Lead User Researcher, Public Sector Services

Tangity; Greater London; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Tangity is seeking a Lead User Researcher for UK public sector projects. You will lead full-lifecycle research, guiding agile teams to validate assumptions, reduce delivery risk, and prioritise work based on real user needs.

You will collaborate with designers, BAs, developers, and product managers to ensure evidence drives decisions at every stage, mentor junior researchers, and champion inclusive, accessible research aligned with GDS and WCAG standards.

Qualifications

• 8+ years in user research, human-centred design, or service design
• Degree in User Research, Psychology, HCI, Anthropology, or related field
• Experience leading research across complex digital services in agile environments
• Strong portfolio showing informing service/product outcomes
• Proficiency with research methods including usability testing, interviews, journeys, personas
• Comfort presenting findings to senior stakeholders and advocating for users
• Knowledge of GDS service standards and WCAG accessibility
• Eligible for SC clearance (UK citizen, 5 years residency)

Responsibilities

• Plan, lead, and deliver user research for public services across Discovery to Live phases
• Apply qualitative and quantitative methods to surface behavioural insights
• Synthesize findings into actionable outputs like problem statements, journeys, and personas
• Translate insights into backlog priorities and design recommendations
• Collaborate with BAs and UX/UI Designers to ensure evidence-based solutions
• Support design iterations by testing concepts, prototypes, and touchpoints
• Communicate findings through reports, visuals, and stakeholder sessions
• Facilitate workshops to drive cross-functional alignment
• Embed user-first culture across agile teams and ensure accessibility

Skills

User research

Human-centred design

Service design

Usability testing

Stakeholder presentations

GDS service standards

WCAG accessibility

Team leadership

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s in User Research / related field

Tools

GOV.UK / GOV.UK design system

Digital analytics tools

Job description

Tangity is seeking a Lead User Researcher for UK public sector projects. You will lead full-lifecycle research, guiding agile teams to validate assumptions, reduce delivery risk, and prioritise work based on real user needs.

You will collaborate with designers, BAs, developers, and product managers to ensure evidence drives decisions at every stage, mentor junior researchers, and champion inclusive, accessible research aligned with GDS and WCAG standards.