Job Description
We are looking for an experienced Lead User Researcher with strong GDS Beta delivery experience to take ownership of user research on one of our most critical and visible programmes. This is a fixed‑term contract role, with flexibility on duration (minimum of 6 months), designed for someone who enjoys leading at pace in complex delivery environments.
In this role, you will set the direction for user research, act as a trusted point of contact for the client, and guide the wider team through a GDS Beta Assessment. You’ll be empowered to make strategic decisions, influence outcomes, and shape the research approach to support successful delivery.
The role can be remote or hybrid, depending on location. We are ideally looking for someone who can start immediately, though we are happy to speak with candidates who have a notice period. Due to the nature of the programme, eligibility for UK Security Clearance and NPPV3 is essential.
You’ll lead the planning, facilitation and delivery of user research across a substantial GDS Beta project, working closely with multidisciplinary teams on problems that are often complex, sensitive and fast‑moving. Autonomy, sound judgement and strong project management, relationship management and negotiation skills will be key.
A significant part of the role will involve supporting the programme through a GDS Beta Assessment — making the right calls at the right time, clearly articulating research insights, and having confident, informed conversations with senior stakeholders and clients to ensure the work meets the required standards.
While the environment brings challenge and pressure, it also offers the opportunity to contribute to services with meaningful societal impact, where good user research genuinely shapes outcomes for the public.
Qualifications
Essential Experience:
- Significant experience leading user research within GDS projects
- Proven involvement in GDS Assessments, ideally at Beta stage
- Experience working within multidisciplinary delivery teams
- Eligibility for UK Security Clearance and NPPV3
- Demonstrable experience managing complex stakeholder groups, navigating ambiguity and competing priorities
Desirable Experience:
- Experience working within Bluelight, Public Safety or Justice contexts
This is a high‑stakes delivery environment that comes with inevitable challenges, but also the reward of seeing rigorous, well‑led research make a real difference at scale. If that sounds like something you’d thrive in, we’d love to hear from you.
Additional Information
We pride ourselves in offering an excellent benefits package, including an above average pension scheme. When you join the team at NEC Software Solutions, you are provided with the following:
- Private Medical Cover funded by NEC for Employees (with the option to add family members at an additional cost)
- 25 days paid holiday with the option to buy/sell (FTE)
- 4 x basic salary life assurance cover funded by NEC (with the option to increase cover at an additional cost)
- A Group Pension Plan with fantastic employer contributions up to a maximum of 8.5%
- A selection of flexible benefits to suit your individual needs
- All colleagues get free access to LinkedIn Learning. Over 15,000 courses covering a huge breadth of subjects. Learn about what you like, when you like, how you like.
- Give back days
- Annual team and company away-days
- Personal learning budget
Other information:
NEC Software Solutions is an equal opportunities employer, welcoming applications from all communities. If you require any reasonable adjustments or have specific accessibility needs during the recruitment or interview process, please feel free to share these with us. We are committed to ensuring an inclusive and accommodating experience for all candidates.
We receive applicants from multiple different sources - so the application process may vary. Once you have chosen to apply the key things we would like to see in your applications are:
- A CV
- A Cover Letter - tell us why you think you’d a good fit for the role and why you want to work for NEC Digital Studio. Please aim to keep your covering letter to 1000 words.
Who We Are:
We’re NEC Software Solutions (part of global tech giant NEC Corporation). While you read this ad, our software is helping to dispatch ambulances, support families, keep trains on the move, locate missing people and even test the hearing of newborn babies.
Working with us, you’ll be helping our 3,000+ employees push the boundaries of what’s possible and support amazing public services.
We work with governments, hospitals, police forces, housing providers, local authorities and more. We help them pay financial support faster, speed up treatments for patients and respond to emergencies in the right way. The more we do, the more our customers can do for others. And together, we make a world of difference.
We’d love your help. And we’ll support you all the way.
NEC Digital Studio:
At NEC Digital Studio, we believe in design practices that make the world more human.
NEC Digital Studio was created to put people at the centre of services, positively changing how they experience the world. Everything we design, build and maintain is made for life.
Our mission is to empower organisations to be more effective, inclusive and sustainable, through tools, systems and experiences that are intelligent, integrated and intuitive for all.
As a people-first digital studio, we are designing and developing evidence-led solutions at scale to transform the services used by everyone, every day. We specialise in working with seldom heard voices and diverse user groups. We practice participatory co-design and ethical research. Our teams are experts in accessibility and digital inclusion
We’d love your help. And we’ll support you all the way. Discover more at NEC Digital Studio.
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