Lead User Researcher (Public Sector)

Location: Remote; SC eligible or SC cleared

Salary: £70K per year

Company

hirify.global is a digital consultancy delivering user-centred technology solutions and digital services across UK government departments.

What you will do

• Set research vision, ethical governance, safeguarding frameworks, and data privacy protocols across multiple projects and client programmes.
• Align research plans across delivery teams to understand user needs, contexts, and behaviours throughout the Discovery-to-Live service lifecycle.
• Advocate for user-centred transformation with senior stakeholders and ensure research evidence informs strategy, policy, product roadmaps, and service transformation.
• Embed inclusive research, accessibility, and assisted-digital standards, while assuring research quality and readiness for GDS Service Assessments and external standards.
• Champion mixed-method research, quantitative analytics, and AI-assisted research tools.
• Recruit, line-manage, mentor, and coach Senior and Mid-Level Researchers; support account growth, UCD bids, and client proposals.

Requirements

• Lead User Researcher experience establishing research strategies across large-scale public-sector programmes or multi-team digital transformations.
• Deep expertise in research governance, ethical consent frameworks, safeguarding, and organisational GDPR compliance.
• In-depth knowledge of qualitative and quantitative research methods, including usability testing, contextual inquiry, co-design, and applying data and analytics to inform design.
• Experience line-managing, mentoring, and developing researchers, establishing research standards, and building practice capability.
• Strong commercial acumen, including business development, UCD bid proposals, and pre-sales activity.
• Must be SC eligible or SC cleared.
• 5+ years of work experience.

Culture & Benefits

• Permanent remote position.
• Inclusive environment committed to diversity, respect, and equal opportunity.
• Flexible working arrangements are encouraged.
• Disability Confident Level 1 employer providing reasonable adjustments during recruitment and employment.