User Researcher SFIA 5

User Researcher - Government / Public Sector Rate: £520 per day (Inside IR35) Location: Fully Remote Contract: Initial until 30th September 2026 + 6-month rolling extensions The Opportunity We are looking for an experienced User Researcher (SFIA Level 5) to join a high-profile Government / Public Sector digital payments programme. This is a key role where you'll lead and coordinate user research across multiple agile teams, ensuring services are designed around real user needs and deliver measurable outcomes for citizens. You'll play a critical part in shaping and improving digital payment services within a complex, large-scale public sector environment. Key Responsibilities Research Leadership & Delivery Lead and coordinate user research across multiple delivery teams Take ownership of research for a dedicated product area within the payments programme Plan, design and execute end-to-end research activities Conduct qualitative research and support quantitative analysisStakeholder Engagement Work closely with Product Owners and Delivery teams to define research priorities Engage and influence senior stakeholders across government programmes Present clear, actionable insights to drive decision-makingInsight & Service Improvement Translate research findings into tangible service improvements Partner with analysts and product teams to identify trends and opportunities Contribute to continuous improvement of digital public servicesMentoring & Collaboration Support and mentor other user researchers Promote best practice across teams Contribute to building user research capability within the programme Essential Skills & Experience Strong experience as a User Researcher (SFIA Level 5 or equivalent) Proven ability to lead research across multiple agile teams Expertise in: Research planning and delivery Qualitative and quantitative research methods Insight synthesis and storytelling Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills Experience working in agile, multidisciplinary environmentsMust have experience working within the UK Government or wider Public Sector (e.g. GDS, central government, local authorities, or public bodies) Familiarity with GDS service standards and public sector delivery frameworks