User Researcher

You'll join the Home Office’s Policing and Public Protection Technology (PPPT) portfolio, embedded in a central user-centred design (UCD) team that works like an in-house agency across public safety and homeland security. Your initial focus will be on modern slavery, working on services that sit at the intersection of safeguarding, serious crime and victim support. While modern slavery work can sometimes overlap with areas such as migration and borders – for example, when a case involves someone who has recently arrived in the UK – this role does not involve migration or borders policy or delivery. Over time, as demand for modern slavery support evolves, you’ll also have opportunities to work on other products and services across the wider PPPT portfolio.

Day-to-day, you'll work with the Modern Slavery Unit (MSU), improving how a wide range of people navigate and use critical government services, from emergency service workers and voluntary sector staff to those directly affected. You’ll plan and conduct research from discovery through to live services: running interviews, observations and usability testing, then synthesising findings into clear, actionable insights that drive real design decisions. You'll work with designers and other researchers, helping your colleagues challenge assumptions and build services grounded in what users need.

Crucially, the role will have real impact. The research insights you surface will shape services that support victims and the people working to protect them. If you want to define what good research looks like in a critical space, this role is for you.

Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working. Where this is the case, employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in the office. Applicants can raise any queries to the email address at the bottom of the advert.   

Watch this short video to hear from members of Home Office Digital talking about the projects they work on and their experience of working here: Working for Home Office Digital. 

Your main day-to-day responsibilities will be:

• Planning, designing and conducting user research and usability testing to understand user needs and behaviours, and support the design and development of government services.
• Sorting, categorizing, and transforming raw research data into valuable information for complex projects.
• Effectively communicating user research findings to your team and the wider organisation to influence decision-making.
• Clearly communicating the benefits of UCD principles and ways of working with stakeholders.
• Supporting the development of accessible services by ensuring that participants with access needs are included in all research.
• Working collaboratively in a multidisciplinary delivery team, including designers and product owners, to define research questions, plan research approach and prioritise findings.
• Managing logistics of research sessions, including planning and scheduling sessions and recruiting participants.

Working Pattern

This role is available on a full-time basis with the option of compressed hours working.  This role is also suitable for part-time working hours, with a minimum requirement to work 3 days per week due to business requirements.

Essential Skills

You will be assessed against the following skills and experience during the selection process:

• User research: understanding and applying a range of user research methods (including but not limited to usability testing, interviews, and contextual research) correctly for different life cycle phases.
• Communicate, persuade and advocate: clearly articulating to stakeholders the benefits of taking a user-centred approach, based on evidence.
• Research ethics: applying ethical research standards and practices to ensure the safeguarding and wellbeing of participants and researchers.
• Accessibility and inclusion: conducting research with diverse audiences to deliver accessible and inclusive digital services.
• Analysis and synthesis: analysing and synthesising research data, communicating clear research findings to inform decisions.
• Collaboration: participating in and facilitating group work, and actively seeking feedback on your work.

UK residency and security requirements       

Please note that this role requires Security Check (SC) clearance, which would normally need 5 years’ UK residency in the past 5 years. 

However, in exceptional circumstances security clearance applications for candidates who have been present in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5 years may be considered. Failure to meet this residency requirement will result in your security clearance application being rejected.