Senior User Researcher

UK Home Office; Sheffield; Hybrid; GBP 62,109 - 66,229; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Civil service pension

Flexible working options

25 days annual leave

Exceptional achievements reward scheme

Job summary

The UK Home Office is seeking a Senior User Researcher to enhance user-centred products and services. This hybrid role, based in Croydon, Liverpool or Sheffield, offers a salary between £62,109 and £66,229 plus a skills allowance.

The ideal candidate will lead user research initiatives, support agile workflows with user-centred design practices, and communicate actionable insights to inform policy decisions.

Expect extensive benefits including a civil service pension, flexible working options, generous annual leave, and special parental leave arrangements.

Qualifications

• Experience of establishing and leading user‑centred design culture.
• Ability to embed user‑centred design practices in agile workflows.
• Strong communication skills to advocate for user‑centred approaches.

Responsibilities

• Make a lasting impact on user‑centred products and services.
• Support teams to adopt effective user research methods.
• Communicate insights from research to drive service design change.

Skills

User Research

Managing People and Leading

Analysis and Synthesis

Communicate, persuade and advocate

Research Ethics

Accessibility and inclusion

Job description

Salary: £62,109 (National) or £66,229 (Croydon) plus skills allowance of up to £6,000 pending assessment.

Location: Croydon, Liverpool or Sheffield on a hybrid basis

Please note that this role requires Security Check (SC) clearance, which would normally need 5 years’ UK residency in the past 5 years.

What you'll bring to the role

We’re looking for a Senior User Researcher who wants to make a lasting impact on how the Home Office delivers user‑centred products and services. The Digital Corporate Enablement Office supports essential areas of the Home Office by creating, maintaining, and managing key technology solutions. We work closely with colleagues within and outside of Home Office Digital including Human Resources, Finance, Estates, Commercial, Security, Communications, and Science, Technology, Analysis and Research teams. Together, we enable smarter, more connected digital experiences across the Home Office.

You can learn more about design and research in the Home Office on our Digital and Data blog:

• Making ethics part of the way we design products and services.
• Using ‘cooperative usability testing’ with our expert users.
• Establishing the Home Office User Research Ethics Board.

As a Senior User Researcher, you will have experience of establishing and leading an effective user‑centred design culture in a team and supporting them to embed user‑centred design practices into their agile workflow. During the selection process, you’ll be assessed on your experience of this and the following technical skills:

• User Research: Understanding and applying a range of user research methods correctly for different life cycle phases, and advising others on these methods at a senior level.
• Managing People and Leading: Establishing an effective user‑centred design culture in a team, and supporting them to embed user‑centred design practices into their agile workflow.
• Analysis and Synthesis: Communicating insights from research in a clear and impactful way that drives change in the design of services and informs policy and proposition.
• Communicate, persuade and advocate: Convincing senior stakeholders about the benefits of adopting a user‑centred approach, based on evidence.
• Research Ethics: Establishing and applying ethical research standards and practices to ensure the safeguarding and wellbeing of participants and researchers.
• Accessibility and inclusion: Researching diverse audiences to help teams deliver accessible and inclusive digital services.

What's in it for you?

• A civil service pension with employer contribution rates of at least 28.97%.
• In‑year reward scheme for one‑off or sustained exceptional personal or team achievements.
• The ability to potentially adopt flexible working options that suit your work/life balance, plus the opportunity in future to take a career break.
• 25 days annual leave on appointment, rising with service.
• Eight days public holidays, plus one additional privilege day.
• 26 weeks maternity, adoption or shared parental leave at full pay, followed by 13 weeks statutory pay and a further 13 weeks unpaid, after qualifying service.
• Maternity and adoption support leave (also known as paternity leave) of two weeks full pay, after qualifying service.
• Paid leave for fostering approval processes, support when a child is substantively placed with you plus a foster to adopt policy.
• Support for guardians and kinship carers.
• Corporate membership of ‘Employers for Carers’ providing additional information and advice for carers, plus a ‘Carer’s Passport’ to discuss workplace needs and underpin supportive conversations.
• Time off to deal with emergencies and certain other unplanned special circumstances.