User Researcher Cardiff, Wales
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About the job
Job summary
This is an exciting opportunity in our Companies House Digital, Data and Technology Directorate, helping to design and deliver quality digital services for our millions of users. You’ll have the opportunity to be at the forefront of digital transformation in government and help shape our services to meet the ever-changing demands of the UK’s business landscape.
The role sits within our User-Centred Design team which plays a key role in the design, delivery and management of these services.
Our user researchers work with colleagues across our organisation to scope, design and carry out research activities with users that help teams get a deep understanding of the people that use the service.
Does this role sound like it would be great for you? If so, we’d love to receive your application!
At Companies House, hybrid working is about achieving an effective balance between working in the office and working from other appropriate locations. Our approach to hybrid working provides opportunities for you to be adaptable in the way you work so that you can achieve a healthy balance between your work and home life. We currently expect our people to attend the Cardiff office a minimum of one day a week but the exact degree of choice you have will depend on your role and your day-to-day work activities and should be agreed through discussions with your line manager.
Job description
Our user researchers work in an open, iterative and collaborative way in a multidisciplinary team, and communicate effectively, working closely with our interaction designers, product managers, performance analysts, developers, business analysts and other stakeholders and colleagues.
As a User Researcher you will:
- Understand and have experience of a range of user research methods and be able to choose and apply appropriate methods for different life cycle phases and situations.
- Be able to turn research data into clear findings that inform decisions and know how to involve colleagues in analysis and synthesis to increase consensus and challenge assumptions.
- Understand user centred design practices and know how to embed them into an agile workflow to deliver timely findings.
- Play an important role in ensuring that our services meet the GDS Service Standard and will present evidence at GDS service assessments.
Would you like to know more? Find out more about the role on the GOV.UK DDaT website: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/user-researcher-skills-they-need/user-researcher-skills-they-need
Person specification
We’re looking for a person who:
- Enjoys gathering insights on service users and their needs.
- Is interested in exploring complex user problems and developing a deep understanding of our service users.
- Ideally has user research experience and experience of user centred design and agile practices.
- Ideally is working towards or has User Experience research certification (such as Neilson Norman Group Certification or equivalent).
- Is a practicing user researcher with experience of presenting research evidence.
- Has experience of a range of user research methods, including when to use those methods and how to apply them.
- Has experience of conducting user interviews.
- Has experience of analysing both quantitative and qualitative data to produce user research artefacts.
- Is good at communicating user needs to senior stakeholders and acting as a persuasive advocate for those needs.
- Has a good understanding of the diversity of users of online services and has the ability to include many kinds of users in appropriate research activities.
- Has experience of involving the team in research activities, analysis and synthesis.
- Has a good understanding of how digital technology is changing user behaviours and how that may influence a users’ life and work.
Experience
- Experience as a user centred designer practitioner
- Experience of inclusive research
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Making Effective Decisions
- Communicating and Influencing
- Managing a Quality Service
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- How would you present your research findings to a wide ranging audience – including technical and non-technical observers? Make reference to any artefacts, tools or methodologies you might use.
Benefits
- A generous 30 days annual leave (based on full time hours) in addition to public holidays
- A generous Civil Service pension scheme
- A range of recognition schemes including Instant Awards to thank and recognise each other's efforts and contributions
- Strong ethos of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
- Great work life balance with flexible and mobile working
- A pro-active approach to employee wellbeing that allows our employees to flourish and be their best at work
- Online financial support and advice
- Seasonal flu jabs
- Generous Maternity, Paternity, Adoption and Shared Parental leave provisions
- A focus on career development and progression, supporting all grades with time and funding – Career Pathway options such as apprenticeships and recognised qualifications for a variety of professions are available
- A very active Sports and Social Society
- A number of inclusive Network Groups for employees at all levels across the organisation
- On site gym with subsidised membership
- Free on-site car parking
- Cycle to Work scheme
- Staff Discount scheme
- Holiday play scheme for children
- Up to 3 days paid leave for volunteering opportunities
Companies House plays a pivotal role in providing the environment that makes the UK a great place to do business. We have achieved high digital take-up of our services for providing and searching company information, and those services achieve high customer satisfaction. We lead the way in providing an open and transparent company register. The information on our register is searched billions of times a year to support the making of millions of business decisions and is also used every day by UK and overseas law enforcement, by civil society, and by citizens.
The additional services we’re introducing this year will further enhance our digital capability and move us towards customers being able to undertake every journey digitally. As we introduce those new services, and re-engineer existing ones, our expectation is that improved and enhanced services will attract more customers, increasing our digital take-up rate.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
Interviews to be held virtually, using Microsoft Teams. Interview dates to be confirmed.
Candidates will be required to supply a work history and a 500 word Personal Statement. The Personal Statement should address the behaviours and person specification listed in the advert.
You will also be asked to answer the following technical question -
How would you present your research findings to a wide ranging audience - including technical and non-technical observers? Make reference to any artefacts, tools or methodologies you might use.
You can find more guidance on completing your application here.
Candidates may be required to undertake an activity as part of the selection process.
Companies House uses a blended interview technique, allowing us to find out more about you. We use the Success Profile framework and may include Strength based questions in the interview.
Our recruitment process is underpinned by the principle of recruitment based on fair and open competition with decisions made on the basis of merit, as outlined in the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles.
As part of our commitment to a diverse and inclusive workforce, we ask candidates to provide an anonymous application. Please remove all identifying personal information from your CV, personal statement and application including: name; address; date of birth; dates of education.
We are proud to be a disability confident leader. Our recruitment process is fully inclusive of all physical and mental disabilities and as such we can make adjustments as needed through our process. These could include having an interview buddy, extra time at interviews or assessments and receiving interview questions prior to interview to name a few. If you are unsure what may be appropriate for your specific needs, please reach out and we will be happy to have a conversation about how we can best support you. Please contact the recruitment team if needed and a member of the team will be in touch – [email protected].
Any move to Companies House 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 at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.
Successful candidates must pass a Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) check before they can be appointed. BPSS is an entry level security check. It uses the Police National Computer (PNC) to make sure a candidate has no convictions. The check returns evidence of any current criminal record and un-spent convictions under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
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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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