Lead User Researcher

Key Responsibilities

• Leads one / more research deliveries, ensuring all project team & stakeholders have a shared understanding of successful outcomes.
• Scope focus of research, so everyone involved has a shared understanding of successful outcomes
• Takes responsibility for ensuring a whole team approach to user research. Ensuring all stakeholders & team members are invited to participate in observing user research sessions.
• Leads the scoping of one or more research deliveries, defining research objectives, planning activities and leading the overall delivery of research.
• Works with Discipline head and peers to set best practise standards for the User Research team. This includes adhering to GDPR, MRS standards & GDS Service standards.
• Proficient mixed methodology researcher, is able to lead team analysis sessions, synthesis with the production of actionable insight reports.
• Build relationships with clients & senior stakeholders, understanding their needs and providing advisory support.
• Has experience in writing / reviewing bids & supporting business development opportunities
• People management of user researchers
• Support the hiring and onboarding of colleagues across Strategy & Design
• Promote user centred thinking / practices at Made Tech and client offices
• Represent user-centred design community internally & externally

Skills, Knowledge & Expertise

• Experienced in research methodologies including:
  • Usability testing 
  • Contextual enquiry
  • Rapid research
  • Survey development
  • Measurable and evaluative research
• Has experience of leading user research across GDS development stages e.g. discovery, alpha, beta. Experience in GDS assessments is desirable.
• Highly experienced at leading user research through agile ways of working
• Confident with coaching more junior members of the team on delivery
• Proficient in leading a team in analysing and synthesising complex data and can help the organisation adopt a wide range of techniques to continually assure, improve and generate valuable findings
• Analyse and interpret research findings so that teams can confidently confirm or challenge their understanding of problems and ideas. 
• Leads the team in creating actionable insights through a multitude of outputs including reports, user needs, personas, archetypes and is confident at presenting findings to project teams & senior stakeholders.
• Facilitate teams and stakeholders to make decisions based on user insights
• Highly proficient and advocates for research standards including GDPR / MRS Code of Conduct
• Promotes inclusive research practices and helps teams design and deliver accessible services to meet the needs of the diverse range of users of government services
• Influence the client at a strategic and commercial level e.g. improving processes, ways of working, generating more work

Community

• Support Discipline head in setting direction and supporting the research community in Made Tech
• Promotes a positive, safe, inclusive & open culture within the User Research team
• Promotes a positive, safe, inclusive & open culture within the User Research team
• Understand that a balance of positive and constructive feedback is the most effective way to work 

People Management

• Supports in hiring and onboarding researchers
• People management of user researchers
• Applies coaching techniques to people management to support colleagues' professional growth to build careers, take on new challenges and opportunities which match their aspirations.

Job Benefits