User researcher

Find out what a user researcher in government does and the skills you need to do the role at each level.

Last updated 22 October 2024 — See all updates

Contents

— What a user researcher does
— User researcher role levels

— 1. Associate user researcher
— 2. Junior user researcher
— 3. User researcher
— 4. Senior user researcher
— 5. Lead user researcher
— 6. Head of user research

— Roles that share user researcher skills

What a user researcher does

User researchers plan, design and carry out research activities with users that help teams get a deep understanding of the people that use government services. This research informs policy, proposition, service, content and interaction design so that services work well for users and achieve policy intent.

User researcher role levels

There are 6 user researcher role levels, from associate user researcher to head of user research.

The typical responsibilities and skills for each role level are described in the sections below. You can use this to identify the skills you need to progress in your career, or simply to learn more about each role in the Government Digital and Data profession.

1. Associate user researcher

As a trainee in an entry-level role, working with more experienced user researchers, you will need to have an understanding of the role and show potential, although you will need guidance and training to produce good work and develop your skills.

This role level is often performed at the Civil Service job grade of:

AO (Administrative Officer)
EO (Executive Officer)

Skill	Description
Agile research practices Level: awareness Awareness is the first of 4 ascending skill levels	You can: describe agile working and the roles in a multidisciplinary digital team
Analysis and synthesis Level: awareness Awareness is the first of 4 ascending skill levels	You can: show an awareness of the need for careful analysis of research data to produce clear findings
Inclusive research Level: awareness Awareness is the first of 4 ascending skill levels	You can: demonstrate some awareness of the diversity of users of government services and the need to make government services usable and accessible for everyone
Research management, leadership and assurance Level: awareness Awareness is the first of 4 ascending skill levels	You can: explain the importance of working to a user research plan and of following standards for user research
Stakeholder relationship management Level: awareness Awareness is the first of 4 ascending skill levels	You can: describe who your stakeholders are, what evidence is relevant to them and the importance of managing relationships with them
User research methods Level: awareness Awareness is the first of 4 ascending skill levels	You can: explain some basic user research methods
User-centred practice and advocacy Level: awareness Awareness is the first of 4 ascending skill levels	You can: describe how government services and technology affect how people behave explain how user-centred practices are used to build services that adapt to changing user behaviour and needs

You can:

describe agile working and the roles in a multidisciplinary digital team

You can:

show an awareness of the need for careful analysis of research data to produce clear findings

You can:

demonstrate some awareness of the diversity of users of government services and the need to make government services usable and accessible for everyone

You can:

explain the importance of working to a user research plan and of following standards for user research

You can:

describe who your stakeholders are, what evidence is relevant to them and the importance of managing relationships with them

You can:

explain some basic user research methods

You can:

describe how government services and technology affect how people behave
explain how user-centred practices are used to build services that adapt to changing user behaviour and needs

2. Junior user researcher

A junior user researcher is embedded in a multidisciplinary team to carry out user research activities.

At this role level, you will:

have some practical experience but need regular guidance and training to produce your best work and develop your skills
work in combination with a more senior user researcher

This role level is often performed at the Civil Service job grade of:

EO (Executive Officer)
HEO (Higher Executive Officer)

Skill	Description
Agile research practices Level: awareness Awareness is the first of 4 ascending skill levels	You can: describe agile working and the roles in a multidisciplinary digital team
Analysis and synthesis Level: working Working is the second of 4 ascending skill levels	You can: understand how to apply basic techniques for the analysis of research data and synthesis of findings effectively involve your team in analysis and synthesis present clear findings that colleagues can understand and use
Inclusive research Level: awareness Awareness is the first of 4 ascending skill levels	You can: demonstrate some awareness of the diversity of users of government services and the need to make government services usable and accessible for everyone
Research management, leadership and assurance Level: awareness Awareness is the first of 4 ascending skill levels	You can: explain the importance of working to a user research plan and of following standards for user research
Stakeholder relationship management Level: awareness Awareness is the first of 4 ascending skill levels	You can: describe who your stakeholders are, what evidence is relevant to them and the importance of managing relationships with them
User research methods Level: working Working is the second of 4 ascending skill levels	You can: plan and conduct a user research project, with support understand when to use basic user research methods and how to apply them correctly effectively involve your team in research activities
User-centred practice and advocacy Level: awareness Awareness is the first of 4 ascending skill levels	You can: describe how government services and technology affect how people behave explain how user-centred practices are used to build services that adapt to changing user behaviour and needs

You can:

describe agile working and the roles in a multidisciplinary digital team

You can:

understand how to apply basic techniques for the analysis of research data and synthesis of findings
effectively involve your team in analysis and synthesis
present clear findings that colleagues can understand and use

You can:

demonstrate some awareness of the diversity of users of government services and the need to make government services usable and accessible for everyone

You can:

explain the importance of working to a user research plan and of following standards for user research

You can:

describe who your stakeholders are, what evidence is relevant to them and the importance of managing relationships with them

You can:

plan and conduct a user research project, with support
understand when to use basic user research methods and how to apply them correctly
effectively involve your team in research activities

You can:

describe how government services and technology affect how people behave
explain how user-centred practices are used to build services that adapt to changing user behaviour and needs

3. User researcher

A user researcher is usually embedded in a multidisciplinary team and responsible for planning and carrying out user research activities. At this level, you will be expected to work independently on a team.

This role level is often performed at the Civil Service job grade of:

HEO (Higher Executive Officer)
SEO (Senior Executive Officer)

Skill	Description
Agile research practices Level: working Working is the second of 4 ascending skill levels	You can: understand and explain the benefits and limitations of agile working design and conduct your research so the findings can be embedded into an agile workflow understand and work with the different roles in a multidisciplinary digital team to plan and do user research
Analysis and synthesis Level: working Working is the second of 4 ascending skill levels	You can: understand how to apply basic techniques for the analysis of research data and synthesis of findings effectively involve your team in analysis and synthesis present clear findings that colleagues can understand and use
Inclusive research Level: working Working is the second of 4 ascending skill levels	You can: understand the diversity of users of government services and the need to make services usable and accessible for everyone work with colleagues to include many kinds of users in appropriate research activities
Research management, leadership and assurance Level: working Working is the second of 4 ascending skill levels	You can: ensure research has a clearly defined scope and purpose get advice or support from someone more experienced when you need help to ensure research is defined before it starts build your understanding of good practice standards for user research improve your practice through reflection and feedback
Stakeholder relationship management Level: working Working is the second of 4 ascending skill levels	You can: identify important stakeholders and communicate with them clearly and regularly tailor communication to stakeholders' needs and work with them to build relationships, while also meeting user needs build and reach consensus work to improve stakeholder relationships, using evidence to explain decisions made
User research methods Level: working Working is the second of 4 ascending skill levels	You can: plan and conduct a user research project, with support understand when to use basic user research methods and how to apply them correctly effectively involve your team in research activities
User-centred practice and advocacy Level: working Working is the second of 4 ascending skill levels	You can: describe and use a range of user-centred practices advocate for the user by sharing research insights on user needs and changing user behaviour with your team

You can:

understand and explain the benefits and limitations of agile working
design and conduct your research so the findings can be embedded into an agile workflow
understand and work with the different roles in a multidisciplinary digital team to plan and do user research

You can:

understand how to apply basic techniques for the analysis of research data and synthesis of findings
effectively involve your team in analysis and synthesis
present clear findings that colleagues can understand and use

You can:

understand the diversity of users of government services and the need to make services usable and accessible for everyone
work with colleagues to include many kinds of users in appropriate research activities

You can:

ensure research has a clearly defined scope and purpose
get advice or support from someone more experienced when you need help to ensure research is defined before it starts
build your understanding of good practice standards for user research
improve your practice through reflection and feedback

You can:

identify important stakeholders and communicate with them clearly and regularly
tailor communication to stakeholders' needs and work with them to build relationships, while also meeting user needs
build and reach consensus
work to improve stakeholder relationships, using evidence to explain decisions made

You can:

plan and conduct a user research project, with support
understand when to use basic user research methods and how to apply them correctly
effectively involve your team in research activities

You can:

describe and use a range of user-centred practices
advocate for the user by sharing research insights on user needs and changing user behaviour with your team

4. Senior user researcher

A senior user researcher is an experienced practitioner who can plan and lead user research activities in larger teams and on more complex services.

At this role level, you will:

build user-centred practices in new teams
align user research activities with wider plans to inform a service proposition
supervise and develop other user researchers to assure and improve research practice

This role level is often performed at the Civil Service job grade of:

SEO (Senior Executive Officer)
G7 (Grade 7)

Skill	Description
Agile research practices Level: practitioner Practitioner is the third of 4 ascending skill levels	You can: advocate for agile working adapt how you design and conduct research to respond to the complexity of the product environment understand the strategic decisions the team needs to make so you can design appropriate research influence decisions about priorities and agile processes in the team
Analysis and synthesis Level: practitioner Practitioner is the third of 4 ascending skill levels	You can: understand and help teams to apply a range of methods to analyse research data and synthesise findings effectively engage sceptical colleagues in analysis and synthesis advise on the choice and application of techniques, and can critique colleagues’ findings to assure best practice
Inclusive research Level: practitioner Practitioner is the third of 4 ascending skill levels	You can: help teams understand the diversity of users of government services effectively include all kinds of users in appropriate research activities advocate inclusive practices and help teams design and deliver accessible services that work for all users
Research management, leadership and assurance Level: practitioner Practitioner is the third of 4 ascending skill levels	You can: evaluate the quality of research against accepted professional standards for user research explain what good user research practice involves give constructive feedback to other user researchers to ensure work meets good practice standards
Stakeholder relationship management Level: practitioner Practitioner is the third of 4 ascending skill levels	You can: influence stakeholders and manage relationships effectively build long-term strategic relationships and communicate clearly and regularly with stakeholders
User research methods Level: practitioner Practitioner is the third of 4 ascending skill levels	You can: use a wide range of user research methods, and can help teams to adopt them plan user research for services with challenging user needs and complex user journeys advise colleagues on the choice and application of research methods to assure best practice
User-centred practice and advocacy Level: practitioner Practitioner is the third of 4 ascending skill levels	You can: evaluate and choose approaches for building your team’s understanding of the user advocate for user research with sceptical colleagues and stakeholders help inexperienced teams to adopt user-centred practices identify the most important challenges and opportunities for your team's service development align research plans to address team priorities

You can:

advocate for agile working
adapt how you design and conduct research to respond to the complexity of the product environment
understand the strategic decisions the team needs to make so you can design appropriate research
influence decisions about priorities and agile processes in the team

You can:

understand and help teams to apply a range of methods to analyse research data and synthesise findings
effectively engage sceptical colleagues in analysis and synthesis
advise on the choice and application of techniques, and can critique colleagues’ findings to assure best practice

You can:

help teams understand the diversity of users of government services
effectively include all kinds of users in appropriate research activities
advocate inclusive practices and help teams design and deliver accessible services that work for all users

You can:

evaluate the quality of research against accepted professional standards for user research
explain what good user research practice involves
give constructive feedback to other user researchers to ensure work meets good practice standards

You can:

influence stakeholders and manage relationships effectively
build long-term strategic relationships and communicate clearly and regularly with stakeholders

You can:

use a wide range of user research methods, and can help teams to adopt them
plan user research for services with challenging user needs and complex user journeys
advise colleagues on the choice and application of research methods to assure best practice

You can:

evaluate and choose approaches for building your team’s understanding of the user
advocate for user research with sceptical colleagues and stakeholders
help inexperienced teams to adopt user-centred practices
identify the most important challenges and opportunities for your team's service development
align research plans to address team priorities

5. Lead user researcher

A lead user researcher is an expert practitioner, leading and aligning user research activities across several teams.

At this role level, you will:

ensure that teams take a user-centred, evidence-based approach to service design and delivery
develop and assure good user research practice

This role level is often performed at the Civil Service job grade of:

G7 (Grade 7)
G6 (Grade 6)

Skill	Description
Agile research practices Level: practitioner Practitioner is the third of 4 ascending skill levels	You can: advocate for agile working adapt how you design and conduct research to respond to the complexity of the product environment understand the strategic decisions the team needs to make so you can design appropriate research influence decisions about priorities and agile processes in the team
Analysis and synthesis Level: expert Expert is the fourth of 4 ascending skill levels	You can: help an organisation to adopt a wide range of analysis and synthesis techniques, and to continually assure, improve and innovate their practices to generate clear and valuable findings
Inclusive research Level: practitioner Practitioner is the third of 4 ascending skill levels	You can: help teams understand the diversity of users of government services effectively include all kinds of users in appropriate research activities advocate inclusive practices and help teams design and deliver accessible services that work for all users
Research management, leadership and assurance Level: expert Expert is the fourth of 4 ascending skill levels	You can: establish and align user research programmes and teams to meet organisational goals synthesise findings from research programmes, producing strategic insights to inform the organisation’s roadmap set and assure good practice user research standards for the organisation, including ethics and safeguarding assure user research quality across the organisation
Stakeholder relationship management Level: expert Expert is the fourth of 4 ascending skill levels	You can: direct the strategy towards stakeholder relationships set stakeholder objectives and recommend that they’re met influence important senior stakeholders and provide mediation
User research methods Level: expert Expert is the fourth of 4 ascending skill levels	You can: help an organisation adopt a wide range of user research methods lead a community of practice to help an organisation continually assure, improve and innovate their user research
User-centred practice and advocacy Level: practitioner Practitioner is the third of 4 ascending skill levels	You can: evaluate and choose approaches for building your team’s understanding of the user advocate for user research with sceptical colleagues and stakeholders help inexperienced teams to adopt user-centred practices identify the most important challenges and opportunities for your team's service development align research plans to address team priorities

You can:

advocate for agile working
adapt how you design and conduct research to respond to the complexity of the product environment
understand the strategic decisions the team needs to make so you can design appropriate research
influence decisions about priorities and agile processes in the team

You can:

help an organisation to adopt a wide range of analysis and synthesis techniques, and to continually assure, improve and innovate their practices to generate clear and valuable findings

You can:

help teams understand the diversity of users of government services
effectively include all kinds of users in appropriate research activities
advocate inclusive practices and help teams design and deliver accessible services that work for all users

You can:

establish and align user research programmes and teams to meet organisational goals
synthesise findings from research programmes, producing strategic insights to inform the organisation’s roadmap
set and assure good practice user research standards for the organisation, including ethics and safeguarding
assure user research quality across the organisation

You can:

direct the strategy towards stakeholder relationships
set stakeholder objectives and recommend that they’re met
influence important senior stakeholders and provide mediation

You can:

help an organisation adopt a wide range of user research methods
lead a community of practice to help an organisation continually assure, improve and innovate their user research

You can:

evaluate and choose approaches for building your team’s understanding of the user
advocate for user research with sceptical colleagues and stakeholders
help inexperienced teams to adopt user-centred practices
identify the most important challenges and opportunities for your team's service development
align research plans to address team priorities

6. Head of user research

A head of user research leads user researchers in an organisation and attracts and builds talent.

At this role level, you will:

be an expert practitioner who can define and assure best practice
influence organisational strategy and priorities
collaborate with colleagues across government

This role level is often performed at the Civil Service job grade of:

G6 (Grade 6)

Skill	Description
Agile research practices Level: expert Expert is the fourth of 4 ascending skill levels	You can: advocate for agile working at the organisational level and with senior stakeholders help organisations adopt agile research practices set standards and expectations of how research insights should be delivered to support delivery by agile teams coach and guide other user researchers to adopt agile ways of working
Analysis and synthesis Level: expert Expert is the fourth of 4 ascending skill levels	You can: help an organisation to adopt a wide range of analysis and synthesis techniques, and to continually assure, improve and innovate their practices to generate clear and valuable findings
Inclusive research Level: expert Expert is the fourth of 4 ascending skill levels	You can: help organisations understand the diversity of users of government services guide organisations to adopt inclusive practices and apply what they learn to design and deliver accessible services that work for all users
Research management, leadership and assurance Level: expert Expert is the fourth of 4 ascending skill levels	You can: establish and align user research programmes and teams to meet organisational goals synthesise findings from research programmes, producing strategic insights to inform the organisation’s roadmap set and assure good practice user research standards for the organisation, including ethics and safeguarding assure user research quality across the organisation
Stakeholder relationship management Level: expert Expert is the fourth of 4 ascending skill levels	You can: direct the strategy towards stakeholder relationships set stakeholder objectives and recommend that they’re met influence important senior stakeholders and provide mediation
User research methods Level: expert Expert is the fourth of 4 ascending skill levels	You can: help an organisation adopt a wide range of user research methods lead a community of practice to help an organisation continually assure, improve and innovate their user research
User-centred practice and advocacy Level: expert Expert is the fourth of 4 ascending skill levels	You can: find ways to help an organisation adopt user-centred practices and appreciate the value of understanding users ensure discussions at senior levels or between organisations consider user needs and evolving user behaviour help an organisation understand the complete journey of the user and use this knowledge to improve their services

You can:

advocate for agile working at the organisational level and with senior stakeholders
help organisations adopt agile research practices
set standards and expectations of how research insights should be delivered to support delivery by agile teams
coach and guide other user researchers to adopt agile ways of working

You can:

help an organisation to adopt a wide range of analysis and synthesis techniques, and to continually assure, improve and innovate their practices to generate clear and valuable findings

You can:

help organisations understand the diversity of users of government services
guide organisations to adopt inclusive practices and apply what they learn to design and deliver accessible services that work for all users

You can:

establish and align user research programmes and teams to meet organisational goals
synthesise findings from research programmes, producing strategic insights to inform the organisation’s roadmap
set and assure good practice user research standards for the organisation, including ethics and safeguarding
assure user research quality across the organisation

You can:

direct the strategy towards stakeholder relationships
set stakeholder objectives and recommend that they’re met
influence important senior stakeholders and provide mediation

You can:

help an organisation adopt a wide range of user research methods
lead a community of practice to help an organisation continually assure, improve and innovate their user research

You can:

find ways to help an organisation adopt user-centred practices and appreciate the value of understanding users
ensure discussions at senior levels or between organisations consider user needs and evolving user behaviour
help an organisation understand the complete journey of the user and use this knowledge to improve their services

Role	Shared skills
Business architect	Stakeholder relationship management
Content strategist	Stakeholder relationship management
Data ethicist	Stakeholder relationship management
Data governance manager	Stakeholder relationship management
Digital portfolio manager	Stakeholder relationship management

Updates

Published 7 January 2020

Last updated 22 October 2024

22 October 2024

Corrected an error in the role level 'senior user researcher'. The skill levels for 'research management, leadership and assurance' and 'stakeholder relationship management' were corrected to 'practitioner', instead of working'.

30 August 2024

User researcher now includes the skills 'agile research practices', 'research management, leadership and assurance', 'stakeholder relationship management' and 'user-centred practice and advocacy'.
The skills 'society and technology', 'strategic insight', 'user-centred and agile practices' and 'technical understanding (user-centred design)' have been removed from the role.
The skill 'research' has been renamed 'user research methods'. This is to better reflect the requirements of the skill and for consistency across the framework.

31 May 2024

The indicative job grades for the 'head of user research' role level have been updated from 'G7 and G6' to 'G6'. This change is based on the latest data on the most common grades for these role levels across government.

7 January 2020

First published.

User researcher

What a user researcher does

User researcher role levels

1. Associate user researcher

2. Junior user researcher

3. User researcher

4. Senior user researcher

5. Lead user researcher

6. Head of user research

Updates

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Thank you for your feedback

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User researcher

What a user researcher does

User researcher role levels

1. Associate user researcher

2. Junior user researcher

3. User researcher

4. Senior user researcher

5. Lead user researcher

6. Head of user research

Roles that share user researcher skills

Updates

Is this page useful?

Thank you for your feedback