Job Introduction
We’re looking for an exceptional Lead User Researcher to help us make a difference to our planet.
As our Lead User Researcher, the job may be suitable for hybrid working, which is where an employee works part of the week in the office and part of the week from home. This is a voluntary, non-contractual arrangement and the location advertised will be your contractual place of work.
Our opportunity is full time, 37 hours per week, but we would also consider applicants wishing to work a minimum of 30 hours per week. Our people are at the heart of what we do and we’ll do our best to agree a working pattern that works for everyone.

ESSENTIAL CRITERIA, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• User research methods - You are an expert by nature when it comes to helping organisations adopt an evidence-based approach. You can lead teams to adopt a wide range of user research methods and analysis and synthesis techniques, to generate clear and valuable findings. You provide guidance to teams to continually assure, improve and innovate their user research to meet organisational outcomes.
• Strategic thinking - You live and breathe an evidence-based approach, helping teams to understand how user-centred design supports with achieving goals and you align work to the organisation’s strategy and objectives. You can synthesise findings from research programmes, producing strategic insights to inform service strategies.
• Inclusive research - You demonstrate you are a force for good by setting and assuring inclusive user research standards for the organisation, including ethics and safeguarding. You can advocate inclusive practices and help teams design and deliver accessible services that work for all users.
• Research leadership – You can sustainably resource and lead a team of user researchers to meet organisational goals. You can manage, coach and support teams to produce high-quality user research across the organisation. You can help inexperienced teams to adopt and embed user-centred practices.
• Stakeholder relationship management - You demonstrate we are better together by working with stakeholders to ensure their objectives are user focused and aligned with organisational strategy, and support teams to meet them. You can influence and negotiate with senior stakeholders to resolve issues and enable progress.
• Agile research practices - You help teams to keep evolving by advocating for agile working. You can advise teams on how to design and conduct research to respond to the complexity of the product environment and understand the strategic decisions the team needs to make so you can design appropriate research

• Ensure delivery teams take a user-centred, evidence-based approach aligned with the Government Service Standards to meet organisational outcomes.
• Facilitate and assure high-quality user research practices across the Met Office by offering teams expert guidance and support in implementing a wide range of user research methodologies and advanced analysis and synthesis techniques.
• Provide consultation to product managers, delivery managers, programme managers and stakeholders on user-centred design resourcing to deliver services and achieve outcomes.
• Source and provide sustainable user-centred design resource across the Met Office.
• Oversee the recruitment and management of user-centred design team members and support their career growth through structured mentoring and coaching.
• Advocate the value of user-centred design and user research across the Met Office to establish good practices aligned with the Government Service Manual and help inexperienced teams to adopt them.
• Improve the practice of inclusive, accessible and ethical research to effectively include all kinds of users in appropriate research activities.
• Advocate for agile working and adapt research practices to meet user needs efficiently.
• Lead user-centred design team initiatives to evolve the standard of user research at the Met Office.