Senior User Researcher at Department for Work & Pensions, UK Offices, 2 Months, £Contract Rate

Core Purpose

As a Senior User Researcher, you will lead research activity within the discovery team to understand the current landscape, user groups and their needs across the directorate and wider organisational boundaries.

Working as part of a small multidisciplinary team led by a Service Designer, you will help define the future service offer for Corporate Centre Services through service-led discovery research.

This role focuses on understanding organisational services, user needs and stakeholder requirements rather than solely researching digital products or conducting usability testing.

About Corporate Centre Services

We are transforming DWP's Corporate Centre, so it becomes one true enabler of a cohesive DWP rather than a collection of standalone functions.

Our transformation is focused on three things:

• Connected service-led culture where the Corporate Centre is more unified, outward facing, partners with the business and enables frontline delivery.
• Modern, joined-up platforms that give us reliable data and remove duplication.
• Simple, standard processes designed once for the whole department.

This is a shift to a coherent, efficient, insight driven Corporate Centre that helps every part of DWP operate with pace and confidence while providing value for money.

As a Senior User Researcher, your main responsibilities will be to:

• Support the lead Service Designer to undertake discovery activities with the goal of setting out the service offer for Corporate Centre Services.
• Lead on the planning and conducting of user research activities as part of the discovery.
• Work with the team to develop and advocate appropriate research strategies for this discovery, with the goal of understanding user groups, their needs and pain points.
• Conduct user research using a range of research methods, selecting the appropriate method, both qualitative and quantitative, depending on the requirements of the programme.
• Develop and present recommendations based on research findings, translating complex insights into clear narratives that inform the future service offer.
• Be accountable for the end-to-end delivery of research.
• Advocate for inclusive research principles, planning and conducting research that considers the diversity of users, keeping in mind any access requirements users may have and the ethical nature of research.

Essential:

• Experience leading user research within discovery environments.
• Experience conducting service led research to understand user needs, organisational landscapes and service challenges.
• Strong qualitative and quantitative research skills.
• Ability to translate research findings into strategic recommendations and clear narratives for stakeholders.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and relationship management skills, including presenting findings to senior audiences.
• Experience working within agile, multidisciplinary teams alongside Service Designers and other UCD professionals.

Desirable:

• Experience of service design
• Experience of product development lifecycles
• Experience of policy development

Please be aware that this role can only be worked within the UK and not Overseas.

Disability Confident 

As a member of the Disability Confident Scheme, DWP guarantees to interview all candidates who have a disability and who meet all the essential criteria for the vacancy. In cases where we have a high volume of candidates who have a disability who meet all the essential criteria, we will interview the best candidates from within that group. This scheme encourages candidates with a disability and/or neurodivergence to apply. In exceptional circumstances, we may also need to apply the desirable criteria in our shortlisting process which may include holding active security clearance.

Armed Forces Covenant

DWP guarantees to interview veterans or spouses / partners of military personnel who meet all the essential criteria for the vacancy. In cases where we have a high volume of ex-military candidates / military spouses or partners, who meet all of the essential criteria, we will interview the best candidates from within that group. In exceptional circumstances, we may also need to apply the desirable criteria in our shortlisting process which may include holding active security clearance.

In applying for this role, you acknowledge the following this role falls in scope of the Off Payroll Working in the Public Sector legislation. Any rates of payment quoted will reflect the gross rate per day for the assignment and will be subject to appropriate taxes and statutory costs. As such the payment to the intermediary and your income resulting from this contract will be different.