Senior User Researcher

Start date: ASAP

Duration: 6 months

Hours: 37 per week

Day rate: £450 (Outside IR35)

Clearance: Basic Disclosure Scotland required

Location: Hybrid within the UK only

Contractual base: Edinburgh (EH7 8AU) and/or Glasgow (G2 5LD)

We are seeking an experienced Senior User Researcher to join our client’s multidisciplinary team and play a key role in shaping high-quality, user-centred digital services.

This is a hybrid role. While work can be carried out remotely within the UK, many team and community activities will take place at the client’s Edinburgh or Glasgow offices, and you will be expected to attend in person for part of each week as required. Any on‑site attendance requested by the Lead User Researcher, Product/Project Managers, or the Executive Management Team must be fulfilled at the supplier’s expense.

Key Responsibilities

• Collaborate with the Product Manager to define research objectives and contribute to the quarterly UX roadmap.
• Conduct regular user research activities to surface user needs.
• Map and visualise end‑to‑end service ecosystems, including customer journeys, touchpoints, and backstage processes.
• Design new or improved whole services that deliver measurable value.
• Ensure research is planned and executed economically, using the right users, methods, and measures at the right time.
• Create low‑to‑high‑fidelity prototypes based on existing design patterns, bringing insights to life through concepts and journeys.
• Provide UX and research feedback to the agile delivery team to support sprint cycles.
• Advocate for user‑centred design and contribute to a strong design culture within a multi‑disciplinary team.
• Coach, mentor, or pair with other UCD team members when required.
• Build effective working relationships with external stakeholders (e.g., legal firms, lenders, citizens, Scottish Government).
• Participate in the UCD community of practice to share methodologies, tools, and best practices.

Skills & Experience

• Strong experience in low‑fidelity prototyping and service design.
• Expertise in qualitative and quantitative research methods to understand user needs, behaviours, and pain points.
• Ability to map whole service ecosystems, journeys, and blueprints to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Strong advocate for accessible and inclusive design, with knowledge of relevant standards and practices.
• Confident in designing and facilitating workshops with teams, stakeholders, and end users.
• Ability to translate research findings into actionable design strategies and hypotheses.
• Skilled at facilitating challenging discussions with diverse and senior stakeholders.
• Experience designing and prototyping services that deliver measurable value.
• Ability to connect customer insights to business objectives and support design strategy.
• Strong understanding of GDPR, research ethics, and safeguarding participants and sensitive information.
• Proactive researcher able to shape and deliver research outcomes independently.
• Experience delivering government services aligned with the Scottish Government Digital First Service Standard.