User Researcher - DV Cleared

Clearance required: DV - Sole UK

Interview process: Tech IV

Location: Hybrid. Some travel to client sites required - London and South of England, estimated 4 to 5 times per month.

IR35 Status: PAYE via Umbrella company only

We are heading up a recruitment drive for a global consultancy that require a User Researcher to join them on a major government project that is based remotely. You will be the lead User Researcher on a classified MOD programme delivering an Above Secret version of a critical Defence capability. Working within a small, DV-cleared project team, you will engage directly with senior military and civilian MOD stakeholders and end user representatives to understand how users at Above Secret classification level work, what they need, and how the transition from the current Secret service will affect them. This is not a typical digital product research role. Access to users is controlled and constrained. Research must be conducted within classified environments and in compliance with MOD security protocols. You will need to be pragmatic, adaptable and comfortable operating in an environment where standard tooling, collaboration platforms and research methods may not be available or appropriate. Your findings will directly shape the business change assessment, user onboarding approach, IMPEX processes and service wrap for the programme.

What you will be doing:

• Planning and conducting user research within a classified MOD environment, adapting standard research methods to fit security constraints.
• Engaging senior military and civilian MOD stakeholders and end user representatives to understand needs, workflows and pain points at Above Secret classification level.
• Building and maintaining user personas, journey maps and process maps that reflect the AS user population - who they are, how they access the system, what they need to do and what changes from the current Secret service.
• Producing the Business Change Assessment - mapping what changes for users moving from S to AS, identifying training needs, onboarding requirements and logistics constraints.
• Defining and documenting the IMPEX approach - how users and data enter and exit the AS environment.
• Identifying onboarding authorities, permissions and any transport or logistics needs for AS users.
• Contributing to service wrap design - feeding user needs into the service model, runbook and support approach.
• Working closely with the Project 1 Lead and Security Lead to ensure user needs are reflected in accreditation and governance decisions.
• Documenting research findings in formats suitable for a classified programme - stored and shared only in approved environments.

Essential skills and experience:

• Demonstrable experience conducting user research in UK public sector or defence environments - understanding of MOD culture, rank structures and how military and civilian users operate is highly desirable.
• Strong qualitative research skills - interviews, contextual enquiry, workshops, stakeholder engagement - with the ability to adapt methods to restricted access environments.
• Ability to work with a small, constrained user population rather than broad consumer research panels.
• Experience translating research findings into clear business change and service design outputs.
• Comfortable engaging with senior stakeholders (SCS, OF-5 and above) with confidence and credibility.
• Ability to document findings clearly and concisely for governance and assurance audiences, not just product teams.
• Experience working within Agile delivery teams alongside BAs, architects and security professionals.

Desirable:

• Prior experience on classified or Above Secret programmes.
• Familiarity with GDS Service Standard and Government Design Principles.
• Experience producing business change assessments, user impact assessments or service readiness documentation.
• Working knowledge of JIRA and Confluence.