Contract Senior User Researcher

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Contract Senior User Researcher

Company: AND Digital

Location: United Kingdom

Job Type: Contract

Category: User Research / GTM Operations

Date Posted: 2026-05-14

Experience Level: Senior (5-10 years)

Remote Status: Fully Remote

🚀 Role Summary

• This role is pivotal in directing user research methodologies and overall research strategy, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives for digital product and service delivery.

• The Senior User Researcher will be responsible for conducting inclusive and robust research, with a strong emphasis on public sector and GDS standards.

• A key aspect of this role involves creative and engaging presentation of research findings to diverse stakeholder groups, influencing product development and service design.

• The position requires significant adaptability to uncertainty and a collaborative approach to working within agile teams to deliver remarkable impact for clients.

• This contract role offers a fully remote working arrangement within the United Kingdom for an initial period of 6 months.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the provided description focuses on User Research, the emphasis on "accelerating digital delivery," "building better digital products," and "closing the digital skills gap" indicates a strong connection to Go-To-Market (GTM) operations. The successful candidate will directly influence product strategy and client engagement through research, a critical component of effective GTM. The role's seniority and contract nature suggest a need for immediate impact and self-sufficiency.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design and direct comprehensive user research methodologies and strategies to inform the development of digital products and services, ensuring they meet user needs and strategic business objectives.

• Conduct and oversee inclusive, robust, and ethical user research activities, adhering to Government Digital Service (GDS) standards and best practices.

• Translate complex research findings into clear, actionable insights, presenting them creatively and persuasively to a variety of audiences, including senior stakeholders, product teams, and policy makers.

• Collaborate effectively within agile multidisciplinary teams, contributing research expertise to sprint planning, backlog refinement, and daily stand-ups to ensure user-centricity throughout the delivery lifecycle.

• Adapt research approaches and deliverables in response to evolving project requirements, policy contexts, and stakeholder feedback, demonstrating resilience and agility.

• Mentor and guide junior researchers or team members on research best practices, fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement within the research function.

• Identify and leverage knowledge of emergent technologies to inform research design and explore innovative solutions for digital services.

• Conduct research within policy contexts, understanding the nuances and implications for service design and user impact.

• Ensure all research activities and outputs are compliant with GDS process and standards across multiple stages of the delivery lifecycle.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities are framed to emphasize the strategic impact and leadership expected of a Senior User Researcher, particularly within the GDS framework. The focus on "directing" methodologies and "presenting findings creatively" highlights leadership and communication skills beyond just execution.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

Experience:

• Demonstrable track record of 5-10 years working as a User Researcher, with a significant portion of this experience in the public sector.

• Proven experience in directing research methodologies, designing research strategies, and defining appropriate research activities to meet strategic objectives.

Required Skills:

• Public Sector User Research: Extensive experience conducting user research within government or public sector organizations, with a deep understanding of their unique challenges and user bases.

• GDS Standards & Process: In-depth knowledge and practical experience of working to Government Digital Service (GDS) standards, across multiple stages of the delivery lifecycle, including the GDS Process.

• Research Strategy & Design: Ability to define and direct appropriate research activities, methodologies, and strategies to meet strategic objectives and deliver effective digital products and services.

• Inclusive and Robust Research: A passion for and proven ability to conduct inclusive, ethical, and methodologically sound research that represents diverse user groups.

• Adaptability & Resilience: Demonstrated ability to deal with uncertainty, pivot research approaches as needed, and maintain effectiveness in dynamic environments.

• Stakeholder Communication & Presentation: Creative and engaging approach to presenting research findings to a variety of audiences, translating complex data into actionable insights.

• Agile Methodologies: Experience working effectively within agile teams and understanding of agile development processes.

Preferred Skills:

• Policy Research: Experience conducting research specifically within a policy context, understanding its impact on service design and user needs.

• Emergent Technologies: Knowledge of technologies used to build and operate digital services, including innovative and emergent technologies, and how they influence user behavior.

• Team Leadership/Mentorship: Experience in mentoring junior researchers or guiding research efforts within a team.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Proven ability to work effectively with designers, developers, product managers, and policy advisors.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "5-10 years" experience level is inferred from "Senior" in the title and the expectation to "direct" methodologies. The emphasis on GDS standards and public sector experience is directly from the job description and is critical for this role.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Case Studies of Impact: Showcase 3-5 detailed case studies demonstrating your ability to direct research, define strategy, and drive product/service improvements within the public sector or similar complex environments.

• GDS Compliance Examples: Include specific examples or descriptions of how your research has adhered to or influenced adherence to GDS standards and processes.

• Methodological Diversity: Highlight your experience with a range of qualitative and quantitative research methods, detailing how you selected appropriate techniques for different project phases and objectives.

• Stakeholder Engagement & Influence: Demonstrate how you've effectively communicated research findings to diverse stakeholders, including examples of how your insights led to tangible changes or strategic decisions.

• Adaptability in Uncertainty: Provide examples where you successfully navigated research projects with high levels of ambiguity or evolving requirements.

Process Documentation:

• Research Planning & Strategy: Evidence of creating comprehensive research plans, including clear objectives, participant recruitment strategies, methodological choices, and ethical considerations.

• Data Analysis & Synthesis: Examples of how you analyze and synthesize qualitative and quantitative data to derive meaningful insights, potentially including frameworks or models used.

• Reporting & Dissemination: Showcase examples of research reports, presentations, or other dissemination materials that effectively communicate findings and recommendations to various audiences.

• Agile Integration: Illustrate how you integrate user research activities seamlessly into agile workflows, contributing to iterative development cycles.

📝 Enhancement Note: Portfolio requirements are tailored for a senior researcher, emphasizing strategic direction, GDS compliance, and impact. The focus is on demonstrating not just execution, but the ability to lead, adapt, and influence through research.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

Benefits:

• Contractual Flexibility: As a contractor, you'll benefit from the flexibility of a defined contract period.

• Remote Work: Fully remote working arrangement, offering autonomy and work-life balance.

• Project Diversity: Opportunity to work on impactful digital transformation projects within the public sector.

• Professional Development: Potential for exposure to new technologies and methodologies through AND Digital's client engagements.

• Competitive Rate: A daily rate designed to reflect the senior level of expertise and specialized skills required.

Working Hours:

• The standard working hours are typically around 40 hours per week. However, as a contract role, there may be flexibility to agree on specific working patterns with the client, provided that project deliverables and stakeholder availability are met. The fully remote nature further enhances this flexibility.

📝 Enhancement Note: Specific salary ranges for contract roles are highly variable. The £450-£650/day estimate is based on general market rates for senior contractors in the UK tech/digital space with public sector experience. This should be confirmed with the client. Benefits for contractors are typically less comprehensive than for permanent employees.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology Consulting, Digital Transformation, Digital Skills Gap Solutions. AND Digital operates at the intersection of technology consulting and talent development, aiming to accelerate digital delivery for their clients.

Company Size: 1,300+ employees. This indicates a significant and growing organization with established processes but still maintaining a dynamic and agile culture. For operations professionals, this means opportunities for structured impact and potential for scaling initiatives, alongside a need for adaptability.

Founded: 2014. AND Digital is a relatively young but rapidly growing company, suggesting a modern, forward-thinking, and potentially less bureaucratic environment than older, more established firms.

Team Structure:

• Client-Centric Clubs: AND Digital operates through regional 'Clubs' that build strong client relationships. This contract role likely supports a specific client project team or an internal AND Digital initiative focused on client delivery.

• Multidisciplinary Teams: The role will involve working within agile, multidisciplinary teams, collaborating with designers, developers, product managers, and potentially policy experts.

• Reporting: As a contractor, reporting will likely be to a Project Lead or a senior member of the AND Digital client delivery team.

Methodology:

• Agile Delivery: AND Digital emphasizes agile approaches for accelerating digital delivery. Expect to work in sprints, participate in daily stand-ups, and contribute to iterative development cycles.

• Client-Centric Impact: The company's mission is to make a "remarkable impact" for clients, meaning a strong focus on delivering tangible value and successful digital outcomes.

• Focus on Skills Gap: A core part of AND Digital's identity is closing the digital skills gap, suggesting a culture that values learning, development, and knowledge sharing.

Company Website: https://www.and.digital/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company description highlights a strong focus on client impact, digital delivery, and agile methodologies. This context is crucial for a contractor to understand how their research contributions will be valued and integrated into client projects.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Senior Contract User Researcher. This role operates at a senior individual contributor level, with significant autonomy and responsibility for directing research strategy and execution. The impact is directly tied to client project success within the GDS framework.

Reporting Structure: As a contractor, the reporting structure will be project-based, likely reporting to a Senior Project Manager, Lead Consultant, or a dedicated AND Digital representative overseeing the contract. Collaboration will be with multidisciplinary client teams.

Operations Impact: The operations impact is significant, as user research directly informs the design and functionality of digital products and services. By ensuring services are user-centric, inclusive, and aligned with GDS standards, this role contributes to efficient public service delivery, improved user satisfaction, and successful digital transformation for government clients, ultimately driving client retention and AND Digital's reputation.

Growth Opportunities:

• Broadened GDS Expertise: Deepen understanding and application of GDS standards across various project types and delivery stages, potentially becoming a subject matter expert.

• Exposure to Diverse Public Sector Challenges: Gain experience with a wide array of government services and policy areas, expanding your understanding of public sector digital needs.

• Networking: Build professional relationships within AND Digital and with various UK government bodies through client engagements.

• Potential for Future Contracts: Successful completion of this 6-month contract can lead to extensions or further contract opportunities within AND Digital, depending on client needs and performance.

• Skill Specialization: Opportunity to further specialize in niche areas of user research relevant to public services, such as accessibility, policy research, or specific technology domains.

📝 Enhancement Note: Growth for a contractor is typically measured by contract extensions, new opportunities, and skill enhancement rather than traditional internal promotion paths. The focus is on accumulating diverse project experience and specialized knowledge.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Fully Remote. This role is entirely remote, meaning no physical office attendance is required.

Office Location(s): While AND Digital has physical 'Clubs' across the UK, Europe, and the USA, this specific contract is specified as fully remote within the United Kingdom. This implies candidates must be based in the UK and eligible to work there.

Workspace Context:

• Home Office Setup: Requires a dedicated, professional home office environment conducive to focused work, virtual meetings, and maintaining confidentiality.

• Digital Collaboration Tools: Reliance on a suite of digital collaboration tools for communication, project management, and research sharing (e.g., Slack, Microsoft Teams, Miro, video conferencing platforms).

• Autonomy & Self-Management: Thrives in an environment where individuals are self-motivated, organized, and capable of managing their own time and workload effectively.

• Client Site Interaction: While remote, there may be occasional requirements for virtual engagement with client teams, requiring flexibility in availability during UK business hours.

Work Schedule:

• The role is expected to be full-time, approximately 40 hours per week. Due to the remote nature and contract status, there's an expectation of flexibility to accommodate project needs and stakeholder availability within UK business hours (e.g., Europe/London timezone).

📝 Enhancement Note: The "United Kingdom" location requirement for a remote role is key – candidates must have the right to work there. The remote aspect emphasizes the need for strong self-management and digital communication skills.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A brief call with a recruiter or AND Digital representative to assess basic qualifications, contract expectations, and initial fit.

• Hiring Manager Interview: A more in-depth discussion with the hiring manager (likely a senior leader at AND Digital or a client-side counterpart) focusing on your experience, research strategy, GDS knowledge, and public sector background.

• Practical Exercise/Portfolio Review: This is a critical stage. You will likely be asked to present a selection of your work from your portfolio, focusing on case studies that demonstrate your ability to direct research, work with GDS standards, and handle uncertainty. This may involve a presentation and Q&A session.

• Team/Stakeholder Meet & Greet: Potentially a brief meeting with key team members or stakeholders you would be working with to assess collaborative fit and communication style.

• Final Offer: Following successful interviews and portfolio review.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Select High-Impact GDS/Public Sector Cases: Prioritize 2-3 case studies that strongly align with GDS standards, public sector challenges, and demonstrate your strategic direction and problem-solving skills.

• Structure for Clarity: For each case study, clearly articulate the problem, your role and methodology, the challenges (especially uncertainty), the insights derived, the actions taken based on your research, and the measurable outcomes or impact.

• Highlight Adaptability: Be prepared to discuss how you adapted your research approach when faced with unexpected challenges, changing requirements, or limited resources.

• Showcase Presentation Skills: Practice presenting your portfolio work concisely and engagingly, as this will be a key part of the interview. Be ready to answer questions about your choices and findings.

• Quantify Impact: Wherever possible, use metrics or qualitative evidence to demonstrate the success and impact of your research.

Challenge Preparation:

• GDS Scenario: Be prepared for a hypothetical scenario related to designing or improving a public service, and outline how you would approach the user research.

• Methodology Justification: Be ready to defend your choice of research methods for specific project goals and constraints.

• Dealing with Ambiguity: Prepare to discuss how you would approach research for a project with unclear objectives or a rapidly evolving policy landscape.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio review is paramount for this role. Emphasis is placed on practical demonstration of GDS compliance and strategic research direction, not just theoretical knowledge.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• User Research Platforms: Proficiency with tools for participant recruitment, scheduling, and potentially remote usability testing (e.g., UserTesting.com, Lookback, Maze).

• Collaboration & Whiteboarding: Essential for remote teamwork and ideation (e.g., Miro, Mural, Figma).

• Video Conferencing: For meetings and remote moderation (e.g., Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet).

• Survey & Data Collection: Tools for quantitative data gathering (e.g., SurveyMonkey, Google Forms, Typeform).

Analytics & Reporting:

• Qualitative Data Analysis Software: Tools to help organize, code, and analyze qualitative data (e.g., Dovetail, NVivo, ATLAS.ti).

• Presentation Software: For creating compelling reports and presentations (e.g., PowerPoint, Google Slides, Keynote).

• Spreadsheet Software: For basic data manipulation and reporting (e.g., Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets).

CRM & Automation:

• While direct CRM/automation tool experience might not be core, understanding how user research findings feed into product backlogs managed in tools like Jira or Trello is important.

📝 Enhancement Note: The specific tools are inferred based on standard practices for remote user researchers and agile teams. The emphasis is on collaboration, data analysis, and presentation tools.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Client Focus & Impact: A strong commitment to delivering tangible, positive results for clients, ensuring that digital services are effective and user-centric.

• Excellence & Quality: A drive for high-quality research and deliverables, adhering to best practices and standards (especially GDS).

• Collaboration & Teamwork: Valuing open communication, mutual support, and effective collaboration within multidisciplinary teams.

• Adaptability & Agility: Embracing change, navigating uncertainty, and responding effectively to evolving project needs and client requirements.

• Continuous Learning: A culture that encourages professional development, skill enhancement, and staying abreast of industry trends and technologies.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Expect to work closely with developers, designers, product owners, and potentially policy advisors, requiring clear communication and a shared understanding of goals.

• Agile Ceremonies: Active participation in agile rituals such as daily stand-ups, sprint planning, reviews, and retrospectives, contributing research insights to inform team decisions.

• Open Feedback: A culture that encourages constructive feedback, both giving and receiving, to continuously improve processes and outcomes.

• Knowledge Sharing: Encouragement to share research findings, methodologies, and learnings across teams and with the wider AND Digital community.

📝 Enhancement Note: The values are derived from AND Digital's stated mission and the nature of contract work within a consulting firm. The emphasis is on client success, quality, and collaborative agility.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Navigating Public Sector Bureaucracy: Understanding and working within the specific procurement, stakeholder, and policy environments of government bodies can be complex and slower-paced than private sector work.

• Dealing with Uncertainty: As stated, high levels of ambiguity in project scope, objectives, or evolving policy landscapes require resilience and strong strategic thinking to define effective research approaches.

• Remote Collaboration Dynamics: Maintaining strong team cohesion and effective communication in a fully remote setting requires proactive effort and skillful use of collaboration tools.

• Balancing GDS Rigor with Agile Speed: Ensuring strict adherence to GDS standards while maintaining the pace and iterative nature of agile development can be a delicate balancing act.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deepen GDS Expertise: Gain hands-on experience applying GDS principles across diverse government projects, potentially leading to recognized expertise.

• Expand Research Toolkit: Opportunity to experiment with and apply a wide range of research methods in real-world, high-stakes scenarios.

• Policy Research Acumen: Develop a stronger understanding of how policy influences service design and user needs, a valuable specialization.

• Consulting Skills: Enhance client management, stakeholder negotiation, and strategic advisory skills through direct client engagement.

📝 Enhancement Note: Challenges are framed around the specific context of public sector GDS work and remote contracting. Growth opportunities focus on skill acquisition and practical experience relevant to the role.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to define a research strategy for a project with unclear objectives. How did you approach it, and what was the outcome?" (Focus on your process for dealing with uncertainty and strategic thinking).

• "How would you ensure your research findings are effectively communicated and acted upon by a diverse group of stakeholders, including technical teams, policy advisors, and senior leadership, within a GDS framework?" (Highlight your presentation, communication, and GDS process knowledge).

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about working with AND Digital and specifically on public sector digital transformation projects?" (Show your understanding of AND Digital's mission and your passion for public service impact).

• "How do you approach collaboration within a remote, agile team, especially when working with individuals from different disciplines?" (Demonstrate your teamwork, communication, and remote work experience).

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Storytelling: Frame your case studies as compelling narratives. Clearly define the problem, your role and approach, the insights, the recommendations, and the ultimate impact or outcome.

• Visual Aids: Use slides or digital tools to visually represent your research process, key findings, and user personas if applicable. Keep it clean and professional.

• GDS Integration: Explicitly point out where your work aligned with or influenced adherence to GDS standards and processes.

• Q&A Readiness: Anticipate questions about your methodology, stakeholder management, how you handled challenges, and the quantifiable results of your research. Be prepared to elaborate on any aspect of your portfolio.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation focuses on demonstrating strategic thinking, GDS expertise, communication skills, and the ability to present impact through portfolio examples.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this contract Senior User Researcher position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Workable.

• Curate Your Portfolio Strategically: Select 2-3 of your strongest case studies that exemplify your experience in public sector user research, GDS standards, strategic direction, and ability to handle uncertainty. Ensure these are well-documented and ready for presentation.

• Tailor Your CV: Highlight your years of experience, specific public sector and GDS experience, research leadership capabilities, and successes in agile environments. Use keywords from the job description.

• Prepare Your Presentation: Practice presenting your chosen portfolio case studies concisely and engagingly. Be ready to articulate your research process, insights, and the impact of your work, especially in relation to GDS.

• Research AND Digital: Familiarize yourself with AND Digital's work, client base, and their approach to digital transformation, particularly within the public sector. Understand their culture and values.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.

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