Bristol, London, Manchester

Job Summary

About the Incubator for AI (i.AI)

The Incubator for AI (i.AI) is a fast moving, autonomous technical unit within the UK government. Our mission is to pioneer transformative applications of AI to build a better Britain.

We Operate Under Three Core Principles:

Talent: We bring together the UK’s best AI talent across a range of functions. You will work alongside exceptional researchers and top government leaders, staying at the cutting edge of technology.

Innovation: We set precedents for what is possible in government. We combine the pace of a start-up with the influence of being at the digital centre of government. You will test new ideas, expand what is possible, and leverage unique government data to create novel solutions.

Impact: We are dedicated to using AI as a tool for public good - this can mean improving outcomes in schools, boosting housebuilding or providing more personalised support for those in need. With the backing of the Prime Minister, you will turn technical breakthroughs into real-world applications that affect millions of citizens.

Job Description

About the job

User Researchers help us develop a deep understanding of the people who use government products and services — whether they are citizens, businesses or colleagues across the public sector. Their work helps teams design and build better services, reduce cost and risk, and continuously improve based on evidence.

This is a rare opportunity to apply user research to some of the most important and fast-moving questions in government: how emerging AI technologies can be used to solve real problems for real users, in ways that are useful, trusted and grounded in evidence.

You will work in one of our multidisciplinary product teams, each focused on a different application of AI to a government problem space — for example planning, education, government operations or frontline services. Our goal is not to explore technology for its own sake. We work quickly to understand whether there is genuine value in a problem area by building working products, putting them in front of users, and measuring real impact.

i.AI is an incubator, which means our teams are small, nimble and optimised for learning fast. You will need to be flexible, comfortable with ambiguity, and motivated by turning insight into action. In return, you will have the chance to shape products at an early stage, influence strategic decisions, and ensure teams stay focused on the needs, behaviours and realities of the people they are trying to serve.

This is the kind of environment where user research is central, not peripheral. Your work will help teams understand whether a product should exist, what it should do, how it should behave, and where the greatest risks and opportunities lie. If you are excited by difficult questions, fast feedback loops, and the chance to improve public services through evidence-led design, this is an opportunity to make a genuine impact.

What you will do

As a Senior User Researcher, you will plan and deliver user research activities in a multidisciplinary product team. You will help teams build a deep understanding of users and their contexts, and you will ensure that research informs decisions throughout the design, development and continuous improvement of products and services.

You will also help strengthen user-centred practices in new teams, align research with wider service and product plans, and contribute to the development of research capability across the organisation.

You Will:

Plan, design and deliver a range of user research activities to support the design, development and continuous improvement of complex government services
Carry out end-to-end user research, including recruiting participants, preparing discussion guides, moderating sessions and selecting appropriate methods for different stages of delivery
Lead analysis and synthesis of research findings, working with colleagues to turn qualitative and quantitative evidence into clear, actionable insight
Work closely with analytics colleagues to build a richer picture of user behaviour and combine different sources of evidence effectively
Communicate research findings clearly and persuasively, helping product teams and the wider organisation develop a deep understanding of users and their needs
Work closely with product managers, designers and developers to turn research findings into decisions, stories and actions that improve products and services
Align user research with wider team and service plans, ensuring research activity supports strategic decision-making as well as day-to-day delivery
Build user-centred practices in new and growing teams, helping embed research into agile ways of working and product development
Mentor and guide more junior user researchers, supporting the quality and development of research practice
Contribute to the wider user research community, including through knowledge sharing, presenting, writing and helping evolve practice

This role will involve moving confidently between hands-on research delivery, strategic thinking and practice leadership. At times you will be deep in fieldwork or synthesis; at others, you will be helping teams frame the right questions, choose the right methods, and act on evidence in ambiguous and fast-changing contexts.

Interested in applying?

We are hosting a live Q+A on the 8th July at 1pm UK Time for individuals to drop in, hear more about the role and ask any questions.

Join our open Q&A on Teams, 8 July 1pm: Join link

You Will:

Plan, design and deliver a range of user research activities to support the design, development and continuous improvement of complex government services
Carry out end-to-end user research, including recruiting participants, preparing discussion guides, moderating sessions and selecting appropriate methods for different stages of delivery
Lead analysis and synthesis of research findings, working with colleagues to turn qualitative and quantitative evidence into clear, actionable insight
Work closely with analytics colleagues to build a richer picture of user behaviour and combine different sources of evidence effectively
Communicate research findings clearly and persuasively, helping product teams and the wider organisation develop a deep understanding of users and their needs
Work closely with product managers, designers and developers to turn research findings into decisions, stories and actions that improve products and services
Align user research with wider team and service plans, ensuring research activity supports strategic decision-making as well as day-to-day delivery
Build user-centred practices in new and growing teams, helping embed research into agile ways of working and product development
Mentor and guide more junior user researchers, supporting the quality and development of research practice
Contribute to the wider user research community, including through knowledge sharing, presenting, writing and helping evolve practice

Experience advocating for user research and engaging constructively with sceptical colleagues and stakeholders
Experience helping teams adopt user-centred service design and delivery practices, and embedding them into agile ways of working
The ability to understand the complex problems a team is trying to solve, and align user research activities to support decision-making and action
Experience using and supporting teams to use a wide range of user research methods, analysis and synthesis techniques, and approaches to sharing findings effectively
Proven experience introducing new user research methods into a team, and guiding colleagues in choosing and applying methods appropriately
The ability to include diverse users in appropriate research activities, helping teams understand the full range of people who use government services
A strong understanding of the social and technological context for government services, and experience aligning user research to help teams understand changing user needs and behaviours

Desirable Experience

Experience in any of the following would be beneficial, but is not essential:

Knowledge of the technologies used to build and operate digital services, and the ability to work closely with technical colleagues and challenge constraints constructively
Experience conducting user research for government services

If you meet some of these criteria, but not every single one, we would still encourage you to apply.

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

Candidates will be asked a scenario question by the panel and should be expected to respond to follow-up questions. Further details will be provided in advance, including the opportunity for candidates to prepare for the technical interview.

Alongside your salary of £56,850, Department for Science, Innovation & Technology contributes £16,469 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology offers a competitive mix of benefits including:

A culture of flexible working, such as job sharing, homeworking and compressed hours.
Automatic enrolment into the Civil Service Pension Scheme, with an employer contribution of 28.97%.
A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by 1 day per year up to a maximum of 30.
An extensive range of learning & professional development opportunities, which all staff are actively encouraged to pursue.
Access to a range of retail, travel and lifestyle employee discounts.
A hybrid office/home based working model where staff will spend a norm of 40-60% of their time in the office (minimum of 40%) over a month with flex dependent on balancing business and individual need.

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 (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Experience and Technical skills.

Selection Process

Candidates will be required to submit a CV and responses to two application questions as outlined on Greenhouse. Applications will be sifted against the essential criteria, including relevant experience and motivation for the role. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to a preliminary call.

Those who progress will then attend an interview, which will include questions on their application, a technical assessment, and a behavioural interview. For the technical assessment, candidates will be asked a scenario question by the panel and should be expected to respond to follow-up questions. Further details will be provided in advance, including the opportunity for candidates to prepare for the technical interview. Candidates may use AI tools to support this preparation.

Appointment is conditional on successfully completing UK Government SC clearance. Prior clearance is not required — we will sponsor and support you. You should normally have been resident in the UK for 2 of the past 5 years. Employment is conditional on obtaining and maintaining the required clearance(s).

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Experience and Technical skills.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This Job Is Broadly Open To The Following Groups:

UK nationals
nationals of the Republic of Ireland
nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

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 (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job Contact :

Name : Ben Sams
Email : ben.sams@dsit.gov.uk

Recruitment team

Email : ben.sams@dsit.gov.uk

Further information

Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. If you feel that your application has not been treated in accordance with the recruitment principles, and wish to make a complaint, then you should contact in the first instance ben.sams@dsit.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response that you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages at: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/contact-us/

Senior User Researcher- i.AI

Requirements

Job Description

Skills

About Department for Science, Innovation and Technology