AJ Bell
Job Description We are seeking an experienced Senior Research Analyst to join our investment research team at AJ Bell. In this role, you will help lead a team of fund research analysts across equity, fixed income and alternative asset classes. You will ensure ongoing coverage of existing selections, bring in high-conviction new ideas, help develop the rest of the team and contribute improvements to the broader investment research process. Your selections will support our fast growing multi-asset funds and MPS propositions, as well as the Favourite funds list for self-directed users of our platform. What you'll do: Manage the ongoing maintenance of existing picks across various sectors, across monthly reporting, six monthly manager meeting and sector reviews (exact sectors to be determined based on candidate). Regularly 'pitch' new funds onto our approved list, self-directing across desk-based analysis, in-person fund manager meetings and high-quality recommendation notes. Serve as a subject matter expert within the team, mentoring junior and mid-level analysts and setting standards for research quality and depth. Collaborate closely with portfolio managers to ensure research outputs are aligned with fund mandates, risk parameters, and investment philosophy. Monitor existing holdings, track key drivers and catalysts, and provide timely updates to the investment team. Build and maintain relationships with asset management firms and industry experts. Present investment ideas clearly and persuasively in investment committee meetings and written research notes. Stay abreast of regulatory developments, ESG considerations, and market trends relevant to the covered universe. What you'll bring: Minimum Level IV QCF Qualification Highly experienced in fund research and selection, with a demonstrated track record of selecting outperforming funds. Deep understanding of investment industry across asset classes, strategy types and vehicles. Strong quantitative capability preferred Experience covering a range of sectors/ asset classes across equities / fixed income and alternatives. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to distil complex analysis into clear, concise investment cases. Strong commercial awareness and genuine passion for markets. Ability to work independently and lead within a collaborative team environment. CFA charterholder (or equivalent qualification) preferred. About Us: AJ Bell is one of the fastest-growing investment platform businesses in the UK offering an award-winning range of solutions that caters for everyone, from professional financial advisers to DIY investors with little to no experience. We have over 644,000 customers using our award-winning platform propositions to manage assets totalling more than £103.3 billion. Our customers trust us with their investments, and by continuously striving to make investing easier, we aim to help even more people take control of their financial futures. Having listed on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange in December 2018, AJ Bell is now a FTSE 250 company. Headquartered in Manchester with offices in central London and Bristol, we now have over 1,500 employees and have been named one of the UK's 'Best 100 Companies to Work For' for six consecutive years and in 2025 named a Great Place to Work. At AJ Bell you can expect a friendly working environment with a strong sense of teamwork, we have a great sense of pride in what we do, and this is reflected in our guiding principles. Our perks and benefits: Starting holiday entitlement of 27 days, increasing up to 31 days with length of service Holiday buy and sell scheme A choice of pension schemes with matched contributions up to 8% Discretionary bonus scheme Annual free share awards scheme Buy As You Earn (BAYE) Scheme Health Cash Plan - provided by Medicash Discounted private healthcare scheme and dental plan Free gym membership, with an on-site gym providing a wide range of free classes Employee Assistance Programme Bike loan scheme Sick pay+ pledge Enhanced maternity, paternity, and shared parental leave Loans for travel season tickets Death in service scheme Dedicated time for proof-of-concepts and assessing new tech Support to attend conferences, events, and meet-ups Paid time off for volunteer work Charitable giving opportunities through salary sacrifice Calendar of social events, including monthly payday drinks, annual Christmas party, summer party and much more Personal development programmes built around you and your career goals, including access to personal skills workshops Ongoing technical training Professional qualification support Talent management programmes Peer recognition scheme, with rewards including restaurant and shopping vouchers or time off Monthly leadership breakfasts and lunches Casual dress code Access to a range of benefits from our sponsorship deals Hybrid working: At AJ Bell, our people are the heart of our culture. We believe in building strong connections by working together. That's why we offer a hybrid working model, where you'll spend a minimum of 50% of your working time per month in the office. For new team members, an initial period will be full-time in the office to help you immerse yourself in our business and build valuable relationships with your colleagues. AJ Bell is committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and all employees are empowered to bring their whole self to work. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, pregnancy, religion, physical and mental disability, marital status and any other characteristics protected by the Equality Act 2010. All decisions to hire are based on qualifications, merit and business need. If you like the sound of the above, or just want to know more about the company and the role, we'd love to speak to you.
Job Description We are seeking an experienced Senior Research Analyst to join our investment research team at AJ Bell. In this role, you will help lead a team of fund research analysts across equity, fixed income and alternative asset classes. You will ensure ongoing coverage of existing selections, bring in high-conviction new ideas, help develop the rest of the team and contribute improvements to the broader investment research process. Your selections will support our fast growing multi-asset funds and MPS propositions, as well as the Favourite funds list for self-directed users of our platform. What you'll do: Manage the ongoing maintenance of existing picks across various sectors, across monthly reporting, six monthly manager meeting and sector reviews (exact sectors to be determined based on candidate). Regularly 'pitch' new funds onto our approved list, self-directing across desk-based analysis, in-person fund manager meetings and high-quality recommendation notes. Serve as a subject matter expert within the team, mentoring junior and mid-level analysts and setting standards for research quality and depth. Collaborate closely with portfolio managers to ensure research outputs are aligned with fund mandates, risk parameters, and investment philosophy. Monitor existing holdings, track key drivers and catalysts, and provide timely updates to the investment team. Build and maintain relationships with asset management firms and industry experts. Present investment ideas clearly and persuasively in investment committee meetings and written research notes. Stay abreast of regulatory developments, ESG considerations, and market trends relevant to the covered universe. What you'll bring: Minimum Level IV QCF Qualification Highly experienced in fund research and selection, with a demonstrated track record of selecting outperforming funds. Deep understanding of investment industry across asset classes, strategy types and vehicles. Strong quantitative capability preferred Experience covering a range of sectors/ asset classes across equities / fixed income and alternatives. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to distil complex analysis into clear, concise investment cases. Strong commercial awareness and genuine passion for markets. Ability to work independently and lead within a collaborative team environment. CFA charterholder (or equivalent qualification) preferred. About Us: AJ Bell is one of the fastest-growing investment platform businesses in the UK offering an award-winning range of solutions that caters for everyone, from professional financial advisers to DIY investors with little to no experience. We have over 644,000 customers using our award-winning platform propositions to manage assets totalling more than £103.3 billion. Our customers trust us with their investments, and by continuously striving to make investing easier, we aim to help even more people take control of their financial futures. Having listed on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange in December 2018, AJ Bell is now a FTSE 250 company. Headquartered in Manchester with offices in central London and Bristol, we now have over 1,500 employees and have been named one of the UK's 'Best 100 Companies to Work For' for six consecutive years and in 2025 named a Great Place to Work. At AJ Bell you can expect a friendly working environment with a strong sense of teamwork, we have a great sense of pride in what we do, and this is reflected in our guiding principles. Our perks and benefits: Starting holiday entitlement of 27 days, increasing up to 31 days with length of service Holiday buy and sell scheme A choice of pension schemes with matched contributions up to 8% Discretionary bonus scheme Annual free share awards scheme Buy As You Earn (BAYE) Scheme Health Cash Plan - provided by Medicash Discounted private healthcare scheme and dental plan Free gym membership, with an on-site gym providing a wide range of free classes Employee Assistance Programme Bike loan scheme Sick pay+ pledge Enhanced maternity, paternity, and shared parental leave Loans for travel season tickets Death in service scheme Dedicated time for proof-of-concepts and assessing new tech Support to attend conferences, events, and meet-ups Paid time off for volunteer work Charitable giving opportunities through salary sacrifice Calendar of social events, including monthly payday drinks, annual Christmas party, summer party and much more Personal development programmes built around you and your career goals, including access to personal skills workshops Ongoing technical training Professional qualification support Talent management programmes Peer recognition scheme, with rewards including restaurant and shopping vouchers or time off Monthly leadership breakfasts and lunches Casual dress code Access to a range of benefits from our sponsorship deals Hybrid working: At AJ Bell, our people are the heart of our culture. We believe in building strong connections by working together. That's why we offer a hybrid working model, where you'll spend a minimum of 50% of your working time per month in the office. For new team members, an initial period will be full-time in the office to help you immerse yourself in our business and build valuable relationships with your colleagues. AJ Bell is committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and all employees are empowered to bring their whole self to work. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, pregnancy, religion, physical and mental disability, marital status and any other characteristics protected by the Equality Act 2010. All decisions to hire are based on qualifications, merit and business need. If you like the sound of the above, or just want to know more about the company and the role, we'd love to speak to you.
Mercator Digital
As a User Researcher you will: Work with Service/Product Managers to devise appropriate research strategies to generate focused insights to inform service development Plan, design and conduct in-house research to test new service ideas (including user requirement gathering, early - stage concept and prototype testing, guerrilla research and usability testing sessions) Design, script and analyse quantitative surveys Manage qualitative/quantitative research projects such as proposition development, visual identity and customer experience mapping Present findings, recommendations and customer insights to senior decision makers Manage day-to-day operations with usability and market research partners, with accountability for schedules, value for money and deliverables Deliver a consistent user experience across a broad range of digital products and services Contribute to the continuous development and enhancement of products and services Mentor and/or line manage Junior User Researchers where necessary Participate in the wider user research community (outside of Mercator), building relationships with other User Researchers and identifying best practices that we can adopt Knowledge/experience You will need: Proven experience of a range of usability testing methodologies to reveal actionable customer insights and gather user needs for web - based services Proven experience of creating research strategies/approaches Proven experience of managing, executing and analysing usability test sessions, and facilitating workshops Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, and the ability to quickly develop recommendations based on quantitative and qualitative evidence Proven ability to explain user needs to decision makers and act as a persuasive advocate for those needs Extensive knowledge of human factors, ethnography, and the user-centred design process for products and services in an iterative development environment Demonstrable knowledge, experience in, and passion for user centred design practices Proven experience of audience modelling and developing design personas Experience across web content, tools and transactional services, especially those with complex user journeys (involving development of a logical sequence of steps to complete transactions) Ability to work with data, from gathering and analysis through to design and presentation Ability to mentor other User Researcher(s) Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to quickly develop strong working relationships in high pressure environments Experience of working in an agile development environment with Designers, Business Analysts and Developers to create new digital products and services Experience of identifying the needs of users with accessibility requirements Applicants must have the right to work in the UK and the ability to pass BPSS vetting
As a User Researcher you will: Work with Service/Product Managers to devise appropriate research strategies to generate focused insights to inform service development Plan, design and conduct in-house research to test new service ideas (including user requirement gathering, early - stage concept and prototype testing, guerrilla research and usability testing sessions) Design, script and analyse quantitative surveys Manage qualitative/quantitative research projects such as proposition development, visual identity and customer experience mapping Present findings, recommendations and customer insights to senior decision makers Manage day-to-day operations with usability and market research partners, with accountability for schedules, value for money and deliverables Deliver a consistent user experience across a broad range of digital products and services Contribute to the continuous development and enhancement of products and services Mentor and/or line manage Junior User Researchers where necessary Participate in the wider user research community (outside of Mercator), building relationships with other User Researchers and identifying best practices that we can adopt Knowledge/experience You will need: Proven experience of a range of usability testing methodologies to reveal actionable customer insights and gather user needs for web - based services Proven experience of creating research strategies/approaches Proven experience of managing, executing and analysing usability test sessions, and facilitating workshops Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, and the ability to quickly develop recommendations based on quantitative and qualitative evidence Proven ability to explain user needs to decision makers and act as a persuasive advocate for those needs Extensive knowledge of human factors, ethnography, and the user-centred design process for products and services in an iterative development environment Demonstrable knowledge, experience in, and passion for user centred design practices Proven experience of audience modelling and developing design personas Experience across web content, tools and transactional services, especially those with complex user journeys (involving development of a logical sequence of steps to complete transactions) Ability to work with data, from gathering and analysis through to design and presentation Ability to mentor other User Researcher(s) Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to quickly develop strong working relationships in high pressure environments Experience of working in an agile development environment with Designers, Business Analysts and Developers to create new digital products and services Experience of identifying the needs of users with accessibility requirements Applicants must have the right to work in the UK and the ability to pass BPSS vetting
