User Researcher, HEO, Temp. Liverpool/ Newport

Job summary

Do you want your User Research skills to make a real difference?

If you’re motivated by meaningful work, eager to champion user needs, and ready to help elevate our User Experience practice, join us in shaping services that genuinely lift the load for the volunteers, trustees, and employees at the heart of the charity sector.

We are looking for a user researcher to play a pivotal role in designing the next generation of Charity Commission services.

In this role, you’ll help shape and refine research approaches that reveal opportunities to improve our systems, simplify complex journeys, and enhance how people experience our services.

You will:

• Generate clear, evidence‑based insights into user needs, behaviours and pain points, ensuring our products and services are grounded in real user experiences rather than assumptions.
• Translate research findings into practical, actionable recommendations that inform design and product decisions, influence roadmaps, and help teams prioritise the changes that deliver the greatest value for users.
• Champion the voice of the user across the organisation, fostering empathy, promoting user‑centred thinking, and ensuring user needs remain central throughout the design and delivery process.
• Strengthen the quality and consistency of research practice, choosing appropriate methods, ensuring research is robust and ethical, and continually improving how we work to support better decision‑making.

Job description

The main things you will be doing are:

• Planning and running user research that delivers real insight, using the right methods, involving your multidisciplinary team, and turning findings into clear, actionable guidance.
• Embedding research into agile delivery, working closely with designers, product managers and developers to support iterative design and ensure user needs drive each stage of development.
• Championing inclusive research, ensuring a diverse range of users take part in studies and helping create services that are accessible and usable for everyone.
• Strengthening our research practice, defining the scope of studies, applying good standards, seeking guidance when needed, and continually improving how we work.
• Building strong relationships with stakeholders, communicating research effectively, influencing decisions with evidence, and helping align organisational priorities with user needs.

Person specification

Key skills and experience and knowledge you will need are:

Ability:

• Experience and understanding of a range of user centred service design and delivery practices.
• The ability to understand what problem your team is trying to solve, and align user research activities to inform decision making and action.
• Experience and understanding of a range of user research methods, when to use those methods and how to apply them correctly.
• A good understanding of the diversity of users of government services, and the ability to include many kinds of users in appropriate research activities.
• Experience of working with colleagues to plan and do continuous user research in a multidisciplinary team.
• Experience of involving your team in research activities, and in the analysis and synthesis.
• A good understanding of the social and technological context for government services, and the ability to align user research activities to help their team understand changing user behaviour.
• An understanding of agile approaches and experience of working in agile teams.
• Ability to champion accessibility and inclusion, consider the impact of new technologies and ensure that designs meet accessibility, legal and security requirements.
• Able to use evidence to challenge assumptions, negotiate with product owners and rationalise design decisions based on user research.

Experience:

• Proven experience of gathering user requirements for web-based services.
• Proven experience of designing, facilitating and analysing a wide range of qualitative and quantitative user research methods.
• Demonstrable knowledge, experience in and passion for user centred design practices for web, service and software development.

Technical:

• Proven experience using Azure Devops.
• User journey mapping using tools such as Visio.
• Working knowledge of GDS Service Design Standards.

Behaviours

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

• Changing and Improving
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Managing a Quality Service
• Delivering at Pace

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £35,384, Charity Commission contributes £10,250 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

This is your chance to make a contribution that really matters and to make an impact in an organisation where your voice will be heard and your hard work noticed.

Watch this short video to find out more about us. short video

We operate a flexible hybrid working policy where office attendance is combined with homeworking days dependent on role and corporate requirements.

We recognise everyone as an individual, accepting people for who they are and treating everyone fairly. We welcome the unique contribution diverse applicants bring from all backgrounds and we aim to have a workforce that represents the wider society that we serve. We champion inclusion and wellbeing, aiming to create a workplace where everyone feels valued and has a sense of belonging.

We do not discriminate on the basis of culture, ethnicity, race, nationality or national origin, age, sex, gender identity or expression, religion or belief, disability status, sexual orientation, educational or social background or any other factor.

We offer access to the highly competitive Civil Service Pension Scheme (employer contributions of 28.97%), far more than in the private sector, and a flexible, family-friendly environment. Additionally, you can look forward to other great benefits via our ‘Perkbox’ and ‘Edenred’ schemes. These include everything from an interest-free season ticket loan, tenancy deposit loan scheme and bicycle loan (after two months) to discounts on gym membership, cinema tickets and restaurants. Please see the attached Charity Commission benefits document.

A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by one day per year up to a maximum of 30 days per year. You have the opportunity to purchase up to an additional 5 days annual leave (pro rata) per year, requests must be submitted in the February of that year.

The Charity Commission’s operational ambition is to realise the Commission’s values of being an expert regulator that is fair, balanced, and independent, which works in a way that is supportive, collaborative, and innovative to achieve our ambitions. We want to develop our capability to regulate charities to realise this goal and meet our statutory and public duties to ensure that charity in England and Wales can deliver maximum benefit to society in a way that upholds its reputation in the eyes of the public.

Work at the Charity Commission and you’ll make a difference every day to:

• The 170,000 charities of all shapes and sizes that we regulate across England and Wales.
• The trustees we partner with and advise.
• The people and causes that benefit from the £10bn generously donated each year by the public.

Find out more about working for us here.

To note: Any move across the Civil Service on or after 4 October 2018 may have implications on an employee’s ability to carry on claiming childcare vouchers.

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, Strengths and Experience.

To apply for this post, you must complete the following:

• Comprehensive CV which lists qualifications and skills sets
• Personal statement of up to 750 words demonstrating how you meet the essential criteria for the role outlined on the Job Description.

We will assess your experience, strengths and the following Behaviours at Interview stage:

• Changing and improving
• Seeing the big picture
• Managing a quality service
• Delivering at pace

You will also be asked to give a presentation at the interview. This will be on a prepared topic and will assess your knowledge and experience.

Interview Arrangements

Interviews will be taking place face to face.

The sift is due to take place on 13th April 2026

Interviews will be held w/c week commencing 27th April 2026

We will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates change. You will be provided with sufficient notice of the confirmed dates.

At the interview, the panel can then probe further and ask applicants to provide further specific examples that show how they best demonstrate their skills.

We reserve the right to raise the score required at any stage of the process to manage numbers.

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment.

Behaviours:

The distinguishing Behaviours (the required skills, knowledge, and behaviours) for this role are set out in the Civil Service Behaviours Framework 2018 (Success Profiles - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)) and should be referred to when making this application.

You are required, under the Behaviours approach, to describe how you have dealt with a specific situation.

You must give evidence of your knowledge, skills, and behaviours and how you have applied this, such as what you did or said and how you interacted with other people.

When you are giving your examples, do not spend too many words on description and background information. Avoid using general or unspecific statements. Instead say what the situation was, what you did, what your thought process was and what was the result.

Reasonable Adjustment:

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled persons, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

• Contact Government Recruitment Service via Charitycommissionrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
• Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at an interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

Reserve Lists

If we have more successful candidates than available vacancies, we will hold a 12-month reserve list as standard.

During that time, we may use the list to fill the same, or similar roles with closely matching essential criteria, without further testing of merit. Any appointments from the Reserve list will be made in strict merit order.

Applying

We recognise everyone as an individual, accepting people for who they are and treating everyone fairly

All applications for these vacancies must be made online. There are limited exceptions to this. Paper applications will only be considered if you have a disability that will prevent you from applying online. If this is the case, please email Charitycommissionrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Once you have submitted your application it cannot be amended; only submit your application when you have completely finished and answered all the relevant questions.

Please note that late applications will not be accepted.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

Fixed Term Contracts – Important Information

This is a fixed-term appointment as User Researcher in DDaT. Your responsibilities are listed in the Job Description for this post. This post will therefore begin from the date of your appointment and end 12 months later.

Permanent civil servants joining the Charity Commission on a Fixed-term Appointment:

If you accept a Fixed-term Appointment with the Charity Commission it must be a transfer from your home department on a loan basis to ensure you can return to your home department at the end of the Fixed-term Appointment.

Criminal Record Check

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service/ on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

Vetting

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the Demystifying Vetting website.

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 : Martin Gordon
• Email : Recruitment@charitycommission.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : charitycommissionrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Further information

The Charity Commission’s recruitment processes are underpinned by the Civil Service Commissioner’s Recruitment Principles, which outlines that selection for appointment is made on merit based on fair and open competition.
If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the values in the Civil Service Code and/or if you feel the recruitment has been conducted in such a way that conflicts with the Civil Service Commissioner’s Recruitment Principles, and wish to make a complaint, then you should contact in the first instance hrselfservice@charitycommission.gov.uk.
If you are not satisfied with the response that you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web page here.

Attachments

User Researcher Job Description Opens in new window (pdf, 194kB)User Researcher JD - Welsh Opens in new window (pdf, 179kB)Benefits Opens in new window (pdf, 169kB)Benefits - Welsh Opens in new window (pdf, 170kB)