Job Description

Join Social Security Scotland as a Senior User Researcher and help shape services that truly work for people. In this role, you’ll lead and deliver high‑quality research across complex public services, ensuring policy and design decisions are grounded in real user needs. Working closely with multidisciplinary teams, you’ll build a shared understanding of the people who rely on our services, plan and carry out research, and turn insights into practical improvements. You’ll play a key role in promoting inclusive and accessible services, influencing stakeholders, and embedding strong research practices, while also contributing to the wider Scottish Government user research community.

Senior User Researchers lead research to support the design of policies and services that meet user needs and achieve policy intent. They plan, design, and deliver research across complex services, working with teams to build a strong shared understanding of users and ensure services are inclusive and accessible. They set direction and embed good research practices, align research with wider service goals, and share insights across teams to inform decisions and reduce duplication. As experienced practitioners, they also mentor and support other researchers, contribute to ethical and governance processes, and actively engage with the wider user research community of practice.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage research analysis and synthesis to produce clear, high-quality insights that can be shared and reused across teams.
• Engage a wide range of people, including sceptical stakeholders, in research activities and help build understanding of findings.
• Communicate insights clearly through presentations and documentation so they inform decisions and service design.
• Promote understanding of the diversity of users of government services and ensure research includes people with a wide range of needs, especially those facing barriers.
• Champion inclusive and accessible design, including the needs of people who require support to use digital services.
• Use research to support the delivery of fair and equitable services for all users.
• Plan and lead user research across complex services, using a wide range of methods and advising others on best practice.
• Select and adapt research approaches to suit different contexts, challenges, and complex user journeys.
• Continuously improve research methods by testing new approaches and developing the team’s toolkit.
• Embed research within agile delivery, influencing priorities, processes, and decision-making.
• Define research scope and align activities with project goals and wider strategic objectives.
• Identify risks, opportunities, and key questions to inform service development.
• Manage research participation, ensuring effective involvement from users, stakeholders, and team members.
• Build strong stakeholder relationships through clear, tailored communication and use evidence to support decisions and reach consensus.
• Assure quality by upholding research standards, including ethics and safeguarding, and supporting good practice across teams.
• Mentor and support others to improve research capability.
• Contribute to and engage with the wider user research community of practice.

Success Profiles
We use an assessment framework called ‘Success Profiles’ which lists the elements we test and provides detailed descriptions of each. Find out more about the framework here.

For this post, the following Success Profile elements will be assessed:

Experience

1. Experience leading research analysis and synthesis, using complex data to produce clear, practical insights that can be shared and used across teams.
   
2. Experience influencing and building strong relationships with stakeholders, with the ability to communicate clearly and balance user needs with business priorities.
   
3. Experience leading the design and delivery of inclusive user research, using a range of methods suited to different situations and contexts.

Behaviours

• Leadership (Level 3)

You can find out more about Success Profiles Behaviours here. 

Technical/Professional Skills

This role is aligned to Senior user researcher within the Government Digital and Data Profession.

These skills will be tested during the Technical Assessment if you are successful at sift stage. They will not be assessed at application stage.Please review the following to understand the skill expectations: User researcher - Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework

How to Apply
Apply online, you must provide a CV and a Supporting Statement (of no more than 750 words)which provides evidence of how you meet the Experience and Behaviours outlined in the Success Profiles above.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools can be used to support your application, but all statements and examples provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, and presented as your own) applications will be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.

Please see our candidate guidance for more information on acceptable and unacceptable uses of AI in recruitment.

An initial sift may be completed using the CV and Supporting Statement against the first Experience criteria. Candidates who pass the initial sift will have their applications fully assessed.

There may be a telephone interview prior to the final interview stage.

Successful candidates will be invited to an interview which will assess the Experience and Behaviours, and a technical assessment comprising a 10 minute presentation which will assess the Technical Skills.

Full details of the interview and assessment process will be shared with shortlisted candidates once the sift has been completed.

We aim to provide feedback on request. However, if we receive a large number of applications it may not be possible for us to provide specific feedback on your application. We will provide feedback on request to candidates who attend an interview/assessment.

Expected Timeline
Sift - w/c 22nd June
Interview – w/c 6th and 13th July (this is subject to change)
Location - In Person in either Dundee or Glasgow

Reserve List
In the event that there are more successful candidates than posts available, a reserve list will be kept for up to 12 months

About Us
Social Security Scotland is an Executive Agency of the Scottish Government. Our benefits help people from all walks of life in Scotland. We offer rewarding careers and employ people across Scotland in a wide range of professions and roles. We are committed to recruiting a diverse workforce that is representative of the clients we serve.  Find more about us here. 

We offer a supportive and inclusive working environment along with a wide range of employee benefits. Find out more about what we offer. 

As part of the UK Civil Service, we uphold the Civil Service Nationality Rules.   

Working pattern
Our standard hours are 35 hours per week and we offer a range of flexible working options, depending on the needs of the role. We embrace a hybrid working style where all colleagues will spend time in either our Glasgow or Dundee offices. There is an expectation of a minimum 2 days per week in your assigned location, which will be either Glasgow or Dundee.  If you have specific questions about the role you are applying for, please contact us.

Equality Statement
Social Security Scotland are committed to equality and inclusion, and we aim to recruit a diverse workforce that reflects the population of our nation.   

Social Security Scotland are a Disability Confident Employer. We will consider and implement any reasonable adjustments you may require throughout the recruitment process and during the course of your employment, should you be successful in securing a post. If you feel you may require assistance with any part of our recruitment process, please contact us at Recruitment@socialsecurity.gov.scot

Find out more about our commitment to diversity and how we offer and support recruitment adjustments for anyone who needs them. 

Further Information
This role is only available to existing permanent civil servants who have successfully completed their probation period within Social Security Scotland, or the broader Scottish Government.

Find out more about our organisation, what we offer staff members and how to apply on our Careers Website.

Read our Candidate Guide for further information on our recruitment and application processes.

The successful candidate will be expected to remain in post for a minimum of 3 years unless successful in gaining promotion to a higher Band or Grade.

If you experience any difficulties accessing our website or completing the online application for, please contact the Resourcing Team via Recruitment@socialsecurity.gov.scot

Apply before 23rd June 2026 at 23:55

Contact Name- Resourcing Team
Contact e-Mail - Recruitment@socialsecurity.gov.scot