Senior User Researcher - Cabinet Office - G7

Location

Bristol, Glasgow, London, Manchester, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Norwich, York

About the job

Job summary

The Cabinet Office is the corporate headquarters for the government, employing over 6,000 people in a variety of roles across the UK. In partnership with HM Treasury, we take the lead in certain critical policy areas and support the Prime Minister to ensure the effective running of government.

The Cabinet Office Digital directorate has a crucial role to play in modernising the Cabinet Office through digital transformation. The directorate has approximately 350 staff and is growing in order to meet the demands of the department, and to provide a wider and more mature range of digital, data, technology and security services.

As a Business Analyst you will play a crucial role in helping our teams analyse and understand business problems and opportunities bridging the gap between user needs and organisational goals. You will lead small to medium-sized projects independently while providing vital support on larger, more complex initiatives.

You will dive deep into how our business areas operate to identify areas for improvement and guide evidence-based decision-making.

Government Skills

Over your tenure in post, you will contribute to a range of policy objectives. Your focus initially will be on Government Skills, which was created to accelerate the quality of learning and development in government through better training, knowledge and networks for around 550,000 Civil Servants across Government, delivering government priorities now and for the future.

As part of its development, it has been announced that Government Skills will become the National School of Government and Public Services. This change enhances its profile and visibility across government, offering better public services for citizens and confirming the government’s commitment to our vision of delivering world-class training in areas such as AI, digital, and leadership. This is an exciting time of growth, with new positions being created to support the future operating model.

Digital, Data, Innovation and AI (DDI & AI) Team

Digital transformation, including AI, is both a defining challenge for our generation and a vital opportunity for the state. DDI & AI capabilities underpin much of the government’s wider transformation, and the DDI & AI team drives the strategic vision to embed these critical skills across government. We are a small, dynamic and fast-growing team with a remit to improve DDI&AI capability in non-digital specialists across all government departments. This is an exciting opportunity to be a part of the team that is delivering at pace on top government priorities.

Job description

As a Senior User Researcher, you will:

• Lead the planning, design and delivery of user research using a range of research methods, selecting the appropriate method, both qualitative and quantitative across all phases of the delivery lifecycle, to understand user needs and behaviours and align with project goals.
• Carry out user research activities from recruiting participants, preparing discussion guides, and moderating research sessions.
• Analyse and synthesise research data to deliver insights and present clear, actionable findings that colleagues can understand and use.
• Effectively communicate user research findings to your team and the wider organisation to influence decision-making.
• Communicate and advocate user-centred design principles and ways of working with stakeholders.
• Support the development of accessible services and content by ensuring that participants with access needs are included in research.
• Advocate for inclusive research principles, planning and conducting research that considers the diversity of users
• Manage suppliers to support delivery of user research activities (e.g., contractors, user research agencies, participant recruitment services), and navigate requisite internal financial and commercial approvals.

Person specification

It is essential that you have: 

• Agile research practices: Proven ability to adapt research strategies to complex agile environments, effectively influencing team priorities and advocating for agile working.
• Analysis and synthesis: Strong capability in applying, advising on, and assuring best practice across a range of analysis methods, with a track record of successfully engaging wider colleagues in the synthesis process.
• Inclusive research: Demonstrated commitment to championing inclusive practices and designing accessible services by effectively engaging a highly diverse range of users.
• Research management, leadership and assurance: Adept at evaluating research quality against professional standards and providing constructive leadership and feedback to elevate team practice.
• Stakeholder relationship management: Highly skilled in building long-term strategic relationships, implementing effective communication strategies, and influencing stakeholders to resolve complex issues.
• User research methods: Extensive experience in applying and advising on a wide range of user research methodologies to tackle complex user journeys and challenging needs.
• User-centred practice and advocacy: Highly skilled in championing user-centred approaches, aligning research plans with strategic priorities, and successfully advocating for the user amongst non-specialist teams and wider stakeholders.

This role is aligned to the Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework. You can view the full Senior User Researcher role definition here.

Additional information:

Cabinet Office policy is that a minimum 60% of your working time should be spent at your principal workplace. For some roles, due to their nature and the business need, this may be up to 100%. Requirements to attend other locations for official business will also count towards this level of attendance.