About the job

Job summary

Can you use best practice research methods to find out the views of our customers and use the findings to make strong recommendations?

Are you skilled at building and maintaining strong working relationships?

Do you have experience of customer driven change and improvement activity, with a passion for making sure customers receive an outstanding service?

If so, we'd love to hear from you!

Job description

As an External Customer Insight Officer, you will support the delivery of DVSA’s ongoing programme of customer insight for all vehicle and driver services and products.

The role holder will play a key part in delivering our insight programme, measuring customers’ satisfaction with the services that DVSA provides, and researching a variety of topics.

The successful candidate will represent our customers to ensure their voices are heard, supporting the agency in implementing changes to the current processes to improve our customer experiences.

Your responsibilities will include but will not be limited to:

• Taking responsibility for qualitative and quantitative customer research to support the Senior External Customer Insight Manager.
• Designing insight briefs and specifications to assist managers with the procurement, selection and management of third-party customer research agencies.
• Maintaining end to end customer journey mapping across all DVSA products and services to inform improvements and changes.
• Provide advice using specialist knowledge to requestors of insight, recommending the most appropriate methodology and ways to conduct the research.
• Managing self and tasks, prioritising work, and providing regular performance and project updates to line manager.
• Providing advice and guidance to managers and making recommendations on how to get the best customer insight to inform customer-led product and service development.
• Managing, designing and reporting on own projects within the DVSA insight programme to support DVSA’s services and products.

For a full list of responsibilities and further information, please see the attached Candidate Pack.

Person specification

About you

• We are looking for someone who enjoys using research tools to source information and can utilise their analytical skills to collect data and draw conclusions.
• You are confident in making recommendations to colleagues and Senior Leaders.
• You are an engaging communicator and use your brilliant interpersonal skills to build robust working relationships with your colleagues and customers, ensuring to tailor your approach to your audience.
• You have a natural talent for understanding and being perceptive of those around you and always make sure to be on hand when needed to provide support and guidance.

This is a great opportunity if you thrive in a small, but busy team and enjoy the diversity of working with a variety of people, while showing ambition and bringing a positive mindset where you can display your current skills and have our support to learn and develop further.

Additional Information

There will be a requirement for some travel to other DVSA sites around the UK which could include overnight stays. 

This role can be based in Bristol/Swansea/Nottingham/Newcastle, your presence at one of these locations will form part of the working arrangements agreed with you. We operate a hybrid working model giving you greater flexibility about where and when you work. Our expectation is that you will spend a minimum 60% of your time at your base location. Visits to other DVSA sites or work locations count towards this. 

Swansea, Nottingham, Bristol, or Newcastle 

During your application, you should indicate which location(s) you wish to be considered for and, if successful, you will be placed on an individual list of candidates for each location. Candidates will be held on that list and drawn from it in merit order. We advise you to carefully consider which locations you wish to be considered for. If you decline an offer for a location, you have expressed a preference in or have expressed an interest in more than one location and accept an offer, you will be withdrawn from any lists you may be held on. We may also offer candidates a location that they have not expressed a preference for where we have the requirement to do so but this will again be done on the basis of your place in the overall merit order and, in this event, you will not be removed from the list if you decline. 

About Us

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) helps keep Britain moving, safely and sustainably.  

 

We do this by helping people through a lifetime of safe and sustainable journeys, helping them keep their vehicles safe to drive, and protecting them from unsafe drivers and vehicles. 

We’re working hard to:  

• make roads safer 
• improve services for our customers 
• make road transport greener and healthier 
• harness the potential of technology and data 
• grow and level up the economy 

We’re committed to giving all our colleagues purpose, professionalism and pride in what we do. We work in supportive, diverse and inclusive teams where everyone is valued. You can grow, develop and progress, and make a real difference to society. 

We pride ourselves as being an employer of choice and welcome and encourage applications from everyone, such as ethnic minorities, women, disabled people and those who identify as LGBT+. 
 
To find out more about how we champion diversity and inclusion in the workplace and making DVSA a great place to work visit our Careers website. 

Benefits

• An environment with flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance 
• Exceptional pension with an employer contribution of an average of 27% 
• Generous Annual Leave - 25 days holiday, increasing by 1 each year of service, up to 30 
• 8 Bank Holidays plus an additional Privilege Day to mark the King’s birthday  
• Latest IT and Tech devices  
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity with a range of staff communities to support all our colleagues 
• Excellent learning and development tailored to your role including paid apprenticeships up to Masters level
• Wide range of discounts schemes on high street names
• Employee assistance program for health and wellbeing 
• Cycle to work scheme and Gym membership offers
• For more information see visit our careers page 

 

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.

How to Apply

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV and Personal Statement. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Please tailor your CV to suit the role. For your Personal Statement, please provide detailed evidence of the following:

• Researching information, drawing conclusions and making recommendations based on your findings
• Excellent communication skills and building and maintaining positive relationships with stakeholders and colleagues
• Successfully managing several competing tasks
• Customer driven change and improvement activity

Please fully utilise the 1250-word count when completing your Personal Statement.

The sift is due to take place 16th and 17th April 2024.

Interviews are likely to be held from 30th April 2024.

This interview could be conducted via a video interview, details of which will be provided to you should you be selected for interview.  

We’ll try to meet the dates we’ve set out in the advert. But there may be occasions when these dates will change. We’ll give you plenty of notice of any important dates. 

The selection process will be designed specifically for the role. As a result, your assessment will include:

• An interview.

If you would like to find out more about what it’s like to work for DVSA and how to apply, we will be holding virtual sessions to find out more. Please click here to secure your place at one of our upcoming events. 

You’re encouraged to become familiar with the candidate pack attached, as you may be assessed against any of the criteria recorded within. 

Reasonable Adjustments

As a Disability Confident Leader employer, we are committed to ensuring that the recruitment process is fair, accessible and allows all candidates to perform at their best. If a person with a visible or non-visible disability is substantially disadvantaged, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need during the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at an interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

If you need a reasonable adjustment so that you can complete your application, you should contact Government Recruitment Service via dftrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Document Accessibility

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

This job advert contains links to the DfT Careers website. Our website provides useful guidance and information that can support you during the application process. If you cannot access the information on our website for any reason, please email DRGComms@dft.gov.uk for assistance.

Further Information

For more information about how we hire, and for useful tips on submitting your application for this role, visit the How We Hire page of our DfT Careers website. You can find detailed information about the recruitment process and what to expect when applying for a role.

Pre-employment Checking

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.

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.