Senior User Researcher - 12 month FTC

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior User Researcher - 12 month FTC

Company: Our Future Health

Location: London, England, United Kingdom

Job Type: CONTRACTOR

Category: User Research / UX Research

Date Posted: 2026-06-18

Experience Level: 5-10 Years

Remote Status: Hybrid (with flexible and remote working arrangements)

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead end-to-end user research initiatives to deeply understand participant needs, motivations, and behaviors within a large-scale health research program.

• Translate complex user insights into actionable product strategy, design decisions, and impactful participant engagement initiatives to drive acquisition, support, and retention.

• Design and execute a range of qualitative and quantitative research methods, including interviews, usability testing, surveys, diary studies, and ethnographic research, throughout the entire product lifecycle.

• Champion user-centred design principles and advocate for diverse participant voices by ensuring inclusive and accessible research practices across multidisciplinary teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is crucial for a fixed-term contract (12 months) covering maternity leave, focusing on deepening the understanding of participants within the Our Future Health program. The emphasis is on actionable insights to shape recruitment, support, and retention strategies for a significant digital product and service offering in the healthcare research sector.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Lead and deliver comprehensive user research studies across the product lifecycle, employing a diverse toolkit of qualitative and quantitative methods (e.g., interviews, usability testing, surveys, diary studies, ethnographic research).

• Generate actionable insights that directly influence product strategy, inform design decisions, and enhance participant engagement initiatives, particularly in growth-focused areas.

• Design and conduct rigorous usability studies to refine digital experiences before launch, aiming to reduce friction and optimize participant outcomes.

• Evaluate the impact and effectiveness of launched products and services, collaborating with product analysts to identify successes, challenges, and underlying reasons.

• Foster strong collaborative relationships with Product Managers, Designers, Analysts, and other user-centred design specialists to embed evidence-based decision-making across all teams.

• Facilitate engaging workshops and insight-sharing sessions to immerse colleagues in participant needs and experiences, fostering a user-centric culture.

• Build and maintain a robust repository of user insights, ensuring research findings are easily accessible, discoverable, and reusable by relevant teams.

• Provide mentorship and coaching to colleagues on planning and executing effective user research activities, promoting a shared understanding of research best practices.

• Champion and implement inclusive and accessible research practices, ensuring that diverse participant voices are actively represented and considered throughout the research process.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a senior-level individual contributor role with significant autonomy in planning and executing research. The focus on "growth-focused environments" and "participant or customer acquisition" suggests a strong emphasis on user acquisition and retention metrics, which is common in large-scale digital health initiatives.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is listed, a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Human-Computer Interaction, Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, Design Research, or a related field is typically expected for senior-level user research roles.

Experience: A minimum of 5-10 years of hands-on experience conducting user research for digital products and services, with a proven track record of independent study planning and execution. Experience working within growth-focused environments, particularly those emphasizing participant or customer acquisition, is highly regarded.

Required Skills:

• Extensive experience conducting user research for digital products and services, with the confidence to plan, lead, and deliver studies independently.

• Proven experience working in growth-focused environments, particularly where participant or customer acquisition is a key objective.

• Strong expertise across a range of research methods, including interviews, usability testing (moderated and unmoderated), survey design, and behavioural analysis.

• A demonstrated ability to synthesize complex findings into clear, compelling, and actionable recommendations that drive decision-making.

• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to tailor insights effectively to diverse audiences and influence outcomes.

• Proficiency in using research platforms and tools for recruitment, testing, analysis, and knowledge management.

• Experience working within agile, multidisciplinary teams across both discovery and delivery phases of product development.

• Confidence in advocating for user-centred approaches and effectively guiding teams to understand and act on user needs. Preferred Skills:

• Experience with diary studies and ethnographic research.

• Familiarity with statistical analysis or working closely with data analysts to combine qualitative and quantitative findings.

• Experience in the healthcare or life sciences sector, understanding the unique considerations for participant engagement in health research.

• Ability to mentor junior researchers or contribute to building research capabilities within an organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The experience level (5-10 years) suggests a need for demonstrated leadership in research projects and the ability to operate with minimal supervision. The emphasis on influencing decisions and stakeholder management is critical for a senior role.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A curated selection of case studies showcasing end-to-end user research projects, from initial problem definition to insight generation and impact.

• Clear documentation of research methodologies employed, detailing why specific methods were chosen and how they addressed research objectives.

• Evidence of translating research findings into actionable recommendations and demonstrating their impact on product or service improvements, ideally with measurable outcomes.

• Examples of how user insights have influenced product strategy, design decisions, or participant engagement initiatives within a growth-focused context.

• Demonstrations of collaboration with cross-functional teams (Product Managers, Designers, Developers) and how research was integrated into the product development lifecycle. Process Documentation:

• Showcase of how research plans were developed, including defining research questions, identifying target participants, and outlining methodologies.

• Examples of research synthesis and analysis processes, illustrating how raw data was transformed into meaningful insights and compelling narratives.

• Documentation of how research findings were communicated to stakeholders, including presentation decks, reports, or workshop outputs, highlighting clarity and impact.

• Evidence of contributing to or maintaining a knowledge management system for research insights, ensuring reusability and organizational learning.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Senior User Researcher, a portfolio should go beyond just showcasing research outputs. It needs to demonstrate strategic thinking, the ability to influence product direction, and a clear understanding of how research contributes to business objectives, especially in acquisition and retention.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: £65,000 per annum.

Benefits:

• Generous Pension Scheme: Employer contributions of up to 12% to support long-term financial planning.

• 30 Days Holiday + Bank Holidays: A substantial annual leave allowance, with flexibility to observe bank holidays according to personal preference.

• Enhanced Parental Leave: Comprehensive support for new parents during significant life events.

• Cycle to Work Scheme: Savings of 25-39% on new bicycles and accessories through salary sacrifice.

• Home & Tech Savings: Discounts of up to 8% on IKEA and Currys products, with flexible payment options over 12 months via salary sacrifice.

• £1,000 Employee Referral Bonus: A reward for successfully referring new talent to the organization.

• Wellbeing Support: Access to Mental Health First Aiders, 24/7 online GP services, and an Employee Assistance Programme for employees and their families.

• A Great Place to Work: Benefits from a collaborative office environment in Central London (Holborn) with flexible and remote working arrangements.

Working Hours: Approximately 40 hours per week, with flexibility and remote working arrangements available, aligning with a hybrid work model.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary is fixed at £65,000 for this 12-month FTC role. The benefits package is comprehensive, reflecting a commitment to employee wellbeing, financial security, and work-life balance, which are attractive to experienced professionals.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Healthcare & Life Sciences, Health Technology, Research & Development. Our Future Health is a unique entity focused on large-scale health data aggregation for future medical advancements.

Company Size: The exact size isn't specified in the raw data, but as the UK's largest ever health research program aiming to recruit 5 million volunteers, it implies a significant operational scale, likely numbering in the hundreds of employees. This suggests a structured but potentially agile environment.

Founded: The founding date isn't provided, but the program's ambitious scale indicates a relatively recent or rapidly expanding organization focused on cutting-edge health research.

Team Structure:

• The User Researcher will likely be part of a Product or Digital team, reporting into a Head of Product, Head of UX, or a Senior Design Lead.

• This role requires close collaboration with Product Managers, UX/UI Designers, Product Analysts, and potentially Data Scientists and engineers.

• The team structure is designed to be multidisciplinary and agile, fostering cross-functional collaboration to deliver user-centred digital products and services. Methodology:

• Data-Driven Decision Making: The core of Our Future Health's mission relies on robust data, and this role is instrumental in ensuring that participant-centric data informs strategic decisions.

• Agile Development: Collaboration within agile, multidisciplinary teams suggests adherence to agile methodologies, emphasizing iterative development, continuous feedback, and rapid adaptation.

• User-Centred Design: A strong commitment to understanding and prioritizing user needs is foundational, with the Senior User Researcher being a key advocate for this approach.

Company Website: www.ourfuturehealth.org.uk

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's mission is ambitious and impactful, focusing on transforming healthcare through large-scale data. This context is vital for understanding the motivation behind the user research – to optimize the participant experience at every touchpoint, crucial for achieving recruitment and retention goals.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Senior User Researcher position, operating at an experienced individual contributor level. It requires a high degree of autonomy, expertise in research methodologies, and the ability to influence product strategy and cross-functional teams. It's a critical role for ensuring the success of participant engagement initiatives.

Reporting Structure: The Senior User Researcher will likely report to a Head of Product, Head of UX, or a similar leadership role within the digital or product development function. They will collaborate extensively with Product Managers and Designers.

Operations Impact: The impact of this role is significant, directly influencing the participant journey, which is central to the success of Our Future Health's overall mission. By improving recruitment, support, and retention through user insights, this role contributes directly to the program's ability to gather the necessary data for groundbreaking health research.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Specialization: Opportunities to deepen expertise in specific research methodologies (e.g., advanced qualitative analysis, large-scale survey design, behavioural economics).

• Leadership & Mentorship: Potential to mentor junior researchers or lead research initiatives for specific product areas, contributing to team capability development.

• Strategic Influence: The role offers the chance to shape the user research practice within the organization and directly influence product roadmaps and participant experience strategies.

• Project Leadership: Leading complex, high-impact research projects that contribute to a nationally significant health initiative.

📝 Enhancement Note: While this is a 12-month FTC, the "Senior" title and the nature of the work suggest opportunities for significant professional development, particularly in influencing strategy and leading complex research within a mission-driven organization.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The company offers a hybrid work model with a central London office in Holborn. This suggests a professional office environment designed for collaboration, meetings, and focused work, complemented by the flexibility of remote work.

Office Location(s): A central London office in Holborn, providing accessibility via public transport and proximity to amenities. The hybrid model allows for a balance between in-office collaboration and remote work.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The office space is likely set up to facilitate teamwork, with meeting rooms and common areas for interaction. The hybrid nature encourages intentional in-office time for collaborative activities.

• Tools & Technology: Access to necessary user research tools, collaboration platforms, and the organization's digital infrastructure will be provided to support effective research and communication.

• Team Interaction: Opportunities for regular interaction with product teams, designers, analysts, and other stakeholders, fostering strong working relationships and cross-functional synergy.

Work Schedule: The standard working hours are approximately 40 hours per week. The hybrid and flexible working arrangements offer autonomy in structuring the work week, balancing in-office presence with remote work, and accommodating research activities that may require flexible timing.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model and central London location are key features of the work environment, appealing to professionals who value both in-person collaboration and remote flexibility, common in modern tech and research organizations.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A brief call with a recruiter to assess alignment with the role's core requirements and contract duration.

• Hiring Manager Interview: An in-depth discussion with the hiring manager (e.g., Head of Product/UX) focusing on your experience, research philosophy, and how you approach complex user research challenges.

• Portfolio Review & Presentation: A dedicated session where you will present 2-3 case studies from your portfolio, demonstrating your research process, insights, and impact. This is a critical stage to showcase your senior-level capabilities.

• Team/Stakeholder Interviews: Interviews with key collaborators (e.g., Product Managers, Designers, Analysts) to assess your collaboration style, communication skills, and ability to integrate research into agile workflows.

• Final Interview: Potentially a final discussion with a more senior leader to confirm fit and address any remaining questions.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Showcase Impact: Focus on case studies that demonstrate how your research led to tangible improvements, such as increased participant engagement, improved user satisfaction, or reduced friction in key processes. Quantify impact where possible.

• Detail Your Process: Clearly articulate your research process for each case study, including problem definition, methodology selection, participant recruitment, data analysis, and synthesis. Explain the "why" behind your choices.

• Highlight Collaboration: Demonstrate how you worked with cross-functional teams, managed stakeholders, and communicated insights effectively to drive action.

• Tailor to the Role: Select case studies that best align with the requirements of this role, particularly those involving digital products, growth strategies, and participant/customer acquisition or retention.

• Be Concise and Clear: Present your work in a structured, easy-to-follow manner. Use visuals to support your narrative, and be prepared to discuss challenges and learnings.

Challenge Preparation:

• Think Through Scenarios: Be prepared for hypothetical questions about how you would approach research for specific challenges within the Our Future Health program (e.g., understanding barriers to participant recruitment in a specific demographic).

• Methodology Justification: Be ready to explain why you would choose certain research methods over others for different research questions.

• Insight to Action: Practice articulating how you would translate research findings into concrete, actionable recommendations for product and business teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio review is a central component. Candidates should prepare to articulate their senior-level contribution and the strategic impact of their research, not just the execution of tasks.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• User Research Platforms: Experience with tools for participant recruitment, unmoderated testing, and survey administration (e.g., UserTesting.com, Maze, Qualtrics, SurveyMonkey).

• Collaboration Tools: Proficient in using tools like Jira, Confluence, Slack, Microsoft Teams for agile team collaboration and knowledge sharing.

• Design & Prototyping Tools: Familiarity with tools like Figma, Sketch, or Adobe XD for reviewing designs and conducting usability tests on prototypes.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Data Analysis Tools: Experience with tools for qualitative data analysis (e.g., Dovetail, NVivo) and potentially basic quantitative analysis using tools like Excel or Google Sheets. Collaboration with dedicated Product Analysts is also key.

• Dashboarding Tools: Familiarity with tools like Tableau or Power BI for understanding user behaviour data and reporting on research impact, though direct creation might be handled by analysts.

CRM & Automation:

• While not a direct CRM/automation role, understanding how user research feeds into CRM strategies and automated participant journeys is beneficial. Familiarity with how data from research can inform these systems is a plus.

• Knowledge Management Systems: Experience with platforms designed for organizing and retrieving research findings (e.g., dedicated research repositories, Notion, Confluence).

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis is on tools that facilitate the research process itself and enable effective collaboration within an agile product development environment. Direct experience with advanced analytics or CRM configuration is less critical than the ability to work with those teams and leverage their outputs.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Participant-Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and prioritizing the needs and experiences of participants, ensuring they are at the heart of all decisions.

• Data-Driven Impact: A belief in the power of user insights and data to inform strategy, drive product development, and achieve measurable outcomes for the program.

• Collaboration & Teamwork: A strong emphasis on working effectively in multidisciplinary, agile teams, valuing diverse perspectives and shared ownership.

• Rigour & Empathy: Combining a scientific, methodical approach to research with genuine empathy for participants and their journeys.

• Continuous Improvement: A culture of learning, iteration, and seeking ways to optimize processes, services, and participant experiences.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: Proactive engagement with Product Managers, Designers, Analysts, and other stakeholders to ensure research is integrated seamlessly into the product lifecycle.

• Open Communication: Fostering an environment of open dialogue, constructive feedback, and transparent sharing of research findings and their implications.

• Knowledge Sharing: Actively participating in sharing research insights and best practices across teams, contributing to a collective understanding of the user.

📝 Enhancement Note: The culture likely reflects a mission-driven organization with a strong emphasis on scientific integrity, participant well-being, and collaborative innovation in the pursuit of transforming healthcare.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Recruitment & Retention at Scale: Understanding and addressing the unique challenges of recruiting and retaining 5 million diverse participants for a long-term health research program.

• Balancing Rigour and Speed: Conducting thorough, high-quality research within agile timelines and potentially rapid iteration cycles.

• Translating Complex Health Data: Helping to make complex health research concepts and participant journeys understandable and actionable for product and design teams.

• Ethical Considerations: Navigating the ethical landscape of health research, ensuring participant privacy, consent, and well-being are paramount in all research activities.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Research Techniques: Opportunities to explore and implement more sophisticated qualitative and quantitative research methods relevant to large-scale participant programs.

• Industry Insights: Gaining deep knowledge of the healthcare research sector, participant engagement strategies, and the impact of technology on health outcomes.

• Strategic Contribution: Playing a key role in shaping the user research function and its impact on a nationally significant health initiative.

• Mentorship & Coaching: Developing skills in mentoring and guiding colleagues, enhancing leadership capabilities.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are significant due to the scale and nature of the health research program, offering substantial opportunities for a researcher to make a real impact and develop highly specialized skills.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you approach understanding the primary barriers to participant recruitment for Our Future Health among a specific demographic (e.g., younger adults, individuals in rural areas)?" - Preparation: Think about segmentation, potential digital and non-digital channels, and appropriate research methods for uncovering barriers.

• "Describe a time you had to influence stakeholders who were resistant to user feedback. What was your approach, and what was the outcome?" - Preparation: Focus on data synthesis, storytelling, building consensus, and demonstrating ROI.

• "Imagine we are launching a new feature to improve participant communication. How would you design and execute a usability test for this feature before it goes live?" - Preparation: Detail your process from defining test objectives to reporting findings and making recommendations. Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Our Future Health's mission and this specific role?" - Preparation: Research the organization's mission, recent news, and articulate your passion for health research and user-centred design.

• "How do you ensure your research practices are inclusive and accessible, especially when dealing with diverse participant populations?" - Preparation: Prepare examples of how you've considered accessibility in recruitment, study design, and data analysis.

• "How do you measure the impact of your user research on product success and business objectives?" - Preparation: Discuss key metrics and how you tie research findings to tangible outcomes like engagement, conversion, or satisfaction. Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Stories: For each case study, use a clear narrative arc: the problem, your role, your process, the insights, the recommendations, and the impact.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use data and metrics to demonstrate the success of your research recommendations.

• Highlight Collaboration: Show how you worked with cross-functional teams, managed expectations, and facilitated buy-in for your insights.

• Address Challenges: Be prepared to discuss any challenges encountered during your projects and how you overcame them, demonstrating resilience and problem-solving skills.

📝 Enhancement Note: Focus on demonstrating senior-level strategic thinking, the ability to translate complex insights into actionable plans, and a deep understanding of how user research contributes to business goals, particularly in a growth and participant engagement context.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior User Researcher position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Workable.

• Tailor Your CV: Highlight experience relevant to digital products, growth environments, participant acquisition/retention, and your proficiency in a wide range of qualitative and quantitative research methods. Use keywords from the job description.

• Prepare Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 of your strongest case studies that best demonstrate your end-to-end research process, your ability to generate actionable insights, and your impact on product or service improvements. Ensure it showcases your senior-level strategic thinking and collaboration skills.

• Practice Your Presentation: Rehearse presenting your portfolio case studies, focusing on clarity, conciseness, and demonstrating the impact of your work. Be ready to answer detailed questions about your process and decisions.

• Research Our Future Health: Understand the organization's mission, its scale, and the importance of participant engagement in health research. Consider how your skills can uniquely contribute to their goals.

⚠️ 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.