Senior User Researcher Contractor

Hitachi Solutions Europe is a global Digital, Data and Technology consultancy, Microsoft Inner Circle and Cloud Services partner, specialising in end-to-end transformation. We build services that are user centred and accessible, designed by our brilliant agile teams, capable of harnessing the power of the latest technologies. We are committed to Microsoft technologies, with a mission to revolutionise modern businesses. 

We are building a talent pool of experienced user research contractors to support increasing demand across a range of digital transformation initiatives.  

Contractors in this pool will be engaged on delivery-focused project work across a mix of commercial and UK Government clients, supporting initiatives of varying scale and complexity. Engagements will differ in length and scope depending on project requirements and will be agreed on project-by-project basis. 

Contract Type: Independent contractor 

This role does not include formal line management or responsibility for internal capability development. 

Key responsibilities 

The Senior User Researcher contractor will be accountable for delivering agreed user research outcomes within scope of each project, which may include:  

• Plan and deliver research activities that help teams understand user needs, behaviours and pain points 

• Select appropriate research methods based on the problem being explored and the stage of delivery 

• Contribute to shaping research strategies for complex products or services 

• Ensure research activities support evidence-based decision making within delivery teams 

• Conduct qualitative and quantitative research using a range of appropriate methods 

• Analyse and synthesise research findings to generate meaningful insights 

• Translate research findings into clear recommendations that support product and service decisions 

• Help teams understand the implications of research insights for design and delivery 

• Contribute to early problem exploration and discovery activities 

• Support design and delivery teams in testing concepts and validating design decisions 

• Ensure research insights continue to inform improvements once services are live 

• Help teams develop an ongoing understanding of user needs as services evolve 

• Work closely with designers, service designers, engineers, project and product managers in multidisciplinary teams 

• Facilitate research activities with stakeholders and support teams in interpreting research findings 

• Communicate insights clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences 

• Support teams in making decisions grounded in evidence and user insight 

• Advocate for user-centred and evidence-based approaches within delivery teams 

• Promote ethical research practices and inclusive research approaches 

• Support and mentor less experienced researchers where appropriate 

• Contribute to improving research practices and knowledge sharing within the UCD team 

The successful contractor will demonstrate:  

• Experience planning and conducting user research for complex digital products or services 

• Ability to select appropriate research methods and adapt them to different delivery contexts 

• Experience analysing and synthesising research findings into clear insights and recommendations 

• Strong communication skills and ability to present research findings clearly to diverse audiences 

• Experience working within multidisciplinary teams alongside designers, engineers and product managers 

• Understanding of inclusive research practices and accessibility considerations 

• Experience supporting teams in making decisions informed by user insight 

Preferred Experience 

We would particularly welcome candidates with experience in: 

• Consulting or digital transformation environments 

• Enterprise technology ecosystems 

• UK Government or public sector services 

• Designing experiences within complex organisational or regulatory environments 

We are interested in designers who are curious about how emerging technologies are changing digital services. This includes interest in: 

• how artificial intelligence is changing digital products and services 

• how new tools and technologies can support research, synthesis and insight generation 

• how organisations can responsibly integrate emerging technologies into services that work for people 

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