IT Jobs

Job Advert: Senior UX Researcher Contract Length: 6 months Location: Manchester (Onsite: Tuesday & Wednesday) Salary: Circa £75,000 pa (Day rate option available via Umbrella Company) The Opportunity Our client, a leading player in the financial services sector, is seeking a passionate and skilled Senior UX Researcher to join their dynamic team. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to a large-scale transformation programme focused on Agentic AI, initially targeting the complaints journey. The successful candidate will play a pivotal role in shaping AI-driven operational experiences and assessing their impact on both colleague and customer journeys. Working within a multidisciplinary lab of approximately 90 colleagues, you will collaborate with Service Designers, UX Designers, Product Owners and stakeholders to shape future operational experiences. Key Responsibilities Plan and execute end-to-end UX research strategies. Conduct qualitative and quantitative studies to gather valuable insights. Lead usability testing initiatives using Maze. Develop surveys utilising Qualtrics to enhance user experience. Collaborate closely with Service Designers, UX Designers, and Product teams. Influence key decisions through evidence-based insights to drive user-centric innovations.Essential Skills & Experience Proven experience in UX Research, preferably within an enterprise environment. Strong quantitative and qualitative research capabilities. Exceptional communication skills with a knack for stakeholder management. Demonstrated business acumen and the ability to operate autonomously within complex environments.Desirable Experience Familiarity with Agentic AI, GenAI, or AI research. Previous experience in the financial services sector. Proficiency in using tools like Maze and Qualtrics. Exposure to service design principles.What Is Our Client Looking For? The ideal candidate will be a confident researcher capable of influencing stakeholders and challenging assumptions. A collaborative spirit and the ability to thrive within a large multidisciplinary team are essential for success in this role. Interview Process Candidates can expect a streamlined interview process, beginning with a 30-minute introductory interview, followed by a more in-depth 90-minute discussion, preferably conducted face-to-face. Why Consider This Opportunity? This role not only offers the chance to work on cutting-edge projects in a rapidly evolving field but also provides an environment where your insights can directly impact the user experience. The employer is dedicated to fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration, making it an ideal setting for a motivated UX Researcher. If you are ready to take on this exciting challenge and make a meaningful impact in the financial services sector, this opportunity is for you! Apply today to help shape the future of user experiences in a transformative environment. We use generative AI tools to support our candidate screening process. This helps us ensure a fair, consistent, and efficient experience for all applicants. Rest assured, all final decisions are made by our hiring team, and your application will be reviewed with care and attention. Pontoon is an employment consultancy. We put expertise, energy, and enthusiasm into improving everyone's chance of being part of the workplace. We respect and appreciate people of all ethnicities, generations, religious beliefs, sexual orientations, gender identities, and more. We do this by showcasing their talents, skills, and unique experience in an inclusive environment that helps them thrive. If you require reasonable adjustments at any stage, please let us know and we will be happy to support you

Service Designer Location: Manchester Working Pattern: Hybrid, 2 days per week onsite Contract: Initial 6-month contract with potential extension The Opportunity We're looking for an experienced Service Designer to join a major transformation programme focused on improving some of the most important customer journeys within a large-scale organisation. Working across customer services, you'll be responsible for shaping and delivering end-to-end service improvements across key customer interactions, including complaints and bereavement journeys. This is an opportunity to work on services that have a genuine impact on customers, designing experiences that seamlessly combine digital capabilities, automation, and human interaction. You'll play a key role from problem definition through to delivery, ensuring services are designed around customer needs while delivering measurable outcomes for the business. What You'll Be Doing Lead end-to-end Service Design activities from discovery through to implementation. Define and solve complex service challenges across customer-facing and operational processes. Design future-state services that integrate digital, automated, and human touchpoints. Map customer journeys, service blueprints, ecosystems, and operational processes. Facilitate workshops and design-thinking sessions with cross-functional stakeholders. Gather insights from users, colleagues, and stakeholders to shape service improvements. Translate research and business requirements into practical, user-centred solutions. Measure and demonstrate the impact of service design interventions. Work closely with Product, Operations, Delivery, Technology, and Customer Service teams to drive successful outcomes. What We're Looking For Proven experience working as a Service Designer within complex transformation environments. Strong understanding of end-to-end Service Design methodologies and best practices. Experience taking services from problem definition through to execution and adoption. Excellent workshop facilitation, stakeholder engagement, and design-thinking skills. Strong experience creating service blueprints, journey maps, and other Service Design artefacts. Ability to articulate the measurable impact of your work and the outcomes you have delivered. Comfortable challenging assumptions and influencing stakeholders at all levels. Consulting experience is welcomed. Ideal Background A dedicated Service Design background Experience delivering customer service transformation initiatives. Experience working across both digital and human service interactions. Why Apply? This role offers the chance to work on high-profile customer experience initiatives that directly affect customers during some of the most important moments in their journey. You will be joining a team that values strong Service Design capability, creative problem solving, and evidence-based decision making. We use generative AI tools to support our candidate screening process. This helps us ensure a fair, consistent, and efficient experience for all applicants. Rest assured, all final decisions are made by our hiring team, and your application will be reviewed with care and attention. Pontoon is an employment consultancy. We put expertise, energy, and enthusiasm into improving everyone's chance of being part of the workplace. We respect and appreciate people of all ethnicities, generations, religious beliefs, sexual orientations, gender identities, and more. We do this by showcasing their talents, skills, and unique experience in an inclusive environment that helps them thrive. If you require reasonable adjustments at any stage, please let us know and we will be happy to support you