Senior User Researcher

Methods

Birmingham

Hybrid

GBP 75,000 - 95,000

Full time

14 days+

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Benefits offered by this job

25 days annual leave

Pension - Salary Exchange Scheme

Private Medical Insurance

Life Assurance 4x base salary

Travel Insurance

Job summary

Methods Business and Digital Technology Limited is seeking a Senior User Researcher to join our growing team on a permanent basis. You will champion user needs, conduct research on public sector projects to high ethical standards, and ensure alignment with government standards.

You will guide research across portfolios, mentor other researchers, and collaborate with product managers, designers, and engineers to deliver accessible, user-centred services within a hybrid work environment.

Qualifications

Experience with public sector products/services
Knowledge of government service standards
Experience conducting user research ethically and with high standards

Responsibilities

Devise research strategies with product managers to generate insights
Collaborate in multidisciplinary teams including research and analysis
Advocate for users and communicate needs for accessible services
Synthesize incomplete data into actionable conclusions
Make timely decisions even when details are unclear
Balance data from multiple sources and involve Methods support as needed
Identify main issues in complex problems and clarify stakeholder expectations
Persuade colleagues about the value of research and its purpose
Capture and share user insights to improve policy and delivery
Support Head of User Research in coordinating research quality across portfolios
Coach and mentor other researchers
Share good practice and develop standards for research ethics and documentation
Peer-review services for quality assurance or assessments
Engage with stakeholders to build strong relationships and networks
Evaluate Methods against government best practices and introduce improvements
Promote user-centred design across Methods and government communities
Pursue continual learning and development
Support bids and recruitment for research capacity

Skills

Leadership

Mentor teammates

Research techniques

Inclusive research

Stakeholder communication

Workshop facilitation

Agile

Communicating insights

Job description

Location: Hybrid

Methods Business and Digital Technology Limited

Methods is a £100M+ IT Services Consultancy who has partnered with a range of central government departments and agencies to transform the way the public sector operates in the UK. Established over 30 years ago and UK-based, we apply our skills in transformation, delivery, and collaboration from across the Methods Group, to create end-to-end business and technical solutions that are people-centred, safe, and designed for the future.

Location: Hybrid

Methods Business and Digital Technology Limited

Our human touch sets us apart from other consultancies, system integrators and software houses - with people, technology, and data at the heart of who we are, we believe in creating value and sustainability through everything we do for our clients, staff, communities, and the planet.

We support our clients in the success of their projects while working collaboratively to share skill sets and solve problems. At Methods we have fun while working hard; we are not afraid of making mistakes and learning from them.

Predominantly focused on the public-sector, Methods is now building a significant private sector client portfolio.

Methods was acquired by the Alten Group in early 2022.

Requirements

Your role

We are looking for an experienced Senior User Researcher to join our growing team on a permanent basis. You will have a passion for understanding and championing the user.

You will have experience of working on products and services in a public sector environment, conducting user research on projects to a high ethical standard, with knowledge of government service standards and principles.

Your main day to day responsibilities will be to:

work with client product managers/owners to devise appropriate research strategies that generate focused insights to support product development
collaborate within a multidisciplinary team by including colleagues in research and analysis activities
advocate for users, effectively communicating their needs and perspectives to support the design of intuitive and accessible services
draw together, present and test reasonable conclusions from a wide range of incomplete and/or complex evidence and data
take appropriate action or make decisions even when details are not clear
weigh up data from various sources, recognising when to bring in additional Methods support
identify the main issues in complex problems; clarify understanding or stakeholder expectations to seek the best option
convincingly and tactfully persuade sceptical colleagues and stakeholders about the value and purpose of research
effectively capture, use and share user/customer insight and views from a diverse range of stakeholders to ensure better policy and delivery
support the Head of User Research in coordinating quality user research across the Digital Delivery portfolio through the research community ("delivery through people")
guide, coach and mentor other user researchers in Methods and our clients
work closely with colleagues to identify, develop and share good practice
set and monitor standards for research, e.g. in ethics, lab testing, recruitment and documentation
provide formalised peer-review to services, for quality assurance or as part of an assessment panel

You will also be expected to carry out the following day to day activities:

confidently engage with stakeholders and colleagues at all levels, using strong interpersonal skills to develop and improve relationships with colleagues within and outside of user research
actively build and maintain a network of colleagues and contacts
evaluate how Methods' user research compares to government and competitor best practice and identify necessary and desirable improvements
advocate for user-centred design and be an active part of the user research community within Methods and across government
take responsibility for your own learning and development and seek opportunities to improve your knowledge and experience
project support, guidance, coaching and mentoring (as appropriate) to less experienced user researchers
support bids, alongside the Head of User Research
help recruit contract or permanent user researchers where more capacity is needed

Essential Skills

You’ll have a demonstrable passion for behavioural research, with the following skills or proven experience in:

strong leadership skills
ability to support and develop less experienced colleagues
understanding the research question which needs to be answered, and choosing the best way to answer that question
correctly applying a variety of research and analysis techniques
ensuring research is representative and inclusive, enabling products/services to be designed to work effectively for anyone who may need it
talking about research in a way that other people understand
running workshops, participating in discussions and assisting in the facilitation of the design of the service through collaboration with other professions
identifying the ‘so what' and communicating it in a compelling way
working in an agile environment

Qualifications

Relevant industry experience

Benefits

Methods is passionate about its people; we want our colleagues to develop the things they are good at and enjoy.

By joining us you can expect

Autonomy to develop and grow your skills and experience
Be part of exciting project work that is making a difference in society
Strong, inspiring and thought-provoking leadership
A supportive and collaborative environment

Development - a management development programme, and training
Wellness - 24/7 confidential employee assistance programme
Flexible Working - including home working and part time
Social - office parties, breakfast Tuesdays, monthly pizza Thursdays, Thirsty Thursdays, and commitment to charitable causes
Time Off - 25 days of annual leave a year, plus bank holidays, with the option to buy 5 extra days each year
Volunteering - 2 paid days per year to volunteer in our local communities or within a charity organisation
Pension - Salary Exchange Scheme with 4% employer contribution and 5% employee contribution
Discretionary Company Bonus - based on company and individual performance
Life Assurance - of 4 times base salary
Private Medical Insurance - which is non-contributory (spouse and dependants included)
Worldwide Travel Insurance - which is non-contributory (spouse and dependants included)
Enhanced Maternity and Paternity Pay
Travel - season ticket loan, cycle to work scheme