Key Responsibilities:
A senior user researcher is an experienced practitioner who can plan and assist in larger teams and on more complex services. They build user-centred practices in new teams and align user research activities with wider plans to inform service proposition. They may supervise and develop other user researchers to assure and improve research practice.
- Planning, designing and conducting research sessions to support the design and development of services
- Assisting in service design tasks including user journey mapping
- Developing user recruitment briefs through to test moderation, analysis and report writing
- Considering and using the most appropriate research method to test new product and concept developments, including a variety of methods such as usability testing, interviewing, pop up research to ensuring the user needs are fully understood in the service design.
- Working closely with designers, developers and product owners to turn user data into actionable product/service requirements that feed into and influence product direction.
- Designing, scripting and analysing qualitative and quantitative data through a variety of research methods such as surveys, analytics, in-depth interviews etc.
- Applying the user-centred design principles to product and service design in an iterative development environment
- Communicating research findings to all relevant stakeholders using the most appropriate styles and techniques to inform decision making based on user needs.
- Managing the recruitment of participants, ensuring a representative sample is obtained with accountability for schedules and value for money
- Promoting user-centred design principles and best practice
- Managing research findings such as research reports and video footage to ensure they are accessible by relevant stakeholders.
- Working with the wider user research community to share knowledge and experience
- Conducting and leading research with a range of users with diverse needs with to ensure products and services are accessible and inclusive.
Person specification:
- Has experience of, and can help teams adopt, a wide range of user research methods. Can advise colleagues on choice and application of research methods to assure best practice.
- Experience of user research within the context of a multidisciplinary team
- Knows how to engage sceptical colleagues in analysis and synthesis. Can advise on choice and application of techniques and can critique colleagues' findings to assure best practice.
- Understands how to apply a range of communication techniques for the dissemination of research findings. Knows how to involve their team in presentation of findings at a feature level.
- Can help teams understand the diversity of users in government services. Knows how to include all kinds of users in appropriate research activities.
- Can advocate for inclusive practices and help teams design and deliver accessible services that work for all users.
