Senior User Researcher - FTC; office locations

Overview

Genomics England is a global leader in enabling genomic medicine and research, focused on creating a world where everyone benefits from genomic healthcare. Building on the 100,000 Genomes Project, we support the NHS’s world‑first national whole genome sequencing service and run the growing National Genomic Research Library, alongside delivering numerous major genomics initiatives. By connecting research and clinical care at national scale, we enable immediate healthcare benefits and advances for the future.

Our mission is to provide the evidence and digital systems so that by 2035 genomics could play a role in up to half of all healthcare interactions, whilst securing the UK’s position as the best place to discover, prove and benefit from genomic innovation.

We are seeking a proven Senior User Researcher to join our newly established Adult Population Genomics Programme (APGP). This exciting initiative will sequence the genomes of 150,000 adults to better understand how genomics can support preventative healthcare, improve early disease detection, and enable more personalised and proactive interventions. In this senior role, you will plan, deliver, and communicate high‑quality research that directly informs product, service and design decisions.

You’ll work closely with multidisciplinary teams to understand user needs, explore behaviours, and evaluate solutions, helping to ensure that Genomics England’s products and services are effective, accessible and impactful for all users.

• Execution plan, scope and deliver user research activities for products or defined areas within a service.
• Conduct discovery research to explore user needs, behaviours and constraints within defined problem spaces.
• Conduct evaluative research to refine product flows and features.
• Select and apply appropriate research methods (qualitative and quantitative) with guidance available for more complex study design.
• Independently run research activities such as usability testing, in‑depth interviews, workshops, surveys and field/contextual studies.
• Ensure research is planned effectively, documented clearly and delivered to expected quality standards.
• Apply ethical research practices, ensuring participants’ rights, consent and privacy are upheld.
• Ensure research includes people with diverse backgrounds, digital skills and accessibility needs.

• Build trusted working relationships and work closely with multidisciplinary teams to shape research questions and interpret findings.
• Produce clear, actionable insights and recommendations to inform product, service and design decisions, and disseminate by creating research artefacts (e.g., user journeys, personas, insight summaries and user needs).
• Present research findings to product teams, designers and operational stakeholders in a clear and compelling manner.

• Proven experience planning and delivering user research across qualitative and quantitative methods.
• Skilled at synthesising insights into actionable recommendations.
• Comfortable engaging confidently with stakeholders across disciplines to influence product and service design.
• Experience ensuring research is inclusive, ethical and accessible.
• Strong communication and presentation skills to convey findings effectively.

• Minimum of five years’ work experience.
• Proven experience and track record working in the UK public sector.
• Digital delivery methodologies such as GDS Service Standard or equivalent.
• Mixed‑method user research studies.
• Relevant design and research qualifications are acknowledged, but work experience is the main focus.

Salary from £62,500.

Note:

This is a 2‑Year fixed‑term contract.

• Generous leave: 30 days’ holiday plus bank holidays, additional leave for long service and the option to apply for up to 30 days of remote working abroad annually (approval required).
• Family‑friendly: blended working arrangements, flexible working, enhanced maternity, paternity and shared parental leave benefits.
• Pension & financial:
  Defined contribution pension (Genomics England double‑matches up to 10%), Life…