Lead User Researcher

Financial Conduct Authority

Lead User Researcher at FCA providing leadership in user research practices. Focusing on consumer protection and effective market regulations within the financial services.

Posted 6/30/2026full-timeEdinburgh • 🇬🇧 United KingdomSenior💰 £74,900 - £102,400 per yearWebsite

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Provide profession leadership for the user research community, shaping direction and promoting consistent, high-quality practice across the organisation
Maintain and continuously evolve standards for user research, ensuring approaches remain relevant, effective and aligned with organisational priorities
Contribute to the delivery of the user-centred design leadership roadmap in collaboration with Centre of Excellence Leads, aligning activity to strategic outcomes
Assess and prioritise emerging demand alongside Centre of Excellence Leads, ensuring resource is focused on areas of highest value and impact
Advance user research practice, building on existing foundations to develop capability and maturity across the community
Deliver impactful work that supports outcomes focused on helping consumers avoid financial harm and promoting fair, effective markets
Enable products and services to better meet the needs of firms, consumers and internal users by embedding user-centred insights into design and delivery
Engage with and support a collaborative community of practitioners, contributing to a positive culture that advances user-centred thinking and organisational effectiveness

Requirements

What you’ll need

Relevant user research experience at Lead or Head of Profession level
Experience in working in project/programme environments involving business & IT change
Research experience within any of the following types of organisations/sectors: financial services, government/regulatory body, technology, consultancy (IT consultancy)
Prior experience helping adopt a wide range of user research methods organisationally, lead a community of practice to continually assure, improve and innovate user research, engage and persuade sceptical colleagues and stakeholders
Effectively include all kinds of users in research activities, and advocate inclusive practices to design accessible services that work for everyone
Demonstrate experience leading research within a product or technology organisation where user-centred design is embedded in decision-making
Guiding adopting effective analysis and synthesis techniques, continually improving practices to deliver clear, meaningful and actionable findings
Understanding how digital technology is shaping user behaviour, and identify the challenges and opportunities this creates for FCA service design and delivery
Interpreting organisational goals and challenges, and align research across teams to inform policy development and service propositions
Knowledge of the technologies used to build and run digital services, and collaborate effectively with colleagues across digital disciplines

Benefits

Comp & perks

28 days annual leave plus bank holidays
Hybrid model where employees work a minimum of 40% in the office each month (expectation of 50% for senior leaders)
Non-contributory pension (8–12% depending on age) and life assurance at eight times your salary
Private healthcare with Bupa, income protection, and 24/7 Employee Assistance
35 hours of paid volunteering annually
A flexible benefits scheme designed around your lifestyle

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills & Tools

User Research MethodsAnalysis TechniquesSynthesis TechniquesResearch ExperienceProject Management

Soft Skills

CollaborationAdvocacyPersuasionCommunity BuildingOrganizational Effectiveness