End date: 5 April 2026
Location: Remote/Hybrid (as required)
Contract type: FTC
Sector: Public Sector
We’re seeking an experienced User Researcher to support a high-impact public sector project focused on improving teaching quality and strengthening the pathways for teachers progressing towards Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). You’ll work within a multidisciplinary team to uncover insights that inform improvements to the Assessment Only (AO) route, ensuring it is clear, robust and accessible for teachers, training providers and schools—particularly those supporting children with SEND.
Your research will directly influence policy-focused content, guidance, and service updates that aim to remove barriers and increase confidence in the AO route across the sector.
What you’ll be working onAs the User Researcher on this project, you will:
Conduct research to understand how proposed changes to the 2-school rule are understood by providers, and how they can be communicated clearly while maintaining confidence in the route’s robustness.
Explore how providers in SEND settings interpret AO guidance and identify where clarity or improvements are needed.
Use qualitative and quantitative methods to gather insights from teachers, training providers, schools and stakeholders across the education sector.
Work closely with policy colleagues, content designers, service designers and analysts to translate research findings into actionable recommendations.
Support co-design sessions, discovery activities and iterative testing to shape updated criteria and guidance documents.
Ensure research is inclusive, ethical and reflective of diverse user groups—including those in mainstream and SEND environments.
Strong experience as a User Researcher, ideally in government or the wider public sector.
Proven ability to plan and conduct research at pace, across multiple user groups with complex policy or operational contexts.
Experience running usability testing, co-design workshops, interviews, surveys and other research methods.
Ability to analyse findings, synthesise insights and present evidence in a clear, actionable way.
Experience working with multidisciplinary digital teams within an agile environment.
- Understanding of accessibility, inclusion and research ethics.
What We Offer
Opportunity to work on meaningful, user-centred projects in the public sector.
Supportive and collaborative team culture.
Flexible, hybrid working arrangements.
Professional development opportunities and access to industry best practice.
