User Researcher

Job summary

Ofgem is the leader in the Energy Sector for supporting the public and making sure the industry has the direction it needs to make the right choices. We’re looking for a User Researcher to lead research on how people interact with our services, helping us create accessible and effective solutions that support energy consumers.

Ofgem is Great Britain’s independent energy regulator. We ensure that every household and business has access to a safe, affordable, and sustainable energy supply. With the energy sector undergoing rapid transformation, our work has never been more vital - or more exciting.

You’ll play a key role in developing research-led insights that shape service design and policy. This is an opportunity to influence high-impact projects and improve digital and operational services across Ofgem.

As a User Researcher, you will ensure our services meet users' needs by leading in-depth research on how people interact with them. You will be involved in exciting work to discover users’ needs, analyse their behaviours and create solutions that deliver for them. At every step of the journey, you will be vital to informing, testing and supporting projects and will work with a huge range of engaged parties across Ofgem and beyond to make sure our solutions are the best they can possibly be, and user-centred thinking is at the heart of our decision-making.

We’re looking for someone with professional experience as a User Researcher, working alongside User Centred Design disciplines. You should have experience influencing and engaging stakeholders, including sceptical colleagues, and be confident in conducting inclusive research to ensure services meet the needs of all users. The ability to select and apply the right qualitative and quantitative research methods to deliver meaningful insights is essential.

In return, we offer an environment where you have everything you need to thrive, from flexible working options to outstanding perks and benefits. What’s more, you’ll have access to professional development opportunities to support your growth, whilst contributing to a mission-driven organisation that’s shaping the future of the UK energy sector and leading the drive towards Net Zero.

We have a critical purpose to ensure that the public have an Energy Industry that works for them and services that are designed around their needs.

Read on and apply today.

Job description

Key Responsibilities

• Plan, design and prepare a range of user research methodologies to support the design, development and continuous improvement of complex government services;
• Carry out a wide range of user research operations including recruiting participants, and managing research contacts;
• Independently carry out research activities, aligning research needs and questions, preparing discussion guides, moderating research sessions, and analysing and synthesising research findings for stakeholders;
• Lead and support colleagues to analyse research data and synthesise clear and actionable findings
• Communicate user research findings to inform decisions in the wider team and organisation through user understanding and user needs;
• Work closely with product managers, designers, developers, business analysts, and internal stakeholders to turn user research findings into stories and actions that lead to valuable product and service features;
• Contribute to UCD strategic planning, to align user research activities with wider strategic plans to inform service propositions;
• Help build and advocate for user-centred practices in project teams;
• Develop and ensure good user research practice, sharing knowledge with other user researchers;
• Contribute to the wider user research community - including presenting at meetups, writing blog posts and leading on aspects of practice development.

Key Outputs and Deliverables

• Research plans
• Research findings; reports, presentations, etc
• Insights and user needs from research
• Input into designs, and iteration of research plans to integrate designs

Person specification

Essential Criteria

• Professional experience as a user researcher, working with other User Centred Design disciplines (Lead Criteria).
• Experience advocating for user research and engaging sceptical colleagues and stakeholders.
• The ability to include all kinds of users in appropriate research activities to help teams understand the diversity of users of government services.
• Ability to select appropriate qualitative and quantitative research methods, aligning with the research needs of the team and project.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Developing Self and Others
• Delivering at Pace

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• You will be asked to complete a technical test at the start of your interview. This will require no preparation prior to your interview and you will be provided with the scenario at the start of your interview

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £35,232, OFGEM contributes £10,206 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.Ofgem can offer you a comprehensive and competitive benefits package which includes; 30 days annual leave after 2 years; Excellent training and development opportunities; The opportunity to join the generous Civil Service pension which also includes a valuable range of benefits; hybrid working (currently 1 day a week in the office but this is kept under review), flexible working hours and family friendly policies. Plus lots of other benefits including clean and bright offices based centrally, engaged networks and teams and an opportunity to contribute to our ambitious and important targets of establishing a Net Zero energy system by 2050. This exciting blend of professional challenge and personal reward identifies career opportunities at Ofgem as something to get excited about.

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

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

When you press the ‘Apply now’ button, you will be asked to complete personal details (not seen by the sift panel), and upload a copy of your CV anonymising all details where necessary.

You will then be asked to provide a 1250 word ‘personal statement’ evidencing how you meet the essential skills and capabilities listed in the role profile. Please ensure you demonstrate clearly, within your supporting statement, how you meet each of the criteria listed in the role profile.

The personal information we have collected from you will be shared with Cifas who will use it to prevent fraud, other unlawful or dishonest conduct, malpractice, and other seriously improper conduct. If any of these are detected, you could be refused certain services or employment. Your personal information will also be used to verify your identity. Further details of how your information will be used by us and Cifas, and your data protection rights, can be found by [https://www.cifas.org.uk/fpn].

Please note, this role is being recruited to in Ofgem. During 2027, it is expected that this role will move department as part of the Warm Homes Plan. The home department or organisation will be confirmed during 2026. The move between departments will be managed in line with the relevant staff transfer regulations.

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a 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

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).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 : Lewis Buckley
• Email : recruitment@ofgem.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : recruitment@ofgem.gov.uk

Further information

Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. You have the right to complain if you feel there has been a breach of these Recruitment Principles.

In the first instance, you should raise the matter directly via recruitment@ofgem.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response, you may bring your complaint to the Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission, please visit their website.

Attachments

User Researcher, Candidate Pack Opens in new window (pdf, 1386kB)Terms and Conditions April 2025 Opens in new window (pdf, 366kB)User Researcher, Role Profile (2) Opens in new window (pdf, 171kB)