Hybrid User Researcher – FTC

at Olive Jar Digital

• Job title: User Researcher – FTC
• Job type: Contract
• Experience level: Mid level, Senior
• Salary: Not specified
• Degree requirement: No Education Requirement
• Location requirements: Hybrid, United Kingdom

About the role

• User Researcher enhancing the pathways for teachers towards Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) in a public sector project. Conducting inclusive research to inform policy-focused content and guidance.

Responsibilities

• 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.

Requirements

• 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.

Benefits

• 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