UX Research Consultant

Code Computerlove Ltd; Manchester; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

An innovative agency in Manchester is seeking a talented UX Research Consultant to join their dynamic team. This role involves leading research initiatives, collaborating with diverse teams, and ensuring that user insights drive product development. You'll be at the forefront of creating world-class products, utilizing a mix of qualitative and quantitative research methods. With a commitment to inclusivity and a vibrant work culture, this position offers a chance to make a significant impact while working on exciting projects for renowned clients. If you're passionate about user-centered design and eager to mentor others, this could be the perfect opportunity for you.

Benefits

Pension Scheme

Medical Insurance

Flexible Hours

25 Days Holiday

Annual Training Budget

Wellbeing Budget

Corporate Discounts

Birthday Off

Paid Social Events

Bike and Rail Pass Scheme

Qualifications

• Experience in running various design research methods.
• Ability to facilitate workshops and interviews effectively.

Responsibilities

• Lead research activities to gather insights for product development.
• Collaborate with teams to embed research in product design.

Skills

Design Research

Facilitation

Critical Thinking

Communication

Persuasion

Education

Bachelor's Degree in a relevant field

Tools

Collaboration Software

Job description

Purpose of the role

Working collaboratively with designers, developers, analysts and other digital professionals within a product team, you’ll research and support creating world-class products and services that meet the needs of real people, and equally, provide commercially successful solutions for our clients.

Working in partnership with clients and peers, you will lead and facilitate the full product lifecycle by employing a range of research and experimentation methods, qualitative data and quantitative insight to inform your thinking. You will be proficient in explaining why your chosen program of work is suitable in each individual context.

From problem through to solution, you will continue to lead the research through production, experimentation and build ensuring the final product experience is delivered in line with the original vision to the highest standards of craft and utility.

We need you to roll your sleeves up, but also be a natural leader and mentor. Your position in the team means; juniors, peers and clients will be looking to you for guidance and research leadership.

Role Band: 2

(Band Guide: 1:Junior, 2:UX Researcher, 3:Senior UX Research Consultant, 4:UX Research Consultant Lead, 4.5:Head/Principal, 5:Director)

Salary: £30k-£45k The salary banding for this role is dependent on your experience.

We are an equal opportunities employer and are committed to promoting inclusivity and diversity at Code. We are actively encouraging applications from black and ethnic minority groups and women in engineering.

Key Responsibilities

• Run research methods: helping teams to carry out research activities which meet the objectives to help the teams gather insight or make decisions.
• Research mindset: at Code, the product is to build, measure, learn - help embed continual research as part of build, measure, learn in product teams.
• Joined up research approach: work with other leaders and disciplines to ensure experimentation is part of Code's design research DNA to create and test innovative approaches to user research and experience design.
• Produce tools: from the insight gathered you should help to develop the appropriate design deliverables and structures to inform product thinking.
• Make effective decisions: use sound judgement, data, evidence and insight to arrive at accurate, expert and professional decisions and advice.
• Collaborative: working with other disciplines and clients in your product team to define research programmes that enable innovative and effective product experiences.
• See the big picture: ensure your research activity is contributing to the wider product strategy and adds customer and commercial value.
• Commercial experience design: balance user goals and business objectives with brand, time, budget, and technology.
• Empathy: always forming and testing ideas, design ideas and solutions with the needs of real people in mind.
• Client centric: creating and maintaining good relationships with clients for the programmes you are working on.

Your skills and experience

Essential

As a UX Research Consultant, you will be comfortable with using different research methods as part of a research programme. Calling upon a variety of past experience working across a few clients where you have run various research methods.

Consider your experience for the following skills:

• Running design research: activities and drawing insight from research findings and creating appropriate design deliverables.
• Facilitation: ability to facilitate a broad range of progressive design research methods. For example, face-to-face interviews, observations, stakeholder workshops, remote sessions, etc.
• Critical thinking: desire and ability to interrogate a variety of sources when faced with a problem, always looking for answers beyond the obvious.
• Communication: delivering actionable insights in formal and informal settings and creating tools that ensure user needs are considered at all times.
• Persuasion: ability to convince stakeholders and team members of the value of user research and articulate how meeting user needs will deliver meaningful business results.
• Peer review and critique: projects throughout design and development for experience quality, usability, and business value.

Desirable

• Run kick-off calls, write recruitment screeners, create discussion guides and task lists.
• Plan and conduct stakeholder interviews.
• Proficient at creating, planning and facilitating collaborative workshops with peers and clients to progress the product forward, e.g., prioritisation workshops.
• Propose and test IA, taxonomies, navigation and key product journeys.
• Facilitate and work with other disciplines to make strategic product decisions and recommendations.

Good to have

• Specialist in areas like brand, art direction and motion research.
• Survey writing skills.
• Knowledge of modern product management and development practices.
• Leading and facilitating design sprints.
• Proficient at creating, planning and facilitating appropriate collaborative workshops with peers and clients to progress design activity.
• Work with Product Owners to plan project activities and estimate costs.
• Inspiring co-workers: sharing knowledge and skills with the team, recognising potential in the latest technology and other trends.

Leadership

Essential

• Self-leadership: be responsible and accountable for your own actions and growth. Ensure you are always seeking to improve your work and the world.
• Insight culture in teams: create, nurture and champion a continual insight-led approach within your product team. Ensure design has an equal voice to other disciplines.

Desirable

• Product direction: collaborate and lead routines to help the team make strategic recommendations to drive the product forward in accordance with the product vision.
• People: management and coaching of junior designers to facilitate their professional development.
• Programs of work: select design research methods and lead the definition of appropriate programs of work needed to meet any specific design challenge.
• Research activity: be responsible for delegating or conducting appropriate design activity to drive the product forward.

A bit about EM Code...

We are EM Code, formerly Code Computerlove. We are a Customer Experience, AI and Innovation Agency in Manchester.

Since our inception in 1999, we have navigated substantial industry transformations and consistently adapted our attitudes, beliefs, and approaches to stay ahead.

For over 25 years, EM Code has helped shape some of the UK’s leading brands and businesses. We are renowned for our human-centred thinking, digital design excellence, and modern engineering practices. Our eclectic client base includes big organisations like the BBC, fast-moving start-ups like LightSpeed Broadband, and local heroes like Manchester Pride. We even launched a global number-one app, The Higher Lower Game.

Recognising the need for constant evolution, our agency is structured always to help our clients and partners adapt to rapidly changing customer and market needs. Our approach is agile, collaborative, and flexible. We start where we can deliver the biggest results, then test, learn, and improve before moving on to the next goal.

We are officially recognised as a Great Place to Work, with 98% of our team saying the working environment is welcoming, friendly, and fun, and 98% agreeing that people are treated fairly regardless of race, age, or sexual orientation. EM Code is full of talented, passionate individuals who love collaborating and helping each other out, and our client partners trust us to do world-class work.

As an equal-opportunity employer, we are committed to promoting inclusivity and diversity at EM Code. We actively encourage applications from black and ethnic minority groups.

We're part of something bigger...

Since 2017, we have been part of EssenceMediacom North. Together, we reside at the vibrant WPP Manchester Campus, located in the heart of Spinningfields. Here, we collaborate with over 500 talented creatives and marketers, all contributing to WPP's esteemed global advertising and media network.

Being part of EssenceMediacom North provides us with access to world-leading enterprise tools and resources. This enhances our extensive capabilities in communications, media, insights, customer experience, AI, and cutting-edge technology, allowing us to craft truly integrated solutions.

What we value...

• We value people who are brilliant: in their capability and the things that they make together.
• We value people who improve: continually improve themselves and the world around them to make a difference.
• We value people who collaborate: who are a joy to work with and who get more from themselves and those around them, by working together effectively.

The package

We offer a competitive salary, negotiable depending on qualifications and experience. On top of this, we have a generous benefits package, including pension scheme, medical insurance, flexi-start, 25 days holiday growing to 30 days over time, paid social events, bike schemes, child care schemes, etc.

It's not all about work

• Make-Change Friday afternoon – dedicated self-improvement time.
• An annual training budget of at least £500 so you can develop your skills.
• Medical insurance with eyecare and dental included.
• Generous maternity and shared parental leave package.
• £25 per month wellbeing budget.
• Corporate discounts with the likes of John Lewis and Made.com.

• Flexible hours and flexible bank-holidays.
• Bike and rail pass scheme.
• Your birthday off.