User Researcher

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: User Researcher

Company: Wealth Wizards

Location: United Kingdom (Remote)

Job Type: Permanent

Category: User Experience (UX) Research / Operations

Date Posted: May 07, 2026

Experience Level: Mid-Level (2-5 years)

Remote Status: Fully Remote

🚀 Role Summary

• Conduct mixed-methods user research (qualitative and quantitative) across a diverse product portfolio, including Targeted Support, equity release, and retirement planning, to drive informed product development.

• Establish and maintain robust research operations, including managing a central research repository and democratizing research practices for broader organizational adoption.

• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams (designers, product managers, engineers) to integrate user insights into the product lifecycle and ensure user needs are central to all initiatives.

• Communicate research findings effectively to a wide range of audiences, including senior stakeholders in a regulated financial services environment, ensuring insights are actionable and understood.

• Contribute to the operational foundations of research, including tooling, methodologies, and best practices, to ensure scalability and compounding value over time.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title is "User Researcher," the inclusion of responsibilities related to "operational foundations," "maintaining our repository, our tooling, and the practices that allow research to compound over time," and "democratise research across the business" indicates a strong operational component to this role, making it highly relevant for individuals with a background in Research Operations or a desire to build those skills. The emphasis on a regulated financial services context also implies a need for meticulous documentation and methodological rigor.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Execute comprehensive qualitative and quantitative research studies, including in-depth user interviews, usability testing sessions, surveys, and other appropriate methodologies, to uncover user needs, pain points, and behaviors.

• Actively support various product teams in addressing their research requirements, demonstrating adaptability to shifting business priorities and diverse product contexts.

• Uphold a high standard of methodological rigour in all research activities, ensuring findings are unbiased, evidence-based, and credible within the regulated financial services sector.

• Contribute to the development and maintenance of the central research repository, ensuring it is well-organized, searchable, and a valuable knowledge base for the entire organization.

• Drive operational efficiency in research by creating and maintaining test scripts, managing research tools (e.g., Dovetail), and contributing to the evolution of research practices and tooling.

• Empower colleagues across different departments to conduct their own research studies (surveys, interviews) by providing guidance, training, and support on methodological soundness.

• Clearly and confidently present research findings, translating complex data and user insights into accessible, actionable recommendations for diverse audiences, including senior leadership.

• Foster a collaborative and continuous improvement culture within the design team and across the wider organization, promoting openness, curiosity, and a shared commitment to user-centricity.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities clearly outline a dual focus: direct user research execution and the establishment/improvement of research operations. This suggests the need for an individual who can not only conduct research but also think strategically about how to scale and embed research practices effectively within the company, particularly through documentation, tooling, and knowledge sharing.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is listed, a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, Computer Science, or a related field is typically beneficial for a User Researcher role. Relevant certifications or extensive practical experience can also be highly valued.

Experience: 2-5 years of demonstrable experience in user research, with a strong portfolio showcasing a range of qualitative and quantitative research methods. Experience in a regulated industry, such as financial services, is a significant advantage.

Required Skills:

• Proven expertise in designing and executing a variety of qualitative research methods (e.g., user interviews, contextual inquiry, usability testing, ethnographic studies).

• Proficiency in quantitative research methods, including survey design, data analysis, and interpretation of statistical findings.

• Strong communication and presentation skills, with the ability to articulate complex research findings clearly and persuasively to both technical and non-technical audiences, including senior stakeholders.

• Experience in managing and organizing research data and findings, ideally within a research repository tool like Dovetail.

• A collaborative mindset, with a proven ability to work effectively within cross-functional product teams (design, product management, engineering).

• Genuine curiosity and a passion for understanding user behavior, motivations, and needs.

Preferred Skills:

• Prior experience working within the financial services sector or a similarly regulated industry.

• Familiarity with specific research tooling beyond Dovetail, such as user testing platforms, survey tools (e.g., SurveyMonkey, Qualtrics), and analytics software.

• Experience in democratizing research practices and training non-researchers on basic research methodologies.

• Knowledge of product development lifecycles and agile methodologies.

• A genuine interest in financial wellbeing and helping individuals improve their financial futures.

📝 Enhancement Note: The required skills emphasize both practical research execution and the ability to operate within a structured, professional environment. The "preferred skills" highlight the value of specific industry experience and the ability to scale research, reinforcing the operational aspect of the role.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A curated portfolio demonstrating a range of research projects, showcasing your ability to apply diverse methodologies to solve user problems.

• Case studies that clearly articulate the research problem, the methods employed, the insights generated, and the impact of your research on product decisions or business outcomes.

• Evidence of your ability to manage research projects from inception to completion, including planning, recruitment, data collection, analysis, and reporting.

• Examples of how you have communicated research findings to stakeholders, including presentations, reports, or other deliverables.

Process Documentation:

• Examples of research plans and protocols that outline study objectives, methodologies, participant criteria, and timelines.

• Documentation of how you have synthesized and stored research findings, ensuring accessibility and reusability for future projects.

• Any contributions to developing or refining research workflows, templates, or best practice guides.

• Evidence of how you ensure methodological rigor and ethical considerations are documented and adhered to throughout the research process.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a role that emphasizes both direct research and operational aspects, a portfolio should highlight not just the "what" (research conducted) but also the "how" (methodologies, process, impact) and the "why" (strategic contribution). Candidates should be prepared to discuss not only their individual research contributions but also their understanding of how research scales and integrates within a larger organization.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: £43,000 - £60,000 per year.

Benefits:

• Flexible working arrangements to promote work-life balance.

• 25 days of annual leave plus all UK bank holidays.

• Company pension scheme with up to a 10% employer contribution.

• Performance-based bonus scheme tied to company performance.

• A paid day off to celebrate your birthday.

• Opportunity to purchase additional holiday days (up to 5 per year).

• Additional holiday accrual based on length of service.

• Comprehensive private medical insurance.

• Dental and health cash plans for routine healthcare needs.

• Enhanced parental leave and pay policies.

• Discounts on gym memberships and health screening services.

• Employee assistance programme offering confidential support.

• Life assurance coverage equivalent to 4x basic salary.

• Annual allowance for pension advice (£500).

• 6 paid days per year dedicated to self-development.

• Individual training budget of £500 per year for professional growth.

• Funding for professional memberships.

• Salary sacrifice schemes for cars, cycles, home, and tech.

Working Hours: Standard full-time hours are assumed to be around 40 hours per week, with flexibility offered. The emphasis on "sustainable work/life balance" suggests a commitment to avoiding excessive overtime.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range provided is competitive for a mid-level User Researcher in the UK, especially for a remote position. The extensive benefits package indicates a company that invests in employee well-being and professional development, which is a strong draw for operations-focused roles that often require continuous learning and a stable environment.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Financial Technology (FinTech) / Financial Services. Wealth Wizards operates in a sector that is increasingly leveraging technology to democratize financial advice, making it more accessible and understandable for a broader population. This context is crucial for understanding user needs and the regulatory landscape.

Company Size: Not explicitly stated in the provided data, but Wealth Wizards is a growing company with a significant online presence and product suite. The mention of supporting "colleagues in other teams" and democratizing research suggests a company size where cross-functional collaboration is common and impactful.

Founded: 2009. This indicates a company with established experience in the FinTech space, having navigated market changes and technological advancements for over a decade. This history likely means established processes and a solid understanding of their customer base, while also being agile enough to innovate.

Team Structure:

• The User Researcher will be part of the Design team.

• The role reports directly to the Head of UX, indicating a clear line of leadership and support within the UX function.

• The User Researcher will work closely with "wider product teams," including designers, product managers, and engineers, highlighting a collaborative, cross-functional approach to product development.

Methodology:

• Data Analysis & Insights: Research findings will be systematically fed into a central repository to build a shared knowledge base, ensuring insights are accessible and actionable.

• Workflow Planning & Optimization: The role involves contributing to the operational foundations of research, including tooling and practices, to ensure scalability and efficiency.

• Automation & Efficiency: While not explicitly stated as automation, the focus on "compounding value over time" and "operational side of research" implies a drive towards efficient, repeatable processes that maximize research impact.

Company Website: https://wealthwizards.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's mission to make financial advice affordable and accessible, combined with its FinTech nature, suggests a focus on user-centric design and innovation. The emphasis on a "regulated financial services context" means that methodological rigor, data integrity, and clear communication of findings are paramount.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a mid-level User Researcher (2-5 years of experience typically). It offers a significant opportunity to not only conduct research but also to shape and scale the research function within the organization. The responsibilities lean towards building the infrastructure for research ("operational foundations," "repository," "tooling," "practices"), which is a key step towards a Research Operations specialization or a senior/lead researcher role.

Reporting Structure: Reporting to the Head of UX provides direct mentorship and exposure to UX leadership. The close collaboration with product teams ensures visibility and impact across product development efforts.

Operations Impact: The User Researcher will directly influence product strategy and design by providing evidence-based insights into user needs and behaviors. This impact is critical in a regulated industry where understanding customer needs is paramount for compliance, product adoption, and overall financial wellbeing. The role's operational component means its impact extends to enabling other teams to leverage user insights more effectively, amplifying the overall influence of research.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization in Research Operations: The emphasis on operational aspects provides a clear pathway to specialize in Research Operations, managing research tooling, processes, and knowledge sharing.

• Senior User Researcher/Lead UX Researcher: Demonstrating leadership in research strategy, mentoring junior team members, and driving significant product impact can lead to senior-level roles.

• Cross-functional Expertise: Gaining deep experience across diverse product areas (Targeted Support, equity release, retirement planning) and working closely with product and engineering teams can broaden skill sets for future product-focused roles.

• Skill Development: The company offers dedicated budgets and paid time for self-development, training, and professional memberships, explicitly supporting continuous learning in research methodologies, tooling, and domain knowledge.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is framed as more than just executing research tasks. It's an opportunity to build and refine the research function itself. Candidates with an eye for process optimization and a desire to contribute to the "how" of research, not just the "what," will find significant growth potential here.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Fully Remote. This arrangement allows for a wider talent pool and offers significant flexibility to employees, prioritizing a sustainable work-life balance.

Office Location(s): While remote, candidates must be currently located in and have full rights to work in the United Kingdom. This ensures compliance with UK employment law and potentially facilitates occasional in-person team meetups or client interactions if they were to arise (though not specified).

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The role explicitly requires close collaboration with designers, product managers, and engineers, suggesting a dynamic and interactive remote work environment where communication tools are key.

• Operations Tools & Technology: The role will involve using and potentially maintaining research tools, with Dovetail specifically mentioned. Proficiency with other collaboration and communication platforms (e.g., Slack, Zoom, Miro) is implicit for effective remote teamwork.

• Team Interaction: Opportunities for interaction will likely be through virtual meetings, workshops, and asynchronous communication channels, fostering a connected remote team culture.

Work Schedule: Standard full-time hours (likely 40 hours/week) with an emphasis on flexible working and a sustainable work-life balance. This means while core responsibilities need to be met, there's an understanding of individual needs for managing schedules effectively.

📝 Enhancement Note: The remote nature, combined with a focus on work-life balance and professional development, suggests a modern, employee-centric work environment. For a researcher, this means having the autonomy to structure their workday while remaining connected and accountable to their teams and research objectives.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process: While not explicitly detailed, a typical UX Research interview process at a company like Wealth Wizards would likely involve:

• Initial Screening: A brief call with a recruiter to assess basic qualifications, interest, and cultural fit.

• Hiring Manager Interview: A conversation with the Head of UX to delve deeper into experience, research philosophy, and operational approach. This is where your portfolio will likely be discussed.

• Skills Assessment/Case Study: A practical exercise, potentially involving analyzing a research problem, proposing a methodology, or critiquing a research approach. This might be a take-home assignment or a live working session.

• Team Interviews: Meetings with designers, product managers, and engineers to assess collaboration style and ability to integrate into cross-functional teams.

• Final Interview: Potentially with a senior leader to discuss overall strategy, company vision, and long-term fit.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Showcase Methodology Diversity: Clearly present examples of both qualitative and quantitative research you've conducted. For each project, explain why you chose specific methods.

• Highlight Impact & ROI: For each case study, quantify the impact of your research. How did it influence product decisions? What business outcomes (e.g., increased conversion, reduced churn, improved user satisfaction) did it contribute to?

• Detail the "How": For roles with an operational component, include examples of how you've managed research processes, organized findings, or contributed to research infrastructure. Discuss your experience with tools like Dovetail.

• Tailor to Wealth Wizards: Research Wealth Wizards' products (financial advice, retirement planning, equity release) and their mission. Frame your experience and portfolio examples to show how you can contribute to their specific goals and user base.

• Demonstrate Communication Skills: Be prepared to walk through your portfolio projects clearly and concisely, explaining complex insights in an engaging manner suitable for non-researchers.

Challenge Preparation:

• Anticipate Operational Questions: Be ready to discuss how you would approach building or improving research operations, managing a research repository, and democratizing research.

• Prepare for Regulatory Context: Consider how you would ensure research rigor and ethical standards in a regulated financial services environment.

• Practice Stakeholder Communication: Rehearse how you would present findings and recommendations to senior stakeholders, focusing on clarity, conciseness, and actionable insights.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the dual nature of this role (researcher and operational builder), candidates should prepare to discuss not only their research execution skills but also their strategic thinking about scaling research processes and fostering a research-informed culture.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Dovetail: Specifically mentioned for maintaining the central research repository. Proficiency in organizing, tagging, and utilizing findings within Dovetail is essential.

• User Interviewing & Usability Testing Platforms: Familiarity with tools like Lookback, UserTesting.com, Maze, or similar platforms for conducting remote research sessions.

• Survey Tools: Experience with platforms for designing and deploying surveys, such as SurveyMonkey, Qualtrics, Google Forms, or Typeform.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Data Analysis Software: Proficiency in tools for analyzing quantitative data, which may include spreadsheet software (Excel, Google Sheets), statistical packages (SPSS, R), or BI tools (Tableau, Power BI) if quantitative research is extensive.

• Reporting & Visualization Tools: Ability to create clear, compelling reports and presentations to communicate findings. This could involve presentation software (PowerPoint, Google Slides, Keynote) or dashboarding tools.

CRM & Automation:

• While not directly a CRM role, understanding how user insights integrate with customer data (potentially managed in a CRM) can be beneficial.

• Familiarity with collaboration and project management tools (e.g., Jira, Asana, Trello) is likely expected for effective cross-functional work.

• Communication platforms like Slack and video conferencing tools (Zoom, Google Meet) are critical for remote collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The specific mention of Dovetail highlights its importance. Candidates should be prepared to demonstrate their experience with this tool or similar knowledge management systems for research data. The broader technology stack will support remote collaboration and efficient research execution.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• User-Centricity: A core value, driving all design and product decisions based on a deep understanding of user needs and behaviors.

• Methodological Rigour: A commitment to conducting research with the highest standards of integrity, ensuring unbiased, evidence-based insights, especially crucial in a regulated industry.

• Collaboration: A strong emphasis on working together across departments (Design, Product, Engineering) to build the best possible products.

• Curiosity & Continuous Improvement: An environment that encourages asking questions, learning from both successes and failures, and constantly seeking ways to enhance processes and outcomes.

• Accessibility & Financial Wellbeing: A mission-driven culture focused on making financial advice accessible and improving people's financial lives through technology.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: The User Researcher will be embedded within product teams, working closely with designers, product managers, and engineers to ensure research is integrated throughout the product development lifecycle.

• Open Communication: A culture that values open feedback, constructive critique, and the sharing of knowledge and insights across teams.

• Knowledge Sharing: The role's emphasis on building a central repository and democratizing research indicates a culture that promotes sharing best practices and learnings to benefit the entire organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's mission and the role's responsibilities suggest a culture that is both purpose-driven and pragmatic, valuing both deep user understanding and efficient, scalable operational processes.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Research Execution with Operational Building: The primary challenge will be effectively managing time between conducting direct user research and contributing to the foundational operational aspects of the research function.

• Navigating a Regulated Environment: Ensuring research methodologies and findings are robust enough to withstand scrutiny within a regulated financial services context requires meticulous attention to detail and adherence to compliance standards.

• Democratizing Research Effectively: Supporting colleagues to conduct their own research requires careful training, clear guidance, and ongoing support to maintain methodological quality across the organization.

• Adapting to Shifting Priorities: The role requires flexibility to pivot research focus based on evolving business needs and product roadmaps, demanding strong prioritization and time management skills.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Research Methodologies: Opportunity to deepen expertise in various qualitative and quantitative methods and explore new research techniques.

• Research Operations Specialization: Develop skills in managing research tools, building knowledge management systems, and establishing research best practices.

• Domain Expertise: Gain in-depth knowledge of financial planning, retirement, and equity release products, becoming an expert in the FinTech domain.

• Stakeholder Management & Influence: Enhance skills in communicating complex research findings and influencing strategic decisions at senior levels.

• Mentorship: Access to the Head of UX for guidance and professional development, potentially with opportunities to mentor more junior researchers as the function grows.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role presents a unique opportunity to shape the future of user research at Wealth Wizards. The challenges are directly linked to growth opportunities, particularly in building out the research infrastructure and influencing product strategy.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to balance direct research execution with building research infrastructure or processes. How did you prioritize?" (Assesses operational thinking and time management.)

• "How would you approach democratizing research within a company where many people are not trained researchers? What are the potential pitfalls, and how would you mitigate them?" (Tests understanding of scalability and enablement.)

• "Walk me through a research project where your findings had a significant impact on product strategy or design. What was the challenge, your approach, and the outcome?" (Evaluates research execution and impact articulation.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Wealth Wizards' mission to make financial advice more accessible?" (Assesses alignment with company purpose.)

• "Based on your understanding, how do you see user research contributing to Wealth Wizards' success in the FinTech space?" (Tests strategic thinking and industry awareness.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each project, clearly define the problem, your role/responsibilities, your methodology, key insights, and the tangible impact.

• Emphasize Operational Contributions: If applicable, highlight any work you've done on research repositories, process improvements, or training others.

• Quantify Impact: Use metrics whenever possible to demonstrate the business value of your research (e.g., "led to a 15% increase in user task completion," "identified key usability issues that were resolved, reducing support tickets by X%").

• Be Ready for Deep Dives: Prepare to answer detailed questions about your methods, data analysis, and decision-making process for each project.

• Showcase Communication Clarity: Practice explaining complex findings in a way that is easy for non-researchers to understand, using visuals where appropriate.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating both strong research craft and a strategic, operational mindset. Candidates should be ready to discuss how they can not only conduct research but also help build a more research-informed organization.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this User Researcher position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on the Wealth Wizards careers page.

• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight experience in mixed-methods research, stakeholder communication, and any contributions to research operations or process improvement. Use keywords from the job description.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 strong case studies that showcase your research process, methodologies, insights, and impact. Prepare to discuss your role and the outcomes in detail. Ensure at least one example demonstrates your ability to work within or understand regulated environments.

• Prepare for Operational Discussions: Be ready to articulate your approach to managing research data, building repositories, and supporting non-researchers in conducting studies.

• Research Wealth Wizards: Familiarize yourself with their products, mission, and recent company news. This will help you tailor your responses and demonstrate genuine interest during interviews.

⚠️ 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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