User Researcher- Various Locations across the UK

FDM is a global business and technology consultancy seeking a User Researcher to work for our global Systems Integrator client. This is initially a 6-month contract with very good prospects to extend and will be a hybrid role based in one of the various office locations in the UK including Leeds, Manchester, London, Telford and Worthing. 

We are seeking a User Researcher to join our dynamic team and play a pivotal role in delivering high quality user research and UX for a large end customer. Working closely with Senior Project/Programme Delivery Leadership and other Subject Matter Experts, you will help drive quality standards/outputs across one or multiple Programme Delivery areas. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to/lead specific initiatives within significant programmes of work.

Responsibilities:

• Act as a recognised Subject Matter Expert in User Research, providing authoritative advice and being sought out for guidance within and beyond assigned services.
• Lead user research across multiple services or programmes, ensuring research activity aligns with delivery priorities and user needs.
• Manage and support a small team of user researchers, providing coaching, mentoring, and day‑to‑day leadership.
• Design and lead research strategies that proactively identify user needs, pain points, and opportunities, influencing service and design decisions.
• Translate research findings into clear, actionable insights, enabling teams to improve services and make evidence‑based decisions.
• Influence and engage stakeholders using research evidence, confidently facilitating workshops and collaborative sessions with product and design teams.
• Strengthen research capability by sharing best practice, defining tools and templates, and improving research and project operations.
• Advocate for user‑centred design and research internally and externally, supporting service assessments, resolving escalations, and addressing challenging stakeholder situations.

• Strong user‑centred mindset, demonstrating empathy, user focus, and a commitment to meeting user needs.
• Experience using a range of qualitative and quantitative research methods to explore user behaviour and service performance.
• Proven ability to analyse research data, identify user journeys and pain points, and recommend service improvements.
• Experience producing high‑quality research artefacts such as personas, user needs, journey maps, and empathy maps.
• Strong communication and presentation skills, with the ability to clearly explain insights and influence diverse stakeholders.
• Experience working in agile, multidisciplinary teams, with strong problem‑solving skills and understanding of accessibility, inclusivity, and security.

Preferred:

• Public sector experience, including knowledge of the Service Standard, GOV.UK Design System, and GOV.UK Prototyping Kit.
• Preferred: Experience supporting or acting as a Service Assessor, and line‑management experience (or willingness to step into a line‑management role).

We are a business and technology consultancy and one of the UK's leading employers, recruiting the brightest talent to become the innovators of tomorrow. We have centres across Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific, and a global workforce of over 3,500 Consultants. FDM has shown exponential growth throughout the years, firmly establishing itself as an award-winning employer and is listed on the FTSE4Good Index. 

Diversity and Inclusion  

FDM Group is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, veteran status or any other status protected by federal, provincial or local laws.

Why join us

• Career coaching, mentoring and access to upskilling throughout your entire FDM career
• Assignments with global companies and opportunities to work abroad
• Opportunity to re-skill and up-skill into new areas, develop non-linear career paths and build a skillset within your field
• Annual leave and work-place pension