Contract

User Researcher – SC Cleared

Ref: BBBH68546_1793698828

Shropshire

User Researcher

Whitehall Resources are currently looking for a User Researcher based in West Sussex/Shropshire for a 4 month contract

***INSIDE IR35***
***ACTIVE SC CLEARANCE REQUIRED***

Job Spec:

The User Researcher will lead user research activities for the Agents workstream within the CESA Futures programme. Initially focused on a four-month Discovery phase, the role will be responsible for understanding how agents currently interact with Self Assessment and CESA services, identifying user needs, behaviours and pain points, and ensuring these insights directly influence product, service and technical decisions.

Working as part of a multidisciplinary team, the User Researcher will collaborate closely with Product Managers, Service Designers, Business Analysts, Architects and HMRC stakeholders to build a robust evidence base for future services. The role is expected to continue into Alpha and subsequent delivery phases, providing continuity of user insight throughout the lifecycle of the programme.

Main Responsibilities:

The User Researcher will plan, design and deliver research activities to understand the needs of a diverse range of agents, including complex and large-scale organisations whose current operating models may be heavily dependent on legacy CESA functionality.
They will be responsible for developing research strategies, selecting appropriate research methods, recruiting participants, facilitating interviews and workshops, and analysing qualitative and quantitative data to generate actionable insights. The role will ensure that user needs are consistently represented in decision-making and that discovery findings are translated into clear recommendations for product, service and technical teams.
The successful candidate will work closely with Service Designers and Product Managers to map user journeys, identify pain points, validate assumptions and test emerging concepts. They will help the team understand how current services are used, what challenges users face today, and what capabilities will be required in the future state
The User Researcher will also be responsible for communicating findings through clear and compelling outputs, including research reports, insight packs, personas, user needs, journey maps and presentations. They will act as a strong advocate for users across the programme and help stakeholders make evidence-based decisions.

Key Skills:

Strong understanding of user-centred design and research methodologies.
Ability to gather, analyse and synthesise complex research data into actionable insights.
Excellent interviewing, facilitation and stakeholder engagement skills.
Strong communication and storytelling capabilities.
Ability to influence product, service and technical decisions using evidence.
Experience working within Agile, multidisciplinary teams.
Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
Comfortable operating in complex and ambiguous environments.
Passion for championing user needs and driving evidence-based decision making.

Desirable Skills:

User interviews and contextual research
Usability testing and concept validation
Requirements and needs discovery
User journey mapping and persona development
Research planning and strategy development
Workshop facilitation
Qualitative and quantitative analysis
Accessibility and inclusive design considerations
Government Digital Service (GDS) environments and standards

All of our opportunities require that applicants are eligible to work in the specified country/location, unless otherwise stated in the job description.

Whitehall Resources are an equal opportunities employer who value a diverse and inclusive working environment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, pregnancy, disability, age, veteran status, or other characteristics.