GAIN Experience - Senior UX Consultant in Bristol

Business Unit: GAIN Experience. We create user-centered experiences that drive measurable business impact for public and private sector organisations.

Team: Experience. Reporting to: Alison Rawlings (Insight & UX Director). Location: Bristol or London / Hybrid.

About: GAIN is a creative-led, insight-driven company that blends data, tech and creativity. We believe the best ideas emerge where intelligence and creativity unite, where insight sparks imagination, and where innovation turns possibility into progress. We are explorers of new frontiers, shaping bold strategies that move people, brands, and businesses forward. Individually and together, our specialist teams provide the vision, data, and confidence brands and organisations need to make braver, more impactful decisions. Today as GAIN, we work as a united force, using data to fuel creativity, and technology to unlock new possibilities. As imagineers we don’t just embrace innovation – we engineer it, transforming information into action, and ideas into breakthroughs. This is where rebel thinking, smart technology, and data-driven creativity shape the future.

The role: We are seeking a Senior User Experience Consultant who is comfortable working across the full user-centred research and design process, possessing the ideal balance of creative, communication, and analytical research skills. Using their skills, knowledge, and understanding of UX best practices and methodologies, the successful candidate will work closely as part of internal and client teams to support and/or manage the development and delivery of high-quality, engaging digital products and services in line with client requirements. We operate with a full-service offering and a wide range of clients across public, private and third sector, offering opportunities to develop skills across a broad spectrum of industries and methodologies. We would love to hear from people with experience in research, UX design or service design, or any combination.

Responsibilities:

• Liaising with clients and interpreting briefs to understand their business objectives and key performance indicators, then proposing profitable approaches that deliver on their needs.
• Supporting the sales team with the development and delivery of proposals and pitches.
• Developing and conducting appropriate research and other UX activities through a range of methodologies including survey, depth interviews, usability testing, card sorting, competitor reviews, personas, journey mapping, service design, IA development, wire-framing and prototyping development.
• Leading large-scale ethnographic enquiries and analysing multiple sources of complex data.
• Leading complex full user-centred design projects.
• Analysing research to identify insights then translating those into actionable digital design assets such as user flows, wireframes, storyboards and UI interaction design concepts, and opportunities for product or service improvements.
• Making recommendations and confidently communicating these to product and design teams in the most appropriate format, such as verbal presentations, written reports, models and other bespoke deliverables.
• Designing and leading collaborative workshops with clients, using the most appropriate activities to develop insights and solutions.
• Working effectively with development and visual design specialists in the team, identifying opportunities to strengthen collaborative practices and accelerate competency in agile and lean design methodologies.
• Building client relationships through excellent services whilst supporting their strategies and identifying new opportunities for Gain to further support them.
• Supporting the business by contributing to new business and marketing activities as required, such as representing as thought leaders by giving external talks, contributing blog posts about related topics of interest, and writing case studies about projects.
• Working with research participant recruitment teams to identify representative users of a product or service.
• Management of UX projects and on larger client projects, taking on the lead practitioner role as Project Director. Working independently and leading small teams to ensure projects are delivered on time and exceed client expectations.
• Continuing to develop your own UX skills by maintaining awareness of developments, trends, issues and innovation in the wider practice, introducing these as appropriate into your own work and that of the team.
• Contributing to and championing continuous improvement within the team, consistently seeking positive ways to improve ways of working and our offering.
• Leading small internal programmes of work (e.g., research ops) and presenting regularly in internal meetings.
• Supporting the wider consultancy team by sharing knowledge and learnings.
• Delivering training courses on specific areas of user experience and continually updating training courses based on best practices.
• Role modelling excellent professional standards in work ethic, communication and behaviour for other team members.

Requirements:

• Ideally educated to degree level in a relevant field and/or having completed a recognised UX intensive course.
• At least 3 years of commercial experience in a User Experience (UX) role, ideally with experience within an established agency/consultancy.
• Experience in leading complex full UCD projects.
• Experience in visually communicating design solutions.
• Understanding and experience of user research methods, e.g., survey, diary studies, depth interviews, usability testing, card sorting, competitor reviews, personas, journey mapping and expert evaluations.
• Experienced in executing, analysing and reporting on findings from research studies.
• Excellent verbal and written communication.
• Excellent time-management and project management.
• Experience in specifying research participant recruitment criteria.
• A proactive problem solver with a can-do attitude and a commitment to continual learning and development.
• Confident and experienced in stakeholder management.
• A supportive team member who seeks opportunities to support others.

How you’ll work:

• Constant curiosity: Think critically and understand the data, knowing where to take action. Be analytical with the ability to investigate and resolve.
• Pushing boundaries: Make the most efficient use of technology, suggesting process improvements.
• The power of our imagination: Be a problem solver who goes the extra mile and know the best approach to take with clients to get results.
• Making it happen: Be proactive and take responsibility for decisions and actions.
• Putting people first: Build effective relationships, understand business and client needs.

Benefits:

• Private Medical Insurance
• BUPA Life Assurance
• Income protection
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Cycle to Work salary sacrifice scheme
• Tech & Wearables salary sacrifice scheme
• Octopus EV Scheme
• Discounts and deals on a range of items from hotels, holidays and hormone testing to cinema, gyms and will writing.

Equal Opportunity: GAIN is an equal opportunities employer and positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status, or pregnancy and maternity.