Job Description
User Researcher
Location: National*
Closing Date: 28th January 2026
Interviews: expected 11th February onwards
Grade: SEO
(MoJ candidates who are on a specialist grade, will be able to retain this grade on lateral transfer)
Salary: National: £42,914 - £46,182
London: £49,325- £53,081
*please read the T&Cs at the bottom of the page, for more information
Working pattern: full time, part-time, flexible working
Contract Type: Permanent
Vacancy number: 13916
*We offer a hybrid working model, allowing for a balance between remote work and time spent in your local office. Office locations can be found ON THIS MAP
The Role
We’re recruiting for User Researchers here at Justice Digital to be part of our warm and collaborative product teams, in the following area:
Legal Aid Agency (LAA)
This role aligns against User Researcher from the Government Digital and Data Framework
We’re looking for User Researchers who want to make a difference by working on public services that really matter.
You’ll be welcomed into a thriving user research community and into multidisciplinary teams, alongside designers, business analysts, product managers, delivery managers and developers all working together to deliver world-class, user-centred services.
We are currently experimenting with different delivery models, so some of the time you might find yourself embedded full time on a product team, and at other times you might be providing research support to a couple of product teams in parallel. You may be working alongside other researchers, or as a single researcher in a team. We are therefore looking for researchers who have pragmatic, flexible ways of working.
To help picture your life at MoJ Justice Digital please take a look at our blog and our Digital and Technology strategy 2025
Key Responsibilities:
Plan, conduct, analyse and communicate research
Ensure the inclusion of different types of users in research activities
Effectively communicate research findings within project teams, and share findings with other relevant stakeholders
Work closely with product managers, designers and developers to turn user research findings into actions that lead to valuable product and service designs
Contribute to building our user research and user centred design community, by developing our practice and ways of working.
If this feels like an exciting challenge, something you are enthusiastic about, and you want to join our team, please read on and apply!
Benefits
37 hours per week and flexible working options including working from home, working part-time, job sharing, or working compressed hours.
A £1k per person learning budget is in place to support all our people, with access to best in class conferences and seminars, accreditation with professional bodies, fully funded vocational programmes and e-learning platforms
Staff have 10% time to dedicate to develop & grow
Generous civil service pension based on defined benefit scheme, with employer contributions of 28.97% from April 1st 2024 (Contribution Rates)
25 days leave (plus bank holidays) and 1 privilege day usually taken around the Kings’ birthday. 5 additional days of leave once you have reached 5 years of service.
Compassionate maternity, adoption, and shared parental leave policies, with up to 26 weeks leave at full pay, 13 weeks with partial pay, and 13 weeks further leave. And maternity support/paternity leave at full pay for 2 weeks, too!
Wellbeing support including access to the Calm app.
Bike loans up to £2500 and secure bike parking (subject to availability and location)
Season ticket loans, childcare vouchers and eye-care vouchers.
5 days volunteering paid leave.
Free membership to BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT.
Some offices may have a subsidised onsite Gym.
Person Specification
Essential
Using research methods, primarily qualitative but ideally with some quantitative experience, and being able to select the right research method for the problem that needs to be solved
Being an advocate for users, encouraging teams to engage with research insights to help them make evidence-based decisions.
Ensuring research and insights support the iterative development of a service/product
Including different kinds of users in appropriate research activities, and knowing how to run inclusive and ethical research
Building effective working relationships with a team and stakeholders
Managing personal data, including following security and consent processes
Willingness to be assessed against the requirements for SC clearance
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service D&I Strategy.
How to Apply
Candidates must complete the full application form, and include CV and a statement of suitability (750 words max), which describes how you meet the requirements set out below, from the essential criteria:
The statement of suitability should outline your experience and suitability, in no more than 250 words per section, against the following 3 criteria (750 words max). We recommend, clearly outlining each 3 sections and answers, in separate paragraphs within the statement.
Using research methods, primarily qualitative but ideally with some quantitative experience, and being able to select the right research method for the problem that needs to be solved
Ensuring research and insights support the iterative development of a service/product
Including different kinds of users in appropriate research activities, and knowing how to run inclusive and ethical research
**Should we receive a high volume of applications, a pre-sift based on ‘User research methods’ will be conducted prior to the sift.
Application Guidance
Please access the following link for guidance on how to apply and how to complete a Personal Statement
In Justice Digital, we recruit using a combination of the Government Digital and Data Profession Capability and Success Profiles Frameworks. We will assess your Experience, Technical Skills and the following Behaviours during the assessment process:
Changing and improving
Communicating and influencing
Working together
Managing a quality service
Delivering at pace
A diverse panel will review your application against the Person Specification above.
Successful candidates who meet the required standard will then be invited to a 1-hour panel interview held via video conference, which will include a user research task, given in advance of the interview.
Should you be unsuccessful in the role that you have applied for but demonstrate the capability for a role at a lower level, we reserve the right to discuss this opportunity with you and offer you the position without needing a further application.
A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months, from which further appointments may be made.
Use of Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
Terms & Conditions
Please review our Terms and Conditions which set out how we recruit and provide further information related to the role and salary arrangements.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact digitalanddatarecruitment@justice.gov.uk
