Senior Researcher

Join us as a Senior Researcher within the Barclays UK Decision Intelligence team, where you will lead end-to-end mixed methods market and user experience design research to inform strategic decisions. You will uncover complex challenges and opportunities within customer journeys, work with cross-functional teams to develop new propositions and deliver as well as embed holistic insights into experience and organizational strategy to shape direction at multiple levels, creating value for customers, colleagues, the wider community, and Barclays.

To be successful as Senior Researcher you should have experience with:

• Extensive experience in Design Research – applying your knowledge of the broad range of research disciplines to design and deliver world class products and services  

• Actively taking accountability for and dissecting complex research questions or briefs by challenging your own and the business’ thinking to continuously act in the interest of customers and Barclays

• Demonstrating holistic understanding of research, with the ability to apply both quantitative and qualitative methodologies depending on project needs (e.g. from interviews and focus groups to MaxDiff and conjoint studies), and designing high quality research programmes which meet business and customer needs

• Customer focus – understanding customers’ personal context and mental models, and skilled at interpreting verbal and non-verbal cues into clear customer needs and wants 

• Commercial and strategic thinking – understanding Barclays strategy and goals, and translating those into value-generating recommendation

• Communication and Influence – delivering clear messages which are targeted to your audience, and successfully challenging the status quo at all levels, to drive brilliant Customer Outcomes in Barclays UK 

Some other highly valued skills may include:

• Digital transformation - understanding which evolving technologies will deliver market-leading digital adoption and transformation for Barclays customers and the business; having the confidence to adopt new methods to automate and augment research processes 

• Stakeholder Management – building relationships with senior stakeholders, cross-functions and peers by consulting on business problems, and providing excellent expectation management throughout the project delivery

• Comfortable using Excel and/or Python alongside AI tools to analyse complex quantitative and qualitative data and draw confident conclusions on statistical significance

You may be assessed on the key critical skills relevant for success in role, such as risk and controls, change and transformation, business acumen strategic thinking and digital and technology, as well as job-specific technical skills.  

This role can be based in either London, Glasgow, Northampton or Knutsford. 

Purpose of the role

To deliver the collection and analysis of research into customer needs, experiences and interactions, to support the creation of beautiful, useful, and innovative experiences and communications for our 20m UK customers. To put the Customer Voice at the heart of everything we do. 

Accountabilities

• Delivery of end to end research programmes which are highly synergistic with other research and analytics activities conducted by the business including Design/UX Research, Colleague research, quantitative research and CX tracking.
• Collaboration with various departments including Design, Product, Channel, Marketing, Transformation and Technology, to brainstorm innovative design concepts, ensuring that research findings are integrated into all stages of the innovation cycle.
• Development and testing of prototypes, mock-ups, or value propositions to support the analysis of concept development and usability feedback from customers and internal stakeholders.
• Monitoring of emerging technologies, industry trends, design best practices, societal changes, and economic trends that may impact the Customer landscape and influence Barclays strategic decisions.
• Utilisation of data analytics tools to extract insights from market research, customer surveys, and feedback sessions to identify new opportunities and understand evolving customer needs.
• Management of all risk relating to the Insight process, (and in particular Data Privacy risk) including identification of potential risks, development of strategies to mitigate those risks, and maintenance of alignment with Chief Controls Office and Data Privacy Compliance.
• Management of all Research programmes, including oversight of colleagues and their performance, implementation of departmental goals and objectives, oversight of department efficiency and effectiveness.

Assistant Vice President Expectations

• To advise and influence decision making, contribute to policy development and take responsibility for operational effectiveness. Collaborate closely with other functions/ business divisions.
• Lead a team performing complex tasks, using well developed professional knowledge and skills to deliver on work that impacts the whole business function. Set objectives and coach employees in pursuit of those objectives, appraisal of performance relative to objectives and determination of reward outcomes
• If the position has leadership responsibilities, People Leaders are expected to demonstrate a clear set of leadership behaviours to create an environment for colleagues to thrive and deliver to a consistently excellent standard. The four LEAD behaviours are: L – Listen and be authentic, E – Energise and inspire, A – Align across the enterprise, D – Develop others.
• OR for an individual contributor, they will lead collaborative assignments and guide team members through structured assignments, identify the need for the inclusion of other areas of specialisation to complete assignments. They will identify new directions for assignments and/ or projects, identifying a combination of cross functional methodologies or practices to meet required outcomes.
• Consult on complex issues; providing advice to People Leaders to support the resolution of escalated issues.
• Identify ways to mitigate risk and developing new policies/procedures in support of the control and governance agenda.
• Take ownership for managing risk and strengthening controls in relation to the work done.
• Perform work that is closely related to that of other areas, which requires understanding of how areas coordinate and contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the organisation sub-function.
• Collaborate with other areas of work, for business aligned support areas to keep up to speed with business activity and the business strategy.
• Engage in complex analysis of data from multiple sources of information, internal and external sources such as procedures and practises (in other areas, teams, companies, etc).to solve problems creatively and effectively.
• Communicate complex information. 'Complex' information could include sensitive information or information that is difficult to communicate because of its content or its audience.
• Influence or convince stakeholders to achieve outcomes.

All colleagues will be expected to demonstrate the Barclays Values of Respect, Integrity, Service, Excellence and Stewardship – our moral compass, helping us do what we believe is right. They will also be expected to demonstrate the Barclays Mindset – to Empower, Challenge and Drive – the operating manual for how we behave.