Senior User Researcher -Department for Education-G7
Government Digital & Data -
Senior User Researcher
Department for Education
Apply before 11:55 pm on Monday 19th August 2024
Details
Reference number
362419
Salary
£53,669
London pay band minimum - £57,498
Job grade
Grade 7
Contract type
Permanent
Business area
DFE - Education and Skills Funding Agency - Funding Service Delivery
Type of role
Digital
Working pattern
Flexible working, Full-time, Job share, Part-time
Number of jobs available
1
Contents
Location
Bristol, Coventry, Darlington, London, Manchester, Sheffield
About the job
Job summary
This role sits within Digital Data Technology (DDT), in the Funding Service Delivery team. We are an embedded team, which works with the funding directorate within the Education Skills Funding Agency (ESFA), an executive agency, sponsored by the Department for Education, accountable for funding education and skills for children, young people, and adults. The Service Delivery division supports one of the biggest funding operations anywhere across government. We ensure over £70bn of education and training funds are allocated, contracted and paid accurately and on time through our digital Funding Service made up of internal and external facing products. The service, and the funding operations it supports, works at pace to deliver a high-quality customer experience. As a Senior User Researcher, you will be joining a friendly, motivated team looking to transform the user experience of receiving and managing education funding, as well as how our internal operators use the service. We view the education funding service as not just the digital element, but also the operational processes, the data in it and the whole journey both on and offline. All the divisions involved in the service take a holistic approach and all are focused on the needs of our users.
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Job description
Job Responsibilities: As a senior user researcher, you will be an experienced practitioner who can plan and lead user research activities in larger teams and across programmes of work and more complex services. You will:
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Person specification
Essential Criteria:
Desirable Criteria:
Desirable criteria will only be assessed at interview, in the event of a tie break situation, to make an informed decision.
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Benefits
Applicants currently holding a permanent post in the Civil Service should note that, if successful, their salary on appointment would be determined by the Department’s transfer / promotion policies.
As a member of the DfE, you will be entitled to join the highly competitive Civil Service Pension Scheme, which many experts agree is one of the most generous in the UK, with an average employer contribution of 27%.
You will have 25 days leave, increasing by 1 day every year to a maximum of 30 days after five years’ service. In addition, all staff receive the King's Birthday privilege holiday and 8 days’ bank and public holidays.
We offer flexible working arrangements, such as job sharing, term-time working, flexi-time and compressed hours.
Most DfE employees will be working a hybrid pattern, spending at least 60% of their time in an office or work setting. Changes to these working arrangements are available in exceptional circumstances but must be agreed with the line manager and in line with the requirements of the role.
Travel to your primary office location will not be paid for by DfE, but costs for travel to an office which is not your main location will be covered.
As an organisation, which exists to support education and lifelong learning, we offer our staff excellent professional development opportunities.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
Please note that all communications will be electronic therefore, it is vitally important that you check your Civil Service Jobs account regularly, as well as your spam/junk folder.
Application
To apply for this role, you will be required to provide a CV and Statement of Suitability (statement max word count 750 words). We will use your CV and Statement to assess your experience and suitability for the role against the essential criteria listed in the person specification above.
In your CV, Please include details of your employment history, highlighting specific responsibilities and achievements.
In your Statement of Suitability, please include examples of how your personal skills, qualities and experience meet the essential criteria. You may wish to follow the STAR technique to help focus your examples.
To confirm, the maximum word count for the Statement of Suitability is 750 words. Please adhere to this limit as anything over 750 words will not be taken into account.
Interview
Candidates who are successful at sift will be invited to an interview lasting between 60-90 minutes.
At interview, candidates will be asked to complete a task and give a 10 minute presentation. The details of the task will be sent to candidates prior to interview. The task will be assessed on the essential criteria.
At interview, you will be asked questions to assess your experience in line with the essential criteria listed above.
Interviews will be conducted via Microsoft Teams. Please ensure you have access to this software and your video is turned on.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview.
Sift and Interview dates to be confirmed.
Other Information
In your application, please don’t include personal information that identifies you.
This means we can recruit based on your knowledge and skills, and not background, gender or ethnicity - it's called name blind recruitment (opens in a new window).
Please ensure that you remove from your application, all references to your:
- name/title
- educational institutions
- age
- gender
- email address
- postal address
- phone number
- nationality/immigration status
We understand that you might use AI and other resources for your application; however, please ensure all information you provide is factually accurate, truthful, and original and doesn’t include ideas or work that isn’t your own. This is so that your application is authentically and credibly your own.
We reserve the right to raise the minimum pass mark in the event of a high volume or strong field of candidates.
Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK from the location options provided and not from overseas.
The government is committed to supporting apprenticeships, enabling people to learn and progress in a role whilst earning. We want to monitor the number of people who have completed apprenticeships who are now applying to progress further in their career and are asking this question to all candidates, on all vacancies. You will be asked a question as part of the application process about any previous apprenticeships you have completed. Your response to this question will not affect your application and it is not a requirement of the role to have completed a previous apprenticeship.
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 Department of Education of your intention by emailing Pre-Employment.Checks.DFE@education.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.
Department for Education do not cover the cost of travel to your interview/assessment unless otherwise stated.
A reserve list may be held for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made.
Candidates will be posted in merit order based upon location preference. Where more than one location is advertised you will be asked to state your preferred location.
New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.
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.
Terms and conditions of candidates transferring from ALBs and NDPBs
Bodies that are not accredited by the Civil Service Commission and are not able to advertise at Across Government on Civil Service jobs will be treated as external new starters and will come into DfE on modernised terms and conditions with a salary at the band minimum.
Bodies that are accredited by the Civil Service Commission but do not have civil service status will be offered modernised terms and will not have continuous service recognised for leave or sickness benefits. Salaries should be offered at band minimum, but there is some flexibility where this would cause a detriment to the individual.
Bodies that are accredited by the Civil Service Commission and do have Civil Service status will be treated as OGD transfers. Staff appointed on lateral transfer will move on to pre-modernised DfE terms (unless they were on modernised terms in their previous organisation). Staff appointed on promotion will move on to modernised DfE terms. Staff will transfer over on their existing salary (on lateral transfer) and any pay above the DfE pay band maximum will be paid as a mark time allowance. Staff moving on promotion will have their salaries calculated using the principles set out in the attached OGD transfer supplementary information.
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 Department of Education via centralrecruitment.operations@education.gov.uk 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.
Any move to Department for Education (DfE) will mean you will no longer be able to carry on claiming childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
