Senior UX Researcher

UCL; Greater London; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

41 Days holiday

Flexible working options

CARE pension

Cycle to work

Relocation scheme

On-site gym

Enhanced family leave policy

Employee assistance programme

Discounted medical insurance

Job summary

UCL is seeking a Senior UX Researcher to shape and grow an evidence-led research practice within the Experience Design team. You will lead complex research across the university’s digital estate and turn user insight into meaningful product improvements.

You’ll collaborate with product owners, researchers, designers, content and technology colleagues, mentoring others and championing user-centred approaches across UCL. This 12-month FTC offers a dynamic environment in London.

Qualifications

• Significant experience planning and delivering user research across complex products.
• Experience working within multi-disciplinary product or service teams, ideally using agile ways of working.
• Significant experience translating complex research findings into clear, actionable insights for senior stakeholders.
• Experience influencing product, service or organisational decisions through research and evidence.
• Experience developing, improving or embedding UX research practices, standards, methods, tools or ways of working within an organisation.
• Experience mentoring, coaching or supporting other researchers and contributing to the development of research capability.

Responsibilities

• Lead complex UX research across UCL’s digital estate, turning user insight into meaningful improvements.
• Work closely with product owners, researchers, designers, content and technology colleagues and other senior stakeholders.
• Help influence decisions at project and strategic levels while championing user-centred approaches.
• Shape how research is done at UCL, developing and embedding effective methods, tools and standards.

Skills

UX research

Qualitative methods

Quantitative methods

Agile development

Stakeholder communication

Mentoring

Workshop facilitation

Research reporting

Education

Relevant degree in HCI/psychology/design

Tools

Prototyping tools

Usability testing tools

Job description

UCL is a world-leading teaching and research university, often ranked in the top ten in the world with an annual turnover of well over £1 billion. Part of UCL’s vision is to take on the hardest global challenges.

The Information Services Division (ISD) is the primary provider of IT services to UCL. We support and enhance learning, teaching, research and administrative processes by providing information- and technology-related services to over 50,000 staff and students of UCL and associated institutions.

Our ambition is to be the leading IT services group in the HE sector and we are growing our team’s capability in experience/UX, agile development, security, cloud, service management and partnering. We are modernising our technology foundations, digitising the processes of the university to transform experience for students and staff, and partnering across the university to drive differentiation in UCL education and research.

Within ISD, this role is part of the Portfolio and Product Delivery department. Our purpose is to manage the delivery of technology led change, partnering with colleagues across UCL. We collaborate as cross functional agile teams and have core capabilities in experience, development & test, analysis and agile delivery management.

About the role

Please note this is a 12 month FTC opportunity

This is an exciting opportunity to shape and influence the future of UX research at one of the world’s leading universities. As a Senior UX Researcher, you’ll play a key role in establishing and growing a confident, evidence-led research practice within UCL’s Experience Design team.

You’ll lead complex research across UCL’s digital estate, turning user insight into meaningful improvements to products and experiences. You’ll work closely with product owners, researchers, designers, content and technology colleagues and other senior stakeholders. You’ll help influence decisions at both project and strategic levels, whilst championing user-centred approaches across UCL.

You’ll also help shape how research is done at UCL, developing and embedding effective methods, tools, standards and ways of working that enable teams to make better decisions. You’ll support and mentor other researchers, share your expertise, and help build a culture where research and evidence are an integral part of the design and delivery process.

If you’re an experienced UX researcher who wants to combine hands-on research with helping to develop our research approaches, supporting colleagues and contributing to positive change, we’d love to hear from you.

About you

You’re an experienced UX researcher with a strong track record of using research to influence product and service decisions. You’re comfortable working strategically while remaining grounded in high-quality research practice.

You have:

• Significant experience planning and delivering a range of user research across complex products or services, using appropriate qualitative and quantitative methods.
• Significant experience working within multi-disciplinary product or service teams, ideally using agile ways of working.
• Significant experience translating complex research findings into clear, actionable insights and presenting them to a wide range of audiences, including senior stakeholders.
• Significant experience influencing product, service or organisational decisions through research and evidence.
• Experience developing, improving or embedding UX research practices, standards, methods, tools or ways of working within an organisation.
• Experience mentoring, coaching or supporting other researchers and contributing to the development of research capability.
• Experience facilitating workshops and collaborative activities with a range of stakeholders.
• Experience using a range of prototyping, testing or research tools and techniques.
• Experience advocating for user-centred design and helping organisations build a stronger culture of evidence-based decision making.
• A qualification or relevant experience in a subject such as computer science, design, human-centred interaction, psychology, research methods, web design and development, or a related discipline.

What we offer

In return, you’ll have the opportunity to make a significant impact within Student Lifecycle portfolio, working alongside talented colleagues. We offer a collaborative environment where your ideas are valued, your growth is supported, and your work directly contributes to the university’s bold strategic goals. Our people really are our greatest asset and we invest in them so that they can fulfil their potential. Equity, diversity and inclusion is important to us. We are committed to creating an environment where everyone is encouraged to give their best in a place where their unique experiences, perspectives and skills are seen as valuable assets.

As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents, we also offer some great benefits some of which are below:

• 41 Days holiday (27 days annual leave 8 bank holiday and 6 closure days)
• Additional 5 days’ annual leave purchase scheme
• Flexible working options
• Defined benefit career average revalued earnings pension scheme (CARE)
• Cycle to work scheme and season ticket loan
• Relocation scheme for certain posts
• On-site gym
• Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay
• Employee assistance programme: Staff Support Service
• Discounted medical insurance

As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents, we also offer great benefits. Please visit https://www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/rewards-and-benefits to find out more.

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

As London’s Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation, and we want our community to represent the diversity of the world’s talent. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong.

We therefore particular encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCL’s workforce.

These include people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds; disabled people; and for our Grade 9 and 10 roles, women. Our department is working towards an Athena SWAN award. We are committed to advancing gender equality within our department.

You can read more about our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion here : https://www.ucl.ac.uk/equality-diversity-inclusion/

Work at UCL pages: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/