User Research Lead
User Research Lead - Digital Products & Customer Experience (12-month FTC)
Location: Hybrid (Manchester, 3 days onsite)
Salary: £65,000 - £75,000 + Excellent Benefits Package
Are you passionate about delivering customer-first digital experiences through insight-driven research?
We're looking for a User Research Lead to head up research efforts across a range of online products and services, ensuring user needs are at the heart of every design decision.
This is a fantastic 12-month fixed-term opportunity to join a well-established, digitally focused organisation where customer experience and accessibility are front and centre. You'll help shape product strategy, mentor researchers, and embed user-centred thinking across teams.
The Role:
- Lead and mentor a small team of user researchers, encouraging collaboration, continuous learning, and research excellence.
- Drive user research strategies that uncover actionable insights and influence product, design, and business decisions.
- Ensure consistency in research approaches and findings across multiple digital products and services.
- Champion inclusive design by embedding accessibility research and working with users of diverse abilities.
- Work closely with stakeholders in product, design, engineering, and brand to integrate research into every stage of development.
- Encourage innovative methods and experimentation in research practices.
- Facilitate workshops, journey mapping, and research critiques to foster alignment and drive optimisation.
- Align research priorities with strategic goals to deliver maximum impact across customer journeys.
What You'll Bring:
- Strong background in user-centred research with experience in both qualitative and quantitative methods.
- Previous leadership or management experience in a research setting.
- Proficiency with tools such as UserTesting, Hotjar, or similar usability and survey platforms.
- Solid understanding of digital accessibility standards (e.g., WCAG) and inclusive research practices.
- Experience working with cross-functional teams in an Agile or product-led environment.
- Ability to translate complex data into clear, actionable insights for technical and non-technical stakeholders.
- Familiarity with design systems and their relationship to research and usability standards.
- Confident communicator and stakeholder manager, able to balance business needs with user priorities.
Why Apply?
- Join a user-driven culture focused on meaningful digital experiences
- Shape research direction across multiple high-impact digital products
- Enjoy a flexible hybrid working model and collaborative environment
- Access a competitive salary and well-rounded benefits
- Make a real impact in a senior, fixed-term leadership role
This is a fantastic opportunity to be part of a business that is experiencing significant growth and investing in its future success. If you have the skills and experience outlined above, then please apply with an updted CV.
Please note: This role requires all candidates to have no current or future requirement for sponsorship to work in the UK.
Role: User Research Lead - Digital Products & Customer Experience (12-month FTC)
Location: Hybrid (Manchester, 3 days onsite)
Salary: £65,000 - £75,000 + Excellent Benefits Package