About the job

Job summary

Are you passionate about user experience?

Are you a strong communicator?

Are you currently studying towards a degree, and looking to complete your year in the industry?

See what it’s like to work at HMRC: find out more about us or ask our colleagues a question. Questions relating to an individual application must be emailed as detailed later in this advert.

Job description

Imagine getting paid to gain new skills that will serve you throughout your career. As an Associate User Research industrial placement, you will earn while you learn and make a real impact.

You will become part of the Government Digital and Data profession. You will work with other user researchers, designers, product managers and business analysts to help define what will be built. You’ll also work with developers to figure out how it can be built. Our approach puts user needs at the heart of digital development.

You will have the opportunity to effectively manage user recruitment information using HMRCs User Panel Customer Relationship tool (a database of people who have volunteered to take to part in User Research).

In this role, you will have the opportunity to:

• Undertake day to day activities to assist user researchers with their recruitment of users and support all aspects user research.
• Proactively manage user information on HMRCs User Panel customer relationship database, deal with day to day recruitment queries from researchers and be an expert in using this tool.
• Maintain the database of users; import / input user data; store, manage and retain data securely in line with HMRC user recruitment policy and procedures.
• Build a good rapport with the User Researcher community and develop sound understanding of their recruitment and research needs.
• Help ensure researchers get the right users and plan effective research sessions through developing effective recruitment plans, screeners / briefs and discussion guides.
• Work with recruitment agencies to ensure HMRC recruitment needs are met.
• Support HMRCs process for User Research incentives, manage the local process and deal with associated issues (e.g., stock-take, ordering, tracking, payments).
• Track performance of services using Google Analytics (e.g., Page Views, Conversion Rate) to understand the impact of the user panel on user behaviour.
• Understand recruitment needs for accessibility and assisted digital users and support this activity when assisting the user research community.
• Provide admin and operational support for the User Research leads and community, such as supporting community meetings, training plans, communications, organising events, knowledge management and maintaining information/data.
• Engage in the wider User Research community, building relationships with other User Researchers and identify recruitment best practices we can adopt.

You may also have the opportunity to:

• Support and conduct analysis of research data alongside other user researchers to help produce clear findings.
• Support teams to conduct inclusive research with a diverse set of users, to help ensure HMRC digital services are usable and accessible for all.
• Explore and develop your understanding of user research methods.
• Grow your awareness of the social and technological context of HMRC digital services.
• Recognise the importance of understanding the life and work of users to design and deliver effective services.

Person specification

Essential Criteria

We are looking for someone who:

• Has an understanding of working in an agile environment.
• Is proactive, plans ahead and can identify key issues ensuring they are given attention at the earliest opportunity.
• Has attention to detail and strong communication skills, both written and oral, with the ability to relay technical information to all audiences.
• Has the ability to work effectively under pressure, sometimes to tight deadlines and make quick and effective decisions regarding problem solving and prioritisation.
• Is a team player, willing to pick up a range of different tasks and deliver work on behalf of the team.

Eligibility Criteria

• You must be in the penultimate year of your degree course.
• Studying towards a degree in one of the following – IT, Psychology, Cognitive Science, Human Factors, Computer Science or Product/Interaction Design.

Benefits

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%

Find more about HMRC benefits in 'Your little extras and big benefits handbook' for further information or visit Thinking of joining the Civil Service.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

As part of the application process you must provide: 

• A CV - Your CV is all about summarising your skills, knowledge and experience. Please also detail the degree you are currently studying towards and your current year of study.
• Complete 500 word personal statement demonstrating why you are interested in the role and how you meet the essential criteria?

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

Sift 

Applicants will be sifted on CV and personal statement submitted against the specification above, in particular the essential criteria.

Interview 

Following the application closing date, you may be invited to partake in a virtual interview. This will be delivered virtually, via Microsoft Teams.
 
Interviews will focus on the candidates’ application, their knowledge, experience and competence, and the essential criteria required. 

We are holding a Q&A session to answer any questions you may have relating to the Industrial Placement Scheme or queries relating to the role itself. The session is to be held via Microsoft Team. For further info, please contact kyle.collins@hmrc.gov.uk

We reserve the right to raise the score required at any stage of the process in order to manage numbers.

Interview dates to be confirmed. 

A reserve list may be held for a period of up to 6 months from which further appointments may be made for the same or similar roles – if this applies to you, we’ll let you know via your Civil Service Jobs account.

Eligibility

To check that you are eligible to apply, review this eligibility information

Important information for existing HMRC contractual homeworkers

This role may be suitable for existing HMRC employees who are contractual homeworkers. Occasional attendance to the office will be required where there is a business need, so please review the advertised office locations for this role when applying and only select locations from the ‘location preferences’ section that you are able to travel to.  

Reasonable Adjustments 

We want to make sure no one is put at a disadvantage during our recruitment process because of a disability, condition, or impairment. To assist you with this, we will reduce or remove any barriers where possible and provide additional support where appropriate. 

If you need a reasonable adjustment or a change to be made so that you can make your application, review this information on reasonable adjustments, and contact hmrcrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible.

Diversity and Inclusion

At HMRC we are committed to creating a great place to work for all our colleagues and creating an inclusive and respectful environment that reflects the diversity of the society we serve.

Diverse perspectives and experiences are critical to our success and we welcome applications from all people from all backgrounds with the experience and skills needed to perform this role. We’re committed to creating a great place to work for all our colleagues here at HMRC. We want everyone to feel valued and supported to achieve their potential at HMRC.

For more information on how we make this happen, review this information on our culture and values

Applications received from candidates with a criminal record are considered fairly in accordance with the DBS Code of Practice and the Recruitment of ex-offenders Policy.

We welcome applications from those who need to work a more flexible arrangement and will agree to requests where possible after considering operational and customer service needs. We can’t guarantee that we can meet all requests to work flexibly, as agreement will be subject to business ability to accommodate, and any request to work a more flexible arrangement should be made prior to your acceptance of the provisional offer.

Customer facing roles in HMRC require the ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English and/or Welsh where required. Where this is an essential requirement, this will be tested as part of the selection process. 

The Civil Service runs 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. 

Locations 

HMRC has a presence in every region of the UK. For more information on where you might be working, review this information on our locations.

Security Update

For more information on the level of security checks we will carry out, review this information on security checks

Further Information

The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles. The evidence you provide in your application must relate to your own experiences.

Any instances of plagiarism or other forms of cheating will be investigated and, if proven, the relevant application/s will be withdrawn from the process. 

Duplicate applications for the same vacancy will also be withdrawn.

Transferring into HMRC from Civil Service If you are currently working for an ‘Other Government Department’ (OGD) and would like to consider the impact on your pay when joining HMRC, please see the attached document "Combined T&C and OGD Pay English”, found at the bottom of this advert. Further information on staff transfers can be found on gov.uk

Due to operational needs, these posts are full-time; however applicants who need to work a more flexible arrangement are welcome to apply. We can’t guarantee that we can meet all requests to work flexibly, as agreement will be subject to business ability to accommodate, and any request to work a more flexible arrangement should be made prior to your acceptance of the provisional offer.

Problems during the application process 

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

If you think you’ve made a mistake on a short application form (e.g. you’ve ticked the incorrect eligibility box), please contact hmrcrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk at least two working days before the vacancy closes. After this, we won’t be able to reopen your application.   

Please use the subject line to insert appropriate wording e.g. Please re-open my application - 342778 & vacancy closing date 21/03/24. Please note that we cannot amend or re-open your application if you have submitted your full application in the interests of fair and open recruitment.

For reasonable adjustments queries or requests, please see details within reasonable adjustments section above.

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) 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) (opens in a new window)
• 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 (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) 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 (opens in a new window). 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.