Principal User Researcher

Hippo Digital is looking for a leader who can continue to build our talented user research profession.

Our user researchers are fantastic at what they do, and we think our tight knit sense of community sets us apart from other consultancies. We need someone with the drive and enthusiasm to help our researchers to build on their skills and experience.

You’ll be given the autonomy to work with our other well respected principal consultants to give the user research profession the support and tools they need to do their best work.

As an expert in user-centred design and research techniques, you’ll also be working with senior stakeholders to implement user-centred design strategy on interesting and challenging projects, with a variety of clients.

‍What you’ll do‍

• Lead the user research profession at Hippo, helping our user researchers by designing and promoting innovative and progressive support initiatives
• Define the recruitment processes for user researchers, advise on suitability of candidates and lead recruitment interviews
• Coach and support Hippo’s user researchers in their professional development
• Work with the Hippo research and design communities to share best practice
• Coordinate and lead user research and user research teams for complex client projects
• Act as an engagement lead or site delivery lead for projects
• Plan, design and execute a range of user research activities to support the design, development and continuous improvement of client products
• Provide user insight to inform design decisions and convince clients of the value of user research and user-centred design
• Support new business activity by writing bids and taking part in pitch presentations
  

About the Candidate:‍

• Experience of leading a team of user researchers or user-centred designers
• Proven ability to set standards for user-research and coach people in research methodologies within broader service design and across the Agile project cycle
• You can help people explore complex problems, overcoming barriers to delivery
• Proven experience of building and maintaining relationships with senior stakeholders, and the ability to mediate between people
• Practical understanding of other digital disciplines and how they work together across the Agile project cycle
• Experience of recruiting, training and mentoring other user researchers
• Advanced experience of Agile and service design principles

It would be great if you had‍

• Some awareness of the GDS Digital Standard and how it’s applied
  

About The Company

‍In addition to your salary you will receive:‍

• Contributory pension scheme (Hippo 6% with employee contributions of 2%)
• 25 days holiday plus UK public holidays
• Perkbox access for a wide range of perks and discounts
• Life assurance and death in service cover
• Flexible benefits scheme with options of:
• private health cover
• private dental cover
• additional company pension contributions
• additional holidays (up to an extra 2 days)
• wellbeing contribution
• charity contributions
  

Hi, we’re Hippo.

‍We’re a digital service design consultancy that works closely with our clients to create digital products and services that work for everyone. Since our inception, we have quickly established ourselves as a leading supplier of digital leaders, service design teams and delivery expertise. We support large-scale digital transformation programmes to public and private sector organisations looking to truly embrace digital services to innovate and evolve. We aspire to add value and leave a lasting benefit within those institutes. Our philosophy is to ensure the user is at the core of everything we do, research, design and deliver. Collaborating with us means embracing a digital-first strategy with people first design, which will genuinely create lasting change and positive impact.

Our Hippo offices are in Leeds, London, Bristol, Birmingham and Manchester. However, we invite candidates to apply from anywhere in the UK who can be flexible regarding location. We offer a relocation support package of up to £8k to help cover the cost of moving somewhere within commuting distance of one of our locations. Please note that due to the nature of the business, we may also request that you work from client locations or work from home.

‍How Hippo Digital Embraces Diversity & Equal Opportunity

‍Hippo Digital is committed to diversity, equality and inclusion. For us, diversity and inclusion are not just tick-boxing activities but a chance to make meaningful long-term change. A diverse workforce means that we can unlock our ability to innovate, be creative, be better problem solvers and provide an inclusive environment for everyone. We encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply.