Lead User Researcher

Made Tech wants to positively impact the country\’s future by using technology to improve society. We believe being design‑led can create positive outcomes in the public sector through critical services enabled by technology. We are building a community of designers and researchers to support the public sector growing demand for a design‑led approach to service delivery.

Lead User Researchers are expert practitioners who influence and mentor others. They work with teams to deeply understand people’s lives, services, organisations, and outcomes for the public sector. They do this by ensuring that teams take a user‑centred, evidence‑based approach to service design and delivery.

We are now seeking a Lead User Researcher to join our team, to be part of a consulting delivery team helping a client with digital services in the education space. The ideal candidate will be an experienced researcher who has worked within education‑based settings, particularly early years / primary education research or within EdTech. They may also have experience of assessment‑based research; are comfortable with mixed‑methodology research and will possess strong senior stakeholder influencing skills to help shape the future roadmap and shift the paradigm.

Key responsibilities

• Leads one / more research deliveries, ensuring all project team & stakeholders have a shared understanding of successful outcomes.
• Scope focus of research, so everyone involved has a shared understanding of successful outcomes.
• Takes responsibility for ensuring a whole team approach to user research. Ensuring all stakeholders & team members are invited to participate in observing user research sessions.
• Leads the scoping of one or more research deliveries, defining research objectives, planning activities and leading the overall delivery of research.
• Works with Discipline head and peers to set best practise standards for the User Research team. This includes adhering to GDPR, MRS standards & GDS Service standards.
• Proficient mixed methodology researcher, is able to lead team analysis sessions, synthesis with the production of actionable insight reports.
• Builds relationships with clients & senior stakeholders, understanding their needs, can influence stakeholders and the strategic direction of the delivery.
• Has experience in writing / reviewing bids & supporting business development opportunities.
• Provides oversight of user researchers working across the client account and promotes cross functional working relationships.
• People Management of user researchers.
• Support the hiring and onboarding of colleagues across Strategy & Design.
• Promote user centred thinking / practices at Made Tech and client offices.
• Represent user‑centred design community internally & externally.

Skills, knowledge and expertise

• Experience of working in education based settings – particularly Early Years / Primary Education (4-11).
• Experience of assessments.
• Experience of working in Ed-Tech.
• Ex‑primary school teacher.

Practice

• Experienced in research methodologies including:
  • Usability testing
  • Contextual enquiry
  • Rapid research
  • Survey development
  • Measurable and evaluative research
• Has experience of leading user research across GDS development stages e.g. discovery, alpha, beta. Experience in GDS assessments is desirable.
• Highly experienced at leading user research through agile ways of working.
• Confident with coaching more junior members of the team on delivery.
• Proficient in leading a team in analysing and synthesising complex data and can help the organisation adopt a wide range of techniques to continually assure, improve and generate valuable findings.
• Analyse and interpret research findings so that teams can confidently confirm or challenge their understanding of problems and ideas.
• Leads the team in creating actionable insights through a multitude of outputs including reports, user needs, personas, archetypes and is confident at presenting findings to project teams & senior stakeholders.
• Facilitate teams and stakeholders to make decisions based on user insights.
• Highly proficient and advocates for research standards including GDPR / MRS Code of Conduct.
• Promotes User Centred Design / inclusive research practices and helps teams design and deliver accessible services to meet the needs of the diverse range of users of government services.

Influence the client at a strategic and commercial level e.g. improving processes, ways of working, generating more work.

Community

• Support Discipline head in setting direction and supporting the research community in Made Tech.
• Promotes a positive, safe, inclusive & open culture within the User Research team.
• Understand that a balance of positive and constructive feedback is the most effective way to work.

People Management

• Supports in hiring and onboarding researchers.
• People management of user researchers.
• Applies coaching techniques to people management to support colleagues\’ professional growth to build careers, take on new challenges and opportunities which match their aspirations.

We are always listening to our growing teams and evolving the benefits available to our people. As we scale, so do our benefits and we are scaling quickly. We\’ve recently introduced a flexible benefit platform which includes a Smart Tech scheme, Cycle to work scheme, and an individual benefits allowance which you can invest in a Health care cash plan or Pension plan. We’re also big on connection and have an optional social and wellbeing calendar of events for all employees to join should they choose to.

Here are some of our most popular benefits listed below:

• Remote Working – we offer part time remote working for all our staff.
• Paid counseling – we offer paid counseling as well as financial and legal advice.

If successful, you will be required to undertake an SC clearance.

Our hiring process is designed to be thorough, transparent, and supportive, guiding candidates through each step. The exact process may vary slightly depending on the role but these are the typical steps candidates can expect.

We’ll keep you updated throughout the process and provide helpful feedback at each stage. No matter the outcome, we make sure the feedback is useful and supportive, so you feel informed and can learn from the experience.

Register your interest to be notified of any roles that come along that meet your criteria.