Senior User Researcher in London

Hippo is a rapidly growing digital consultancy passionate about building and delivering transformative digital solutions for a diverse range of Public and Private sector clients. We are recruiting for a Senior User Researcher to support our mission. We work at the intersection of strategy, design, and technology to solve complex problems and create lasting value. Our collaborative and agile culture empowers our teams to make a genuine impact.

As a Senior User Researcher, you will play an important role in making Hippo the best Consultancy out there. You will work as part of a multi‑disciplinary team combining data, design, product, delivery, analysis and engineering to deliver bespoke digital services that make a positive and meaningful impact on organisations and society. We're confident in our abilities, authentic in our approach, and passionate about what we do.

You will act as a Senior Consultant to deliver User Research services to our clients. A Senior User Researcher at Hippo is a practitioner who leads the research process to uncover deep user insights and ensures they are at the heart of our service design.

Your Role in a Nutshell:

• Lead the planning and execution of user research activities across various projects, ensuring a user‑centered approach.
• Collaborate with multi‑disciplinary teams to translate research findings into actionable design recommendations.
• Champion accessibility and inclusive design principles, ensuring services work for all users.
• Support and mentor more junior members of the research community, fostering a culture of continuous learning.

Essential Experience

• Proven experience in leading complex user research projects within an agile environment.
• Expertise in various qualitative and quantitative research methods (e.g., interviews, usability testing, ethnographic research).
• Strong experience in advocating for user needs to senior stakeholders and influencing product strategy.
• Experience working with GDS or similar service standards in a public sector context.

Desirable Experience

• Experience in a consultancy environment, managing multiple client stakeholders.
• Familiarity with data analysis tools and their integration with user research insights.

What makes us great

• Contributory Pension Scheme (Hippo 6% & Employee 2%)
• 25 Days Holiday plus UK Public Holidays
• Perkbox access for a wide range of discounts
• Critical illness cover
• Life assurance and death in service cover
• Volunteer days
• Cycle‑to‑work scheme for the avid cyclists
• Salary sacrifice electric vehicles scheme
• Season ticket loans
• Financial and general wellbeing sessions
• Flexible benefits scheme with options of: Private health cover, Private dental cover, Additional company pension contributions, Additional holidays (up to an extra 2 days), Wellbeing contribution, Charity contributions, Tree planting

Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging at Hippo

At Hippo, we’re dedicated to creating a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace that works for everyone. We understand that having a diverse team unlocks our capacity for innovation, creativity and problem solving. Only by building a community of diverse perspectives, cultures and socio‑economic backgrounds can we create an environment where all can contribute and thrive.

We actively encourage applications from underrepresented groups including women, ethnic minorities, LGBTQ+, neurodivergent and people with disabilities. We are committed to providing an inclusive and accessible recruitment process that reflects our workplace culture. We are a registered Disability Confident Employer, Mindful Employer, Endometriosis Friendly Employer and a member of the Armed Forces Covenant. Hippo continually strives to remove barriers, provide accommodations and offer reasonable adjustments to ensure equity throughout our practices.

Hippo Locations

We are headquartered in Leeds and have offices across the UK in Glasgow, Manchester, Birmingham, London and Bristol. We're on the lookout for top talent nationwide but you need to be located within reasonable travelling distance from one of our offices. Given the dynamic nature of a consulting business, you may be required to work on‑site at a Hippo office or at an in/out of town client location for a number of days per week (client dependent) and therefore candidates will need to be open/flexible to travel and working on one of those sites at least 2 days per week. We offer a generous relocation support package of up to £8,000 (please ask for terms and conditions) to help make your move a smooth one.