Senior User Researcher

Department for Work and Pensions (DWP); Birmingham; Hybrid; GBP 57,000 - 69,000; Full time

Job summary

A UK government department is seeking a User Researcher to lead user research activities. This role involves mentoring researchers, advocating user-centred design, and adapting approaches to meet constraints in a hybrid working environment. The salary ranges from £57,946 to £68,205 based on skills and experience, alongside comprehensive benefits including generous annual leave and support for work-life balance.

Benefits

Generous annual leave

Financial wellbeing support

Health and wellbeing support

Family-friendly policies

Funded learning and development

Inclusive environment with professional networks

Qualifications

• UK nationals, Nationals of the Republic of Ireland, Commonwealth countries with the right to work in the UK.
• Nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein with settled or pre-settled status.
• Individuals with limited leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS.

Responsibilities

• Lead on user research activities and define user needs.
• Mentor/manage user researchers and advocate for user-centred design.
• Conduct user research with various methods and collaborate with agile teams.

Job description

Responsibilities

• Lead on the planning and conducting of user research activities.
• Lead on defining the problems in the area you will be placed and selecting the appropriate research strategies to tackle issues and understand user needs.
• Mentor and potentially manage other user researchers, enabling quality research services and the growth of the user research community across the Department.
• Advocate for user-centred design and champion its value within the Department.
• Conduct user research using a range of research methods, selecting the appropriate method, both qualitative and quantitative, depending on the requirements of the programme.
• Work with agile teams to develop and advocate appropriate research strategies within project areas, with the goal of understanding user needs for services, and continually improving services.
• Develop recommendations based on a variety of research outcomes, evaluate those outcomes to inform the product or service decision.
• Be accountable for the end‑to‑end delivery of research, developing and delivering research that considers the time & budget vs outcomes perspective.
• Advocate for inclusive research principles, planning and conducting research that considers the diversity of users, keeping in mind any access requirements users may have and the ethical nature of research.
• Advise colleagues on the best research tools and methods to use to assure best practice in research.
• Collaborate with other researchers on research projects.
• Champion planning and conducting research approaches which are inclusive of all users; experience and understanding of the ethical and data governance requirements of conducting research.
• Work with senior stakeholders/clients; experience of persuading others on the value of research, defending research findings and challenging others on the use of research.
• Work with constraints and adapt approaches to mitigate against constraints.

Eligibility

• 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)
• 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 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

Work Arrangement

Hybrid working may be suitable, where an employee works part of the week in their DWP office and part of the week from home. A minimum of 60 % of the contracted working hours must be spent from the DWP office unless special circumstances apply.

Salary

Pay for this role is from £57,946 to £68,205, based on skills and experience.

Benefits

• Work patterns to support work/life balance such as job sharing, term‑time working, flexi‑time and compressed hours.
• Generous annual leave – at least 25 days on entry, increasing up to 30 days over time (pro‑rata for part‑time employees), plus 9 days public and privilege leave.
• Support for financial wellbeing, including interest‑free season ticket loans, a cycle‑to‑work scheme and an employee discount scheme.
• Health and wellbeing support, including Employee Assistance Programme, and HASSRA membership.
• Family‑friendly policies, including enhanced maternity and shared parental leave pay after 1 year continuous service.
• Funded learning and development – industry‑recognised qualifications, coaching, mentoring and talent development programmes.
• Inclusive and diverse environment with professional networks such as Women’s Network, National Race Network, National Disability Network (THRIVE) and many more.