Senior User Researcher

Job summary

We are MHCLG

Here at the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG), we work on things that make a real difference to people’s lives. Whether it's through the homes we live in, the work of local councils, or the communities we are part of, our work is at the top of the political agenda. We have ambitious and far-reaching outcomes to achieve and, if you’re thinking of joining us, there’s never been a more exciting time.

We're looking for Senior User Researchers to join teams delivering some of the department's most important digital services. Opportunities are available across both the Funding Service and Elections Digital.

The Funding Service is transforming how MHCLG delivers grant funding to councils, community organisations and local services. Our aim is to design digital solutions so that grant delivery is faster, more consistent, cost-effective and user-centred across the lifecycle, from fund design through assessment, payments and monitoring. Our service supports programmes worth billions of pounds, and if you want your research to shape real-world decisions and improve outcomes, this is a great place to do it.

We are also growing our user research capability within Elections Digital, which sits within the Elections Directorate. The Directorate is responsible for how elections are run and who participates, delivering the government's elections strategy including votes for 16 and 17-year-olds, improvements to voter registration and changes to voter identification. Our digital services support millions of users each year and include Register to Vote, Apply for a Postal Vote, Apply for a Proxy Vote and services used by Electoral Registration Offices in local authorities.

As a Senior User Researcher, you will lead high-quality user research to inform the design, delivery and continuous improvement of the Funding Service or Elections Services. You will work closely with a multidisciplinary team to embed user insight into decision making, shape service direction, and improve user outcomes. You will also support the development of user research capability across the team and wider department. You can find out more about the Funding Service in our MHCLG Digital Blog [Search Results for “funding service” – MHCLG Digital].

Find out more about our Digital teams and what they are working on through our MHCLG Digital blog. Please note that MHCLG do not offer visa sponsorship and applicants will need a valid visa for the duration of your employment.

Job description

As a Senior User Researcher, you'll:

• Lead the planning, design and delivery of user research using a variety of research methods at different design phases, from discovery through to live services
• Carry out user research activities from recruiting participants, preparing discussion guides, and moderating research sessions
• Analyse and synthesise research data to develop findings, insights and recommendations
• Work collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team and with wider stakeholders to inform user-centred decision making
• Use inclusive research practices with a focus on accessibility needs
• Advocate for the user by sharing research insights and user needs regularly and consistently
• Maintain user needs, playbacks, and insights so that designers can easily find and act on research findings
• Line manage and/or mentor junior researchers

Person specification

As a Senior User Researcher, you'll have:

• Senior-level experience planning, preparing, and carrying out user research activities for complex services, with demonstrable experience in qualitative (for example, usability testing, contextual interviews) and quantitative methods (for example, surveys, A/B testing)
• Proven ability to analyse and synthesise complex research data into clear, actionable findings and insights
• Ability to collaborate effectively within multidisciplinary teams to action user research findings and inform decision making
• Experience of sharing research findings widely across organisations to build understanding of users and their needs
• Strong understanding of accessibility requirements and inclusive research methods
• Experience recruiting and researching with diverse users, understand how to make research activities accessible and ensure underrepresented voices inform service design
• Familiarity with the Government Service Standard or similar frameworks - experience of managing and mentoring junior user researchers

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £60,230, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government contributes £17,448 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).At MHCLG we offer many benefits that range from tailored career pathways and flexible working to MyLifestyle Childcare Voucher and Cycle to Work Schemes. For more information, please click here.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

Application and Selection

The application process will be split into 2 stages, testing the following Success Profiles:

Behaviours , Experience , Strengths , Technical

Please ensure your CV does not contain any personally identifiable information.

Note: We do not consider direct CV applications. All applications must be submitted via the provided application link.

Important: Your CV and Cover Letter must be merged into a single document before uploading.

Stage 1: Sift (CV & Cover Letter)

Experience & Technical: Your covering letter should be no more than 750 words referencing how you meet the criteria set out in the job description.

Most of our campaigns utilise multiple assessors and so it is possible that each of your answers would be viewed by different assessors.

Stage 2: Interview

• Behaviours: Communicating and Influencing, Seeing the Bigger Picture, Working Together
• Technical: Technical questions will be based around the essential skills and criteria as listed in the job description.*
• Experience: Experience questions will be based around the essential skills and criteria as listed in the job description.
• Strengths: The strength-based questions will require natural responses from the candidates.

*Candidates will be asked to prepare a 5-10 minute presentation, further details will be provided on invitation to interview.

Sift and Interview Dates

Sifting is envisaged to take place the week commencing 9th November 2026.

Interviews are envisaged to take place shortly after and are currently being held remotely via videocall. This could be subject to change.

How We Recruit

Find out everything you need to know before applying here..

• Applying
• Sifting
• Interview
• Interview Results & Feedback
• Reserve List
• Near Miss
• Civil Service Grades
• We are a DCS, RIS & GPTWV employer
• Reasonable Adjustments

Human

How to Apply

What you need to know before applying.

• Security Clearance Requirements
• Civil Service Nationality Requirements
• Right to Work
• Artificial Intelligence
• Civil Service Code and Recruitment Principles
• CV Declaration
• Sponsorships
• Salary and Grade
• Existing Civil Servants
• Conflict of Interest
• Location and Flexible Working
• Fixed Term Contracts
• Internal Fraud Database - Internal Fraud Register
• Appeals and Complaints
• Conflict of Interest

Security Clearance Requirements

National Office:

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Digital Data Jobs
• Email : Digitaldatajobs@communities.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : Digitaldatajobs@communities.gov.uk

Further information

If you are unsure about any part of the process or require additional information about the post to enable you to progress your application, you should speak to the Resourcing team - Recruitment@communities.gov.uk. Candidates can appeal at any stage of the recruitment process if they believe there has been:
•a procedural irregularity
•an infringement of the Civil Service equal opportunities policy
•exceptional circumstances which were not notified to the interview panel which might have affected performance on the day.
It is important to note that these are appeals about the process not the decision. In the first instance, an appeal should be directed to the MHCLG Resourcing Hub at Recruitment@communities.gov.uk.
If the MHCLG Resourcing Hub is unable to satisfactorily resolve your complaint, you may contact put your complaint in writing to the Civil Service Commission, Room G8,1 Horse Guards Road, London, SW1A 2HQ or by email to: info@csc.gov.uk