Senior User Researcher

Job Summary

We are looking for an outstanding User Researcher, who can make a positive impact, and who wants to contribute to the most demanding and exciting new digital service for the UK Government. Let’s be clear about the impact of your work – better digital services in government will change the face of public services and have the potential to dramatically transform the future of millions of people.

You have a strong research background, with experience in the full range of User research and design methods and the ability to translate research findings into actionable recommendations and be ready to quickly get to work in an agile multidisciplinary team of Developers, Designers, and Analysts focused on digital transformation. You’ll be the kind of person who is unconcerned with titles and hierarchy; what really excites you is problem-solving and the opportunity to deliver innovative technology that carries real value for users. You will draw value from collaboration with others, actively seeking input from colleagues and valuing a multidisciplinary team over hierarchy.

You will be passionate about the value of integrating user insights into the design process of a service, channelling your energy and enthusiasm to ensure that quality user research is both carried out and delivered effectively into the design process and final service.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead on research projects, working with a wider team of Designers, Analysts and Developers to help define and deliver the best methodology to address the specific needs in producing a responsive digital service.
• Familiarise yourself with the project’s user research work to date and devise a strategy of moving the work forward.
• Plan, design and conduct user research sessions, including guerrilla testing, user testing, focus groups and workshops, persona creation and card sorting on a regular basis, testing both high-level concepts, and aspects of the service as it is designed and developed, and developing and maintaining a picture of the users.
• Collaboratively analyse the findings of user research to identify common themes and points of user contention and provide actionable recommendations to the relevant team members.
• Apply knowledge in human factors, ethnography, and the user-centred design process to product and service design in an iterative development environment.
• Use findings of user data to work closely with designers and analysts to iterate the developing service.
• Manage business relations with usability and market research agencies to support necessary research processes.
• Support the learning and development of less experienced and trainee User Researchers within the team.
• Thrive working in an agile environment, using your own creativity, resourcefulness and initiative to maximise the quality of user research and its impact on the service development.
• Be visible within the team and be able to engage, build trust and energise a team culture that is responsive to the findings of user research.

Essential Skills:

• Practical experience of qualitative research methodologies, in terms of design, execution and analysis.
• Experience in taking a lead User Researcher role within a team, setting research direction and mentoring junior research colleagues.
• Experience of working within an agile project environment, and maintaining effective performance in difficult and challenging circumstances.
• Practical experience of quantitative research methodologies.
• An understanding of service design, visual design, frontend development and agile methodologies.
• Proven experience of gathering user requirements for web-based services.
• Proven experience of managing, executing and analysing usability test and research sessions.
• Proven experience of working in an agile development environment with User Experience teams, designers and developers to create new digital products and services.
• Experience of audience modelling and developing design personas.
• An in-depth understanding of the available research methodologies.
• Demonstrable experience working closely with Service Design and Data Science teams.

Nice to Have Skills:

• Degree in HCI/Usability/Cognitive Psychology/Market Research or related field.
• Experience across web content, tools and transactional services, especially those with complex user journeys.
• Experience within a research and digital environment.

Qualifications:

• Experience in User research.
• Education background in User research and market research.

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