Junior User Researcher Leeds, England
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About the job
Benefits
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About the job
Job summary
At HMRC we are committed to creating a great place to work for all our colleagues; an inclusive and respectful environment that reflects the diversity of the society we serve.
We want to maximise the potential of everyone who chooses to work for us and we offer a range of flexible working patterns and support to make a fulfilling career at HMRC accessible to you.
Diverse perspectives and experiences are critical to our success and we welcome applications from all people from all backgrounds with the experience and skills needed to perform this role.
See what it’s like to work at HMRC: find out more about us or ask our colleagues a question. Questions relating to an individual application must be emailed as detailed later in this advert.
HMRC is building a modern, digital tax administration. Our digital transformation programme is ambitious, exciting and award winning. This programme is the envy of other government organisations and it will make HMRC one of the most digitally sophisticated tax authorities in the world.
Now is a fantastic time to start building your career in our exciting, creative and world-class IT team. If you want to learn a lot, help others do the same and be part of delivering public service that makes a real difference, HMRC is a great place to do that.
Enterprise Integration Services (EIS) are at the heart of the HMRC Chief Digital Information Officer (CDIO) group. EIS handle HMRC’s core integration/middleware services, taking care of over a billion transactions every year and connecting hundreds of HMRC services.
EIS provides a file transfer service to enable other Government Departments and external organisations to share data securely with HMRC. Our strategic data sharing service provides all users with a digital user interface to create, share and manage data transactions with internal business areas, corporate systems and cloud services, direct from the desktop or through automated transfer processes.
We use modern open-source products and work in an Agile way to deliver flexible, effective integration solutions.
This is an exciting time to join an organisation that probably doesn’t work how you’d imagine a government organisation would. Visit our User Research blog to find out a bit more about what we do and how we do it.
HMRC recently hosted its 5th Research Conference, visit our ResCon5 blog which shares some reflections from the event.
Job description
This is a superb opportunity to operate at the heart of HMRCs exciting and fast-paced digital change agenda. Our approach puts user needs at the heart of digital development.
You’ll be a member of a thriving user research community; the community provides a safe space to test out research ideas, develop your own skills and offer support to other user researchers to attain the best possible outcomes. You will undertake day to day activities such as desk research, heuristic reviews, usability, analysis of research findings and web analytics.
Your development is important, and we offer a comprehensive learning commitment through the cross-government Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) profession. Come and join our strong user research community and play a significant role in HMRC and government.
Person specification
Specific responsibilities will include:
- Working with more senior user researchers to plan, design and prepare user research activities to support the design, development and continuous improvement of government services;
- Carrying out user research activities from recruiting participants, preparing discussion guides and moderating research sessions;
- Working with colleagues to analyse research data and synthesise clear and actionable findings;
- Communicating user research findings to help the team develop a deep understanding of users and their needs, including presentations at show and tells, designing and maintaining research outputs on the team wall; and
- Contributing to the wider user research community.
Essential Criteria:
You will need to demonstrate practical knowledge and experience in the following:
- User centred service design and delivery practices;
- Basic user research methods, when to use those methods and how to apply them correctly;
- Basic techniques for analysis of research data and synthesis of findings;
- Ability to present clear findings that colleagues can understand and use;
- Awareness of the diversity of users of government services and the need to make government services usable and accessible for everyone;
- Awareness of the social and technological context for government services, and the importance of understanding users‘ life and work for designing and delivering effective services; and
- Awareness of the need to align user research with team goals to support decision making and action.
Desirable Criteria:
You will also demonstrate knowledge and experience in the following:
- Working with colleagues to plan and do continuous user research in a multidisciplinary team;
- Some knowledge of current technologies used to build and operate digital services, and the different technical roles in a digital team;
- Understanding of the Service Manual & Government Digital Standard; and
- Working in an agile delivery environment.
Qualifications
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- DDaT Capability Framework Skill – Research skills.
- DDaT Capability Framework Skill – Analysis and synthesis.
- DDaT Capability Framework Skill – User centred and agile practices.
Benefits
- Learning and development tailored to your role.
- An environment with flexible working options.
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity.
- A Civil Service pension.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
Sift and Interviews
Applicants will be sifted on CVs and a 500-word personal statement submitted against the specification above, in particular the essential criteria.
Your CV should detail your job history, responsibilities, qualifications and achievements.
Your personal statement should illustrate and evidence your relevant experience, say why you want this role and give reasons why you are suitable for it. Please use the ‘STAR’ (Situation-Task-Action-Result) technique when writing your examples to provide meaningful and complete details.
Interviews will focus on the candidates’ application, their knowledge, technical skills, experience and competence, and the essential criteria required.
Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.
Interviews will also consist of a short presentation by the candidate to show the panel some research you have undertaken, how you decided on what approach to take, your findings and what recommendations were made as a result.
Interviews will take place via video link, contact details, dates and timeslots will be confirmed.
Please take extra care to tick the correct boxes in the eligibility sections of your application form. We understand mistakes sometimes happen but if you contact us later than two working days (Monday-Friday) before the vacancy closes, we will not be able to reopen your application for you. The inbox to contact is: [email protected] - Use subject line to insert appropriate wording e.g. Please re-open my application - 267154 & vacancy closing date 24/02/2023.
Security Update
If you are successful and transferring from another Government Department, we will carry out a check of your identity, nationality, and immigration status (including the right to work in the UK) and a criminal record check before confirming your appointment.
Successful candidates must pass a Disclosure and Barring Security Check. Please note that HMRC have an exemption under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, which enables us to make enquiries about both unspent and spent convictions.
In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf. However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing [email protected] stating the job reference number in the subject heading.
Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.
A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.
HMRC transformation
HM Revenue and Customs is currently going through an exciting ten-year transformation programme to create a tax authority fit for the future. As part of this, we are committed to providing high-quality jobs and giving employees a great place to work, whichever location you work from.
HM Revenue and Customs has made significant progress with its plans to locate in 14 large, modern, flexible offices, equipped with high-speed digital infrastructure supporting improved customer service and compliance activity. These collaborative workspaces will enable smarter working and great training and development facilities, allowing for the sharing of expertise, local training, promotion, and provide great ongoing career development opportunities.
These offices will be located in central locations in the following towns and cities close to accessible transport links: Glasgow, Edinburgh, Belfast, Newcastle, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Nottingham, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Croydon, Portsmouth and Stratford.
In addition, there will also be a small number of specialist sites where the work cannot be done anywhere else, in Gartcosh (near Glasgow), Telford, Ipswich, Worthing and Dover, as well as our headquarters in central London. What’s more, our Welsh language service has people located in Porthmadog, as well as Cardiff.
We are letting you know about our future plans because if you are recruited into an office that is not one of these locations, you will be expected, subject to HM Revenue and Customs applicable policies, to move to one of these locations in the future. In some cases, this will be via one of our nine transitional sites.
For more information please contact the vacancy holder.
Terms and Conditions
We really hope you decide to apply for this role. If you’re successful you need to know that in February 2021 members of recognised trade unions (ARC and PCS) voted to approve a pay and contract reform offer. This means that HMRC will adopt new terms and conditions for all colleagues as part of a multi-year pay deal and contract offer, the pay deal period is 01 June 2020 – 31st May 2023 and terms and conditions changes take place from the 01 June 2021 onwards. These terms will apply to colleagues who already work in HMRC and if you join us, it will apply to you too. We’ve put together a summary of the key changes that will be made and you can find this attached to the Job Advert.
Pay
If you are currently working for an OGD and would like to consider the impact on your pay when joining HMRC, please see the attached document "Pay on Transfer from OGD" for further information. (Please note the attached document could also be called “Combined T&C and OGD Pay English”)
New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.
Further Information
Customer facing roles in HMRC require the ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English and/or Welsh where required. Where this is an essential requirement this will be tested as part of the selection process.
A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.
Any move to HMRC from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility here.
HMRC welcomes applications from those who need to work a more flexible arrangement and will agree to requests where possible, taking into account our operational and customer service needs. We can’t guarantee that we can meet all requests to work flexibly, as agreement will be subject to business ability to accommodate, and any request to work a more flexible arrangement should be made prior to your acceptance of the provisional offer.
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.
Important information for existing HMRC contractual homeworkers:
This role may be suitable for existing HMRC employees who are contractual homeworkers. Occasional attendance to the office will be required where there is a business need, so please take into account the advertised office locations for this role when submitting an application and only select locations from the ‘location preferences’ section that you are able to travel to.
Reasonable adjustment
We want to make sure no one is put at a disadvantage during our recruitment process because of a disability, condition or impairment. To assist you with this, we will reduce or remove any barriers where possible and provide additional support where appropriate. Please see our Disability Matters: How we can support you during our selection process booklet for more details.
If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:
- Contact Government Recruitment Service via [email protected] as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
- Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.
Equal Opportunities
We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable adjustments to participate in the job application or interview process.
DDaT on GOV.UK
This role maps to the cross-government framework for the Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) profession role of Junior User Researcher. For more information visit the GOV.UK DDaT page
Location and Travel
This post is based in Bristol, Leeds and Telford. Some travel, with occasional overnight stays, to other CDIO and supplier sites may be required.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Nationality requirements
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
- UK nationals
- nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with settled or pre-settled status or who apply for either status by the deadline of the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
- relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
- relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
- certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals
Working for the Civil Service
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
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