User Experience Researcher in Southampton

We are Ordnance Survey, Great Britain’s national mapping service and a pioneer in geospatial technology. With over 230 years of trusted data, we empower better decisions, deeper understanding, and meaningful connections to the places we live, move through, and care for.

Our Principles At OS, how we work matters just as much as what we deliver. We are guided by three principles:

• Clear the path – Cut the noise, simplify and remove blockers so work can move at pace
• Seek the story – Listen fully, build understanding, fact‑check assumptions and speak up
• Do what matters – Focus on value, make deliberate stop/start/continue decisions, and recognise the contribution of others

About the role: We are looking for a UX Researcher to support a new discovery phase for a government and commercial-focused digital application. This is an opportunity to play a key role in shaping the direction of a complex, high-impact service by ensuring that user needs are clearly understood and evidenced from the outset.

You will work directly within a multidisciplinary product team, alongside a UX Designer, Product Owner, engineers and stakeholders, helping to define and validate the direction of the service through high-quality research and insight. The role is research-focused, with design collaboration forming an important part of how your work informs and shapes the product.

About You: This is an excellent opportunity for someone who is self-motivated and inquisitive, who is comfortable working in discovery, bringing structure to ambiguity and translating complex problem spaces into clear user understanding.

What we’re looking for: We’re seeking a UX Researcher with proven experience planning and delivering user research within digital product or service environments. You will lead on research activity to better understand user needs, behaviours and pain points across a range of user groups, helping the team make informed, evidence-based decisions.

As a UX Researcher, you will be responsible for generating clear, actionable insights that inform service and product direction. Your work will focus on answering the “desirability” question—ensuring that what is being proposed meets genuine user needs—while working closely with the wider team who will collaboratively assess feasibility and viability.

The role will require you to translate high-level questions into structured, practical research plans, balancing methodological rigour with real-world constraints such as time, access and policy. You will conduct research across diverse user groups and contexts, ensuring that findings are inclusive, ethical and grounded in real user needs.

You will work closely with a UX Designer to test concepts, validate ideas and iterate designs, ensuring that research insight is embedded throughout the discovery and early delivery phases. The role balances strong analytical and research skills with hands-on project involvement, stakeholder collaboration, and clear communication of insight.

Main Responsibilities of a UX Researcher:

• Planning and conducting user research during the discovery phase
• Translating high-level questions into clear, structured research plans
• Conducting qualitative research including user interviews and usability testing on concepts and prototypes
• Working closely with the UX Designer to test ideas, validate assumptions and iterate designs
• Recruiting participants and ensuring research is conducted ethically, inclusively and accessibly
• Analysing research data to identify user needs, behaviours and pain points
• Synthesising findings into clear, evidence-based insights and recommendations
• Producing research outputs such as insight summaries, personas, journey maps and problem statements
• Presenting findings through read-outs, presentations and written documentation to a range of stakeholders
• Collaborating effectively within a multidisciplinary agile team
• Feeding research insights into sprint planning and design iterations
• Supporting service assessments by providing evidence of user-centred decision making
• Maintaining research documentation and contributing to shared insight repositories
• Advocating for user needs and ensuring they are represented in product and service decisions
• Communicating the value and limitations of research to non-research specialists

Essential Skills:

• Proven experience conducting and delivering user research in a digital product or service environment
• Strong qualitative research skills, particularly in user interviews and usability testing
• Ability to analyse research findings and translate them into clear, actionable insights
• Experience working collaboratively within multidisciplinary agile teams
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to present complex findings clearly to a range of audiences
• Ability to advocate for user needs using evidence-based approaches
• Understanding of how research informs design and service decisions
• Awareness of working in complex, regulated or public sector environments
• Familiarity with inclusive and accessible research practices
• Understanding of data protection, consent and ethical research standards
• Awareness of GOV.UK Service Standard and GDS research principles is desirable
• A proactive, curious mindset with strong attention to detail
• Ability to balance rigour with delivery constraints in a fast-paced environment

The Rewards: We want you to love what you do and feel supported to do your best work. Our benefits include:

• Competitive salary and pension (OS contribute up to 12.07%)
• Performance‑related bonus (where applicable)
• 28 days annual leave plus bank holidays (increasing with service)
• Enhanced family leave, including paid partner leave
• Hybrid and flexible working options
• Learning and development support, coaching and mentoring
• Free subscription to OS Maps and access to wellbeing support
• Volunteering leave and matched fundraising

Location & working pattern: We embrace a hybrid working model at OS, because we believe in flexibility and balance. You’ll be based at our fantastic HQ in Southampton, Hampshire, where you'll spend 50% of your working week collaborating face-to-face with colleagues.

How to Apply: Please apply with your CV and Cover Letter.

Interview Process: Stage 1 – A competency interview and SOVA Personality Assessment. Interview to be held either in person at OSHQ or via Microsoft Teams. Stage 2 – MS Teams Call - Discussion / Show and Tell of previous project work. Closing date: Wednesday 20th May 2026 at 23:59pm.

Security & eligibility: OS conducts pre-employment checks for anyone made an offer of employment, including identity, right to work, employment history and criminal record checks (via Disclosure & Barring Services (DBS).

Inclusion at OS: Research shows that people from underrepresented groups often hesitate to apply unless they meet every requirement. At Ordnance Survey, we’re committed to building a diverse, inclusive and welcoming workplace. If this role excites you but your experience doesn’t match every point, we encourage you to apply. You may be the right person for this role or another opportunity at OS. We are happy to consider any reasonable adjustments that people may need during the recruitment process, and you will be asked whether you require any during the application process.