Senior User Researcher

About The Role
Hippo Digital is recruiting senior consultants in user research. User researchers design, plan and conduct research into what people need from a service and produce recommendations for user-centred service design. Working with designers, product owners, developers and other members of Agile teams, they also test services as they are being designed and use research evidence to help explain design decisions to clients.
As a senior consultant in user research, you’ll already be an expert in your field. You’ll also be a leader of people and teams, and an advocate for user-centred design approaches. Hippo will provide exciting opportunities to share your expertise with clients and team members, and to develop as a leader.
What you’ll do
- Advise clients on how to solve complex problems using research, people-centred design and Agile methodologies
- Lead multidisciplinary Agile teams to design services that meet identified user needs
- Advocate inclusive approaches within user research
- Build supportive relationships with clients and stakeholders, yet challenge ideas and manage difficult conversations
- Line manage User Researchers and advise other colleagues how how to get the best from user research
- Support in recruitment, events, blog-writing and winning new business
- Promote Hippo’s people-centred design offer both internally and externally
About the Candidate:
- Expertise in applying user research methodologies across different environments
- Experience of working in multidisciplinary Agile teams to design and deliver people-centred services
- Working knowledge of how to research of accessibility needs or assisted digital needs
- Proven experience of championing user research / user-centred design / service design approaches
- Experience of line management or mentoring/training other User Researchers
- Advanced communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to manage conflict and convey difficult messages with tact and sensitivity
- A good understanding of other Agile roles across design, product and tech
- Strong consultancy and leadership skills, and confidence in exploring problem spaces with clients to determine the most appropriate way forward
About The Company
As well as a competitive salary which we’re transparent about from the outset, you can also expect a range of benefits:
- Contributory pension scheme (Hippo 6% with employee contributions of 2%)
- 25 days holiday plus UK public holidays
- Perkbox access for a wide range of discounts
- Critical illness cover
- Life assurance and death in service cover
- Volunteer days
- Cycle-to-work scheme for the avid cyclists
- Salary sacrifice electric vehicles scheme
- Season ticket loans
- Financial and general wellbeing sessions
- 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
- tree planting
Hi, we’re Hippo Digital.
At Hippo Digital, we design with empathy and build for impact. We do this by combining data-informed evidence, human-centred design and software engineering. We're a digital services partner who is genuinely invested in helping our clients thrive as modern organisations. Our delivery methodology is truly agile, from concept to reality, supporting innovation and continuous improvement to achieve your desired outcomes.
We firmly believe that technology should serve humanity, not the other way around. We take a human-centred approach to everything we do because we understand that complex problems require a service design approach. This means understanding how users behave and ensuring our solutions work for them in the real world.
Our combination of data, design, and engineering delivers bespoke digital services that make a positive and meaningful impact on organisations and society. We're confident in our abilities, authentic in our approach, and passionate about what we do. If you're looking for a digital services partner that can deliver real results, let us help you build for the future and make a lasting impact.
Hippo locations
We are headquartered in Leeds and located across the UK in Edinburgh, Manchester, Birmingham, London and Bristol. We're on the lookout for top talent nationwide, so don't let location hold you back from applying. We welcome candidates from all over the UK who possess the flexibility to work from any of our locations. Plus, we offer a generous relocation support package of up to £8k to help make your move a smooth one. It's worth noting that, given the dynamic nature of our business, you may be required to work on-site at client locations or from your own home.
Diversity and Inclusion at Hippo Digital: A commitment to lasting change
At Hippo Digital, we're wholeheartedly dedicated to promoting diversity, equality and inclusion. For us, it's not about checking off boxes but about making a true, lasting difference. Having a diverse team unlocks our capacity for innovation, creativity and problem-solving while fostering an inclusive environment that benefits everyone. We strongly encourage applicants from all backgrounds to apply and join us on this important journey.