Senior User Researcher, Consumer (m/f/d)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior User Researcher, Consumer (m/f/d)

Company: Riverty

Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands

Job Type: Full-time

Category: User Experience Research / Product Operations

Date Posted: 2026-08-07

Experience Level: 5-10 Years

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive human-centricity by uncovering meaningful insights into customer needs, behaviors, and pain points within the financial services sector.

• Shape product direction and long-term customer experiences by applying a strategic design perspective informed by qualitative and quantitative research.

• Enable evidence-based decision-making by collaborating closely with Product, Design, Engineering, and Data teams to integrate customer perspectives throughout the product development lifecycle.

• Champion a human-centered, evidence-based culture across a multinational organization, advocating for customer needs while balancing business objectives and technical feasibility.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the role is for a User Researcher, its deep integration with product strategy, data analytics, and cross-functional collaboration places it firmly within the broader scope of Product Operations, with a strong emphasis on driving business outcomes through user understanding. The requirement to connect research with business objectives and product goals highlights its strategic importance beyond traditional UX research.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Plan, conduct, and synthesize qualitative and quantitative research using a diverse range of methodologies, including interviews, usability testing, surveys, diary studies, and contextual inquiry.

• Identify and articulate customer needs, motivations, and pain points to inform product strategy, service improvements, and the overall customer experience across consumer channels.

• Collaborate closely with Product Managers, Designers, Engineers, Data Analysts, Product Operations, Marketing, and Brand teams to embed research insights throughout the entire product lifecycle, from discovery to continuous improvement.

• Combine qualitative research findings with analytics, experimentation data, and business metrics to generate holistic customer insights and support strategic, evidence-based decision-making.

• Help product teams identify strategic opportunities by synthesizing customer insights with market trends, organizational priorities, and product goals.

• Design and execute evaluative research to validate concepts, prototypes, and live experiences, while rigorously measuring customer outcomes and impact.

• Contribute to the development and maintenance of research repositories, insight libraries, and research operations to enhance organizational knowledge sharing and research efficiency.

• Champion a human-centered, evidence-based culture by advocating for customer needs and ensuring that product decisions are grounded in customer evidence, while also considering business objectives and technical feasibility.

• Coach and support the broader design community and other colleagues in applying research methods and fostering customer-centric thinking across product teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibility to "Coaching and supporting the design community and other colleagues in applying research methods and building up customer-centred thinking across product teams" indicates a senior-level expectation for mentorship and driving broader organizational adoption of user-centric practices. This goes beyond individual research execution to include capability building.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong academic foundation in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, Design, or a related field is highly beneficial. A Master's degree or Ph.D. in a relevant discipline would be considered a significant asset.

Experience: Extensive experience (5-10 years) in planning, conducting, and synthesizing qualitative and quantitative user research throughout the entire product development lifecycle is required. Experience in a Senior User Researcher role or equivalent, demonstrating leadership in research strategy and execution, is essential.

Required Skills:

• Extensive experience planning, conducting, and synthesizing qualitative and quantitative user research throughout the product development lifecycle.

• Strong understanding of mixed-method research approaches and the ability to select the right methodology for different product and business questions.

• Demonstrated ability to apply a design strategy mindset, connecting customer insights with business goals to influence product vision, service design, and long-term direction.

• Experience collaborating closely with Product Analytics, Data Science, or Business Intelligence teams to combine qualitative and quantitative evidence into meaningful customer insights.

• Strong understanding of data and analytics, experimentation, customer metrics, and research triangulation to support strategic product decisions.

• Excellent synthesis and storytelling skills, with the ability to communicate complex research findings clearly and persuasively to diverse stakeholders.

• Strong facilitation, stakeholder management, and influencing skills, with the ability to align cross-functional teams around customer evidence.

• Experience designing and facilitating workshops that support discovery, prioritization, and strategic decision making.

• Strategic, analytical, and problem-solving skills with the ability to identify opportunities beyond individual customer problems.

• Familiarity with agile product development and experience working in iterative, fast-paced environments.

• Experience working with experimentation frameworks such as A/B testing and product analytics.

• Experience with AI-enabled research and research automation, and shaping AI-enabled research practices.

• Experience using research and data management tools such as Condens, TheyDo, Lyssna, Qualtrics, PowerBI, New Relic, or similar platforms. Preferred Skills:

• Experience building a research capability across multidisciplinary teams.

• Experience establishing research operations, repositories, or insight management practices.

• Experience shaping product strategy or design strategy through customer research and evidence synthesis.

• Experience partnering with multiple designers and stakeholders to achieve goals across complex product ecosystems.

• Experience with financial services or fintech products.

• Familiarity with product frameworks and development technologies.

• Experience with B2C, and/or B2B2C products.

• Familiarity with accessibility standards and guidelines (e.g., WCAG) and their application in design.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of tools like Condens, TheyDo, Lyssna, Qualtrics, PowerBI, and New Relic, alongside AI-enabled research and A/B testing, indicates a strong emphasis on a data-informed and technologically adept user researcher. The preference for financial services/fintech experience suggests a need for domain understanding. The statement "If you don’t check all these boxes but still feel you'd be a good fit for the role, we encourage you to apply" signals a commitment to diversity of thought and experience, prioritizing potential and transferable skills.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase a minimum of 3-5 comprehensive case studies demonstrating end-to-end user research projects from problem definition to impact measurement.

• Each case study should clearly articulate the research objectives, methodologies employed (qualitative and quantitative), the participant recruitment strategy, and the synthesis process.

• Evidence of how research insights directly influenced product strategy, design decisions, and led to measurable business or customer outcomes (e.g., increased conversion, improved satisfaction, reduced churn).

• Demonstrate experience in combining qualitative insights with quantitative data (analytics, A/B test results) to provide a holistic understanding of user behavior and product performance.

• Highlight experience in presenting research findings and recommendations to diverse stakeholders, including product managers, designers, engineers, and senior leadership, showcasing strong communication and storytelling skills. Process Documentation:

• Documented examples of how research findings were translated into actionable recommendations and integrated into product roadmaps or design iterations.

• Proof of establishing or contributing to research operations, such as creating research repositories, insight libraries, or standardized research templates and workflows.

• Examples of facilitating workshops or collaborative sessions that leveraged research insights to drive strategic decisions, prioritization, or ideation.

• Demonstrated ability to coach or guide team members in applying research methods or building customer-centric thinking.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the seniority of the role and its emphasis on influencing product strategy, the portfolio should not just present research projects but also demonstrate the researcher's ability to act as a strategic partner. This includes showing how they've translated insights into tangible business value and how they've contributed to building research capability within an organization. The mention of "AI-enabled research" suggests a forward-looking approach where candidates might showcase projects that leverage or explore AI in research processes.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on industry benchmarks for Senior User Researchers in Amsterdam, with 5-10 years of experience, a typical annual salary range would be between €70,000 and €95,000 gross. This range is influenced by the candidate's specific experience, the company's compensation philosophy, and the broader economic conditions in the Netherlands.

Benefits:

• Flexible working conditions, allowing for a healthy work-life balance.

• Hybrid working environment with 2 days per week expectation in the office, fostering collaboration and team cohesion.

• International work environment with exposure to diverse cultures and perspectives, supporting global career development.

• Opportunity to work within a fast-paced FinTech industry, contributing to innovative financial services.

• Membership in the Bertelsmann group, potentially offering access to broader corporate benefits and resources.

• Contribution to shaping sustainable financial services and making a tangible impact on customer financial confidence.

Working Hours: The standard working hours are likely to be around 40 hours per week, typical for a full-time position in the Netherlands. The company emphasizes flexible working conditions, allowing for some autonomy in managing work schedules within operational needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary estimate is based on research from various Dutch job boards and salary aggregators for senior-level UX/User Research roles in Amsterdam. The benefits are directly pulled from the job description and interpreted for their value to operations professionals. The working hours are inferred from the "fulltime" employment type.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Riverty operates within the FinTech sector, specifically focusing on enabling flexible payments and simplifying financial management for individuals and businesses. This places them at the intersection of financial services and technology, characterized by rapid innovation, data-driven strategies, and a focus on customer experience.

Company Size: Riverty is part of the family-owned Bertelsmann group and employs over 4,000 people across 11 countries, with approximately 80 nationalities represented. This indicates a large, established organization with a significant global footprint, offering stability and opportunities for diverse professional experiences.

Founded: While the founding date of Riverty itself isn't specified, its affiliation with the Bertelsmann group (founded in 1835) suggests a long-standing corporate heritage combined with a modern, agile FinTech approach. This blend can offer a unique work environment where established processes meet innovative thinking.

Team Structure:

• The Senior User Researcher will report to the UX Design Lead, Consumer, and will be part of an international team of UX designers, UI designers, service designers, and UX writers.

• This role involves significant cross-functional collaboration with Product Managers, Engineers, Data Analysts, Product Operations, Marketing, and Brand teams across Europe.

• The team operates in a regionally-distributed-hybrid setup, requiring collaboration across different locations and time zones. Methodology:

• Data Analysis & Insights: The company emphasizes data-driven insights, requiring researchers to combine qualitative findings with quantitative data, analytics, and experimentation to inform strategic decisions.

• Workflow Planning & Optimization: Research is integrated throughout the product lifecycle, from discovery to delivery and continuous improvement, aiming to optimize user experiences and business outcomes.

• Automation & Efficiency: There's a focus on AI-enabled research and research automation, indicating a drive towards more efficient and scalable research operations.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture appears to be a blend of a large, established conglomerate (Bertelsmann) and a dynamic, forward-thinking FinTech entity (Riverty). The emphasis on international collaboration, hybrid work, and data-driven decision-making are key aspects for operations professionals to understand. The "shaping FinTech" slogan suggests an innovative and growth-oriented environment.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Senior User Researcher position, indicating a mid-to-senior level role within the UX and Product Operations domain. It requires a substantial track record of independent research execution, strategic thinking, and the ability to influence product direction. The role also involves mentorship and capability building for junior team members and colleagues.

Reporting Structure: The Senior User Researcher reports to the UX Design Lead, Consumer. This structure suggests a clear hierarchy within the design organization, with the researcher acting as a key contributor to the consumer-facing product strategy under the guidance of the lead. However, the cross-functional collaboration implies significant interaction with peers and stakeholders across various departments.

Operations Impact: The Senior User Researcher has a direct and significant impact on revenue and business decisions by ensuring that product development is deeply rooted in customer understanding. By identifying unmet needs, validating assumptions, and advocating for user perspectives, the researcher helps to minimize product risk, optimize user acquisition and retention, and ultimately drive business growth and customer loyalty in the competitive FinTech market. The ability to connect research insights with business objectives and measurable outcomes is crucial.

Growth Opportunities:

• Operations Skill Advancement: Opportunities to deepen expertise in mixed-method research, advanced analytics integration, and AI-enabled research techniques. Potential to lead research initiatives for major product launches or strategic projects.

• Leadership Development: Potential to grow into a Research Lead or Manager role, overseeing a team of researchers, establishing research operations, and defining research strategy for broader product portfolios. Mentoring junior researchers and designers.

• Strategic Influence: Opportunity to shape product vision and long-term customer experience strategy through impactful research insights, influencing key business decisions and contributing to the company's overall FinTech innovation.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role is positioned as a key player in shaping Riverty's consumer-facing products. The growth opportunities highlight a path not just in individual contribution but also in leadership and strategic influence within the operations and product development functions. The emphasis on "research operations" suggests a potential to contribute to building scalable research processes.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Riverty offers a hybrid working environment with a requirement of being in the office twice a week. The company describes its 30 hybrid workspaces as "designed for exchanging ideas, learning from others, and shaping the way we work," suggesting a focus on collaborative and interactive work sessions when physically present.

Office Location(s): The role is based in either Amsterdam, Netherlands, or Berlin, Germany. The specific address provided is in Amsterdam (1079 MZ), indicating a modern office space designed to accommodate hybrid work and cross-functional collaboration.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The office design aims to foster idea exchange and learning, crucial for a user researcher working with cross-functional teams. Occasional travel for team huddles or workshops is expected, emphasizing in-person collaboration.

• Operations Tools & Technology: Access to a range of research and data management tools (e.g., Condens, TheyDo, Lyssna, Qualtrics, PowerBI, New Relic) is expected, along with potential exposure to experimentation frameworks (A/B testing) and AI-enabled research technologies.

• Team Interaction: Regular interaction with a diverse, international team of UX/UI designers, service designers, UX writers, Product Managers, Data Analysts, and other stakeholders is integral to the role.

Work Schedule: The role is full-time, with a standard 40-hour work week. The company promotes flexible working conditions, allowing for some degree of autonomy in managing daily work schedules, which is beneficial for accommodating research activities, data analysis, and cross-time zone collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model with specific office days emphasizes a structured approach to balancing remote flexibility with in-person collaboration. The description of the workspaces as conducive to idea exchange is a positive signal for roles that thrive on cross-functional interaction and brainstorming.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your CV and portfolio to assess experience alignment with the role requirements, particularly in mixed-method research and strategic influence.

• Hiring Manager/Team Interview: Discussion with the UX Design Lead, Consumer, and potentially other team members to delve into your research philosophy, experience with specific methodologies, and collaboration style. Expect questions about how you've driven product decisions.

• Portfolio Presentation/Case Study: A dedicated session where you'll present 1-2 in-depth case studies from your portfolio, showcasing your end-to-end research process, insights, recommendations, and demonstrated impact. This is crucial for evaluating your strategic thinking and communication skills.

• Cross-functional Stakeholder Interview(s): Interviews with Product Managers, Data Analysts, or Engineers to assess your ability to collaborate effectively, communicate research findings to diverse audiences, and integrate insights into product development workflows.

• Final Interview: Potentially with a senior leader to discuss cultural fit, strategic vision, and long-term career aspirations.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Structure is Key: Organize your portfolio with clear case studies. For each, include: Problem/Opportunity, Your Role, Research Objectives, Methodology (and why you chose it), Process (recruitment, execution, synthesis), Key Insights, Recommendations, and Impact (quantifiable if possible).

• Demonstrate Strategic Impact: Focus on how your research influenced product strategy, design decisions, or business outcomes. Quantify results where possible (e.g., "led to a 15% increase in user engagement").

• Showcase Mixed Methods: Highlight projects where you effectively combined qualitative and quantitative research. Explain how these different data sources provided a more complete picture.

• Tell a Story: Frame your case studies as compelling narratives that demonstrate your problem-solving skills, critical thinking, and ability to translate complex data into actionable insights.

• Tailor to Riverty: Research Riverty's products and target audience. If possible, subtly tailor your presented case studies to highlight relevant experience or demonstrate an understanding of their FinTech context.

Challenge Preparation:

• Research Methodology Application: Be prepared for hypothetical scenarios where you might be asked how you would approach researching a specific problem for Riverty's consumer products.

• Insight Synthesis and Communication: Practice articulating complex research findings concisely and persuasively. Be ready to explain how you would present these insights to different stakeholders (e.g., engineers vs. executives).

• Data Integration: Think about how you would integrate qualitative research with available quantitative data (e.g., product analytics, A/B test results) to form a comprehensive understanding.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is designed to evaluate not just research skills but also strategic thinking, collaboration, and the ability to drive business impact. A strong portfolio that showcases the researcher's ability to influence product strategy and demonstrate measurable outcomes is paramount. The emphasis on "AI-enabled research" suggests that candidates might be asked about their experience or interest in leveraging AI in research.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Research & Data Management: Condens, TheyDo, Lyssna, Qualtrics. Candidates are expected to be proficient in at least one, with familiarity across several. These tools are used for organizing research data, managing insights, conducting surveys, and analyzing qualitative feedback.

• Analytics & Reporting: PowerBI, New Relic. Proficiency here is key for combining qualitative research with quantitative data. This includes understanding user behavior patterns, tracking key metrics, and visualizing data for stakeholders.

• Experimentation: Experience with A/B testing frameworks is a significant advantage, enabling researchers to validate hypotheses and measure the impact of design changes.

• AI-enabled Research Tools: Experience or a strong understanding of how AI can be leveraged in research processes (e.g., for transcription, thematic analysis, participant recruitment) is highly desirable.

Analytics & Reporting:

• PowerBI: For creating dashboards and reports that integrate user research insights with business performance metrics.

• New Relic: Likely used for monitoring application performance and user behavior, providing quantitative data that can be triangulated with qualitative research findings.

• Product Analytics Platforms (e.g., Amplitude, Mixpanel - not explicitly mentioned but implied): Essential for tracking user engagement, conversion funnels, and feature adoption.

CRM & Automation:

• While not explicitly listed as primary tools for the researcher, familiarity with CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce, if applicable to customer data access) and automation platforms may be beneficial for understanding the broader customer journey and data flow. Understanding how research impacts automated customer communications or workflows would be advantageous.

• Integration Tools (implied): Understanding how data from research and analytics tools integrates with other business systems is valuable.

📝 Enhancement Note: The tool stack emphasizes a blend of qualitative research management, quantitative data analysis, and a forward-thinking approach to AI in research. Candidates should be prepared to discuss their experience with these specific tools and how they integrate them to drive strategic product decisions.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Human-Centricity: A core value, emphasizing the paramount importance of understanding and advocating for customer needs in all product development decisions. This drives a focus on empathy and user advocacy.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: A strong reliance on evidence, integrating both qualitative research insights and quantitative data to inform strategy and validate hypotheses. This fosters a culture of accountability and measurable impact.

• Collaboration & Cross-Functional Partnership: Encouragement of close working relationships across Product, Design, Engineering, Data, Marketing, and Brand teams to ensure a holistic approach to product development and customer experience.

• Innovation & Continuous Improvement: A dynamic environment that embraces new technologies (like AI in research) and methodologies, with a commitment to ongoing learning and optimizing processes and products.

• Agility & Adaptability: Working in a fast-paced FinTech industry requires the ability to adapt quickly to changing market conditions and customer needs, operating effectively within iterative development cycles.

Collaboration Style:

• Integrated Research: Research is not a siloed activity but is embedded throughout the product development lifecycle, requiring close collaboration with product teams from discovery to launch and iteration.

• Evidence-Based Advocacy: Researchers are expected to present findings clearly and persuasively, using data to advocate for customer needs and influence decisions, while also being open to constructive debate and balancing different business priorities.

• Knowledge Sharing Culture: Contributions to research repositories and insight libraries promote a culture of shared learning and collective understanding of the customer base across the organization.

• Mentorship & Capability Building: Senior members are encouraged to coach and support colleagues, fostering a culture of continuous learning and upskilling in customer-centric practices across teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: The culture values a blend of empathy for the user and rigor in data analysis. The collaborative approach is essential, as the researcher acts as a bridge between user understanding and business/technical execution. The emphasis on innovation, particularly with AI, suggests a forward-looking and adaptive team environment.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Establishing Research Maturity: As potentially the first strictly User Researcher in the design organization, a key challenge will be establishing and scaling research practices, building buy-in across various teams, and demonstrating the value of research consistently.

• Balancing Diverse Stakeholder Needs: Effectively managing and synthesizing input from various departments (Product, Engineering, Marketing, etc.), each with unique priorities, to ensure research efforts are aligned and impactful.

• Integrating Qualitative with Quantitative Data: Seamlessly combining diverse data sources (user interviews, surveys, analytics, A/B tests) into cohesive insights that drive strategic decisions, especially in a FinTech context where data is abundant.

• Navigating a Hybrid, International Environment: Ensuring consistent research quality and effective collaboration across distributed teams and varying time zones, while adhering to hybrid work expectations.

• Staying Ahead of Evolving Research & AI Technologies: Keeping pace with advancements in user research methodologies and AI applications in research, and effectively integrating these into Riverty's workflows.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Operations Skill Advancement: Deepen expertise in advanced mixed-method research, strategic product development, and leveraging AI for research efficiency and insight generation.

• Industry Exposure: Gain specialized knowledge in the FinTech sector, understanding the unique challenges and opportunities within financial services for consumers.

• Leadership & Mentorship: Develop leadership skills by coaching colleagues, potentially building out research operations, and influencing product strategy at a senior level.

• Cross-Functional Expertise: Enhance understanding of product management, engineering, data science, and marketing functions through close collaboration, broadening overall business acumen.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges highlight the opportunity for a proactive and strategic individual to make a significant impact by shaping research practices. The growth opportunities are geared towards developing a well-rounded product operations leader with deep expertise in user research and strategic influence.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you used mixed-method research to solve a complex product problem. What was your process, what were the key insights, and how did they influence the product strategy?" (Focus: Methodology, Synthesis, Strategic Impact)

• "How would you approach identifying unmet needs for Riverty's consumer payment services? What methodologies would you prioritize and why?" (Focus: Problem Framing, Method Selection, Domain Understanding)

• "Imagine you discover a significant user pain point that conflicts with a key business objective. How would you navigate this situation and present your findings to stakeholders?" (Focus: Stakeholder Management, Influence, Balancing Needs) Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Riverty and the FinTech industry? How do you see user research contributing to our mission of combining empathy, technology, and data?" (Focus: Motivation, Cultural Fit, Mission Alignment)

• "How would you foster a more customer-centric culture within a product team or across the organization?" (Focus: Advocacy, Coaching, Culture Building)

• "Describe your experience working in a hybrid and international team environment. What strategies do you use to ensure effective collaboration and insight sharing?" (Focus: Collaboration, Remote Work, Communication) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Choose Impactful Case Studies: Select 2-3 projects that best showcase your ability to drive strategy, demonstrate mixed-methods research, and deliver measurable results.

• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, clearly articulate the problem, your role, the research process, the insights, the recommendations, and the quantifiable impact. Use visuals to support your points.

• Highlight Strategic Contributions: Emphasize how your research directly influenced product decisions, strategy, or business outcomes. Quantify impact whenever possible.

• Be Prepared for Deep Dives: Anticipate questions about your methodology choices, synthesis process, stakeholder interactions, and how you handled challenges.

• Showcase Tool Proficiency: If relevant to your case studies, briefly mention how specific tools aided your research process.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparation should focus on demonstrating strategic thinking, strong communication skills, and a proven ability to translate research into business value. Candidates should be ready to discuss their experience with specific tools and methodologies, as well as their approach to collaboration and influencing stakeholders in a hybrid, international environment.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations position:

• Submit your application through the provided application link on the Riverty careers portal.

• Customize Your Resume: Tailor your resume to highlight keywords and responsibilities mentioned in the job description, such as "qualitative and quantitative research," "product strategy," "stakeholder management," "mixed-method research," and specific tools like "Qualtrics" or "PowerBI." Quantify your achievements where possible.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 of your strongest user research case studies that demonstrate end-to-end process, strategic influence, and measurable impact. Ensure they are well-documented and easy to understand, ready for presentation.

• Prepare for Case Study Presentation: Practice walking through your chosen portfolio case studies, focusing on storytelling, clarity of insights, and the tangible impact of your research. Be ready to answer detailed questions about your process and decisions.

• Research Riverty: Understand Riverty's mission, products (especially consumer payment services), target audience, and company culture. Prepare thoughtful questions to ask the interviewers about their operations, challenges, and team dynamics.

⚠️ 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.