User Researcher

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: User Researcher

Company: U.S. National Archives and Records Administration

Location: Kew, United Kingdom

Job Type: Full-time

Category: User Experience & Research

Date Posted: 2026-09-03

Experience Level: Mid-level (2-5 years)

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Conduct end-to-end user research for digital products and services, employing a range of qualitative and quantitative methodologies to gather actionable insights.

• Collaborate closely with multidisciplinary teams, including designers, developers, and performance analysts, to integrate user needs into the design and development lifecycle.

• Champion user-centric principles and accessibility guidelines, ensuring digital services are inclusive and meet diverse user needs.

• Analyze user behavior, motivations, and environments through methods like ethnography, surveys, workshops, and usability testing to inform strategic decision-making.

• Contribute to the evolution of digital services by translating research findings into tangible improvements and advocating for user needs in product development.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned within the Digital Archiving / Digital Services department of The National Archives, indicating a focus on complex information services rather than purely transactional ones. The emphasis on understanding user needs for public records and historical collections suggests a unique research environment.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Plan, design, and execute user research activities using a variety of qualitative and quantitative techniques to maximize insight and minimize bias.

• Apply inclusivity and user-centered principles to research design, ensuring representation of diverse user needs and accessibility requirements.

• Analyze research findings collaboratively with delivery teams, translating user needs and service impact into clear, actionable insights.

• Communicate research findings effectively to colleagues and stakeholders in an accessible and engaging manner, facilitating informed decision-making.

• Advocate for user needs throughout the service design and development process, ensuring user perspectives are central to product evolution.

• Synthesize research findings into actionable insights for agile, multidisciplinary teams, driving iterative improvements and product development.

• Maintain and share research documentation, demonstrating how the service has evolved its understanding of users over time, and contribute to a common component library.

• Support and evolve understanding of the impact of emerging technologies and changing user expectations on user behavior and service design.

• Adhere to ethical research practices and standards, particularly concerning the collection and management of personal data in compliance with GDPR.

• Participate in discussions within the wider public sector user experience community, sharing knowledge and staying abreast of best practices.

📝 Enhancement Note: The core responsibilities align with the DDaT (Digital, Data and Technology) capability framework for a User Researcher, emphasizing a blend of research execution, collaboration, communication, and strategic advocacy for user needs within a government digital service context.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: A Bachelor's degree in Human Computer Interaction (HCI), Psychology, Social Science, Digital Marketing, Product Design, or a related discipline is desirable. Equivalent practical experience in user research may also be considered.

Experience: Demonstrated experience conducting user research for digital products and services is essential. This includes practical application of both qualitative and quantitative research methods.

Required Skills:

• Experience conducting user research for digital products and services.

• Demonstrable experience using qualitative and quantitative research methods to maximize insight, with a strong desire to stay up-to-date with emerging methodologies and standards.

• Ability to collaborate effectively within multidisciplinary teams, stakeholder groups, and the broader User Experience community.

• Experience following ethical research practices, including collecting and managing personal data safely in compliance with GDPR.

• Familiarity with accessibility guidelines and digital inclusion principles and their application to user research.

• Strong attention to detail with critical thinking and analytical skills.

• Effective communication skills, with an instinct to work in the open by sharing research workflows and breaking findings into actionable insights.

• Organizational skills with experience planning and iterating research work and managing documentation over the lifespan of a service. Preferred Skills:

• Knowledge of the Government Digital Service Standard and experience applying user research to digital services at various stages of development (Discovery, Alpha, Beta, Live).

• Awareness of the technologies used to build and operate digital services.

• Experience researching systems that use AI or Large Language Models.

• Formal qualification in Human Computer Interaction (HCI), Psychology, Social Science, Digital Marketing, Product Design, or similar disciplines.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirements emphasize practical experience and a proactive approach to learning and collaboration. The desirable criteria highlight specific government digital standards and emerging technologies, suggesting a forward-thinking and compliant approach to research within the public sector.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase a range of user research projects, demonstrating proficiency across diverse qualitative and quantitative methodologies.

• Clearly articulate the research problem, your approach, the methods used, and the resulting actionable insights.

• Highlight how your research influenced design decisions and contributed to the improvement of digital products or services.

• Include examples of how you managed research documentation and communicated findings to multidisciplinary teams and stakeholders.

• Demonstrate an understanding of ethical research practices and GDPR compliance within your project examples. Process Documentation:

• Evidence of planning and iterating research work, including research plans, participant recruitment strategies, and session scheduling.

• Documentation of research findings, such as reports, summaries, personas, journey maps, or user flows, emphasizing actionable insights.

• Examples of how research findings were shared and integrated into agile development processes.

• Documentation illustrating adherence to accessibility guidelines and digital inclusion principles in research design and output.

📝 Enhancement Note: While a formal portfolio isn't explicitly requested, the application process requires answering questions related to essential criteria and a practical activity during the interview. Candidates should prepare to discuss their experience and potentially present examples of their work that showcase these skills, akin to a portfolio review.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: £42,000 per annum.

Benefits:

• Generous pension scheme.

• Sports and social club facilities.

• Onsite gym.

• Discounted rates at the on-site cafe.

• Opportunities for training and development.

• Hybrid working arrangements.

• Access to professional communities of practice.

• Annual leave entitlement of 22 days per calendar year, rising to 25 after the first year, and incrementally to 30 days after six years.

• 10.5 days public and privilege holidays per annum.

Working Hours: This is a full-time post. Requests for part-time working, flexible working, and job share arrangements will be considered subject to business needs. Successful candidates must be able to travel regularly to the Kew site and work on-site for at least 60% of their time. Occasional travel for user research activities and very occasional out-of-hours working may be required.

📝 Enhancement Note: The specified salary is fixed at £42,000 per annum. The hybrid working arrangement requires a minimum of 60% of time spent on-site at Kew, providing a structured approach to work-life balance within a government institution.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Government & Public Sector, Archives, Heritage, Information Management, Research.

Company Size: The National Archives is a large, established institution, likely employing several hundred to over a thousand individuals, given its national significance and extensive operations. This scale implies a structured environment with diverse departments and a wide range of expertise.

Founded: The National Archives has a history spanning nearly 200 years, with its oldest records dating back over a thousand years. This long heritage signifies a deep commitment to preserving national history and a stable, enduring organizational culture.

Team Structure:

• The User Researchers will sit within the Digital Archiving / Digital Services department, part of a larger digital transformation initiative.

• They will work within agile, multidisciplinary teams, collaborating closely with designers, developers, performance analysts, and potentially content strategists and product managers.

• There is an emphasis on cross-functional collaboration with experts from across the collections and research communities, as well as participation in the wider public sector user experience community.

• The reporting structure is likely within a digital services leadership team, with opportunities to present findings to a broader organizational audience. Methodology:

• A strong emphasis on evidence-based research and user-centered design principles.

• Utilization of a wide range of qualitative and quantitative research methods to gather insights.

• Agile methodologies are implied, with a focus on iterative development, breaking down problems, and delivering measurable improvements.

• A commitment to working "in the open," sharing research workflows, and making research findings accessible.

• Focus on complex information services, requiring nuanced approaches to understanding user needs beyond simple transactional interactions.

Company Website: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture is characterized by a blend of historical preservation and forward-thinking digital innovation. The User Researcher role is pivotal in bridging the gap between historical collections and modern digital access, requiring collaboration across traditional archival expertise and digital service delivery.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is classified as Band E / Higher Executive Officer, indicating a mid-level professional position with significant responsibility and autonomy. It aligns with the DDaT User Researcher role within the UK Civil Service, requiring the application of established research practices and the ability to influence service design.

Reporting Structure: The User Researcher will report into a Digital Services leadership role. They will work collaboratively within multidisciplinary agile teams and have opportunities to engage with and present findings to a wider range of stakeholders across The National Archives.

Operations Impact: The User Researcher's primary impact is on improving the usability, accessibility, and effectiveness of The National Archives' digital services. By ensuring these services meet diverse user needs and behaviors, they contribute directly to the organization's mission of making public records accessible to future generations and fulfilling its role as a 21st-century national archive. This includes influencing the strategic direction of digital service development and the adoption of new technologies.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Specialization: Deepen expertise in specific research methodologies, such as ethnography, AI/LLM research, or accessibility research.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Gain experience working with diverse subject matter experts, collections specialists, and digital professionals, expanding understanding of archival science and digital service delivery.

• Mentorship & Community: Participate in professional communities of practice, both internal and external (public sector UX community), fostering knowledge sharing and professional development. Potential to mentor junior researchers or contribute to internal capability building.

• Career Progression: Potential to move into senior User Researcher roles, lead research initiatives, or transition into related UX disciplines such as Service Design or UX Strategy within the Civil Service.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role offers a clear path for growth within the User Research discipline, with opportunities to specialize, gain exposure to unique archival research challenges, and contribute to significant digital transformation initiatives within a respected national institution.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is based at The National Archives' Kew site, offering a hybrid working model. This means a blend of on-site work and remote working.

Office Location(s): Kew, United Kingdom. The specific address is likely within the Greater London area, accessible for those residing in or commuting to this region. Successful candidates must be able to travel regularly to the Kew site.

Workspace Context:

• On-site: The Kew site provides facilities such as an onsite gym, discounted cafe, and sports/social club, fostering a supportive work environment. The hybrid model requires at least 60% of time to be spent on-site, facilitating in-person collaboration, team meetings, and access to office resources.

• Remote: Hybrid working allows for flexibility, enabling focused work and potentially reducing commute times on designated remote days.

• Collaborative Environment: The role necessitates close collaboration within multidisciplinary agile teams, suggesting an open-plan or team-based workspace arrangement on-site to facilitate communication and co-creation. Access to professional communities of practice also suggests an environment that values knowledge sharing.

Work Schedule: This is a full-time position. While flexibility is considered for part-time or job share arrangements, the core requirement is full-time engagement. The hybrid model implies flexibility in daily work hours, but the 60% on-site requirement structures the week. Occasional out-of-hours work may be required for specific research activities.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid work arrangement is structured with a minimum on-site commitment (60%), ensuring team cohesion and operational presence while offering flexibility. The Kew location provides specific amenities that contribute to the overall employee experience.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Application: Submission of work history and answers to three questions related to essential criteria. These will be assessed against the stated requirements.

• Shortlisting: Candidates whose work history and answers best demonstrate the essential criteria will be invited for an interview.

• On-site Interview: This will include a practical activity designed to assess your approach to research. This is not a test of your knowledge of The National Archives but rather your research skills in action.

• Assessment: The interview and practical activity will be used to assess your suitability for the role.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Prepare Case Studies: Although not explicitly a portfolio submission, be ready to discuss specific projects from your work history that exemplify your experience with qualitative and quantitative research methods, ethical practices, accessibility, and stakeholder collaboration.

• Structure Your Examples: For each example, clearly outline the problem, your research objectives, the methods you employed, your key findings, and the impact of your research on the product or service.

• Highlight Actionable Insights: Emphasize how you translated raw data into clear, actionable insights that guided decision-making for multidisciplinary teams.

• Demonstrate Collaboration: Provide examples of how you worked effectively within agile teams and communicated your findings to diverse audiences, including non-researchers.

• Address Ethical Considerations: Be prepared to discuss your approach to GDPR compliance and ethical data handling in your research projects.

Challenge Preparation:

• Practical Activity Focus: Anticipate a task that requires you to apply user research principles to a given problem or dataset. This could involve analyzing user feedback, designing a research plan, or interpreting research findings.

• Think Aloud: During the practical activity, articulate your thought process clearly. Explain why you are making certain decisions and how they align with user research best practices.

• Time Management: Practice managing your time effectively to complete the practical task within the allocated timeframe.

• Focus on Process: The assessment is designed to see how you approach research, not just what you know about The National Archives. Focus on demonstrating your research methodology and problem-solving skills.

📝 Enhancement Note: The application process emphasizes answering specific questions well and performing effectively in a practical interview activity. Candidates should prepare concrete examples from their experience that directly address the essential criteria, as these will form the basis of the assessment.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• User Research Platforms: While not explicitly listed, expect to use tools for participant recruitment (e.g., UserTesting.com, Respondent.io, or internal panels), scheduling (e.g., Calendly, Doodle), and potentially remote usability testing platforms (e.g., Lookback, Maze).

• Qualitative Data Analysis Tools: Tools for transcribing interviews, coding data, and identifying themes (e.g., Dovetail, NVivo, or even sophisticated spreadsheet/document analysis).

• Quantitative Data Analysis Tools: Proficiency with survey tools (e.g., SurveyMonkey, Google Forms, Typeform) and basic statistical analysis tools or libraries (e.g., Excel, R, Python with libraries like Pandas/NumPy) may be beneficial for analyzing survey data and usage metrics.

• Collaboration Tools: Expect to use standard office productivity suites and collaboration platforms (e.g., Microsoft 365, Google Workspace) for documentation, communication, and presentation.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Web Analytics: Familiarity with web analytics tools like Google Analytics or Matomo could be useful for understanding user behavior on digital services.

• Performance Analysis: Understanding how to collaborate with performance analysts who might use tools to track key metrics, conversion rates, and user journeys.

• Dashboarding: While not directly creating dashboards, understanding how research insights can feed into performance dashboards (e.g., Tableau, Power BI) to demonstrate impact.

CRM & Automation:

• CRM Systems: While not a direct CRM role, understanding how user research can inform CRM strategies or how customer data within a CRM might be used for segmentation or research.

• Automation Tools: Awareness of how automation impacts user experience and potentially how research can inform the design of automated processes.

• Integration Tools: Understanding how different systems (e.g., website, backend services, research tools) might be integrated to provide a holistic view of the user journey.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role requires a strong foundation in core user research methodologies and tools. While specific software isn't mandated, proficiency in common qualitative and quantitative analysis tools, along with collaboration and productivity software, is expected. Awareness of how research integrates with analytics and broader digital service infrastructure is also valuable.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• User-Centricity: A fundamental belief that understanding and meeting user needs is paramount to successful digital service delivery.

• Evidence-Based Decision Making: A commitment to using research and data to inform all design and development choices, moving away from assumptions.

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

• Inclusivity & Accessibility: A dedication to ensuring digital services are usable and accessible to all, reflecting the diverse needs of the UK population.

• Continuous Improvement: A mindset of iteration, learning, and adapting services based on ongoing research and user feedback.

• Working in the Open: A transparency in research processes and findings, fostering knowledge sharing and collective learning within the organization and the wider public sector UX community.

Collaboration Style:

• Agile and Iterative: Collaboration is embedded within agile team structures, involving regular communication, feedback loops, and joint problem-solving.

• Cross-Functional Integration: Researchers work closely with designers, developers, product managers, and potentially subject matter experts from archival collections, requiring clear communication and translation of research findings into shared understanding.

• Open Communication: A culture that encourages sharing research workflows, findings, and challenges openly, both within immediate teams and with broader organizational groups.

• Advocacy and Influence: Researchers are expected to actively advocate for user needs, influencing team decisions and strategy through compelling evidence and clear communication.

• Community Engagement: Encouragement to engage with the wider public sector UX community, fostering a collaborative spirit beyond the immediate organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The team culture is built around core principles of user-centricity, evidence-based practice, and robust collaboration. The emphasis on "working in the open" suggests an environment that values transparency and knowledge sharing as key drivers of collective progress.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Complex Information Services: Researching user needs for complex archival and historical information services can be more nuanced than for purely transactional sites, requiring deeper contextual understanding and potentially longer research cycles.

• Diverse User Base: Serving a broad range of users with varying levels of digital literacy, research needs, and accessibility requirements presents a significant challenge in ensuring inclusivity.

• Balancing Delivery and Understanding: Managing the need for short-term delivery priorities within agile sprints while also fostering long-term, deep organizational understanding of users and their behaviors.

• Integrating Emerging Technologies: Researching the impact and usability of AI or Large Language Models within archival contexts requires staying ahead of technological advancements and understanding novel user interactions.

• Advocating for Research: Continuously demonstrating the value of user research to various stakeholders and ensuring it remains central to decision-making processes.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Methodological Depth: Opportunities to deepen expertise in advanced qualitative methods (e.g., ethnography, diary studies) and quantitative analysis, including leveraging AI/LLM research techniques.

• Domain Expertise: Gaining in-depth knowledge of archival science, public records, and the unique information needs of researchers and the public interacting with historical collections.

• Cross-Disciplinary Learning: Working alongside experts in digital development, collections management, historical research, and digital preservation provides a rich learning environment.

• Government Digital Standards: Understanding and applying the Government Digital Service Standard and related best practices for public sector digital services.

• Professional Networking: Engaging with the public sector UX community offers opportunities for knowledge exchange, skill development, and career networking.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are inherent to working in a unique public sector domain with evolving digital services. The growth opportunities are substantial, offering a blend of methodological, domain-specific, and professional development that can significantly advance a user researcher's career.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• Research Approach: "Describe a complex user research project you led. What were the key challenges, what methodologies did you employ, and how did your findings influence the final product or service?" (Focus on your process, problem-solving, and impact.)

• Collaboration & Stakeholder Management: "How do you typically collaborate with multidisciplinary teams (developers, designers, product owners)? How do you communicate research findings to stakeholders with different levels of understanding of user research?" (Highlight your communication and teamwork skills.)

• Problem-Solving & Data Interpretation: "Imagine you're tasked with improving user engagement with a digital archive. What steps would you take to understand user needs and identify key problems to solve?" (Demonstrate your analytical thinking and ability to translate needs into actionable insights.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• User-Centricity: "Why is user research important for an institution like The National Archives? How would you ensure user needs are at the heart of digital service development here?" (Show your understanding of the organization's mission and how research supports it.)

• Team Dynamics: "Describe your ideal working relationship within an agile, multidisciplinary team. How do you contribute to a positive and productive team environment?" (Reflect on your collaborative style and ability to integrate into teams.)

• Impact Measurement: "How do you measure the impact of your user research? Can you provide an example of how your research led to measurable improvements in a digital service?" (Prepare to discuss metrics and tangible outcomes.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Select Strong Examples: Choose 2-3 projects from your work history that best showcase your skills against the essential criteria: end-to-end research, qualitative/quantitative methods, collaboration, and actionable insights.

• Structure Your Narrative: For each project, use a STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) or similar framework. Clearly articulate the context, your role, the actions you took, and the measurable results or impact.

• Focus on Process, Not Just Outcomes: Explain how you arrived at your findings and how you communicated them. Show your critical thinking and methodological rigor.

• Highlight Adaptability: Be prepared to discuss how you adapted your research approach based on project constraints, user feedback, or evolving project goals.

• Prepare Visual Aids (if applicable): While not explicitly required, having a few key slides or visual examples (e.g., a persona, a journey map snippet, key data points) can enhance your presentation, especially for the practical activity.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process will likely involve both behavioral and practical elements. Candidates should prepare specific examples that demonstrate their core competencies and tailor their responses to the context of The National Archives' mission and its digital services.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this User Researcher position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on the Workday job portal.

• Resume & Work History Optimization: Tailor your resume and work history to highlight direct experience with user research for digital products and services, emphasizing both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. Use keywords from the job description such as "user research," "qualitative," "quantitative," "digital services," "accessibility," and "GDPR."

• Answer Application Questions Thoughtfully: Prepare detailed responses to the three application questions, ensuring they directly address the essential criteria listed in the job description. Use specific examples from your experience to illustrate your capabilities.

• Prepare for the Practical Activity: Review common user research tasks. Be ready to demonstrate your ability to plan, conduct, and analyze research, and articulate your findings and recommendations clearly and concisely. Practice thinking aloud and explaining your methodology.

• Research The National Archives: Understand their mission, their digital services, and the unique context of working with historical archives. Consider how user research contributes to their goals of accessibility and engagement.

⚠️ 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.