User Research Lead

You'll be embedded in our venture teams, guiding them through our customer-centered venture building process. From generative research to early solution design and storytelling, your work will help teams uncover genuine customer pain points, validate opportunities, and co-create meaningful solutions.
This is a hybrid role – ideal for someone who brings a strong research foundation and is equally confident contributing to design strategy, storytelling, and pitching ideas that resonate with both customers and stakeholders.

Here’s a taste of what you’ll be doing:

You’ll help teams move from ambiguity to clarity – not just by discovering insights, but by framing them into compelling narratives and concepts. Your responsibilities will include:

• Leading discovery research using open-ended interviews, co-creation sessions, journey mapping, and rapid prototyping

• Collaborating with cross-functional team members to create and test early solutions, using storyboards and prototypes of varying fidelity

• Coaching teams on how to effectively engage with customers and apply customer development tools

• Developing lean research strategies, from recruitment through to synthesis

• Translating research findings into actionable insights, opportunity areas, and strategic narratives

• Shaping and communicating customer propositions that are backed by evidence and resonate emotionally

• Supporting pitch development – helping teams craft compelling stories that inspire internal buy-in and external validation

• Working in agile, collaborative teams – often under time pressure and ambiguity.

Are we the perfect match?

You have 5+ years of experience in roles that blend qualitative and quantitative research, design strategy, and storytelling. You may have worked in an agency, startup or fast-paced in-house environment where presenting work, pitching concepts, and engaging clients or senior stakeholders is the norm.

We’d love to see a mix of the following:

• Strong foundation in discovery research, qualitative and quantitative methods

• Experience applying research to drive early proposition, product or service design decisions

• Ability to distil complexity into clear, engaging propositions

• Background in psychology, HCI, behavioural economics, design research, or service design

• Experience facilitating design thinking, co-creation workshops, or concept development

• Familiarity with customer journey mapping and prototyping

• Strong visual and verbal storytelling skills – able to bring insights and ideas to life

• A confident and compelling presenter

• Entrepreneurial mindset – you’re flexible, collaborative, and solution-focused

It would be great if you had:

• Experience in behavioural science or applied behavioural design

• Sector experience in energy, healthcare, finance, or other regulated industries

• Experience working within an innovation lab, venture studio, or start-up environment

Here’s what else you need to know

• Role may close earlier due to high applications

• Contract length 12 Months

• We'll have regular team socials and lively team chats

• Competitive salary

• Location - London - E.ON Next, 47-53 Charterhouse Street, Farringdon, London, EC1M 6PB with travel to our other sites when required.

• 26 days holiday plus bank holidays each year - this includes a guaranteed day off for your birthday off you want it.

• A generous pension scheme.

• The chance to choose from our award-winning Flexible Benefits package which includes the option to buy up to 10 days holiday a year.

• We've exciting opportunities for everyone to develop their talent at E.ON. Our open access, inclusive talent networks provide networking, learning and development for all, building your skills, qualifications, and capabilities throughout your career.

• For all successful candidates. Due to the nature of this role your employment will be subject to a basic DBS (Disclosure Barring Service) check being carried out by ourselves via a 3rd party service provider
   

We're committed to equal opportunities and actively promote a diverse and inclusive working environment, and fairness for everyone.

We realise the best people bring their energy at different times, so we're happy to talk flexible working. We offer a range of flexible working options, including full time, part time, job share, remote working and variable start and finishing times.