User Researcher

Locations:

Bradford, Bristol, Cardiff, East Kilbride, Glasgow, Manchester - Trinity Bridge House, Newcastle, Preston, Washington

Do you have a passion for User Research in digital?

HMRC is currently undertaking some of the largest digital transformation programmes across Government and other sectors. Our User Researchers are at the core of keeping user needs central to design and implementation, providing an opportunity to shape and improve Services that impact millions of users daily.

This role sits within Customer Strategy and Tax Design, part of HMRC’s Tax Administration Directorate. We are responsible for managing demand and change in guidance products in (url removed), as part of this we ensure User Centred Design is at the heart of everything we do. This enables us to build efficient, simple to use guidance that makes it easy for users to get it right.

You will join a thriving and supportive User Researcher community, with regular opportunities for insight sharing, training and discussion. Our team draws together expertise from a wide variety of backgrounds and sectors, and welcome new ideas on how we can continue to conduct robust research with real-world impact.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead on planning, recruiting and conducting user research for new technology concept testing, including playing back user research to stakeholders and digital teams.
• Understanding the service problem then aligning user research activities to influence and support decision making.
• Applying a range of techniques to analyse and synthesise user research insights, creating research outputs in an actionable way.
• Advocate for, and include, all kinds of users in appropriate research activities to help teams design accessible services for all users.
• Engage in a community of User Researchers, contributing to areas of development.
• Manage and/or mentor Junior User Researchers.
• Participate in HMRC’s cross-government research and conferences.

Person specification

Ideally, we are looking for someone passionate about understanding users' needs and aligning research to solve problems.

Essential Criteria

You will already have experience and understanding of:

• The ability to understand what problem your team is trying to solve and align qualitative and quantitative user research activities to inform decision making and action.
• Robust research and analysis skills. Using a range of quantitative and qualitative methodologies including ethnographic techniques, usability testing, remote testing, and survey design.
• Experienced in analysing and synthesising user research data to generate actionable recommendations.
• A good understanding of the diversity of users of government services, and the ability to include many kinds of users in appropriate research activities.
• Experienced in producing appropriate research outputs to demonstrate insights and recommendations. Presenting clear findings that colleagues can understand and use.
• Advocating for the value of user research and engaging sceptical stakeholders.
• A degree in psychology, cognitive science, human factors, computer science, product/interaction design, human computer interaction or related disciplines or relevant user research experience.

Desirable Criteria

Ideally you will also have knowledge and experience of:

• Working with the Service Manual and/or (url removed) standards and working practices.
• Experience of running inclusive research including with those with barriers to access, accessibility needs and hard-to-reach users.
• An understanding of agile approaches and experience of working in agile teams.
• Some knowledge of current technologies used to build and operate digital services, and the different technical roles in a digital team.

We offer a hybrid working model that allows you to work between home and office locations, giving you greater flexibility about where and when you work. Occasional travel to other sites will be required.