Senior Design Researcher / UX Researcher

Location: Toronto, ON — Hybrid, 4 days onsite

Contract: October 5, 2026 – April 2, 2027

Schedule: Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Pay Rate: $77-$87/hr

Extension: Possible

Travel: None

This is for a current opening

Our recruitment process for this role includes the use of AI-based tools to help evaluate candidate qualifications and screen applications.

About the Opportunity

We are seeking experienced Senior Design Researchers / UX Researchers to join a growing UX and Innovation Research team within a Human-Centered Design organization.

This is an exciting opportunity for a dedicated researcher who is passionate about understanding people, behaviour, technology, and emerging user needs. The successful candidates will contribute to research initiatives that inform the development of creative, purposeful, and meaningful customer and user experiences.

The Research Science team focuses on next-generation human-computer interaction and explores the intersection of technology, relationships, behaviour, and social life. You will work alongside experienced researchers, designers, developers, engineers, service design leaders, and business stakeholders in a collaborative, knowledge-rich environment.

The team includes approximately 5–7 direct members, with the broader research team consisting of approximately 40 professionals. Contractors will receive on-the-job training and have access to a state-of-the-art UX research lab, as well as opportunities to learn from a team with deep expertise in design research.

Key Responsibilities

Lead UX and Design Research

- Identify research opportunities and define clear research questions.
- Develop actionable research plans and select appropriate research methods.
- Create participant screeners, recruitment plans, research protocols, and discussion guides.
- Recruit participants through internal employee panels, professional networks, snowball sampling, or external research vendors.
- Conduct qualitative and quantitative research, including:
- User interviews
- Usability testing
- Observation and ethnography
- Diary studies
- Card sorting
- Experiments
- Knowledge harvesting
- Manage participant interactions and research logistics.
- Analyze research findings using qualitative and quantitative approaches.




- Translate research data into clear, actionable insights that answer the “so what?” for business and design teams.
- Deliver findings in a variety of formats, including experience maps, personas, usability reports, presentations, and research summaries.

Enable Research Across the Organization
- Partner with POD leaders, service design directors, designers, developers, engineers, and business stakeholders.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with internal and external partners.
- Develop research roadmaps aligned with stakeholder and business priorities.
- Support the Research Science team and collaborate with other human-centered design, research, marketing, and innovation teams.
- Oversee research vendors when required.
- Support and mentor interns and junior researchers.
- Contribute to research strategy, planning, methods, tools, and best practices.
- Promote awareness and adoption of UX research methods and processes.
- Share knowledge and areas of expertise to strengthen the broader research community.
- Manage multiple studies and priorities simultaneously.

Approximately 25–30% of the role may involve meetings and stakeholder collaboration. The role involves primarily internal interaction, with some engagement with external partners. No access to customer data is required.

Required Qualifications

- Master’s or PhD in Psychology, Human-Computer Interaction, Human Factors, Anthropology, or a closely related discipline.
- 5–10+ years of relevant research experience, including applicable academic research such as thesis work, primary research, publications, teaching, or mentorship.
- At least five years of experience leading research projects independently or as part of a small research team.
- Deep knowledge of the full research lifecycle, including:
- Research planning and study design
- Participant screening and recruitment




- Protocol and discussion-guide development
- Data collection and participant management
- Qualitative and quantitative analysis
- Insight generation and research dissemination
- Experience conducting applied research focused on user needs, behaviour, technology, or emerging experiences.
- Marketing research experience.
- Strong written, verbal, and visual communication skills.
- Strong project-management and organizational skills.
- Ability to balance multiple research studies and deliverables while maintaining high-quality work.

Preferred Qualifications
- Experience working within a financial institution or large banking environment.
- Knowledge of financial services or financial products.
- Experience with inferential statistics and statistical analysis tools such as R, SAS, or SPSS.
- Experience working with emerging technologies or artificial intelligence.
- Ability to build stakeholder champions and increase organizational awareness of research.
- Experience in blended research roles involving research strategy and design-related activities.
- Understanding of the design process.
- Experience managing external research vendors.
- Experience mentoring junior researchers or interns.

How Success Will Be Measured

Performance will be evaluated based on:

- Quality and rigour of research.
- Strength of analysis and insight development.
- Relevance and usability of recommendations.
- Quality and timeliness of deliverables.
- Ability to collaborate effectively with stakeholders.
- Contribution to research strategy, knowledge sharing, and team development.

Why Join?
- Work with a highly experienced UX and Research Science team.
- Access a state-of-the-art UX research lab.
- Contribute to meaningful, innovative, and future-focused research.
- Collaborate with experts across design, technology, engineering, and business.
- Expand your knowledge of advanced research methods and emerging technologies.
- Work on a project-based contract with the potential for extension.

Apply today to join a leading Human-Centered Design research team and help shape the future of user experiences.

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