Aquent is thrilled to partner with a prominent financial institution at the forefront of innovation, dedicated to delivering exceptional user experiences across its digital ecosystem. This is an extraordinary opportunity to join a team that is passionate about leveraging cutting-edge insights to drive strategic decisions and continuously enhance its offerings. As a pivotal Senior Researcher, you will make a significant difference, bringing clarity to complex challenges and empowering the organization with user-centered intelligence.

Your insights will directly influence product roadmaps, improve operational efficiency, and deliver tangible value to both end-users and business stakeholders, truly shaping the future of financial services.

About Our Partner Our partner is a leading financial institution committed to innovation and enhancing user experiences across critical digital platforms. They are dedicated to leveraging cutting-edge insights to drive strategic decisions and continuously enhance their offerings, ensuring they remain a leader in the evolving financial landscape.

About The Chance We are seeking an exceptional Senior Researcher to drive generative and exploratory research for complex, highly ambiguous, and strategic initiatives. This is more than just a role; it’s a chance to be an autonomous leader, operating with high confidence and initiative to bring clarity to ill-defined problems within a complex enterprise environment.

You will lead impactful research across two main domains: digitizing financial advice for clients, including personalized content and interactive tools, and streamlining workflows for financial advisors to boost operational efficiency. Your focus will be on high-impact generative research, strategic problem framing, and opportunity prioritization. You’ll work alongside a Staff Researcher while leading your own body of work, and partner with designers to guide them on usability testing and evaluative practices, fostering a research-inclusive culture that directly influences the future of financial services.

Key Responsibilities

- Lead end-to-end qualitative and quantitative generative studies, bringing structure and clarity to complex, ambiguous business and user problems.




- Facilitate workshops and sessions with cross-functional teams to frame problem spaces, define opportunities, and prioritize product roadmaps.
- Build strong relationships and regularly present insights to senior stakeholders, including Senior Business Representatives, former advisors, Subject Matter Experts, Senior Product Directors, and external 3rd-party vendors.
- Synthesize complex user data and translate insights into persuasive, high-impact narratives that influence product and business strategy across diverse executive and technical audiences.
- Partner with product designers to guide them on evaluative research and usability testing best practices, fostering a research-inclusive culture without conducting routine usability studies yourself.
- Utilize internal enterprise-wide AI tools and explore emerging AI research methodologies to elevate research speed, synthesis, and workflow efficiency.

What You Bring

- 6–10 years of dedicated UX/Design Research experience (exceptional candidates under 6 years demonstrating advanced mastery and leadership will be considered).
- Demonstrated ability to lead independently, drive research initiatives forward proactively, and manage projects with solid organizational skills.
- Strong mastery of foundational, generative, and discovery methodologies, distinct from solely evaluative or usability testing.
- Proven track record of presenting to, managing, and collaborating with senior leadership, subject matter experts, and third-party vendors.
- An open, communicative approach—actively involving partners and soliciting peer feedback throughout the research lifecycle.
- Full proficiency in English (written and verbal).
- Strong business acumen: Ability to connect user insights directly to core business objectives, operational efficiency, and financial growth.
- Investment & financial knowledge: Familiarity with investment concepts, advice models,



and financial planning workflows.
- Storytelling with impact: A portfolio that clearly shows how you involved partners in decision-making and turned complex insights into clear, strategic business directions.
- Confidence & leadership: The ability to challenge assumptions, ask tough questions, and push initiatives forward autonomously in a matrixed organization.

Bonus Points (Nice-to-Have)

- Experience in financial services, wealth management, or adjacent regulated industries (e.g., insurance, government).
- Direct experience embedded within or partnering closely with digital product design teams.
- Experience coaching designers in research methodologies and best practices.
- Experience using AI tools or exploring AI-driven research methodologies.
- Familiarity with data visualization, experience metrics, and analytics tools.
- Experience with collaborative and design platforms.

About Aquent Talent Aquent Talent connects the best talent in marketing, creative, and design with the world’s biggest brands. Our eligible talent get access to amazing advantages like subsidized health, vision, and dental plans, paid sick leave, and retirement plans with a match. We also offer free online training through Aquent Gymnasium. More information on our awesome benefits!

Aquent is an equal-chance employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, and other legally protected characteristics. We’re about creating an inclusive environment-one where different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives are valued, and everyone can contribute, grow their careers, and thrive.

Client Description Are you ready to join a distinguished financial institution that is committed to empowering clients and communities? Our client is a leading provider of banking and financial services, renowned for its customer-centric approach and innovative solutions. With a rich history of success and a strong focus on diversity and inclusion, our client is dedicated to building a better future for all. Join us in our mission to make a positive impact and drive meaningful change.

📌 UX Senior Design Rearcher (Toronto)
🏢 Aquent
📍 Toronto