User Researcher

Role Overview

We’re looking for a talented Researcher to join our growing Insights team. As a User Researcher at Mercator, you’ll be responsible for planning, designing, and conducting research to help teams deeply understand user needs, informing policy, propositions, service, content, and interaction design. Your insights will ensure that the services we create meet user needs and achieve policy objectives.

Working collaboratively with service, interaction and content designers, as well as product teams throughout the service lifecycle, you’ll help teams challenge assumptions, identify pain points, and validate design decisions through evidence-based insights. You’ll be an advocate for user-centred design practices, ensuring research findings influence strategic decisions and drive continuous service improvement whilst adhering to government service standards and accessibility requirements.

Depending on your experience level, you’ll either be working as part of a multidisciplinary team under guidance, taking full responsibility for research within a service team, or leading research activities across multiple teams and complex services.

What You’ll Do

• Plan and conduct various types of research using appropriate methodologies (interviews, usability testing, surveys, diary studies, etc.) to understand user needs, behaviours, and pain points
• Analyse and synthesise research data to identify patterns, insights, and opportunities that inform design and development decisions
• Create clear, actionable research outputs (reports, presentations, user journeys, personas) that communicate insights effectively to teams and stakeholders
• Collaborate closely with Designers, Product Managers, and other team members to ensure user needs are clearly articulated, understood and addressed throughout the project lifecycle
• Involve users with diverse backgrounds, abilities, and needs in research to ensure inclusive design practices
• Build user-centred practices within teams, helping them adopt evidence-based approaches to service design and delivery
• Develop and iterate research plans based on project goals, timelines, and resources
• Present research findings to stakeholders at all levels, advocating for user needs and influencing project direction
• Stay current with user research methods and best practices, sharing knowledge with the wider team
• Ensure all research activities are conducted ethically and in compliance with relevant regulations (e.g., GDPR)
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of our research practice and methodologies
• Support the growth of Mercator’s research community through knowledge sharing and mentoring

What You’ll Bring

Essential Skills & Experience:

• Research Planning & Execution: Experience in planning and conducting various types of user research using appropriate methodologies (interviews, usability testing, surveys, etc.) to explore user needs and behaviours
• Analysis & Synthesis: Proven ability to analyse and synthesise research data to identify patterns, insights, and opportunities that inform design and development decisions
• User-Centred Mindset: Strong understanding of user-centred design principles and how research supports the creation of accessible, inclusive digital services
• Communication Skills: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to present complex research findings clearly to diverse audiences
• Collaboration: Experience working effectively in multidisciplinary teams, partnering with Designers, Developers, Product Managers, and other stakeholders
• Research Ethics: Understanding of ethical considerations in research, including data privacy, informed consent, and inclusive practices
• Adaptability: Ability to adjust research approaches based on project constraints, timelines, and evolving needs

Desirable Skills & Experience:

• Government Experience: Experience conducting research for public sector or government digital services
• Service Standards: Familiarity with government service standards and assessment processes
• Accessibility Expertise: Knowledge of accessibility requirements and inclusive research practices
• Research Tools: Experience using tools like Miro, Figma, or similar for collaborative research activities
• Academic Background: Background in a related discipline such as HCI, psychology, anthropology, or social sciences
• Mentoring: Experience mentoring others in research practices
• Agile Knowledge: Understanding of agile methodologies and how research fits within agile delivery