Senior User Researcher

Scottish Government; Glasgow; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A public sector organization in Scotland is looking for a Senior User Researcher to lead research activities in a complex environment. You will analyze diverse user needs to contribute to the design of inclusive services and policies within the transportation sector. The ideal candidate has significant experience in user research, excellent communication skills, and a passion for improving public services. This role requires working in agile teams and managing stakeholder relationships effectively.

Benefits

Flexible working hours

Employee benefits package

Professional development opportunities

Qualifications

• Experience leading user research activities and analysis.
• Ability to engage diverse users in research.
• Proven track record of developing inclusive services.

Responsibilities

• Plan and manage user research for complex services.
• Collaborate with teams to analyze research data.
• Influence stakeholders on user research insights.

Skills

User research methodologies

Data analysis

Stakeholder communication

Agile practices

Job description

Description

Transport Scotland is the national transport agency seeking to deliver a safe, efficient, cost‑effective and sustainable transport system for the benefit of the people of Scotland. It plays a key role in helping to achieve the Scottish Government’s purpose of increasing sustainable economic growth with opportunities for all of Scotland to flourish.

Smart and Integrated Ticketing (SIT) and Payment Programme

The SIT and Payment programme delivers integrated smart ticketing and payment as well as travel data and information activities across all public transport in Scotland covering national and regional schemes, projects, policy and legislative measures.

This is a key role within the SIT team. You will be involved in supporting project activity and shaping transport policy and legislation for Scotland. You will contribute to policy development and delivery related to smart and integrated ticketing, payment bus open data, a national integrated ticketing system and other future concessionary scheme improvements for Scotland. More information about the SIT team programme can be found at Smart Digital Integrated Ticketing and Payments – Delivery Strategy 2024 Transport Scotland.

User Researcher

User researchers undertake research that supports teams to design policy and services. They help design services that work well for people and achieve policy intent. You will work with the team to develop a shared understanding of the people who use the service and what they need. You will plan, design and undertake user research activities and contribute to the design of inclusive and accessible services.

Senior User Researcher – Role Profile

A Senior User Researcher is an experienced researcher who can lead research activity on complex services. They can influence and mentor others. At this role level you will:

• Plan and carry out user research activities across complex services
• Help set direction and embed good practice within teams
• Create user research documentation for example ethics documentation
• Align user research activities with wider plans to inform a service proposition
• Identify and share research insights across teams to avoid duplication of research effort
• Supervise and develop other user researchers to assure and improve research practice
• Engage with and contribute to the Scottish Government user research community of practice

Responsibilities – Analysis and Synthesis

• Execute and manage analysis of complex research data
• Help teams to apply a range of methods to analyse research data and synthesise findings
• Engage a range of people including sceptical colleagues in analysis and synthesis
• Advise on the choice and application of techniques and can critique findings to assure best practice and maintain research standards
• Present and document clear findings that colleagues can understand use and reuse across the organisation and practice

Inclusive Research

• Help teams understand the diversity of users of government services
• Champion the inclusion of a diverse range of users in appropriate user research activity to help shape the service design especially those who face the most barriers or who aren’t currently using the service
• Develop research that supports delivery of an equitable service
• Advocate inclusive practices – help teams design and deliver accessible and equitable services that work for all users
• Understand the importance of assisted digital and champion the needs of people who are unable to use digital services

User Research Methods

Demonstrate experience in a wide range of user research methods and help teams to adopt them.

Plan and manage user research for services with challenging user needs and complex user journeys.

Advise practitioners on the choice and application of research methods to assure best practice.

Identify and effectively manage participation of teams, stakeholders and users in research activities.

Trial new methods or approaches to continue to develop the methodological toolkit.

Agile Research Practices

Advocate for agile working – adapt how you design and conduct user research to respond to the complexity of the product environment.

Understand the strategic decisions the team needs to make so you can design appropriate research.

Influence decisions about priorities and agile processes in the team.

Work in agile teams and help them to manage and visualise outcomes, prioritise work, define scope for research to deliver a minimum viable product (MVP) or change.

Research Management Leadership and Assurance

Design user research activity that has a clearly defined scope and purpose and aligns to project goals.

Grow your knowledge of good practice standards for user research.

Implement legal and ethical research standards and processes and contribute to the creation of relevant documentation.

Improve Your Practice Through Reflection and Feedback

Contribute to user research strategies and processes balancing business objectives and needs of users.

Engage with and contribute to the Scottish Government user research community of practice.

Stakeholder Relationship Management

• Influence important stakeholders and communicate with them clearly and regularly to demonstrate the value of user research.
• Tailor communication to stakeholders need and work with them to build relationships while also meeting user needs.
• Work to improve stakeholder relationships using evidence to explain decisions made to reach consensus.

User‑Centred Practice and Advocacy

• Evaluate and choose approaches for building your team’s understanding of the user.
• Advocate for user‑centred design practices with sceptical colleagues and stakeholders.
• Help inexperienced teams to adopt a range of user‑centred practices.
• Identify the most important risks and opportunities for your team’s service development.
• Align user research plans to address team priorities.
• Evaluate user research tools and approaches to achieve research goals including evaluation and management / overseeing of third‑party contracts.

Qualifications

Success Profile

Success are specific to each job and they include the mix of skills, experience and behaviours candidates will be assessed on.

Technical / Professional Skills

This role is aligned to the Senior User Researcher role within the DDaT User Researcher job family.

These skills are assessed by technical assessment designed to represent the role. Candidates reaching this stage will receive a Technical Assessment Candidate Pack which outlines the specific skills to be assessed plus the method of assessment.

Experience

• Experience of leading analysis and synthesis methods, allowing you to analyse complex data sources and produce robust and actionable research insights that can be used across teams.
• Experience of leading ethical and inclusive user research activity and including a diverse range of users, allowing you to advocate for and support the design of inclusive and accessible services within a team.
• Experience of leading user research activity ensuring it adheres to legal and organisational standards while aligned to project goals, enabling evidence‑based decision‑making in a project.
• Experience of leading teams to design and deliver a wide range of inclusive user research using appropriate research methods for different situations and contexts.

Experience is accessed at sift along with a more in-depth assessment at interview.

Behaviours

• Communicating and Influencing level 3.
• Changing & Improving - level 3.
• Making Effective Decisions - level 3.
• Working Together - level 3.

Behaviours are assessed at interview. Full details will be shared in advance with all candidates invited to this stage.

How to Apply

Apply online providing a CV and Supporting Statement (of no more than 750 words) which provides evidence of how you meet the 4 Experience criteria listed in the Success Profile above.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools can be used to support your application but all statements and examples provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others or generated by artificial intelligence and presented as your own) applications will be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.

Please see our candidate guidance for more information on acceptable and unacceptable uses of AI in recruitment.

If invited for further assessment this will consist of an interview and DDaT Technical assessment where the behaviours, experiences and technical skills outlined in the Success Profile will be assessed.

Interviews and DDaT Technical assessments are scheduled for October 2025 however these may be subject to change.

About Us – Transport Scotland

Transport Scotland is the national transport agency seeking to deliver a safe, efficient, cost‑effective and sustainable transport system for the benefit of the people of Scotland. Transport Scotland is accountable to Parliament and the public through Scottish Ministers with a budget of over 4 billion per year. Transport is a vital feature of the Scottish Government’s focus on increasing sustainable economic growth and transport investments and policies have major impacts on the economy, people and the environment.

About the Scottish Government

The Scottish Government is the devolved government for Scotland. We have responsibility for a wide range of key policy areas including education, health, the economy, justice, housing and transport. We offer rewarding careers and employ people across Scotland in a wide range of professions and roles.

Our staff are part of the UK Civil Service working for Ministers and senior stakeholders to deliver vital public services which improve the lives of the people of Scotland.

We offer a supportive and inclusive working environment along with a wide range of employee benefits. Find out more about what we offer.

As part of the UK Civil Service we uphold the Civil Service Nationality Rules.

Working Pattern

Our standard hours are 35 hours per week. We offer a range of flexible and hybrid working options depending on the needs of the role. If you have specific questions about the role you are applying for please contact us. You will require to be office based twice per week.

DDaT Pay Supplement

This post is part of the Scottish Government Digital Data and Technology (DDAT) profession as a member of the profession you will join the professional development system. This post currently attracts a £5 000.00 annual DDAT pay supplement applicable after a 3-month competency qualifying period. The payment will be backdated to your start date in the role. Pay supplements are reviewed regularly and there is one currently underway. Changes will be communicated when the review is concluded.

Security Checks

Successful candidates must complete the Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) before they can be appointed. BPSS is comprised of four main pre-employment checks – Identity, Right to work, Employment History and a Criminal Record check (unspent convictions).

You can find out more about BPSS on the UK Government website or read about the different levels of security checks in our Candidate Guide.

Equality Statement

We are committed to equality and inclusion and we aim to recruit a diverse workforce that reflects the population of our nation.

Find out more about our commitment to diversity and how we offer and support recruitment adjustments for anyone who needs them.

Further Information

Find out more about our organisation, what we offer staff members and how to apply on our Careers Website.

Read our Candidate Guide for further information on our recruitment and application processes.

To learn more about this opportunity please contact Juliet Bell who can be reached at more information on how to apply can be found on the Digital Jobs website.

Feedback

We aim to provide feedback on request however; if we receive a large number of applications it may not be possible for us to provide feedback on your application if you are not invited to attend an assessment. We will provide feedback on request to all candidates that attend an assessment.

Additional Details

The Scottish Government is a diverse and inclusive workplace and we want to help you demonstrate your full potential whatever type of assessment is used. If you require any adjustments to our recruitment process please let us know via.

Apply Before

29 September 2025 (23:59)

This role is open to internal candidates OGD and Common Citizenship organisations only.

Required Experience

Senior IC

Key Skills

Arm, Machine Learning, AI, C / C++, R, Clinical Trials, Experience Administering Injections, Research Experience, Research & Development, Assembly, Semantic Web, Vulnerability Research

Employment Type

Full‑Time

Experience

(years)

Vacancy

1