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• Work independently to plan and carry out research projects from preparation through to sharing of research outcomes.

• Use the most appropriate research methods and tools to turn research insights into recommendations that align with the department's goals and/or delivery outcomes.

• Support experienced User Researchers within the practice but will be expected to lead within the scope of your work.

• Plan and design user research programmes, testing both high level concepts and specific aspects of the services as it is designed and developed.

• Work within agile project teams, providing, to the team, a focus on user centred design.

• Generate new and useful insights related to DWP users for the project team to leverage, ensuring where relevant that the insights influence design decisions.

• Communicate the insights gained from user research outputs to both the project team and wider stakeholders.

• Prioritise and execute the end to end user research activities, this will include the scoping, planning, recruitment and facilitating.

• Plan and conduct research that considers the diversity of users, keeping in mind access needs and the ethical nature of research.

Stage 1: Application

Your application will consist of three parts:

1. A Personal Details application form.

2. Your employment history detailing your responsibilities, skills, accomplishments, plus your qualifications and relevant training. Please copy this information into the box field provided.

3. Personal statement up to 1250 words.

When giving details in your employment history and personal statement, the ideal candidate for this role will be able to demonstrate the following essential criteria:

• Understands and has experience of basic user research methods. Understands when to use those methods and how to apply them correctly. Knows how to involve team in research activities.
• Understands what problem the team is trying to solve. Can align user research activities to inform decision making and action.
• Able to use quantitative and qualitative data about users to turn user focus into outcomes. Delivers analysis and information that addresses stakeholder needs and provides recommendations. Collaborates with user researchers and other user-focused professions. Guides others on approaches to understand user stories. Identifies and engages with users / stakeholders to collate user needs evidence and understand and define research which fits user needs.
• Can identify and understand constraints and is able to communicate these and work within them. Is able to challenge the validity of constraints. Capable of ensuring standards are being met.

Technical skills:

• Research
• Strategic Insight
• Understanding constraints

Other information:

A reserve list may be held for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made.

Reserve list candidates will be posted in merit order by location.

A number of these roles will require you to have an additional security level- Security Clearance (SC). The remaining posts require you to have Baseline Personal Security Standard (BPSS).

As part of our process, you may be asked to indicate whether you wish to be considered for a Security Clearance (SC) role.

For more information regarding clearance please see National security vetting: clearance levels.

Please note- Failure to pass either check (whichever is applicable) may affect you taking up employment within DWP.

For meaningful checks to be carried out individuals you will need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time, to enable appropriate checks to be carried out and produce a result which provides the required level of assurance. Whilst a lack of UK residency in itself is not necessarily a bar to a security clearance, and expectation of UK residency may range from 3 to 5 years. Failure to meet the residency requirements needed for the role may result in the withdrawal of provisional jobs offers.

Further Information

Find out more about Working for DWP

Any move to DWP 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

Security Information

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring 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.

Before applying for this vacancy, current employees of DWP should check whether a successful application would result in changes to their terms & conditions of employment, e.g. mobility, pay, allowances. Civil Servants that would transfer into DWP from other government organisations, following successful application, will assume DWP's terms & conditions of employment current on the day they are posted, unless DWP has stated otherwise in writing.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

Reasonable Adjustment

At DWP we value diversity and inclusion and actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including those that are underrepresented in our workforce.

We consider visible and non-visible disabilities, neurodiversity or learning differences, chronic medical conditions, or mental ill health. Examples include dyslexia, epilepsy, autism, chronic fatigue, or schizophrenia.

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 “Reasonable Adjustments” 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.

The evidence you provide in your application must relate to your own experiences. If evidence of plagiarism is found your application will be withdrawn.

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