User Experience Researcher
UX Researcher
Full Time | 12 Month Fixed Term Contract | £35,010.00 - £40,845.00 (dependent on experience) Hybrid | Southampton
Who we are
We are Ordnance Survey, Great Britain's national mapping service and a pioneer in geospatial technology. With over 230 years of trusted data, we empower better decisions, deeper understanding, and meaningful connections to the places we live, move through, and care for.
About the role
We are looking for a UX Researcher to support a new discovery phase for a government and commercial-focused digital application. This is an opportunity to play a key role in shaping the direction of a complex, high-impact service by ensuring that user needs are clearly understood and evidenced from the outset.
You will work directly within a multidisciplinary product team, alongside a UX Designer, Product Owner, engineers and stakeholders, helping to define and validate the direction of the service through high-quality research and insight. The role is research-focused, with design collaboration forming an important part of how your work informs and shapes the product.
About You
This is an excellent opportunity for someone who is self-motivated and inquisitive, who is comfortable working in discovery, bringing structure to ambiguity and translating complex problem spaces into clear user understanding.
What we're looking for
We're seeking a UX Researcher with proven experience planning and delivering user research within digital product or service environments. You will lead on research activity to better understand user needs, behaviours and pain points across a range of user groups, helping the team make informed, evidence-based decisions.
As a UX Researcher, you will be responsible for generating clear, actionable insights that inform service and product direction. Your work will focus on answering the "desirability" question-ensuring that what is being proposed meets genuine user needs-while working closely with the wider team who will collaboratively assess feasibility and viability.
The role will require you to translate high-level questions into structured, practical research plans, balancing methodological rigour with real-world constraints such as time, access and policy. You will conduct research across diverse user groups and contexts, ensuring that findings are inclusive, ethical and grounded in real user needs.
You will work closely with a UX Designer to test concepts, validate ideas and iterate designs, ensuring that research insight is embedded throughout the discovery and early delivery phases. The role balances strong analytical and research skills with hands-on project involvement, stakeholder collaboration, and clear communication of insight.
Main Responsibilities of a UX Researcher
Your responsibilities will include:
Planning and conducting user research during the discovery phase
Translating high-level questions into clear, structured research plans
Conducting qualitative research including user interviews and usability testing on concepts and prototypes
Working closely with the UX Designer to test ideas, validate assumptions and iterate designs
Recruiting participants and ensuring research is conducted ethically, inclusively and accessibly
Analysing research data to identify user needs, behaviours and pain points
Synthesising findings into clear, evidence-based insights and recommendations
Producing research outputs such as insight summaries, personas, journey maps and problem statements
Presenting findings through read-outs, presentations and written documentation to a range of stakeholders
Collaborating effectively within a multidisciplinary agile team
Feeding research insights into sprint planning and design iterations
Supporting service assessments by providing evidence of user-centred decision making
Maintaining research documentation and contributing to shared insight repositories
Advocating for user needs and ensuring they are represented in product and service decisions
Communicating the value and limitations of research to non-research specialists
Essential Skills
Proven experience conducting and delivering user research in a digital product or service environment
Strong qualitative research skills, particularly in user interviews and usability testing
Ability to analyse research findings and translate them into clear, actionable insights
Experience working collaboratively within multidisciplinary agile teams
Excellent communication skills with the ability to present complex findings clearly to a range of audiences
Ability to advocate for user needs using evidence-based approaches
Understanding of how research informs design and service decisions
Awareness of working in complex, regulated or public sector environments
Familiarity with inclusive and accessible research practices
Understanding of data protection, consent and ethical research standards
Awareness of GOV.UK Service Standard and GDS research principles is desirable
A proactive, curious mindset with strong attention to detail
Ability to balance rigour with delivery constraints in a fast-paced environment
How to Apply
Please apply with your CV and Cover Letter
Closing date: Wednesday 20th May 2026 at 23:59pm
Inclusion at OS
Research shows that people from underrepresented groups often hesitate to apply unless they meet every requirement. At Ordnance Survey, we're committed to building a diverse, inclusive and welcoming workplace.
If this role excites you but your experience doesn't match every point, we encourage you to apply. You may be the right person for this role or another opportunity at OS.
We are happy to consider any reasonable adjustments that people may need during the recruitment process, and you will be asked whether you require any during the application process.