Job Description
Senior User Researcher (Research Operations Specialist)
Location: National*
Closing Date: 28th June
Interviews: W/C 13th July
Grade: 7
(MoJ candidates who are on a specialist grade, will be able to retain this grade on lateral transfer)
Salary**:
National: £58,511 - £65,329
London: £63,343 - £70,725 (which may include an allowance up to £332)
Working pattern: Full-time, Part-time, Flexible working
Contract Type: Permanent
Number of vacancies: 1
Vacancy number: 18782
*We offer a hybrid working model, allowing for a balance between remote work and time spent in your local office. Office locations can be found ON THIS MAP
Please note that unless you are an existing member of staff at Justice Digital, Data and Science, the only London location being recruited to is 10 South Colonnade, E14 4PU. We are no longer recruiting to 102 Petty France, SW1H 9AJ.
The Role
Please note this role requires you to pass Security Check clearance. Please click on the link for details.
We’re recruiting for a Senior User Researcher (Research Operations Specialist), here at Justice Digital, Data and Science to be part of our warm and collaborative User Research team.
This role aligns against Senior User Researcher from the Government Digital and Data Framework
User Researchers are key figures in the teams that design and deliver services. They help their teams develop a deep understanding of the people - citizens, businesses or government colleagues - who use our services. Their findings allow teams to design and build better services more quickly and at lower cost and risk, and to continuously improve services based on data and evidence.
As our services continue to grow in scale and complexity, Research Operations plays a critical role in enabling user researchers to deliver high quality insights safely, consistently and efficiently. By improving the systems, processes, tools and operational support around research, Research Operations helps increase the pace at which teams can learn about users and make informed decisions.
About the role
As a Research Operations Specialist, you will develop and continuously improve the operational support that enables our community of over 80 user researchers to work effectively in a large, agile and multidisciplinary organisation.
You will help ensure researchers have the recruitment services, participant management processes, tools, templates, operational guidance and knowledge management support they need to generate high quality insights quickly, consistently and safely. You will also play a key role in maintaining the professional, ethical and legal standards expected of research at MoJ, while improving the efficiency, scalability and effectiveness of research operations across the organisation.
Your core accountabilities for the role will include:
ensuring effective research governance, compliance and professional standards
supporting researchers to deliver high quality research effectively and safely
increasing the efficiency, scalability and pace of research delivery and insight generation
supporting the development of the User Research community and profession across JDDS
We are looking for someone who is passionate about helping research teams work effectively at pace while maintaining high standards of quality, inclusion and compliance. You’ll report to the Head of User Research, be part of the Research Leadership Team, and work closely with researchers across the organisation to identify operational challenges and opportunities for improvement.
You’ll receive a range of excellent benefits when you join our department, including:
A generous employer pension contribution of 28.97% through the Civil Service Pension Scheme.
25 days of annual leave, (increasing to 30 days once you have reached 5 years of service), plus 8 bank holidays and a privilege day for the King’s birthday.
Flexible working arrangements including hybrid working, working part time or compressed hours. Designed to support a positive work–life balance.
Employees are allocated 10% of their working time for personal and professional development.
A £1k per person learning budget is in place to support all our people, with access to best-in-class conferences and seminars, accreditation with professional bodies, fully funded vocational programmes and e-learning platforms.
Compassionate maternity, adoption, and shared parental leave policies, with up to 26 weeks leave at full pay, 13 weeks with partial pay, and 13 weeks further leave. And maternity support/paternity leave at full pay for 2 weeks, too!
You can find more details of the Benefits we offer here. To help picture your life at MoJ Justice Digital, Data and Science please take a look at our blog.
Key Responsibilities:
Assure compliance by working with researchers and stakeholders to ensure research is carried out in line with appropriate legal, ethical and professional standards (including by not limited to – inclusive research practices, GDPR and data handling, consent and confidentiality requirements, participant and researcher safeguarding, internal security clearance of tools, etc)
Lead on establishing and delivering operational services to the user research team, including participant recruitment and management, tools, templates, operational guidance, governance processes and supplier management
Identify operational bottlenecks, inefficiencies and duplication across the research process, and improve workflows and processes to increase the pace at which teams can generate and use research insights
Support the development of scalable and sustainable approaches to participant recruitment and management, including improving recruitment processes, supplier relationships and approaches to participant panels and ongoing recruitment needs
Improve operational maturity and efficiency through better tooling, automation and emerging technologies, including assessing the opportunities and risks associated with AI-enabled research tools and processes
Maintain and deliver a strategy and roadmap for Research Operations, including clear priorities, measurable outcomes and an approach to continuous improvement
Support researchers to work confidently and effectively within agreed operational standards and processes by providing guidance, operational support, training and coaching where appropriate
Support the development of the User Research community and profession through initiatives such as onboarding, learning and development coordination, community management and sharing good practice
Work with a wide range of internal stakeholders and external suppliers to deliver effective operational services across the department
Take on additional research operations activities is the needs evolve
If this feels like an exciting challenge, something you are enthusiastic about, and want to join our team please read on and apply!
Person Specification
Essential
Research and Analysis Skills - including understanding methods, tools and operational needs of user researchers, giving you the ability to assess the appropriateness of various tools to meet those needs, including understanding the opportunities and risks associated with AI-enabled tools
User Centred and Agile Working - including understanding the demands this places on researchers, and the operational support needed to balance appropriate levels of governance, safeguarding, inclusion and compliance with ensuring delivery at pace
Continuous operational improvement skills - including the ability to identify operational problems and opportunities, and develop practical, proportionate solutions (in areas such as recruitment, governance, tooling, insight sharing, etc) that improve the effectiveness of research operations and the pace of research delivery
Influencing skills – including the organisational, influencing and stakeholder management skills needed to support the adoption of operational processes and services across teams
Contract and supplier management skills - including the ability to liaise with third party suppliers, build relationships and maintain a structured approach to managing recruitment, tools and operational services
Willingness to be assessed against the requirements for SC clearance
We welcome the unique contribution diverse applicants bring and do not discriminate based on culture, ethnicity, race, nationality or national origin, age, sex, gender identity or expression, religion or belief, disability status, sexual orientation, educational or social background or any other factor.
Our values are Purpose, Humanity Openness and Together. Find out more here about how we celebrate diversity and an inclusive culture in our workplace.
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 and the Civil Service D&I Strategy.
Salary Information**
Base salary for this role is from National: £58,511 - £65,329 and London: £63,343 - £70,725
New entrants to the Civil Service joining the MoJ are expected to start at the minimum of the pay band.
Existing Civil Servants moving on a level transfer will retain their current base salary or move to the minimum of the pay band for the role, whichever is higher.
Existing Civil Servants who are promoted will either move to the bottom of the new grade’s pay band or receive a 10% uplift, whichever provides the greater increase.
Candidates may also be eligible for a non‑pensionable Government Digital & Data Allowance of up to £332 per year (London). This is a temporary allowance, reviewed annually and may be retained, amended, or withdrawn.
The final offer will reflect the skills and experience you demonstrate during the assessment process.
How to Apply
In Justice Digital, Data and Science, we recruit using a combination of the Government Digital and Data Profession Capability and Success Profiles Frameworks. We shall assess a combination of your Experience, Technical skills and Behaviours during the assessment process.
Stage 1 - Application and sift:
To apply for this position, you must submit the following as part of your application
A CV detailing your career history (including any relevant qualifications). Your CV will be assessed against the essential criteria outlined within the Person Specification of this advert.
A Personal Statement (no more than 750 words) which should outline your experience and skills, giving clear examples of work undertaken. It should specifically address the following 3 criteria listed below, using a separate paragraph for each.
Research and Analysis Skills - including understanding methods, tools and operational needs of user researchers, giving you the ability to assess the appropriateness of various tools to meet those needs, including understanding the opportunities and risks associated with AI-enabled tools
User Centred and Agile Working - including understanding the demands this places on researchers, and the operational support needed to balance appropriate levels of governance, safeguarding, inclusion and compliance with ensuring delivery at pace
Influencing skills – including the organisational, influencing and stakeholder management skills needed to support the adoption of operational processes and services across teams
A diverse sift panel will review the information in your CV and Personal Statement to assess the sift criteria specified above. We operate an anonymous shortlisting process. Please ensure your CV and Personal Statement do not include your name or any other identifying details.
Should we receive a high volume of applications, a pre-sift based on Research and Analysis Skills - including understanding methods, tools and operational needs of user researchers, giving you the ability to assess the appropriateness of various tools to meet those needs, including understanding the opportunities and risks associated with AI-enabled tools will be conducted before the sift.
Please access the following link for guidance on how to apply - Application Guidance
Stage 2 - Interviews:
Successful candidates who meet the required standard will then be invited to a panel interview held via Microsoft Teams. At interview stage, you will be assessed against the following Success Profile elements - Experience, Technical and the following Behaviours:
Delivery at pace
Changing and improving
Communicating and influencing
As part of your interview, you will be asked to deliver a presentation. Further details will be provided if successful at sift.
Appointments are made strictly in merit order. In the event that two or more candidates receive identical interview scores, the “Delivery at Pace” behaviour will be applied as the primary lead criterion to determine the final merit order.
Should you be unsuccessful in the role that you have applied for but demonstrate the capability for a role at a lower level, we reserve the right to discuss this opportunity with you and offer you the position without needing a further application.
A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months, from which further appointments may be made.
Use of Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
Terms & Conditions
Please review our Terms and Conditions which set out how we recruit and provide further information related to the role and salary arrangements.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact digitalanddatarecruitment@justice.gov.uk
