Role Title
Senior UX Researcher
Role
The Senior UX Researcher is responsible for leading and shaping user research activities across digital pensions products and services, applying User‑Centred Design (UCD) principles, including experience aligned to UK Government Digital Service (GDS) standards.
The role ensures that robust user insight, evidence, and testing inform service, product, and design decisions in complex, regulated environments. Working with a high degree of autonomy, the UX Researcher advises senior stakeholders, influences delivery at a programme or portfolio level, and embeds best‑practice UCD approaches throughout the lifecycle.
Key Responsibilities
Research Strategy & UCD Leadership
- Define and lead UCD‑aligned research strategies and plans across pensions initiatives.
- Ensure research supports all phases of delivery, from discovery and alpha through beta and live, in line with GDS service design expectations.
- Select and apply appropriate qualitative and quantitative research methods to address complex user and business problems.
Pensions Domain Research
- Lead research across end‑to‑end pensions journeys, including:
- Auto‑enrolment and onboarding
- Contributions and fund selection
- Transfers and consolidation
- Retirement planning, drawdown, and decumulation
- Develop a deep understanding of pensions user behaviours, needs, and decision‑making.
- Identify and articulate risks and opportunities arising from complex financial and regulatory processes.
GDS & Service Assessment Support
- Conduct research that provides clear evidence to support:
- GDS Service Assessments
- Design and delivery decisions in public‑sector‑aligned environments
- Ensure research outputs meet expectations for traceability, rigour, and transparency.
- Work closely with service designers and delivery teams to demonstrate how user needs are being met.
Insight Generation & Advisory
- Analyse and synthesise research findings into clear, strategic insights.
- Translate insights into actionable recommendations that influence:
- UX and interaction design
- Content and service design
- Product and delivery strategy
- Advise stakeholders on user needs, accessibility risks, and usability issues, particularly within pensions services.
Stakeholder Engagement & Influence
- Collaborate with product owners, designers, engineers, policy, compliance, and delivery managers.
- Influence decision‑making by championing evidence‑based, user‑centred approaches.
- Communicate complex findings clearly to senior, non‑technical, and external stakeholders, including assessors where required.
Research Governance & Best Practice
- Establish and maintain UX research standards, templates, and frameworks aligned with UCD and GDS best practice.
- Ensure research is conducted ethically and complies with:
- Data protection requirements
- Inclusive and accessible research practices
- Financial services and pensions regulatory expectations
- Oversee or contribute to research repositories and insight libraries.
Leadership & Capability Building
- Provide mentoring and guidance to junior and mid‑level UX researchers.
- Support the development of UCD capability across delivery teams.
- Promote a strong user‑centred culture within pensions and financial services programmes.
Continuous Improvement & Measurement
- Use research, analytics, and behavioural insight to measure and improve:
- User understanding and confidence
- Accessibility and inclusion
- Outcomes across pensions journeys
- Identify opportunities to improve service effectiveness, trust, and compliance.
Characteristics
- Autonomy: Works under broad direction; accountable for research outcomes across multiple initiatives.
- Influence: Influences programmes, teams, and senior stakeholders through insight and expertise.
- Complexity: Manages complex research challenges in regulated, high‑impact environments.
- Knowledge: Applies and advises on advanced UX research, UCD, and pensions domain knowledge.
Skills & Experience
Essential Skills
- Significant experience in UX research or user research roles.
- Proven experience applying User‑Centred Design (UCD) principles.
- Experience working to GDS standards, including supporting service assessments.
- Experience working within pensions, retirement services, or financial services.
- Expertise in qualitative and quantitative research methods.
- Strong ability to synthesise complex data into strategic insights and recommendations.
- Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.
Desirable Skills
- Strong understanding of the UK pensions landscape (e.g. defined contribution schemes, auto‑enrolment).
- Knowledge of FCA regulations and Consumer Duty.
- Experience researching complex financial decision‑making.
- Experience influencing service or product strategy through research.
- Familiarity with analytics, experimentation, and service metrics.
Key Competencies
- Strategic research leadership
- UCD and GDS expertise
- User advocacy in complex financial contexts
- Stakeholder influencing and advisory skills
- Analytical and critical thinking
- Ethical, inclusive research practice
- Mentoring and capability development
Typical Outputs
- Research strategies and plans
- Evidence to support GDS service assessments
- Strategic insight reports and recommendations
- Personas and behavioural segmentation
- End‑to‑end pensions journey insights
- Research standards and frameworks
About Us
TCS Interactive is a leader in the digital customer experience space. With a human-first approach, we apply design, engineering, business strategy and subject matter expertise to deliver award-winning iconic design and digital experiences for our customers.We pride ourselves in our ability to influence products at the highest level by delivering strategic ideas from inception to launch. We help our clients understand the context of their products, create a compelling vision for them and make these experiences a reality.We believe that together we’re stronger, that inspiration can come from anywhere and great ideas from anyone. The difference in our work comes from the diversity of perspectives, skills and backgrounds of our team.
Diversity, Inclusion and Wellbeing
Tata Consultancy Services is committed to meeting the accessibility needs of all individuals in accordance with the UK Equality Act 2010 and the UK Human Rights Act 1998.We believe in building and sustaining a culture of equity and belonging where everyone can thrive. Our diversity and inclusion motto is ‘Inclusion without Exception’. Our continued commitment to Culture and Diversity is reflected across our workforce implemented through equitable workplace policies and processes.
You’ll find a welcoming culture and many internal volunteering and social networks to join (these are optional). Our diversity, inclusion and social activities include 12 employee networks such as gender diversity, LGBTQIA+ & Allies, mental health, disability & neurodiversity inclusion and many more, as well as health & wellness initiatives and sports events and we sponsor the
London welcome and embrace diversity in race, nationality, ethnicity, disability, neurodiversity, gender identity, age, physical ability, gender reassignment, sexual orientation. We are a disability inclusive employer and encourage disabled people to apply for this role.
