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Contract Type: Permanent
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Salary: £34,254 to £39,994 – London: £38,138 to £39,994 / National: £34,254 - £36,124
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Grade: HEO
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Number of open roles: 2
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Working pattern: Full-time, Part-time, Flexible working
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Closing date for applications: Monday 18th November 2024 at 12pm (noon)
Junior User Researcher
Location: London, Darlington, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Belfast, Birmingham, Salford
About us
The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) has a clear mission - to grow the economy. Our role is to help businesses invest, grow and export to create jobs and opportunities right across the country. We do this in three ways.
Firstly, we help to build a strong, competitive business environment, where consumers are protected and companies rewarded for treating their employees properly.
Secondly, we open international markets and ensure resilient supply chains. This can be through Free Trade Agreements, trade facilitation and multilateral agreements.
Finally, we work in partnership with businesses every day, providing advance, finance and deal-making support to those looking to start up, invest, export and grow.
The Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) directorate develops and operates tools and services to support us in this mission.
About the role
We are recruiting 2 junior user researchers to join us at the Department of Business and Trade (DBT). User researchers at the Department for Business and Trade plan, design and carry out research activities with users that help teams develop a deep understanding of the people that use government services, citizens, businesses, and government. User research informs policy, proposition, service, content, and interaction design so that services work well for users and achieve policy intent.
As a junior user researcher, you will plan, design, and conduct user research activities, with the guidance of another user researcher. We will support you in developing your skills. You will be a member of a growing user research community; the community provides a safe space to test out research ideas, develop your skills and offer support to other user researchers.
Main responsibilities
As a user researcher at the Department for Business and Trade, you will:
- conduct user research on small to medium size projects and support senior user researchers on more complex projects, including planning, recruitment and conducting research
- analyse and synthesise data to create actionable insights that support design and delivery of the project to meet user needs
- develop user-centred practices in multi-disciplinary teams using agile and iterative user-centred design methods
- effectively communicate user research findings to help the team and wider organisation develop a deep understanding of our users and their needs
- help teams to research inclusively with a wide range of users, including those with additional needs and other hard-to-reach groups
- engage in the DBT user research community, helping develop and improve our practice across the department
- help teams build services that apply the government Service Standard, supporting teams to prepare for service assessments in line with Central Digital and Data Office (CDDO) guidelines for building a good service
- identify metrics and other data that’s available to support user research and use this data to enhance your team’s understanding of user needs
Skills and experience
It is essential that you have:
- User research methods. You can understand basic user research methods and how to apply them correctly, and you plan and conduct user research with support
- Analysis and synthesis. You can apply basic techniques for the analysis of research data and synthesis of findings, involving teams and stakeholders, and presenting clear findings that colleagues can understand and use
- Agile research practices. You can describe agile working and the roles in a multidisciplinary team, you know how to work within a team to plan and conduct user research
How to apply
As part of the application process you will be asked to upload a two page CV and complete a 750 word personal statement outlining how you meet the essential skills and experience listed above. You can use bullet points and subheadings if you prefer.
Sift will be from week commencing Monday 18th November
Interviews will be from week commencing Monday 2nd December
Please note these dates are indicative and may be subject to change.
If there is a high volume of applications, we will sift looking at your Personal Statement only. You may then be progressed to full sift or straight to interview.
How we interview
At the interview stage for this role, you will be asked to demonstrate relevant Technical Skills and Behaviours from the Success Profiles framework. These are role specific and in line with the DDaT Capability Framework.
Technical Skills
- User research methods
- Analysis and synthesis
- Agile research practices
Behaviours
- Making effective decisions
- Communicating and influencing
- Changing and improving
You will also be asked to deliver a presentation and will be informed on the topic following the sift.
How we offer
Offers will be made in merit order based on location preferences. If you pass the bar at interview but are not the highest scoring you will be held on a 12-month reserve list in case a role becomes available. If you are judged a near miss at interview, you may be offered a post at the grade below the one you applied for.
This role requires SC clearance. DBT’s requirement for SC clearance is to have been present in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5 years. Failure to meet this requirement will result in your application being rejected and your offer will be withdrawn.
Checks will also be made against:
- departmental or company records (personnel files, staff reports, sick leave reports and security records)
- UK criminal records covering both spent and unspent criminal records
- your credit and financial history with a credit reference agency
- security services record
- location details
Benefits
If you join us, you will get:
- learning and development tailored to your role
- a flexible, hybrid working environment with options like condensed hours
- a culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
- a Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
- annual leave starting at 25 days rising to 30 days with service
- three paid volunteering days a year
- an employee benefits programme including cycle to work
More about us
This role can only be worked from within the UK, not overseas. If you are based in London, you will receive London weighting. DBT employees work in a hybrid pattern, spending 2-3 days a week (pro rata) in the office on average. Travel to your primary office location will not be paid for by DBT, but costs for travel to an office which is not your main location will be covered.
You can find out more about our office locations, how we calculate salaries, our diversity statement and reasonable adjustments, the Recruitment Principles, the Civil Service code and our complaints procedure on our website.
Find out more about life at DBT, our benefits and meet the team by watching our video or reading our blog!