Public Sector Resourcing
Lead User Researcher
Get notified of more jobs like this · No spam, ever
How your CV stacks up
Upload your CV to see how well it fits this job role
?%
On behalf of the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) we are looking for a Lead User Researcher for a 12 month (Inside IR35) contract. Hybrid working with up to 2 days per week in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Cardiff, Edinburgh or Darlington.
PLEASE NOTE: SC Clearance is an essential requirement for this role, as a minimum you must be willing & eligible to undergo checks. Please note, due to the exceptional requirements of this position (short-term nature of this role and speed at which we require a postholder in situ) preference may be given to candidates who meet all of the essential criteria and hold active security clearance.
As a Lead User Researcher, reporting to the Head of User Research, you will be helping to reinvigorate the User Research function in DBT, as part of our broader mission to champion the needs of our users. User researchers are key figures in our digital teams. They help our teams develop a deep understanding of the people - citizens, businesses, or government - who use our services. Their findings enable our teams to design and deliver better services quickly, with less risk, and at lower cost.
DBT are looking to increase our influence and impact by developing agile, pragmatic ways of working, that help teams meet the CDDO service standards while reflecting the delivery pace of the department. We’re looking at how we set and assure research standards, how we innovate our approaches, and how we support teams to understand and respond to user needs.
Reasons to use Rodeo
Start with a chat, not a search bar
Grad scheme, placement, apprenticeship? Not sure what you want yet — that's fine. Your agent talks it through with you and turns "I have no idea" into a shortlist.
It searches the market for you
Every day your agent scans the market matching roles against what actually matters to you, not just keywords on a CV.
Only hits
No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.
As a Lead User Researcher your main responsibilities will be to:
- Help plan research programmes, working with management teams and Delivery Managers to ensure a shared understanding of priorities, playing an active role in matching researchers to requirements.
- Oversee the work of user researchers to ensure work is meeting GDS/CDDO service standards and is being delivered pragmatically and to a high quality, intervening if research falls below expected standards.
- Take the lead on key research about complex services and strategic issues and synthesise findings to generate strategic insights and identify gaps in understanding.
- Be an advocate for agile, user-focused research and work with stakeholders to highlight the benefits of operating this way.
- Help mentor the professional development of current staff.
Essential:
- Working with management teams and stakeholders to understand business needs and aligning research prioritisation and delivery to these needs.
- Planning, designing and delivering user research projects and programmes in complex, challenging contexts.
- Managing, mentoring or leading a team, ensuring they are performing against delivery goals and working to develop their capability.
- Providing oversight and quality assurance of multiple user research projects at the same time.
- Effectively advocating for the user and for good user research, advising stakeholders and building their buy-in of the value of user-centred practice.
- Responding to delivery pressures of an agile environment, demonstrating good professional judgement, flexibility and pragmatism.
Get help with your application
Your very own career expert that helps elevate your application to the next level.
Please be aware that this role can only be worked within the UK and not Overseas.
In applying for this role, you acknowledge the following "this role falls in scope of the Off Payroll Working in the Public Sector legislation. Any rates of payment quoted will reflect the gross rate per day for the assignment and will be subject to appropriate taxes and statutory costs. As such the payment to the intermediary and your income resulting from this contract will be different".
“It took my CV and asked me questions relevant to understanding what kind of jobs to suggest for me. Suggestions were almost perfect. Jobs were exactly what I’ve been looking for.”
Jessica, London
Location