Senior User Researcher in Leeds

Senior User Researcher – Digital and Service Design

Position: Senior User Researcher

Location: 7/8 Wellington Place, Leeds, LS1 4AP

Job Type: Full-time, Permanent

We are currently looking for a Senior User Researcher to join our Digital and Service Design Function within the Digital and Technology group. This role will help shape a new user-centred design practice at the MHRA. You will work across multidisciplinary teams and high-profile services to plan, design, and deliver research that builds a deep understanding of users, their needs and behaviours. You will also help establish research standards and approaches that support evidence‑led, accessible and user-centred service design across the agency.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and conduct user research for complex and high-profile projects, programmes and/or portfolios of work, helping teams adopt a wide range of user research methods
• Plan, design and prepare a range of user research activities to support the design, development and continuous improvement of agency services.
• Carry out a wide range of user research activities from recruiting participants, preparing discussion guides and moderating research sessions.
• Help teams understand the diversity of users of government services, know how to include all kinds of users in appropriate research activities and advocate for inclusive practices and help teams design and deliver accessible services that work for all users.

Who are we looking for?

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• Significant experience in planning and conducting user research across the service lifecycle
• Applying a range of qualitative and evaluative research methods
• Analysing and synthesising evidence into actionable insights
• Communicating findings clearly to varied stakeholders

Person Specification

Method of assessment: A=Application, T=Test, I=Interview, P=Presentation

Behaviour Criteria:

• Seeing the Big Picture (I)
• Communicating and Influencing (I)
• Delivering at Pace (I)

Experience Criteria:

• Significant experience designing and conducting user research across the various stages of service development (discovery, alpha, beta, live) (A, I, P)
• Significant experience utilising a range of user research techniques including ethnographic, participatory, and evaluative techniques (I, P)
• Experience developing user research plans including selecting and identifying the appropriate techniques and methods to use based on the project brief (A, I, P)
• Experience analysing research findings, synthesising and pulling out actionable insights and user needs that can be used to inform user stories and requirements (A, I, P)
• Experience communicating findings from user research in a compelling way for different stakeholders and audiences (I, P)

Technical Criteria:

• Degree level or equivalent professional experience (5+ years working as a user researcher or related field) (A, I)
• Previous experience working as a user researcher within teams designing and delivering digital products and services (A, I)

Benefits

This role attracts a Market Pay Supplement of up to £20,371 per annum, in recognition of the specialist skills required and current market rates. The supplement is reviewed annually and is non‑pensionable.

Additional Information

Government departments and agencies are working towards implementing a minimum 60% attendance in office sites. We are currently implementing a flexible, hybrid way of working, with a minimum of 8 days per month working on site to enable the collaboration and contact with partners and stakeholders needed to deliver MHRA business.

Applicants will be subject to UK immigration requirements as well as Civil Service nationality rules.

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check as well as animal rights and pro‑life activism checks. People working with government assets must complete basic personnel security standard checks.

Applicants may be subject to annual Occupational Health reviews dependent on role requirements.

In accordance with the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles our recruitment and selection processes are underpinned by the requirement of selection for appointment on the basis of merit by a fair and open competition.