Senior User Researcher

Job summary

Discover a career in your hands at HMRC. Whether you're seeking purpose, growth, or a workplace that gives you a true sense of belonging, hear from some of our employees as they share their story about what it’s really like to work at HMRC.

Visit our YouTube channel to watch the full series and come and discover your potential.

At HMRC, we are committed to creating a great place to work for all our colleagues; an inclusive and respectful environment that reflects the diversity of the society we serve. We want to maximise the potential of everyone who works for us, and we offer a range of flexible working patterns and support to make an exciting career at HMRC accessible to you.

Diverse perspectives and experiences are critical to our success, and we encourage applications from all people from all backgrounds with the experience and skills needed to perform this role.

Job description

HMRC is currently undertaking some of the largest digital transformation programmes across Government and other sectors. Our user researchers are at the core of keeping user needs central to design and implementation, providing an opportunity to shape and improve Services that impact millions of users daily.

You will be joining a thriving and supportive User Researcher community, with regular opportunities for insight sharing, training and discussion. Our team draws together expertise from a wide variety of backgrounds and sectors and welcomes new ideas on how we can continue to conduct robust research with real-world impact. You will be based at one of our CDIO Centres across the UK with access to research labs and facilities.

This is an exciting time to join an organisation that is at the forefront of cutting-edge user research. Our blog tells you a bit more about what we do and how we do it. User Research in HMRC (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3_5uDUBh0I)

If this sounds like the sort of thing which excites you, this is the job for you.

Person specification

As a Senior User Researcher, your responsibilities include:

• Leading on planning, recruiting and conducting user research in larger teams and on more complex services, including playing back user research to stakeholders and digital teams.
• Understanding the service problem then aligning user research activities to influence and support decision-making.
• Applying a range of techniques to analyse and synthesise user research insights, creating research outputs in an actionable way.
• Advocating for, and including, all kinds of users in appropriate research activities to help teams design accessible services for all users.
• Contributing to the user research community at HMRC.
• Managing and/or mentoring User Researchers.
• Participating in HMRC’s cross-government research and conferences.

Essential Criteria

• Extensive experience in senior user research, improving digital services and applying GDS standards to meet user needs.
• Skilled in tackling complex problems, aligning research activities to guide decisions and deliver practical solutions.
• Expert in a wide range of research methods, including usability testing, surveys, ethnographic techniques, and data analysis, producing clear, actionable insights.
• Strong advocate for user-centred design, influencing stakeholders and embedding research practices into agile workflows.
• Excellent communicator, able to present complex ideas clearly and persuasively; supported by a relevant degree or equivalent experience.
• Demonstratable experience in coaching and mentoring of team members.

Further Location Information

Please ensure that you only apply for a location that you are willing and able to work from, as we will only make one offer of employment. Any additional notes included in a ‘Further Location Preferences (optional)’ field within the application form, will not be considered. Please be aware that you cannot change your location preference after submitting your application.

Office closures

For more information on where you might be working, review this information on our locations.

If your location preference is for the following site, it’s important to note that this is not a long-term site for HMRC and we will require you to move to a new building in the future, subject to our location strategy and the applicable employee policies at that time.

The site is:

• Benton Park View, Newcastle - moving to Pilgrims Quarter, Newcastle

You will be given more information about what this means at the job offer stage.

Leeds Locations

Moves Adjustment Payment will be available for this role, provided the successful applicant is a current HMRC colleague in Bradford and meets the eligibility requirements outlined in the HMRC’s Moves Adjustment Payment guidance.

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• User research methods
• Analysis and synthesis
• Research management
• Leadership and assurance
• Inclusive research
• Stakeholder relationship management

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £58,541, HM Revenue and Customs contributes £16,959 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

HMRC operates both Flexible and Hybrid Working policies, allowing you to balance your work and personal commitments. We welcome applications from those who need to work a more flexible arrangement and will agree to requests where possible, considering our operational and customer service needs.

We offer a generous leave allowance, starting at 25 days and increasing by a day for every year of qualifying service up to a maximum of 30 days.

• Pension - We make contributions to our colleagues’ Alpha pension equal to at least 28.97% of their salary.
• Family friendly policies.
• Personal support.
• Coaching and development.

To find out more about HMRC benefits and find out what it’s really like to work for HMRChear from our insiders or visitThinking of joining the Civil Service

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factu