Lead User Researcher (AI)

Location: United Kingdom; candidates must be within reasonable travelling distance of a hirify.global office in Leeds, Glasgow, Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, London or Bristol. The role may require working at a hirify.global office or client site at least 2 days per week, with flexibility to travel. Relocation support of up to £8,000 is available.

Company

hirify.global is an AI-enabled digital consultancy combining data-informed evidence, human-centred design and software engineering to deliver bespoke digital services for public and private sector clients.

What you will do

• Lead user research on complex client engagements and across programmes, driving user-centred approaches throughout delivery.
• Advise senior client stakeholders using data, insight and primary research to influence decisions and shape service direction and design.
• Lead multidisciplinary teams to deliver products and services that meet user needs and follow GDS, accessibility and other relevant standards.
• Develop hirify.global’s research practice, particularly in relation to AI, agile ways of working and evolving delivery models.
• Recruit, lead and mentor Intermediate and Senior researchers while strengthening research capability and continuous learning.
• Support business growth through bids, client accounts, thought leadership and representation of hirify.global’s research and UCD capability.

Requirements

• Extensive lead-level research experience across complex delivery environments and a range of clients.
• Experience working effectively within and leading multidisciplinary teams using user-centred research and design approaches throughout the product or service lifecycle.
• Strong experience applying a wide range of research methodologies and adapting research to participants’ accessibility needs.
• Strong consultancy and leadership skills, including confidence exploring problem spaces with clients and determining appropriate approaches.
• Confidence operating within complex organisations and adapting quickly to new environments and ambiguous requests.
• Experience identifying and mitigating ethics and safeguarding issues, and supporting other user researchers with these issues.
• Proven ability to lead and mentor researchers and UCD practitioners, build professional or team capability, and support long-term growth.
• Practical experience implementing AI tools and workflows to improve outcomes for users, clients and hirify.global.

Nice to have

• Working knowledge of the GDS Digital Standard and preparing for a GDS assessment.
• Alternatively, extensive experience delivering user-centred projects in the private sector.

Culture & Benefits

• Collaborative, agile and human-centred working environment focused on innovation, inclusion and continuous improvement.
• Contributory pension scheme with hirify.global contributing 6% and employees contributing 2%.
• 25 days of holiday plus UK public holidays, volunteer days and flexible benefits.
• Critical illness cover, life assurance, death in service cover and optional private health and dental cover.
• Perkbox discounts, cycle-to-work scheme, electric vehicle salary sacrifice, season ticket loans and wellbeing sessions.
• Options include additional pension contributions, extra holidays, wellbeing and charity contributions, and tree planting.