Head of Analysis & User Centred Design

The Head of Analysis and User-Centred Design provides strategic leadership of the CPS’ business analysis and user-centred design practice as we build and improve user-centric digital services. The role will lead the development of the standards, practices and skills of accessibility specialists, analysts, interaction designers and user researchers, working in multidisciplinary teams, enabling innovation and agility, ensuring that our digital services adhere to the highest standards of usability, accessibility and security.
Your responsibilities will encompass the strategic oversight of analysis and design, the leadership of a dedicated team (including third party consultancies working on our behalf), and the assurance of the quality of our work to the Service Standard. Moreover, you will spearhead the promotion of a user-centred approach to everything we do in digital and data, and more broadly across the CPS.
You will also play a critical role in the leadership of the Digital and Information Directorate, working with your fellow heads of profession to run the technical governance of the Directorate, by contributing to Service Standard assessments, the Technical Design Authority and setting the strategic direction of the Directorate through the shaping OKRs (objective and key results).

Person specification
+ Provides leadership and sets the strategy for the analysis and user centred design function to meet users need, managing conflicting priorities and establishing and embedding operational processes (e.g. to support knowledge management and privacy by design practices).
+ Significant member and active participant of the IT governance process, providing advice and guidance regarding development to ensure teams understand and therefore solutions meet user need, taking a ‘secure by design’ approach and building for accessibility.
+ Maintains key relationships to ensure that the CPS approach to analysis and user centred design continues to reflect industry best practice, that it is embedded across the CPS and benefits from cross-government standards.
+ Accountable for the development and continuous improvement of people, practices and tools which enable an organisation of 7,800 users that works 24/7 to deliver justice intuitively and safely.
+ Prioritise accessibility and inclusivity in design to ensure solutions are usable by a wide an audience, including those with disabilities. This meets legal and ethical standards and expands the impact of solutions.
+ Lead development in response to user need and business value, ensuring teams understand the business impact of the products they develop. This includes sprint reviews, retrospectives, and user testing sessions to gather insights and iteratively improve the product.

Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
+ Communicating and Influencing
+ Managing a Quality Service, CPS is passionate about ensuring that we are a top performing organisation and a great place to work. We are committed to be an equal opportunities employer and creating a culture where everyone can bring their whole self to work and individuality is truly appreciated.
We want to ensure all our employees can thrive at work and home and offer a range of support to achieve a balance. This includes where possible, flexibility of working hours, flexibility to support caring responsibilities and a flexible approach to deployment, which means that where you work (i.e. a court, an office, or a remote setting such as your home) will be based on the kind of work you are undertaking.
This culture of inclusion is underpinned by our staff networks covering Disability, Faith and Belief, LGBTQI+, Race, Social Mobility alongside our Mental Health First Aiders Programme and Wellbeing Sessions.
CPS commits to offer its employees the following experience
+ Impactful, purposeful work – making a difference to your local communities
+ The ability to learn and grow, with access to the right opportunities and resources
+ To care about your wellbeing
+ To feel valued, trusted and included
We also offer the following range of benefits:
+ Civil Service Pension
+ Access to employee savings
+ Cycle2Work scheme
+ 25 days leave, rising to 30 days after 5 years’ service.
+ 1 extra privilege day entitlement to mark the King’s Birthday.
+ Competitive maternity, paternity and parental leave
+ Flexible working and a family friendly approach to work.
+ Childcare vouchers unless already registered with the Government Tax Free Childcare Scheme
Diversity at the Crown Prosecution Service is about inclusion, embracing differences and ensuring our workforce truly reflects the communities we serve. We want you to feel that you belong and can thrive, whatever your background, identity or culture. As a Disability Confident employer, we're happy to support requests for reasonable adjustments and improve your recruitment experience. If you'd like any reasonable adjustments made to our recruitment process, let us know within your application or contact jonathan.fairclough@cps.gov.uk.
The CPS also has a range of development programmes to support all aspiring, new and experienced managers with developing the skills, behaviours and knowledge to build their confidence and capability. Our Manager Induction Programme is mandatory for all managers appointed from April 2024. This is a fantastic opportunity to arm all our new CPS managers with the tools required to perform effectively in their roles., The recruitment process will consist of an online application, interview and assessment which are expected to take place week commencing 25th November 2024 or week commencing 2nd December 2024.
Your interview will be conducted online via Microsoft Teams. A member of our recruitment team will be in touch with further guidance. If you have any queries about this please contact jonathan.fairclough@cps.gov.uk.
Please note, candidates who are close to the interview pass mark but do not meet the standard may be offered a User Researcher role at Level D / Grade 7. Should the area wish to offer you this role, we will be in touch.
Assessment
You will be asked to undertake an assessment as part of the recruitment process for this role, details of which will be provided immediately prior to your interview.
Personal Statement
In no more than 750 words, set out how your experience will carry out the role. You will need to demonstrate essential experience for the role, which are:
+ Leadership and guidance
+ User-centred practice and advocacy
+ Business Analysis
Behaviours
Using the STAR method and in no more than 250 words per behaviour, set out how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience demonstrate the following core behaviours for this role. These are:
+ Communicating & Influencing
+ Managing a Quality Service
You will also need to demonstrate the CPS or Civil Service values.
CV
You will not be required to upload your CV however, when submitting your application there is a ‘CV section.’ You will be required to provide information regarding your employment/academic history for the past 3 years.
It is the candidate’s responsibility to provide the specified application information in the requested format to ensure that they are considered for the post.
Please note, if you are unable to cover 3 years through employment/ academic, a character reference will be required for clearance purposes.
Strengths
Strengths will be tested at interview stage, the strengths being tested will not be shared in advance of the interview.
Use of AI
Candidates must ensure that their applications, including personal statements and behaviour examples, are truthful and factually accurate. Please note, that plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experience of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own.
Other
This is a full-time post. However, requests for flexible, part-time working and job share will be considered, considering at all times the operational needs of the Department.
We want to ensure our employees can thrive at work and home, and offer a range of support to achieve a balance. This includes flexibility of working hours, flexibility to support caring responsibilities and a flexible approach to deployment. We offer a hybrid working policy. From September 2024, you must spend at least 40% of your contracted hours over a four-week period at court, in an office or another official workplace depending on business need and the kind of work you're doing.
The Crown Prosecution Service is based in England and Wales. If you’re applying for this role and live in Scotland or Northern Ireland, you must let us know when accepting this offer as you need permission to work from your home address if hybrid working is part of your role. Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that this approval will be granted.
Clearance Required
The successful applicant will be required to secure DBS clearance.
If successfully appointed, you will be asked to complete the Character Enquiry Form and Nationality and Immigration Questionnaire.
(If you are an internal member of staff, you will not be required to undergo this DBS check as you will already hold this clearance)
Waiting List
Candidates who are recommended by the selection panel but not appointed to the current vacancy will be placed on a waiting list for 12 months and may be offered another post, should any further vacancies for a Head of Analysis and user centred Design arise in their chosen location. CPS may also approach candidates on the waiting list to fill other roles requiring similar knowledge and experience, including in other locations.
Feedback
Feedback will not be provided until the vacancy is complete, please note that written feedback will not be provided for candidates who do not pass the application stage.
Fair Processing Notice (FPN)
From April 2018, the CPS will provide a Fair Processing Notice (FPN) to all new applicants after they have been successful at interview. These candidates will be informed that, as one aspect of pre-employment screening, their personal details – name, National Insurance Number and date of birth - will be checked against the Internal Fraud Database (IFD) and that anyone included on the IFD will be refused employment unless they can demonstrate exceptional circumstances., + 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.

Diversity and Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

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

As the most digitally advanced prosecution service in the world, the CPS has rapidly transformed into a wholly digital organisation. Looking ahead to 2030, our focus is on reducing delays across the justice system and improving services for victims to increase public confidence.
Our digital and data vision is simple, intuitive tools and safe access to data enables colleagues to focus on high quality casework to support the delivery of justice. We achieve this through our missions, which include our dedication to users, proactive security, regular value delivery, and fostering inquisitive, inclusive teams to build digital confidence.
As the Head of Business Analysis and User Centred Design, you will lead our User Research, Design, Accessibility, and Business Analysis professions. Your user-centred design approach will be at the heart of understanding our users and their needs, which we consider to be our unique value in the organisation.
Why Join Us?
+ Impactful Work: Lead transformational research, design, and analysis where inclusivity truly matters.
+ Strategic Leadership: This high-profile role offers the opportunity to demonstrate strategic leadership and deliver tangible impact across the CPS and the wider justice system.
+ Innovative Environment: Be part of a team that is dedicated to innovation and continuous improvement.
+ Collaborative Culture: Work with inquisitive, inclusive teams that are committed to building digital confidence.
If you’re passionate about leading transformational change through high quality user centred design and business analysis, and making a real difference, we’d love to hear from you.
Applicants must be aged 16 before starting in the role, start dates would be expected to be 8-12 weeks after the closing date of this advert.
As part of this role you will be expected to undertake direct line management responsibilities.

Alongside your salary of £71,420, Crown Prosecution Service contributes £20,690 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.