Lead User Researcher
The advert says the job needs UK security clearance:
“Need to have LIVE SC Government clearance OR need to of lived in UK for 5 years consistently and have a British passport.”
SC clearance usually needs five years of living in the UK, and DV clearance usually needs ten. If you have lived here that long, for example on a Student and then a Graduate visa, you may be able to get it. Most people applying from outside the UK cannot, so the highest likelihood we give this job is Unlikely. Ask NTT DATA UK LIMITED whether they would sponsor you.
Unlikely
Sponsorship likelihood
The advert asks for security clearance
Not disclosed
Salary
Not disclosed by employer
£41,700
Going rate
Skilled Worker going rate
This role may qualify for a Skilled Worker visa
SOC 2434 is an eligible occupation, but we are only 45% sure that is the right code. NTT DATA UK LIMITED is a licensed sponsor, so if the code fits, the role should qualify. Check the occupation eligibility rules against what the job actually involves.
We pick the code from the advert's text, so it is our best guess, not the employer's. Each code it could be has its own likelihood:
- Unlikely 2434 (Business and related research professionals) · 45% match
- Unlikely 2115 (Social and humanities scientists) · 17% match
- Unlikely 2133 (IT business analysts, architects and systems designers) · 9% match
New graduate or PhD holder? Pick one of the lower rates.
What each route needs for this job
| Occupation code | New entrant 70% of going rate | STEM PhD 80% of going rate | Relevant PhD 90% of going rate | Standard rate 100% of going rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
2434 Business and related research professionals Most likely code | £33,400 | £33,400 | £37,500 | £41,700 |
2115 Social and humanities scientists Also possible | £33,400 | £33,400 | £37,500 | £40,400 |
2133 IT business analysts, architects and systems designers Also possible | £38,400 | £43,900 | £49,400 | £54,900 |
We use the lowest threshold across the plausible codes. Likelihood is Possible at most when the pay clears only a lower rate, or only under a less likely code. How the Home Office picks the code
About the role
The team you'll be working with:
Lead User Researcher - Public Sector
Hybrid variable London - 1 day a week ideally.
Need to have LIVE SC Government clearance OR need to of lived in UK for 5 years consistently and have a British passport.
About NTT DATA and Tangity
NTT DATA is a trusted global innovator with over 100,000 professionals in 50+ countries. Headquartered in Tokyo, we bring elements of our Japanese heritage—precision, long-term thinking, and social responsibility—into our UK work. In the UK, we work across telecoms, financial services, manufacturing, and the public sector, delivering end-to-end services from strategy to implementation.
Tangity, part of the NTT DATA Design Network, is a global design studio dedicated to humanising complexity. We combine Strategy, Technology, and Design to create meaningful, inclusive, and impactful services that improve lives and systems. Our studios work closely with delivery teams to embed design deeply into every project and across every touchpoint.
What you'll be doing:
As a Lead User Researcher at Tangity, you’ll play a critical role in shaping meaningful, accessible public services that deliver lasting value to users. You’ll lead research initiatives across the full delivery lifecycle—helping agile teams validate assumptions, reduce delivery risk, and prioritise work based on real user needs.
You will work autonomously, collaborating with designers, BAs, developers, and product managers to ensure evidence drives decisions at every stage. You’ll also contribute to service strategy, guide team ways of working, and foster a user-first mindset across the wider project and client organisation.
What You’ll Do
- Plan, lead, and deliver user research for public services across Discovery, Alpha, Beta, and Live phases
- Apply a range of qualitative and quantitative research methods—e.g. depth interviews, usability testing, contextual inquiry, surveys—to surface behavioural insights
- Establish and maintain lightweight feedback loops with target user groups, ensuring continued insight into live service usage and evolving needs
- Synthesise research findings into clear, actionable outputs such as problem statements, user journeys, personas, and pain point maps
- Translate insights into backlog priorities and design recommendations that inform product strategy and roadmap decisions
- Collaborate with Business Analysts and UX/UI Designers to ensure proposed solutions are evidence-based and grounded in actual user behaviour
- Support design iteration and decision-making by testing early service concepts, prototypes, and touchpoints
- Communicate findings to varied audiences—through visual artefacts, research reports, presentations, and stakeholder playbacks
- Facilitate design and research workshops, playback sessions, and show-and-tells to drive cross-functional understanding and alignment
- Embed a user-first culture across agile teams by encouraging regular exposure to user feedback and service impact
- Ensure inclusive and accessible research approaches that align with GDS and WCAG standards
- Mentor junior researchers and help shape Tangity’s research practice, contributing to tools, templates, and team capability building
Responsibilities
- Lead and execute design solutions for complex, high-impact projects with strategic oversight
- Proactively contribute to client meetings, presentations, and workshops
- Mentor and guide team members, ensuring design standards are maintained
- Foster client relationships by anticipating needs, presenting recommendations, and driving outcomes
Expected Behaviours
- Demonstrates strong ownership and leadership across design deliverables, ensuring alignment with project goals
- Anticipates client needs and addresses design challenges, delivering proactive solutions
- Exhibits excellent communication, both with clients and within the team, and is a trusted design voice in meetings
- Takes responsibility for fostering a collaborative and productive team environment, including mentoring and upskilling peers
What experience you'll bring:
Must Have:
- 5 - 8+ years of hands-on experience in user research, human-centred design, or service design
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in User Research, Psychology, HCI, Anthropology, or a related field
- Extensive experience leading user research across complex digital services in agile environments
- Strong portfolio or case studies showing research that informed successful service or product outcomes
- Proficiency with research tools and methods including usability testing, depth interviews, journey mapping, and persona creation
- Comfortable presenting findings to senior stakeholders and advocating for users in delivery decisions
- Working knowledge of GDS service standards, assessments, and digital service design principles
- Strong understanding of inclusive design and accessibility standards (e.g., WCAG 2.2)
- Eligible for SC clearance (British citizen or equivalent, with 5 years continuous UK residency)
Nice to Have:
- Experience working on UK government or local authority services
- Familiarity with GOV.UK design system, forms, and content patterns
- Understanding of digital analytics tools and the role of behavioural data in triangulating insight
- Exposure to service blueprinting or policy/service integration
Why Join Us
At Tangity, we believe in designing with purpose and delivering with impact. You’ll join a growing design community embedded within a global consultancy, working on services that matter—with clients who are committed to transformation. We support your personal and professional development through mentoring, training, and a culture that values experimentation and learning.
Join us to humanise complexity—and help shape better systems, services, and experiences for everyone.
Who we are:
At NTT DATA, you have endless opportunities to think big, act bold and take ownership. As a $30+ billion business and technology services, AI and digital infrastructure leader, we co-innovate solutions with clients and partners globally for business and societal impact. Serving 75% of the Fortune Global 100, with experts in over 70 countries, we encourage experimentation and recognize great work. Proudly a Global Top Employer, NTT DATA is part of NTT Group, which invests over $3 billion annually in R&D. Make this the place where you belong, learn, and build your network. Make this the place where you grow.
what we'll offer you:
We offer a range of tailored benefits that support your physical, emotional, and financial wellbeing. Our Learning and Development team ensure that there are continuous growth and development opportunities for our people. We also offer the opportunity to have flexible work options.
You can find more information about NTT DATA UK & Ireland here: https://uk.nttdata.com/
We are an equal opportunities employer. We believe in the fair treatment of all our employees and commit to promoting equity and diversity in our employment practices. We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workforce. We actively collaborate with individuals who have disabilities and long-term health conditions which have an effect on their ability to do normal daily activities, ensuring that barriers are eliminated when it comes to employment opportunities. In line with our commitment, we guarantee an interview to applicants who declare to us, during the application process, that they have a disability and meet the minimum requirements for the role. If you require any reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know. Join us in building a truly diverse and empowered team.
Back to search Email to a friend Apply now
This description is the source posting as it read when we added it. We are not affiliated with NTT DATA UK LIMITED, so check their own site for the current details.
Where this offer sits in the market
Business and related research professionals (SOC 2434) · UK · ONS ASHE 2025 · basic pay · ~105k in sample- Middle half £34,892–49,400
- Median £41,392
- Going rate £41,700
- Threshold £41,700
- New entrant £33,400–35,000
Similar sponsored roles
See all UK visa jobsNo close matches live right now.
Browse more sponsored jobs at NTT DATA UK LIMITEDAbout sponsorship for this role
Does this job guarantee visa sponsorship?
Not necessarily. NTT DATA UK LIMITED holds a sponsor licence, but sponsorship for a specific hire is always the employer's decision. Be upfront in your application that you'll require it.
What salary is needed for this role to be eligible?
The offer must clear both the general threshold and the SOC 2434 going rate of £41,700. New-entrant and shortage discounts can lower it.