Average User Experience Designer salary in the UK

Job Title: User Researcher (SC Cleared)Contract Length: 4 Months (Inside IR35)Location: LondonWorking Pattern: Hybrid - 2 Days per Week OnsiteSecurity Clearance: Active SC Clearance RequiredUser Researcher We are seeking an experienced User Researcher to join a high-profile government programme on an initial 4-month contract. This role will play a key part in ensuring services are designed around genuine user needs, helping teams deliver accessible, effective, and evidence-based digital products.Working within a multidisciplinary agile team, you will plan, conduct, and communicate user research that informs service design, policy decisions, and product development.Key ResponsibilitiesPlan, design, and conduct qualitative and quantitative user research activities.Engage with a wide range of users and stakeholders to understand needs, behaviours, and pain points.Select and apply appropriate research methods, including interviews, usability testing, surveys, workshops, and contextual inquiry.Analyse and synthesise research findings into actionable insights.Present findings and recommendations clearly to stakeholders at all levels.Work closely with Product Managers, Service Designers, Business Analysts, Content Designers, and Delivery Managers.Support evidence-based decision-making throughout the service lifecycle.Ensure research activities comply with government accessibility and service standards.Contribute to the continuous improvement of user-centred design practices across the programme.Essential Skills & ExperienceProven experience as a User Researcher within large-scale digital transformation or public sector environments.Strong understanding of user-centred design principles and research methodologies.Experience planning and facilitating usability testing and user interviews.Ability to analyse complex research data and communicate insights effectively.Experience working within agile multidisciplinary teams.Strong stakeholder management and communication skills.Experience producing research plans, discussion guides, insight reports, and recommendations.Knowledge of Government Digital Service (GDS) standards and service assessments.Active SC Clearance (mandatory).Desirable ExperiencePrevious experience working on UK government programmes.Familiarity with accessibility standards and inclusive research practices.Experience researching services with diverse or vulnerable user groups.Contract DetailsDuration: 4 MonthsLocation: LondonWorking Arrangement: Hybrid (2 days per week onsite)Clearance: Active SC Clearance Required

Our client, based in Surrey, is currently recruiting for a Senior User Researcher / Service Designer on a 3-month contract.The position is due to start immediately on a part-time basis (2.5-3 days per week) and offers a day rate of £400-500 per day.The ideal candidate will have extensive experience delivering user research and service design projects within complex public sector environments, with a strong background in qualitative research, customer journey mapping and stakeholder engagement. Experience working within housing, local government or related sectors is highly desirable.Duties will include (but are not limited to):Conducting qualitative research with social housing tenants through interviews and focus groupsDeveloping and refining eight tenant personas that reflect a range of diverse needs and lived experiencesMapping key customer journeys across housing repairs, digital services and customer contact channelsIdentifying customer pain points and opportunities for service improvementReviewing existing customer insight data, process maps, case studies and service informationProducing research reports, customer journey maps and actionable recommendationsDelivering training and upskilling sessions on user research and service design methodologiesDeveloping a customer journey mapping toolkit, including templates and documented methodologiesWorking closely with housing, research and transformation teams to build internal capabilityPresenting findings and recommendations to a range of stakeholders across the organisationExperience required:Minimum five years' experience delivering user research and/or service design projectsExperience conducting primary qualitative research with residents, tenants or service usersExperience developing personas, customer journey maps and insight reportsExperience working within public sector, housing, health or similarly complex service environmentsExperience mentoring, coaching or upskilling staff in user research and service design approachesSkills, knowledge and expertise required:Strong qualitative research skills including interviews, focus groups and co-design workshopsExpertise in customer journey mapping and service blueprintingKnowledge of inclusive and accessible research practicesStrong analytical skills with the ability to synthesise complex data into actionable insightsExcellent stakeholder engagement and communication skillsUnderstanding of GDPR, informed consent, safeguarding and ethical research practicesProficiency with tools such as Miro, FigJam, PowerPoint and ExcelRewards and Benefits:Flexible hybrid working arrangementMostly remote workingOpportunity to influence a strategic housing improvement programmeExposure to senior stakeholders across housing and local government servicesWorking hours:2.5-3 days per weekFlexible working patternSome face-to-face research required in Guildford during June and JulyPlease note that you require recent relevant experience to apply for this role.James Andrews is acting as an employment agency and business in relation to this role.At James Andrews Recruitment Solutions we try to respond to all applications personally, however, due to the high volume of applications this is not always possible. If you have not heard back from us within 72 hours, please assume that your application has been unsuccessful on this occasion.Don't forget our recommendation scheme: Recommend a friend or colleague to us and receive up to £100 each once they have completed 20 days in a role via James Andrews. Terms and conditions apply, contact us for details.

User Researcher (Digital) Utilities Predominantly remote / very rare travel to Scotland may be required 6 months £600 per dayIn short: We are seeking a User Researcher to support discovery, design, validation and delivery across Strategic Infrastructure digital initiatives.In full:Strategic Infrastructure is at the heart of a major transition, helping deliver some of the UK's largest and most complex capital programmes. These programmes depend on effective digital tools, reliable data, joined-up workflows, and systems that can be understood and used confidently by the people delivering critical infrastructure.You will help ensure that future digital products and enterprise systems are shaped around real user needs, operational realities, and the complexity of capital delivery environments.In this role, you will work closely with Product Owners, Product Managers, Business Analysts, UX Designers, delivery teams, subject matter experts and end users to understand how people currently work, where operational friction exists, and what future digital tools need to support.You will plan and conduct research with users across complex business areas, helping teams understand user behaviours, needs, pain points, decision points, workarounds and system dependencies. Your work will help translate business processes and requirements into evidence-based product decisions, user stories, design recommendations and supplier evaluation criteria.You will support projects across areas such as Land, Planning, Environment and Assurance, ESG, work management, portfolio delivery, and other enterprise digital products supporting Strategic Infrastructure.This role is especially suited to someone who is comfortable working in complex organisational environments, where user journeys cross multiple teams, systems, governance points, approvals, handoffs and data flows.You will help ensure that digital solutions are not only technically capable, but also clear, usable, traceable and adoptable by real users in real delivery contexts.Key requirements:Communication skills are key to this roleWhether speaking to end users, facilitating workshops or presenting research findings to stakeholders, your ability to listen carefully, ask the right questions and communicate clearly is essential.Requirements:Proven experience as a User/UX Researcher.Experience working on complex digital products, services or enterprise systems.Strong qualitative research skills, including interviews, workshops and usability testing.Ability to understand workflows, user roles, pain points, handoffs and system interactions.Experience working in agile or multidisciplinary product teams.Ability to translate research findings into user needs, insights and clear recommendations.Experience producing clear research deliverables, including journey maps, task inventories, personas, work profiles and actionable insight summaries.Strong communication and stakeholder management skills.Confidence working with operational users, technical teams and senior stakeholders.Experience identifying usability, workflow, adoption and comprehension risks.Experience working in large, complex organisations or regulated environments.Design skills are welcome but not essential.Desirable:Experience in utilities, infrastructure, construction, engineering, energy, transport or public sector environments.Experience researching enterprise systems such as work management, asset management, planning, environmental, assurance, reporting or project delivery platforms.Familiarity with Double Diamond, Service Design or Systems Thinking.Experience supporting RFPs, supplier evaluation or product selection activities.Ability to create concept designs, wireframes or low-fidelity prototypes is desirable but not essential.Candidates will ideally show evidence of the above in their CV in order to be considered. Please be advised if you haven't heard from us within 48 hours then unfortunately your application has not been successful on this occasion, we may however keep your details on file for any suitable future vacancies and contact you accordingly. Pontoon is an employment consultancy and operates as an equal opportunities employer.We use generative AI tools to support our candidate screening process. This helps us ensure a fair, consistent, and efficient experience for all applicants. Rest assured, all final decisions are made by our hiring team, and your application will be reviewed with care and attention.