Lead User Researcher

Job overview

You will lead the User Research team and our community of users in the HRA's journey to develop and modernise its digital services using forward-thinking and evidence backed user research.

The Digital Directorate is modernising and transforming the business, ensuring the user is at the heart of everything; including the delivery of our service to clinical researchers in a continuous delivery environment.

Working within a clear framework of accountability, you will lead and advocate for the UR team, exercise substantial responsibility and autonomy to meet objectives and delivery timeframes, and provide leadership across the directorate.

Demonstrating excellent communication skills, an in-depth understanding of UR methodologies, a knowledge of Government service standards, influencing across multiple groups and partners, you will form a deep understanding of wider user and organisational needs, participating in both internal and external activities. With a clear ability to rationalise complex technical information, you will transform this to ensure it is understandable for others to work with.

Engaging with stakeholders, you will facilitate collaborative approaches to prioritise programme and UR requirements and deliver key user insights to constantly improve the design of services; demonstrating a proactive approach to alignment with Government service standards, so that optimum outputs and solutions are delivered to meet user needs, objectives and policy intent.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will:

• Develop and assure good user research practices.
• Identify, capture and implement user needs.
• Implement service strategy with sound research to enable excellent service design.
• Provide guidance across projects on user research methodologies and GDS standards.
• Represent user research at service standard assessments.
• Determine user research standards, policies, user testing plans, roadmaps and vision.
• Manage user data in a secure way.
• Manage user research ethics processes.
• Ensure teams take a user centred, evidence-based approach to service design.
• Consider accessibility and additional needs for inclusive design.
• Combine user research and analytics to improve user experience.
• Communicate the benefits of UI design, user testing tools, methods and standards to technical/non-technical stakeholders.
• Evaluate research and design proposals from suppliers and make recommendations.
• Work across multiple services and lead User Centred Design (UCD) professionals to set direction.
• Interpret strategy and translate emerging trends which might impact or benefit the organisation.
• Draw together and present reasonable conclusions from a wide range of incomplete and complex evidence and data.
• Manage the user research function within the UCD team.
• Support the user research team to maintain focus on delivery, whilst instilling the importance of professional development and learning.
• Coach and lead teams in UCD principles.
• Onboard new staff within the team.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please refer to the attached job description and person specification documents for full details about this role.

When completing your application, ensure you clearly demonstrate how your experience and skills align with the criteria outlined for this position.

We recognise that generative AI tools can be helpful in supporting applicants during the recruitment process, particularly for tasks such as proofreading, structuring, or refining written responses. However, we encourage candidates to use AI responsibly and sparingly. Applications should reflect your authentic voice, personal experiences, and genuine qualifications. Over reliance on AI-generated content can result in generic or inaccurate submissions that fail to meet the criteria or convey your individuality. Misrepresentation of skills, knowledge, or experience, including through AI-generated content, may lead to the rejection of your application, withdrawal of your offer, or your dismissal if you do start with us. If you choose to use AI, please ensure it enhances rather than replaces your own input, and be transparent about its use where appropriate. False and insincere examples go against our values of integrity and transparency.

Important information

We are unable to offer employment under any sponsorship arrangement as we do not hold a sponsorship licence. Applications requiring sponsorship will not be considered.

Applications that do not clearly demonstrate how the essential criteria outlined in the person specification are met will not be shortlisted.

Only the information provided in the application form will be considered. CVs will not be reviewed.

We do not accept applications via recruitment agencies or other third parties.

The HRA reserves the right to close this vacancy early should it receive a sufficient number of applications.

Our fixed term roles are also open to applicants who wish to apply on a secondment basis. Applicants who fit this category are advised to speak with their line manager before applying and visit their organisations Secondments Policy.

Organisational structure and directorate overview

The HRA is made up of five directorates: Approvals, Chief Executive, Digital, Policy and Partnerships and Resources.

This role sits within HRA Digital. The digital directorate is responsible for developing, delivering and supporting complex solutions within the HRA’s portfolio of UK-wide information systems for health and care research. This includes a major programme to build new systems, and to achieve the successful migration and eventual closure of current systems. The directorate owns, develops, and delivers the HRA’s digital strategy in line with government digital and functional standards.

The HRA Digital team is a collaborative, supportive team consisting of HRA employees, secondees, contractors and vendors.