User Researcher

This role may be located in one of the following locations: Birmingham, Blackpool, Leeds, London, Manchester, Newcastle or Sheffield. Please find further information on the Corporate hub locations here.

Job Summary

Could your research skills improve digital services for the most vulnerable users in the UK?
Can you help us improve systems for over 100,000 colleagues in the largest UK government department?
Do you want to be part of a User Centred Design community of practice that will support your development and nurture your curiosity?
If so, we want you to join us as a User Researcher.

In DWP, our User Researchers plan, design and carry out research activities with real users. Our research helps teams get a deep understanding of the people that use government services and of colleagues who use different systems and tools to deliver services.

Your research will inform our policy, proposition, service, content, and interaction design so that services work well for users and do what they are supposed to.

Job Description

As a User Researcher you will:

• Work independently to plan and carry out research projects from preparation through to sharing of research outcomes.
• Make use of the most appropriate research methods and tools to turn research insights into recommendations that align with the department's goals and/or delivery outcomes.
• Be responsible for communicating with the users and championing core research principles to team members.
• Test high level and specific aspects of a service, presenting the research findings to help gain consensus and take action based on research findings.
• Plan and design user research programmes, testing both high level concepts and specific aspects of the services as they are designed and developed.
• Conduct user research using a range of research methods, selecting the appropriate method, both qualitative and quantitative, depending on the requirements of the programme.
• 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, helping to enhance organisational understanding of the users and drive decisions and actionable recommendations.
• Maintain and develop relationships across the product teams, guiding the team in understanding research findings and insights.
• Work within agile project teams, providing the team a focus on user centred design.

Please note – occasional travel to DWP Digital hub locations may be required as part of this role.

Person Specification

When giving details in your employment history and personal statement you should highlight your experience in line with essential criteria below:

• Knowledge and experience of using a range of qualitative and quantitative research methods, selecting the most appropriate method depending on the requirements.
• Significant experience of planning and conducting research that considers the diversity of users, keeping in mind access needs and the ethical nature of research.
• Extensive experience and proven track record of generating new and useful insights for a project team to leverage, ensuring where relevant that the insights influence decisions.
• Experience of communicating insights from research to project teams and wider stakeholders or clients, to inform their decisions and make actionable recommendations.

If you would like to learn more about the role, please contact Oliver.Canham1@dwp.gov.uk.

Technical Skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Research

Alongside your salary of £42,614, the Department for Work and Pensions contributes £12,345 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

We also have a broad benefits package built around your work-life balance which includes:

• Working 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 for travel, a cycle to work scheme and an employee discount scheme.
• Health and wellbeing support including our Employee Assistance Programme for specialist advice and counselling and the opportunity to join HASSRA, a first-class programme of competitions, activities and benefits for its members (subscription payable monthly).
• Family friendly policies including enhanced maternity and shared parental leave pay after 1 year’s continuous service.
• Funded learning and development to support progress in your role and career. This includes industry recognised qualifications and accreditations, coaching, mentoring and talent development programmes.
• An inclusive and diverse environment with opportunities to join professional and interpersonal networks including Women’s Network, National Race Network, National Disability Network (THRIVE) and many more.

This job role may be suitable for hybrid working, which is where an employee works part of the week in their DWP office and part of the week from home. This is a voluntary, non-contractual arrangement and your office will be your contractual place of work. The number of days that anyone will be able to work at home will be determined primarily by business need but personal circumstances and other relevant circumstances will also be taken into account. If you are successful, any opportunities for hybrid working, including whether a hybrid working arrangement is suitable for you, will be discussed with you prior to you taking up your post.

Salary Information

Pay (National) for this role is from £42,614 to £45,081.

Pay (London) for this role is from £48,468 to £49,906.

Our offer to successful candidates will be based on an assessment of your skills and experience as demonstrated at interview.

Existing Civil Servants who secure a new role on lateral transfer should maintain their current salary.

Existing Civil Servants who gain promotion may move to the bottom of the grade pay scale or 10% increase in salary whichever would be the greater.

Selection Process Details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Experience and Technical skills.

Stage 1: Application
Your Application Will Consist Of Three Parts

• A Personal Details application form.
• Employment history - this should contain your work experience and any skills, qualifications and accomplishments relevant to the jobs you have completed based on the essential criteria.
• Personal statement - up to 1000 words. This statement should be used to provide examples of how you meet the essential criteria listed in the Person specification.
• Technical statement (up to 250 words). The following question is aligned to the required technical skill of Research.
• Please provide an example from your work history that showcases your research experience, covering all aspects of the research process, including rationale, design, conducting, analysis and presentation of findings.

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

The sift panel will use the information in your employment history and personal statement to assess your experience, skills and knowledge against the essential criteria.

An initial sift will be conducted using the technical statement. Candidates who pass the initial sift will be progressed to a full sift.

You will be provided with one combined overall assessment score for both your Employment History and Personal Statement.

For Hints and Tips on completing your application visit Applying for jobs at DWP Digital.

Important Information

• You will be asked to complete your employment history; any information that you would customarily share on a CV should therefore be entered onto the application form.
• Personal details that could be used to identify you including your name, contact details and address must be removed for your application to be considered.
• If your employment history/personal statement contains any personal details your application will be withdrawn.
• We recognise that AI may be helpful when applying for this role, but it is important to use it in the right way. Read the DWP AI Candidate Guide to understand how you can make the best use of GenAI while ensuring your application remains authentic and effective.

Stage 2: Interview

If you’re successful at sift stage you will be invited to a video interview via Microsoft Teams. There, you will be assessed against the experiences listed in the essential criteria.

You will be asked to do a 10-minute presentation on a specific topic. Further details will be provided to candidates invited to interview.

Interviews will take place from early June 2025. Interview dates to be confirmed.

To help you prepare and settle into the interview you will be sent the interview questions in advance of the interview, at least 5 days prior to your interview. These questions should be treated as confidential and should not be shared. The interview panel may ask you other questions which will not be shared in advance, including follow-up questions, and those about your experience and abilities. Candidates may be asked further probing questions if their response is deemed to require further information to determine suitability for the role.

Candidates are strongly encouraged to secure their interview slot promptly to ensure fairness in preparation time with the questions provided in advance.

Further Information

Find out more about Working for DWP.

If high application volumes are received, the benchmark for candidates to proceed to the next stage may be raised. In line with our commitment to the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS), we aim to advance all candidates applying under the DCS who meet the minimum standard. However, we may only progress those candidates who best meet the required standards.

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

All successful candidates and those placed on reserve will be posted in merit list order by location.

The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles. Please ensure that all examples provided in your application are taken directly from your own experience and that you describe the examples in your own words. Applications will be screened, and if evidence of plagiarism or copying examples/answers from other sources is found, your application will be withdrawn. Internal DWP candidates may also face disciplinary action.

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 DigitalRecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk 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.

For further information on reasonable adjustments, terms and conditions and how we recruit visit the How we recruit page.

Feedback

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Experience and Technical skills.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard checks.

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard checks.

Nationality Requirements

This Job Is Broadly Open To The Following Groups

• 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 European Union Settlement Scheme (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.

Further information on nationality requirements.

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles.

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Contact Point for Applicants

Job Contact

• Name: Oliver Canham
• Email: Oliver.Canham1@dwp.gov.uk

Recruitment Team

• Email: digitalrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Further information
Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission Recruitment Principles. If you wish to make a complaint, please find further details here: https://careers.dwp.gov.uk/how-we-recruit/.