).

• Focus on "Why": Clearly articulate why you chose specific methodologies and why your insights are significant.

• Highlight Your Role: Be specific about your contributions, especially in strategic planning and influencing stakeholders.

• Visual Clarity: Use clear, concise slides that support your narrative, avoiding dense text. Include visuals of research outputs where appropriate.

• Conciseness: Be mindful of time limits. Practice to ensure you can cover your key points effectively within the allocated slot.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating strategic thinking, a deep understanding of research methodologies, and the ability to translate complex findings into business value, particularly within the context of AI and financial services.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Design Researcher position:

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

• Tailor your CV: Highlight your 5+ years of relevant experience, specific research methodologies used (especially qualitative, ethnographic, and mixed-methods), and your experience in influencing product strategy. Use keywords from the job description.

• Prepare your Portfolio: Curate 3-4 impactful case studies that showcase your end-to-end research process, strategic planning capabilities, ability to synthesize complex data, and demonstrable impact on product development. Ensure it aligns with the requirements for AI product research and stakeholder influence.

• Practice your Presentation: Rehearse your portfolio presentation, focusing on clear storytelling, articulating your strategic contributions, and quantifying impact. Be ready to discuss your approach to AI research challenges.

• Research Lloyds Banking Group: Familiarize yourself with the company's mission, values, recent news, and their approach to digital transformation and AI. Understand their customer-centric philosophy.

⚠️ 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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