User Researcher

This is an exciting opportunity to join the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) as User Researcher within our User-Centred Design (UCD) Team.
The UCD Team are experts in design and delivery with a shared mission to support improvements to UKHSA services and products by better understanding users’ needs and experiences.
Our delivery squads take on a varied portfolio of work, with much of our input being focused on the discovery and alpha stages. As a User Researcher, you’ll work as part of a multi-disciplinary squad collaborating with teams across UKHSA. You’ll help to shape product and service design, to support UKHSA to solve problems, improve public health outcomes and address health inequalities. Alongside this, you’ll help to embed UCD practice and principles, supporting UKHSA to become a high performing organisation., + Plan, design, and prepare user research for multiple projects and portfolios of work
+ Carry out user research activities: recruiting participants, preparing discussion guides, creating information gathering artifacts, running and moderating user research sessions
+ Engage in meaningful interactions and relationships with users via in-depth interviews, workshop facilitation and ethnography research techniques
+ Collaborate with other disciplines to gain a deep understanding of user needs, bringing together insights to create a rich picture of user behaviour
+ Create and improve user-centred research practices
+ Bring insights and learnings to life for stakeholders in the most appropriate way
+ Synthesise research findings rapidly, using appropriate tools and techniques, working closely with design teams to translate them into user stories and iterate appropriately
+ Drive awareness of user research practices, influencing project roadmaps to embed effective and user-centred design
+ Contribute to the maintenance of a central library of research findings and user needs, adhering to research best practice standards
+ Influence and shape best in class digital and non-digital products and services
+ Ensure research practice is of a high quality and meets government and NHS standards and industry best practice
This is not an exhaustive list please see Job description document for full list of duties and responsibilities, This vacancy is using Success Profiles and will assess your Behaviours and Technical skills.
Stage 1: Application & Sift
Success profiles
You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on the above listed 8 essential criteria, and this will be in the form of a:
+ Application form (‘Employer/ Activity history’ section on the application)
+ 1000 word Statement of Suitability
This should outline how your skills, experience, and knowledge, provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential criteria.
The Application form and Statement of Suitability will be marked separately, and you must pass both to move forward to interview.
Longlisting:
In the event of a large number of applications we will longlist into 3 piles of:
+ Meets all essential criteria
+ Meets some essential criteria
+ Meets no essential criteria
Please note that candidates in the Disability Confident Scheme will be shortlisted if you meet the minimum essential criteria.
Shortlisting:
If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to interview and assessment.
Please do not exceed 1000 words. We will not consider any words over and above this number.
Feedback will not be provided at this stage.
Stage 2: Interview (success profiles)
You will be invited to a 60 minute (single) remote interview.
Behaviours, and technical skills will be tested at interview.
There will be a technical test and a presentation on your understanding of the UCD (User Centred Design), to help us understand more about you and your skills and experience. The test will be provided to you approximately three days in advance of your interview. You will then need to present your answers during the interview. No presentation slides will be necessary, although candidates may choose to create one. Candidates can also refer to notes during the interview.
The Behaviours tested during the interview stage will be;
+ Changing and Improving
+ Communication and Influencing
+ Seeing the bigger picture
The Technical skills tested during the interview stage will be;
+ Analysis and Synthesis
+ Research
+ Strategic Insight
+ User-centred and agile practices
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.
Eligibility Criteria
Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including by definition internal applicants).
Location:
This role is being offered as hybrid working. We offer great flexible working opportunities at UKHSA and operate using a hybrid working model where business needs allow. This provides us with greater flexibility about how and where we work, to get the best from our workforce. As a hybrid worker, you will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of your contractual working hours (approximately 3 days a week pro rata, (averaged over a month) working at one of UKHSA's core HQ’s (Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, and London) or at one of our scientific campus sites (Colindale, Porton and Chilton).
If based at one of our scientific locations, you will be required to have a Counter Terrorism Check security vetting check as a minimum. For meaningful National Security Vetting checks to be carried out individuals need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time. You should normally have been resident in the United Kingdom for the last 3 years as the role requires Counter Terrorism Check (CTC) clearance. In exceptional circumstances UK residency less than the outlined periods may not necessarily bar you from gaining national security vetting and applicants should contact the Vacancy Holder/Recruiting Manager listed in the advert for further advice. Our core HQ offices are modern and newly refurbished with excellent city centre transport link and benefit from benefit from co-location with other government departments such
as the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC).
Security Clearance Level Requirement:
Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.
Reasonable Adjustments
The Civil Service is committed to making sure that our selection methods are fair to everyone.
To help you during the recruitment process, we will consider any reasonable adjustments that could help you.
An adjustment is a change to the recruitment process or an adjustment at work.
This is separate to the Disability Confident Scheme.
If you need an adjustment to be made at any point during the recruitment process you should:
Contact the recruitment team in confidence as soon as possible to discuss your needs.
You can find out more information about reasonable adjustments across the Civil Service here: https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/reasonable-adjustments/
International Police check:
If you have spent more than 6 months abroad over the last 3 years you may need an International Police Check. This would not necessarily have to be in a single block, and it could be time accrued over that period.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Your application may be rejected and/or you may be subject to disciplinary action if evidence of plagiarism is detected. Examples of plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experience of others, or generated by artificial intelligence (AI), as your own.
Careers website:
Please visit our careers site for more information https://gov.uk/ukhsa/careers
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.

+ Experience of working as a user researcher, or a degree (i.e. BA, BDes, BHSc) in a relevant subject and able to demonstrate an equivalent level of knowledge
+ Experience of using user-centred design methods and practices with a good understanding of the key standards in assuring quality user research
+ Experience of bringing insights and learnings to life for colleagues and stakeholders in the most appropriate way, including through presentations and printed or online artefacts, communicating with clarity and confidence to create actionable strategic insights and service improvements
+ Able to carry out user research activities from recruiting participants, preparing discussion guides, creating information gathering artifacts, and running and moderating user research sessions
+ Able to bring insights and learnings to life for colleagues and stakeholders in the most appropriate way, including through presentations and printed or online artefacts, communicating with clarity and confidence to create actionable strategic insights and service improvements
+ Able to synthesise research findings rapidly, using appropriate tools and techniques, working closely with design teams to translate them into user stories and iterate appropriately
+ Abe to develop qualitative research discussion guides for different objectives and research questions
+ Knowledge of agile ways of working, and experience working with content, service and interaction designers and other professions

Alongside your salary of £40,661, UK Health Security Agency contributes £11,779 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
+ 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 employer contribution of 28.97%