*SC or Eligible for SC*
Senior User Researcher
12 months + contract initially + Extensions
Based: Hybrid based - Newcastle or London or Leeds or Manchester or Blackpool or Sheffield - Flexible
Rate - £Market Rates p/d via Umbrella

We have a great opportunity with a world leading organisation where you will be provided with all of the support and development to succeed. A progressive organisation where you can really make a difference. We have a great opportunity for a number of Senior User Researcher's on a long term program of work.

As a Senior User Researcher, you will play a critical role in shaping digital public services by ensuring they are grounded in genuine user needs. You will lead the design, planning, and execution of research programmes across complex services, working within Government Digital Service (GDS) standards and ways of working.
You will operate across multiple phases of delivery - Discovery, Alpha, Beta, and Live -providing actionable insights that influence service design, policy decisions, and delivery priorities. You will collaborate closely with designers, product managers, business analysts, and technical teams to ensure user-centred design is Embedded within agile workflows.

Key Responsibilities:
* Plan and design comprehensive user research programmes, testing both high-level concepts and detailed service interactions
* Conduct research across all phases: Discovery, Alpha, Beta, and Live, ensuring continuous user insight
* Lead contextual research and discovery phase activities, including ethnographic research and field studies
* Apply a broad range of qualitative and quantitative research methods (eg, usability testing, surveys, interviews, analytics)
* Analyse and synthesise research findings to produce clear, actionable insights and recommendations
* Work within GDS standards, ensuring research outputs meet government service assessment criteria
* Embed user-centred design practices within agile, multidisciplinary teams
* Collaborate with stakeholders to influence product strategy, service design, and policy decisions
* Advocate for accessibility and inclusive design, ensuring services meet diverse user needs
* Communicate findings effectively through reports, presentations, workshops, and stakeholder engagement
* Mentor and support junior researchers and contribute to wider research community practices
* Ensure research is conducted ethically and in compliance with data protection and governance standards

Key Skills & Experience:
* Strong experience working as a Senior User Researcher within Central Government, with deep understanding of GDS ways of working
* Proven ability to plan and deliver end-to-end user research programmes
* Demonstrable expertise in a wide range of user research methods
* Strong experience conducting contextual and discovery research
* Proven experience of both qualitative and quantitative data analysis
* Experience working across all phases of service delivery: Discovery, Alpha, Beta, Live
* Strong understanding of user-centred design principles and how to embed them into agile delivery
* Experience working within multidisciplinary agile teams
* Excellent stakeholder management, communication, and influencing skills
* Ability to translate complex research findings into clear, actionable insights

Desirable skills/knowledge/experience:
* Holding Active SC Clearance, previously held clearance, or SC eligible
* Experience in large-scale government transformation programmes
* Familiarity with service design and accessibility standards (eg, WCAG)
* Experience contributing to service assessments and governance processes
* Knowledge of analytics tools (eg, Google Analytics) and data-driven research methods
* Experience mentoring or leading research teams
* Ability to work effectively in hybrid and distributed team environments

This is an excellent opportunity on a great project of work, If you are looking for your next exciting opportunity, apply now for your CV to reach me directly, we will respond as soon as possible.

LA International is an award-winning partner of choice for many of the world's most influential companies and government organisations. Holding Enhanced Government Security Accreditation, we are recognised as the European market leader in the delivery of Security Cleared talent to organisations that demand the very highest levels of security, compliance and assurance.

A multiple award-winning organisation, having secured the prestigious Queens Award for Enterprise: International Trade over consecutive years. We are committed to fostering an inclusive, equitable and accessible workplace where everyone feels valued and supported. We welcome applications from all individuals, regardless of background or identity, and we encourage candidates who may not meet every listed requirement to still apply. If you require any adjustments or support during the recruitment process, please let us know and we will work with you to ensure a fair and accessible experience.

Please Note: If a high volume of applications is received, only candidates shortlisted will be contacted.