Senior User Researcher

Senior User Researcher | Government / Public Sector

Day Rate: £600-£650 per day
IR35: Inside IR35
Contract: Until 31 March 2027
Location: London, Bristol or Manchester, predominantly remote
Clearance: BPSS

The Role

We are looking for an experienced Senior User Researcher to join a Government client working on a high-profile transformation programme.

You will lead user research activities, build upon an existing evidence base and work closely with policy teams and senior stakeholders to understand user needs and improve how services and processes are designed and delivered.

While the wider programme has links to AI and emerging technology, AI expertise is not required. The focus is on strong user research, workshop facilitation, stakeholder engagement and evidence-based decision-making.

Key Responsibilities

Plan and deliver user research across transformation initiatives
Design and facilitate workshops, interviews and stakeholder sessions
Gather and synthesise qualitative research into clear, actionable insights
Test existing assumptions, problem statements and user needs
Identify gaps and risks within the existing evidence base
Develop research outputs including insight reports, journey maps, personas and workflow maps
Present findings and recommendations to senior stakeholders
Work collaboratively with policy, product, delivery, service design and technical teams
Use research and evidence to influence future programme and service design

Essential Experience

Strong Senior User Research experience
Previous UK Government experience is essential
Good understanding of government policy environments and ways of working
Strong workshop design and facilitation skills
Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills
Experience presenting research findings and recommendations to senior stakeholders
Demonstrable experience using research and evidence to influence decisions
Experience working within multidisciplinary transformation or digital teams

Desirable

Experience within policy-focused Government environments
Service design or research-led transformation experience
Awareness of AI or emerging technology within services
Only candidates based in UK and eligible to work in UK are allowed