About the job

Job summary

Defra is the UK government department responsible for safeguarding our natural environment, supporting our world-leading food and farming industry, and sustaining a thriving rural economy. Our broad remit means we play a major role in people's day-to-day life, from the food we eat, and the air we breathe, to the water we drink.

Digital, Data and Technology Services (DDTS) is the trusted team for digital across the entire Defra Group.

We have around 1,200 colleagues across DDTS and our ambition is to make it easier and faster than ever for people to interact with Defra. If you are ready to drive innovation and push boundaries, we want to hear from you. Join us and together we will create a great place for living, and a green and healthy future for all.

Find out more about DDTS:

Defra digital, data and technology blog

LinkedIn 

Defra Jobs 

Job description

Are you interested in solving user research problems at scale?

Defra has 80+ user researchers working across a portfolio of digital programmes and projects. Defra's Research Operations (ReOps) team works to enable user researchers to do their best work.

We are looking for three Research Operations Specialists to join our vibrant team on a permanent basis.

ReOps Specialists enable user researchers to develop a deep knowledge of users, creating efficiencies in the way Defra works.

The successful candidates will support a central ReOps team. The role ensures business, people and performance processes run efficiently.

ReOps Specialists see that the user research profession is effectively supported to deliver high quality and consistent research, while managing and reducing risks to the organisation.

You will work in tandem with user researchers and other specialisms across Defra (recruitment, finance, legal, and Human Resources). You will join with user research leadership to deliver programmes of work that deliver against the wider user research strategy.

You’ll help to solve problems like:

· freeing up researcher time with better ways of working

· ensuring compliance with research professional standards: ethical, legal, quality

· making research insights findable and reusable

· managing research participant data securely

· balancing project timescales with recruiting the right research participants.

Defra’s Research Operations team are hosting a webinar for candidates on Monday 25 March 2024, 12:00 PM - 12:45 PM. They will share more insight into what it’s like to work in Defra’s Product and Experience team.

To learn more about user research at Defra, read our blog post, ‘User Research - what’s it all about?’.

Person specification

Responsibilities

• Developing policy, procedure, templates, and guidance for user researchers across the board to work to.
  
  
• Introducing methods and new ways of working to improve performance in the user research team, in line with ambitions set out in the user research strategy.
  
  
• Developing onboarding processes for new starters – including standards, guidance, ways of working, accessibility standards and participant consent processes.
  
  
• Developing and delivering timely communications to the user research community, responding to queries from researchers at varying grades.
  
  
• Overseeing the procurement, management and compliance of tools and technology used by user researchers, in line with best-practice and legal obligations.
  
  
• Working with stakeholders across Product and Experience, Defra, Arm’s Length Bodies, and government to deliver programmes of work across the eight pillars of Research Operations.
  
  
• Identifying, escalating, resolving, and managing risks at various scales (operational, fiscal, legal, data and security etc.)
  
  
• Supporting the growth and development of ReOps in Defra through team recruitment campaigns and line management of ReOps staff.

Skills and experience

• A working level knowledge of user research methods, tools, and best practices and knowledge of legal and compliance aspects of research.
  
  
• Experience of using or helping users working on Qualtrics, SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, and Microsoft 365.
  
  
• Excellent communication, collaboration, and stakeholder management skills.
  
  
• Experience of working with stakeholders in cross-functional environments to establish business needs and aligning delivery to these needs.
  
  
• A proactive, flexible, and problem-solving attitude, with a commitment to continuous learning and development.
  
  
• A high level of attention to detail, quality assurance, risk management and commercial acumen.

Please keep reading.

Research shows that, while men apply for jobs where they meet 60% of the criteria, women and other marginalised people tend only to apply when they check every box.

So, if you think you have what it takes, but do not necessarily meet every single point on the job description, please still get in touch.

We would love to have a chat and see if you would be a good fit. We are passionate about creating a diverse workforce and positively encourage applications from under-represented communities.

We embrace equality of opportunity irrespective of disability, neurodivergence, ethnic origin, colour, nationality, gender and gender presentation, marital status, sexual orientation, culture, or religion.

Application Process

• A CV
• A 750-word Personal Statement: Referring to the 'skills and experience' sections of the job advert, please demonstrate how you are suitable for the role by providing relevant examples.

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

Sift

Should there be a large number of applications, an initial sift will be conducted using your personal statement.

Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment or interview.

Sift and interview dates as well as the interview location to be confirmed.

Interview

If successful at sift stage, you will be invited to interview where you will be assessed on the Behaviours and Technical Skill listed below. As part of the interview process there will be an assessment task which will be sent to you prior to the interview, and will be assessed against the Technical Skill 'User Research'. This technical skill is aligned to the Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework, please see the website for more information.

Interviews will begin on the week commencing 7th May 2024. Please note that these may be subject to change.

Interviews will be held virtually on Microsoft Teams.

For further information on Success Profiles, please use the links below and watch our videos on Defra Jobs.

Behaviours

Experience

Technical

For further information on the selection process for this role, please refer to the person specification section of the job advert.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £39,439, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs contributes £10,648 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

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

Location

As part of the pre-employment process for this post, successful candidate(s) will be able to agree a contractual workplace from those locations listed in this advert. The agreed contractual workplace is then the substantive and permanent place of work for the successful candidate(s)

Where the location is ‘National’ the successful appointee should discuss and agree an appropriate contractual location in line with both Defra’s location policy and site capacity, prior to proceeding with pre-employment processes.

Successful applicants currently employed by the hiring Defra organisation for this post may choose to remain in their current contractual location or may choose to change contractual location to one of those listed above. This should be discussed and agreed prior to proceeding with pre-employment processes.

The agreed amount of time spent at a workplace for this post will reflect the requirement for Civil Servants to spend at least 60% of their working time in an organisation workplace with the option to work the remaining time flexibly from home. Working time spent at a workplace may include time spent at other organisational locations including field-based operational locations, together with supplier, customer or partner locations. This is a non-contractual agreement which is consistent with common Civil Service expectations.

Travel costs to non-contractual workplaces will be subject to departmental travel and subsistence policies. Travel costs to contractual workplaces are the responsibility of the employee.

The successful candidate is required to carry out all their duties from a UK location, and cannot do so from an overseas location at any time.

Defra includes the core department, APHA, RPA, Cefas and VMD.

Reserve list

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Near miss

Candidates who are judged to be a near miss at interview may be considered for other positions in Defra which may be at a lower grade, but have a potential skills match.

Merit Lists

Where more than one location is advertised, candidates will be posted in merit order by location. You will be asked to state your location preference on your application.

Salary

New entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band. The internal roles rules apply to existing Civil Servants, i.e. level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive 10% increase. Either case is determined by whichever is the highest.

Visa Sponsorship Statement

Please take note that Defra does not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker License sponsor and are unable to sponsor any individuals for Skilled Worker Sponsorship.

Reasonable adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

• Contact Government Recruitment Service (GRS) via DefraRecruitment.GRS@CabinetOffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
• Complete the “Assistance required” 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.

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.

Criminal Record Check

If successful and transferring from another government department, a criminal record check maybe carried out.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf. However, we recognise in exceptional circumstance some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-Employment.Checks@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

Internal fraud database check

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.

NSV

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the following page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/demystifying-vetting

Higher Security Clearance 

Please be aware the levels of national security clearance are changing which may impact on the level needed for this role by the time of appointment. All efforts will be made to keep candidates informed of any changes and what that will mean in terms of vetting criteria. For more information please See our vetting charter.

All of these posts require the successful candidate to hold basic security clearance. Candidates posted to Londoncmay be subject to a higher level of clearance because of the security requirements for that location. Job offers to these posts are made on the basis of merit. Security vetting will only take place after the receipt of a job offer.

Childcare Vouchers

Any move to Defra from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility on the Childcare Choices website.

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.