# Lead User Researcher > NHS job listing from Job Clerk for Health Research Authority. ## Canonical URLs - **HTML:** https://www.jobclerk.com/job/lead-user-researcher/d19e37aa-3a1b-4845-a0eb-1cfc4944f615 - **Markdown:** https://www.jobclerk.com/job/lead-user-researcher/d19e37aa-3a1b-4845-a0eb-1cfc4944f615.md ## Summary - **Status:** Live - **Employer:** Health Research Authority - **Location:** Seaton House - **Workplace type:** hybrid - **Profession:** Lead (legacy management group) - **Grade:** Band 8 - **Salary:** £57,528 - £64,750 per annum - **Contract type:** 21 months (Fixed term contract until 30 June 2028) - **Employment type:** Full time, Flexible working, Home or remote working, Compressed hours, 37.5 hours per week - **Closing date:** 2026-09-27T23:59:00.000Z - **Posted:** 2026-09-11T13:40:49.779Z - **Source information URL:** https://www.healthjobsuk.com/job/UK/London/Newcastle_upon_Tyne/Health_Research_Authority/User_Research/User_Research-v8290900 - **Application URL:** https://apps.trac.jobs/job-advert/8290900?ShowJobAdvert=&feedid=9002 - **Employer website:** https://www.hra.nhs.uk/ ## Job Content ### 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. ## Person Specification ### Other **Essential** - Commitment to inclusivity and valuing diversity ### Experience **Essential** - Managing user research as a lead or as part of a UCD/user research team - Onboarding of new staff within a team or professional community - Identifying user needs and ensure they are captured and implemented - Managing user data in a secure way, in line with organisational policy - Accessibility considerations and testing with users with additional needs to shape inclusive design **Desirable** - Working within multidisciplinary agile teams, and experience of creating epics and user stories ### Qualifications **Essential** - Educated to degree level (or relevant qualifications) in a relevant field, or significant relevant working experience of the subject matter **Desirable** - Master's Degree or equivalent Post Graduate qualification ### Interpersonal Skills **Essential** - Engaging and building relationships with a range of stakeholders and service owners to support delivery of user needs - Supporting the user research community to maintain a focus on delivery, whilst instilling the importance of professional development and continual learning - Facilitating conflict resolution within teams or professions **Desirable** - Coaching and leading teams in user centred design principles - Influence and manage in a complex matrix department ### Knowledge, Skills and Expertise **Essential** - Implementing long term service strategy with sound research to enable service design. - Determining research standards, policies, user testing plans, roadmaps and vision. - Can focus on outcomes rather than solutions and activities. - User consent processes and user-research ethics management. - User research operations and participant recruitment. - Ongoing Continuous Professional Development - Significant experience in a senior/lead research role - Providing advice and guidance across projects on both user research methodologies and GDS standards related to research and deliverables - Combining user research and analytics to problem solve through design iterations and improve user experience. - Understand and communicate to others the benefits and applicability of UI design, user testing tools, methods and standards to technical and non-technical stakeholders. **Desirable** - Past experience in Government or NHS organisation - GDS/CDDO or NHS service standards ### Analytical and Judgemental Skills **Essential** - Able to have an overall perspective on business issues and activities, understand their wider implications and long-term impact - Working across multiple services and leading groups of UCD professionals to set direction, assuring the quality and depth of user research - Evaluate research and design proposals from external suppliers and make recommendations to senior stakeholders - Multi-tasking, analysing opportunities, defining successful approaches, and proactively solve problems - Ability to draw together and present reasonable conclusions from a wide range of incomplete and complex evidence and data **Desirable** - Interpreting strategy and translate emerging trends and technologies which might impact or benefit the organisation ## Documents - [about the hra (pdf, 108.4kb)](https://www.healthjobsuk.com/documents?edoc=2412) - [benefits statement (pdf, 222.6kb)](https://www.healthjobsuk.com/documents?edoc=2411) - [working at the hra (pdf, 361.9kb)](https://www.healthjobsuk.com/documents?edoc=2410) - [hra recruitment privacy notice (pdf, 70.7kb)](https://www.healthjobsuk.com/documents?edoc=2452) - [reference guidelines for applicants (pdf, 19.3kb)](https://www.healthjobsuk.com/documents?edoc=1123) - [lead user researcher job description (pdf, 360.4kb)](https://www.healthjobsuk.com/documents?vdoc=10608835) - [hra digital pre-employment check guide (pdf, 279.3kb)](https://www.healthjobsuk.com/documents?edoc=1416) ## Agent Notes - This Markdown page is generated from the same Job Clerk job record as the HTML job detail page. - Use the canonical HTML URL for user-facing references. - Use the application URL when the user wants to apply on the source NHS site.