User Researcher

Lead User Researcher (Secure Environment)

Overview

We are seeking an experienced Lead User Researcher to support the delivery of a highly secure, business-critical capability.

Working as part of a small, specialist project team, you will engage with senior stakeholders and end users operating in a highly controlled setting. Your role will focus on understanding complex user needs, workflows, and behaviours, and shaping how a new service is adopted and supported. This is not a typical digital user research role. Access to users, tools, and environments will be restricted, requiring a pragmatic, adaptable approach and the ability to operate effectively within strict security constraints. Due to the nature of the work, active DV (Developed Vetting) clearance is required.

Your work will directly inform business change planning, onboarding strategies, operational processes, and service design.

Key Responsibilities

• Plan and conduct user research within a highly secure environment, adapting methods to align with access and security constraints
• Engage with senior stakeholders and end users to understand workflows, challenges, and operational needs
• Develop and maintain user personas, journey maps, and process maps reflecting the target user population
• Lead the production of business change assessments, identifying impacts, training needs, and transition requirements
• Define and document processes for how users and information move into and out of the secure environment
• Identify onboarding requirements, access controls, and any logistical considerations for users
• Contribute to the design of the overall service model, including support and operational processes
• Collaborate closely with delivery, security, and governance teams to ensure user needs are reflected in key decisions
• Document research findings clearly and appropriately for secure environments using approved tools and formats

Essential Skills & Experience

• Active DV (Developed Vetting) clearance is mandatory
• Proven experience conducting user research in public sector or similarly regulated environments
• Strong qualitative research skills, including interviews, workshops, and contextual enquiry
• Experience working with small or hard-to-access user groups
• Ability to translate research into actionable insights, business change outputs, and service design recommendations
• Confidence engaging with senior stakeholders and presenting findings clearly
• Strong written communication skills, particularly for governance and assurance audiences
• Experience working in Agile, multidisciplinary teams

Desirable Experience

• Experience working in highly secure or restricted environments
• Familiarity with government service design standards and principles
• Experience producing business change, user impact, or service readiness documentation
• Working knowledge of collaboration and delivery tools such as Jira and Confluence