27765 - Senior User Researcher

£30,531 - £40,488
1
12 Months
East Midlands, West Midlands
Birmingham , Nottingham
NOTTINGHAM OPG NOTTINGHAM, NG2 1AR, THE AXIS BIRMINGHAM, B1 1TG
SEO
B
Permanent
Full Time, Part Time, Part Time/Job Share, Flexible Working
Communications / Marketing, Digital

Role overview

Over the past few years, the content team at the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) have been working across the agency to put users at the heart of everything we do.

We created the first digital exemplar service to meet the government’s service standard and aim to be a digital by default agency.

The Content Design team works with developers, creative designers, policy and legal experts and operational colleagues in OPG and with the Government Digital Service (GDS).

We produce high quality information for services that support individual and professional users. We base our work on user needs and translate these into appropriate digital and print content.

User researchers are key figures in service teams. They help the business build and develop a deep understanding of their users so that they can design and deliver the services centred and focussed on the customer

The senior user researcher will be a key figure in our team, helping to build and develop a deep understanding of our users so that we can design design and publish content and services that are user centered and meet our users’ needs.

Key responsibilities

  • Conduct a range of user research methods – plan and conduct user research and evidence based research activities to develop a deep understanding of the needs of all users of a service
  • Plan, design, prepare and run research activities to support the design, development and continuous improvement of web and paper based guidance
  • leading the usability testing process, from developing user recruitment briefs, personas and user stories through to test moderation, analysis and report writing
  • Manage and design recruitment briefs for user testing existing and new guidance, recruiting applicable participants for user testing, presenting test tasks with clear understanding, preparing discussion guides to test moderation, analysis and presenting results
  • Generate Insights – working closely with appropriate members of the team to turn research data into clear findings that inform decisions. Knows how to involve colleagues in analysis and synthesis to increase consensus and challenge assumptions.
  • Develop research strategy – develop appropriate research strategies and its approach
  • Conduct user centered design practice and work with commitment to agile and continuous iterative approach
  • Design, execute and analyse feedback surveys
  • Effectively communicate user research findings to the team and the wider organisation, so that they share a strong and empathetic understanding of their users (including presentations at show and tells, designing and maintaining research outputs within team meetings, formal reports and project plans)

Specialist skills and experience

Essential

  • An ability to apply a range of research and analysis techniques appropriately
  • Proven knowledge of user-centred design practices for both public facing and internal services
  • Experience of working in an Agile environment with designers and developers to build new digital products and services
  • An ability to advocate for user needs, within the team and the wider department
  • Experience of using research evidence to influence senior stakeholders Desirable skills and experience
  • Proven experience of understanding user needs for web content, paper based services, especially those with the most complex user journeys

Form of application: CV ( 2 pages of A4 Maximum) plus a personal statement of no more than 750 words setting out how your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with particular reference to the criteria in the person specification

Strengths based analysis

If you are successful at sift, you will be invited to an interview which will follow the success profile process. At interview candidates should expect strength based questions and questions relating to the following civil service behaviours:

  • Working Together
  • Changing and improving
  • Managing a quality service
  • Seeing the Big picture

Working Arrangements & Further Information

Some of MoJ’s terms and conditions of service are changing as part of Civil Service reform. The changes will apply to staff joining MoJ who are new to the Civil Service. Staff joining MoJ from other civil service employers will transfer onto the new MoJ terms if they are already on 'modernised' terms in their current post or onto 'unmodernised' MoJ terms if they are on 'unmodernised' terms at their current post. Details will be available if an offer is made.

Flexible working hours

The Ministry of Justice offers a flexible working system in many offices.

Benefits

The MoJ offers a range of benefits:

Annual Leave

Generous allowances for paid holiday starting at 25 days per year, and rising as your service increases. There is also a scheme to allow qualifying staff to buy or sell up to three days leave each year. Additional paid time off for public holidays and 1 privilege day. Leave for part-time and job share posts will be calculated on a pro-rata basis.

Pension

The Civil Service offers a choice of pension schemes, giving you the flexibility to choose the pension that suits you best.

Training

The Ministry of Justice is committed to staff development and offers an extensive range of training and development opportunities.

Support

  • A range of ‘Family Friendly’ policies such as opportunities to work reduced hours or job share.
  • Access to flexible benefits such as voluntary benefits,retail vouchers and discounts on a range of goods and services.
  • For any moves across the Civil Service may have implications on your ability to carry on claiming childcare vouchers
  • Paid paternity, adoption and maternity leave.
  • Free annual sight tests for employees who use computer screens.

Networks

The opportunity to join employee-run networks that have been established to provide advice and support and to enable the views of employees from minority groups to be expressed direct to senior management. There are currently networks for employees of minority ethnic origin, employees with disabilities, employees with caring responsibilities, women employees, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees.

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles.

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity.

There is a guaranteed interview scheme (GIS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

To be confirmed

18/07/2019, 23:55 hours.

If you require any assistance please call 0845 241 5359 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@sscl.gse.gov.uk Please quote the job reference - 27765.
Please note the successful applicant will need to undertake a Disclosure and Barring Security Check for this post.

To apply for roles in MOJ you will need to confirm your employment history for at least 3 years prior to the date of application so that pre-employment checks (BPSS) can be undertaken. If you have spent significant time abroad (a total of 6 months in the past 3 years) you would be required to give a reasonable account of the reasons why. 

For some roles you will be required to successfully complete National Security Vetting at Counter Terrorism (CTC), Security Clearance (SC) or Developed Vetting (DV) level as a condition of appointment. To meet CTC/SC/DV requirements you will normally need to have been resident in the UK for at least 3/5/10 years prior to the date of application (The level of checks that are required are stated in the advert).

If you do not meet the above requirements, you may still be considered if, for example:

  • You've been serving overseas with HM Forces or in some other official capacity as a representative of HM Government
  • You were studying abroad
  • You were living overseas with parents

In such cases you will need to be able to provide referee cover for the period(s) of residence overseas. The duration of overseas residence and the country of abode will also be taken into account.

Success Profiles will enable a fairer and more inclusive method of recruitment by enabling us to assess the range of experiences, abilities, strengths, behaviours and technical/professional skills required for different roles. This flexible approach to recruitment focuses more on finding the right candidate for the specific role. To find out more about Success Profiles to support your application please click here for further guidance.

if you feel that your application has not been treated in line with the Civil Service Recruitment Principles, please contact SSCL (Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com) in the first instance

We have provided detail of the assessment stages and areas being assessed to help you prepare for completing your application form, and to advise of what will be assessed following this, if you successfully pass the application stage.


Application form stage assessments

Experience
Statement of Suitability - 750 word limit

Interview stage assessments

There is 1 interview stage for this vacancy.
Behaviours
Working Together
Changing and Improving
Managing a Quality Service
Seeing the Big Picture
Strengths may also be assessed at interview but these are not shared in advance.
Additional Assessment(s)
Written Exercise

A Great Place to Work for Veterans

The "Making the Civil Service a Great Place to work for veterans" initiative includes a guaranteed interview scheme to those who meet the minimum criteria to provide eligible former members of the Armed Forces with opportunities to secure rewarding jobs. Allowing veterans to continue to serve their country, and to bring highly skilled individuals with a broad range of experience into the Civil Service in an environment, which recognises and values your previous service in the Armed Forces.
For further details about the initiative and eligibility requirements visit : https://www.gov.uk/government/news/making-the-civil-service-a-great-place-to-work-for-veterans

Redeployment Interview Scheme

Civil Service departments are expected to explore redeployment opportunities before making an individual redundant. The MoJ are committed, as part of the Redeployment Interview Scheme, to providing opportunities to those who are 'at risk of redundancy'.

MoJ are able to offer an interview to eligible candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns. Candidate's will not be eligible for the Redeployment Interview Scheme if they are applying on promotion.

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

· UK nationals

· nationals of the Republic of Ireland

· nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK

· nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window) https://www.gov.uk/settled-status-eu-citizens-families

· nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)

· individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020

· Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rules

This Vacancy is closed to applications.