Responsibilities
- Work with client product managers/owners to devise appropriate research strategies that generate focused insights to support product development
- Collaborate within a multidisciplinary team by including colleagues in research and analysis activities
- Advocate for users, effectively communicating their needs and perspectives to support the design of intuitive and accessible services
- Draw together, present and test reasonable conclusions from a wide range of incomplete and/or complex evidence and data
- Take appropriate action or make decisions even when details are not clear
- Weigh up data from various sources, recognising when to bring in additional Methods support
- Identify the main issues in complex problems; clarify understanding or stakeholder expectations to seek the best option
- Convincingly and tactfully persuade sceptical colleagues and stakeholders about the value and purpose of research
- Effectively capture, use and share user/customer insight and views from a diverse range of stakeholders to ensure better policy and delivery
- Support the Head of User Research in coordinating quality user research across the Digital Delivery portfolio through the research community (“delivery through people”)
- Guide, coach and mentor other user researchers in Methods and our clients
- Work closely with colleagues to identify, develop and share good practice
- Set and monitor standards for research, e.g. in ethics, lab testing, recruitment and documentation
- Provide formalised peer-review to services, for quality assurance or as part of an assessment panel
- Confidently engage with stakeholders and colleagues at all levels, using strong interpersonal skills to develop and improve relationships with colleagues within and outside of user research
- Actively build and maintain a network of colleagues and contacts
- Evaluate how Methods’ user research compares to government and competitor best practice and identify necessary and desirable improvements
- Advocate for user-centred design and be an active part of the user research community within Methods and across government
- Take responsibility for your own learning and development and seek opportunities to improve your knowledge and experience
- Project support, guidance, coaching and mentoring (as appropriate) to less experienced user researchers
- Support bids, alongside the Head of User Research
- Help recruit contract or permanent user researchers where more capacity is needed
Requirements
- Demonstrable passion for behavioural research
- Strong leadership skills
- Ability to support and develop less experienced colleagues
- Understanding the research question which needs to be answered, and choosing the best way to answer that question
- Correctly applying a variety of research and analysis techniques
- Ensuring research is representative and inclusive, enabling products/services to be designed to work effectively for anyone who may need it
- Talking about research in a way that other people understand
- Running workshops, participating in discussions and assisting in the facilitation of the design of the service through collaboration with other professions
- Identifying the ‘so what’ and communicating it in a compelling way
- Working in an agile environment
