About the job

Job summary

The UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) is offering an exciting opportunity as Senior User Researcher for someone to manage the User Research team, lead best practice and champion user-centred principles across the wider organisaiton aligned to corporate identity to meet customer and end user needs..   By being a Senior User Researcher, you will create business impact through the delivery of insight. Focusing on our current and potential future markets, propositions for those markets, existing and potential partners and competitors in those markets and the related technology landscape, you will pro-actively deliver User Research by ensuring ethical and quality-based research is delivered to all parts of the organisation to assist product and service based decision making that meets customer needs. Through your research you will ensure that the customer is at the heart of everything we deliver to market. As a Senior User Researcher you will be experienced in using a variety of user research methods to reveal actionable insights. You will have excellent analytical and problem solving skills, and the ability to quickly develop recommendations based on quantitative and qualitative evidence.    Hybrid Working This post is hybrid, with the successful candidate able to work from home, but also be willing to travel to and attend the office in Taunton for relevant workshops, meetings, team events as necessary.

Job description

• Establish broad understanding of a variety of User Research techniques and methodologies, including strengths and weaknesses in given contexts
• Identify and define research objectives and requirements
• Determine realistic timescales and budget requirements
• Planning, designing, preparing and running user research activities to support the design, development and continuous improvement of UKHO’s Products and Services (including contextual discovery, experience mapping, diary studies, early stage concept and prototype testing, lab based and contextual usability and accessibility testing).
• Designing and running contextual and discovery research to develop a deep understanding of the needs of all users of a product or service
• Managing the usability and accessibility testing process from recruiting participants, designing test tasks, and preparing discussion guides, to test moderation, analysis and presenting the results.
• Designing, executing and analysing quantitative surveys.
• Leading colleagues to analyse research data and findings so that research is shareable and traceable.
• Effectively communicating User Research findings to the team and the wider organisation, so that they share a strong and empathetic understanding of their users (including presentations, show and tells, and formal reports)

Person specification

• You have proven experience in user research, analysing and synthesising user insights. You are confident applying techniques and methods to analyse research data, synthesise collaboratively and share findings. You have experience leading others’ choice and application of techniques to assure best practice. (LEAD CRITERIA) 
• You have visible experience planning user research for services with challenging user needs and complex user journeys.
• You have experience undertaking research across diverse user groups with appropriate research activities. You can advocate for inclusive practices and have experience helping teams design and deliver accessible services that work for all users.
• You can demonstrate an enjoyment of social and technological contexts and their impact on user behaviour
• You have experience incorporating strategic insight to help understand what problem the team is trying to solve and can confidently align user research activities to inform decision making and action.
• You have experience using various technologies to build and operate digital services and have collaborated closely with colleagues in different digital disciplines in agile delivery.

Benefits

At the UK Hydrographic Office, it's very important to us that our people feel valued.  

We offer a huge range of benefits such as training and development, well-being support, flexible/ homeworking, a fantastic state of the art building, high spec equipment, and so much more.  

See our attached Candidate Information Pack for more details. 

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.

How to Apply:  

Please send a copy of your CV along with a personal statement (1250 word max) demonstrating your relevant experience to the role (see person specification above) by clicking "Apply Now" at the bottom of this page. 

Timeline:  

• Advert Closes for applications:  13/02/2024

• Shortlisting: week commencing   19/02/2024
• Interviews: week commencing  26/04/2024 

We will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates change. You will be provided with sufficient notice of the confirmed dates. 

Sift/Shortlist Criteria:  

All applications are processed anonymously. You will be short-listed against the Person Specification:

• You have proven experience in user research, analysing and synthesising user insights. You are confident applying techniques and methods to analyse research data, synthesise collaboratively and share findings. You have experience leading others’ choice and application of techniques to assure best practice.(LEAD CRITERIA)
• You have visible experience planning user research for services with challenging user needs and complex user journeys.
• You have experience undertaking research across diverse user groups with appropriate research activities. You can advocate for inclusive practices and have experience helping teams design and deliver accessible services that work for all users.
• You can demonstrate an enjoyment of social and technological contexts and their impact on user behaviour
• You have experience incorporating strategic insight to help understand what problem the team is trying to solve and can confidently align user research activities to inform decision making and action.
• You have experience using various technologies to build and operate digital services and have collaborated closely with colleagues in different digital disciplines in agile delivery.

Pre-Sift/Lead Criteria:

In the event of a high volume of applications we will conduct an initial pre-sift on the following criteria:

• You have proven experience in user research, analysing and synthesising user insights. You are confident applying techniques and methods to analyse research data, synthesise collaboratively and share findings. You have experience leading others’ choice and application of techniques to assure best practice.

Interview Criteria:  

You will be interviewed against the following criteria: 

Civil Service Behaviours: 

• Seeing the Big Picture    
• Leadership
• Changing and Improving 

Experience: 

• Analysis and synthesis
• Inclusive research & research skills

Technical Skills: 

• User-centred and agile practices

See here for further information: Success Profiles - Civil Service Behaviours (publishing.service.gov.uk)  

Process:   

• Single Stage Interview via TEAMS. You will be contacted to book a suitable slot if you are shortlisted (see our Candidate Pack for further information) 
• Interview will be with a panel of no more than 2 people and is expected to last approx. 45 mins 
• PRESENTATION: As part of the interview process you may be asked to pre-prepare and present to the Panel to assess one or more of the critia listed above 

Onboarding Checks:  

In the event you are offered a role with us, you will be required to go through Basic Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) checks which will include Employment and Right to Work Checks.  Please see our attached Candidate Pack for further details and Terms. 

Please note, we are unable to offer visa sponsorship.

Residency Requirements

BPSS – non reserved: This is a Ministry of Defence non-reserved post and is open to UK, British Commonwealth, and European Economic Area nationals. Successful applicants will be required to pass the Basic Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) and will therefore need to provide evidence if they have resided outside of the UK for a period of 6 months or longer within the last 3 years. This is not a bar to employment, but a successful applicant will be required to provide sufficient evidence to allow the UKHO to conduct meaningful background checks. Please contact the recruitment team on the email address below if you have any concerns regarding this. 

Eligibility 

Due to the secure nature of our work, there may be eligibility restrictions if you hold dual nationality or are not a British Citizen. We will consider each application on a case-by-case basis. We will ask you in our application form to confirm your place of birth and details of any dual or previous nationalities. 

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.