User Researcher

Sanderson Government and Defence; West of England; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working arrangements

Job summary

Sanderson Government and Defence is seeking an experienced User Researcher to join a growing digital consultancy and collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to create user-centred products and services. You will work with Product Managers, Designers and Developers to deliver research that deepens understanding of user needs and behaviours.

As the lead researcher within your team, you will plan and conduct both qualitative and quantitative studies, present findings clearly, and help embed

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading user research programmes using a range of behavioural and attitudinal research methods, with a strong understanding of when to apply them.
• Experience across discovery through to design and delivery.
• SC Clearance or eligibility to obtain it, including UK residency requirements.
• Experience with Government Digital Service (GDS) Service Standards and applying GDS design principles.
• Excellent communication, storytelling, stakeholder management and facilitation skills.
• Experience in multidisciplinary agile teams, leading research activities and influencing design through insights.
• Familiarity with using prototypes to test hypotheses and evaluate user journeys.
• Knowledge of tools and techniques for remote and in-person research.

Responsibilities

• Plan and deliver high-impact research in collaboration with Product Managers, Designers and Developers.
• Develop a deep understanding of users to inform product and service design decisions.
• Lead research activities within the team and select appropriate methodologies to generate insights.
• Plan and conduct qualitative research (interviews, observations, diary studies, usability tests) and quantitative methods (surveys).
• Present research findings clearly and engage teams in analysis to build user empathy.

Skills

Leading user research programmes

Stakeholder management

Facilitation skills

Communication and storytelling

Agile environment experience

User journey mapping

Prototype testing

Education

Bachelor's degree in Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, HCI, UX or related

Tools

Research methods toolbox

Qualtrics/Survey tools

Job description

User Researcher

About the Role

We are looking for an experienced User Researcher to join a growing digital consultancy and collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to create user-centred products and services. You will work closely with Product Managers, Designers, Developers and fellow User Researchers to deliver impactful research that deepens understanding of user needs and behaviours. Your insights will help shape products and services that solve real-world problems and create meaningful user experiences. As the lead researcher within your team, you will recommend and deliver the most effective research approaches, ensuring teams can make informed, evidence-based decisions throughout the product lifecycle.

Key Responsibilities

• Partner with Product Managers, Designers, Developers and other User Researchers to plan and deliver high-impact research.
• Develop a strong understanding of users to inform product and service design decisions.
• Lead user research activities within your team, selecting appropriate methodologies to generate valuable insights.
• Plan and conduct qualitative research, including remote and in-person interviews, observations, diary studies, concept testing and usability testing.
• Use quantitative research methods, such as surveys, to uncover actionable insights and work alongside analytics specialists to enrich findings.
• Consider the end-to-end user journey, including business, policy and technical constraints that may influence the user experience.
• Present research findings clearly and engage teams in analysis and synthesis activities to build empathy for users.
• Support the adoption of user-centred design principles and user research best practices across teams and the wider organisation.

Essential Skills and Experience

• Proven experience leading user research programmes using a range of behavioural and attitudinal research methods, with a strong understanding of when to apply them.
• Experience working across multiple stages of the product or service lifecycle, from discovery and exploration through to design and delivery.
• Existing Security Check (SC) Clearance or eligibility to obtain it, including meeting UK residency requirements.
• Experience working with Government Digital Service (GDS) Service Standards and applying GDS design principles.
• Excellent communication, storytelling, stakeholder management and facilitation skills.
• Experience working within multidisciplinary agile teams, leading research activities and influencing product or service design through user insights.
• Familiarity with using prototypes to test hypotheses, validate assumptions and evaluate user journeys.
• Knowledge of tools and techniques used for both remote and in-person research.

Desirable Skills

• Bachelor's degree in Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, Human-Computer Interaction, User Experience or a related discipline.
• Experience recruiting and engaging diverse user groups to support the delivery of accessible and inclusive services.
• A passion for continuous learning and applying emerging technologies and approaches to enhance research practices and client outcomes.

About You

You are passionate about user-centred design, critical thinking and problem solving. You enjoy collaborating with others, sharing knowledge and helping teams create intuitive digital products and services that meet genuine user needs. You are comfortable working in fast-paced, collaborative environments and are excited by the opportunity to influence the design and delivery of impactful digital services.

What's on Offer

• The opportunity to join a growing and collaborative digital community that actively shares knowledge, expertise and best practice.
• Exposure to a broad range of complex and meaningful projects across both public and private sector organisations.
• Ongoing opportunities for professional development, learning and career growth.
• Hybrid working arrangements.
• Opportunities to travel to client sites when required by project needs.

Reasonable Adjustments: Respect and equality are core values to us. We are proud of the diverse and inclusive community we have built, and we welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and perspectives. Our success is driven by our people, united by the spirit of partnership to deliver the best resourcing solutions for our clients.

If you need any help or adjustments during the recruitment process for any reason.