6171 - Lead User Researcher - 6171 - Ministry of Justice

Descriptions & requirements

Job description

Lead User Researcher - Central Digital

Location: National*

Type of Vacancy: Permanent Civil Servant

Grade: 6

(MoJ candidates who are on a specialist grade, will be able to retain this grade on lateral transfer)

Working Pattern: Full time, Part time, Flexible working

Vacancy number: 6171

*We offer a hybrid working model, allowing for a balance between remote work and 2 days spent in your local office. Office locations can be found ON THIS MAP. There may be an expectation to attend some management and team meetings in person.

The Role

We’re recruiting for a Lead User Researcher here at Justice Digital, to be part of the Central Digital management team and to support user research across a number of our more technical and data-led areas.

Central Digital is the team that provides central support to the rest of Justice Digital. It does this through building and supporting a range of central products, and through teams supporting our work on Service Standards, Design Systems, Accessibility, and our Digital Advisory Service. More broadly, you will also manage and support user researchers across business areas including Platforms and Architecture, our Data Platform, AI, Transformation and Tech Services. The role is therefore key to ensuring we are supporting professional development and building a strong UR community and user voice across a number of related areas of the business.

This role aligns against Lead User Researcher role from the Government Digital and Data Framework

At MoJ, we want our Lead URs to play an active role in helping shape the direction of the businesses they work in. This means you’ll be both:
An expert practitioner, leading and aligning user research activities across several teams to meet the needs of the business
An advocate for users and user centred working at a strategic level, helping build links and ways of working with the other professions in Central Digital, and providing user insight to influence senior decision making

In practice, this means you’ll be expected to:

Build strong collaborative relationships with your Central Digital Leadership Team colleagues (including fellow Leads and the Head of Central Digital)
Play an active role in making users’ needs part of the Leadership Team’s thinking, and using this to influence Central Digital’s work programme, strategy, and ways of working
Be an advocate for a user-centred approach to all that we do in Central Digital and the other business areas you oversee
Be a leader and coach to the User Research community in Central Digital and other businesses you oversee

To help picture your life at MoJ Justice Digital please take a look at our blog and our Digital and Technology strategy 2025

Key Responsibilities:

Recruit, lead, coach, develop and empower user researchers across a range of multidisciplinary product teams, building a user research team and programme that’s responsive to the needs and priorities of the business

Being an effective advocate for users at a senior level, and using this to help shape business decisions, strategy and ways of working

Build strong, collaborative relationships with peers, senior colleagues and external partners to solve problems, build consensus, and effectively influence

Provide consultative support and guidance to senior stakeholders, making recommendations, challenging thinking and helping shape work programmes

Help solve challenges for users and Central Digital, bringing a UCD perspective and breaking down silos

Oversee the quality of the research conducted, ensuring user researchers understand what good looks like and are able to deliver it, including in areas such as inclusivity, accessibility and ethical practice

As part of the Research Leadership Team, collaborate with the Head of User Research and other UR Leads to:

continually develop the capabilities of the profession, identifying opportunities to innovate, emerging trends and sharing best practice
develop the community of practice, ensuring user researchers across MoJ have high levels of purpose and engagement
promote the importance and value of user-centred practice
ensure we have effective tools, policies and practices for the profession ensure we offer flexible ways of working to better support the business

If this feels like an exciting challenge, something you are enthusiastic about, and want to join our team please read on and apply!

Benefits

37 hours per week and flexible working options including working from home, working part-time, job sharing, or working compressed hours.
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
Staff have 10% time to dedicate to develop & grow
Generous civil service pension based on defined benefit scheme, with employer contributions of 28.97% from April 1st 2024 (Contribution Rates)
25 days leave (plus bank holidays) and 1 privilege day usually taken around the Kings’ birthday. 5 additional days of leave once you have reached 5 years of service.
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!
Wellbeing support including access to the Calm app.
Bike loans up to £2500 and secure bike parking (subject to availability and location)
Season ticket loans, childcare vouchers and eye-care vouchers.
5 days volunteering paid leave.
Free membership to BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT.
Some offices may have a subsidised onsite Gym.

Person Specification

Essential

You’ll have a demonstrable passion for user centred design and user advocacy, with the following skills or extensive experience in the following areas:

Management and Leadership

Building effective, collaborative working relationships, including with technical, analytical and data focused stakeholders, to help shape strategy and ways of working
Being an effective advocate for users and UCD ways of working, including in an environment with highly technical teams and stakeholders
An understanding of data governance and the way data can be managed, modelled, and visualised in a more joined up way to support business decisions

Experienced Research Manager

Advising on, and quality assuring, the application of user research methods across different life cycle phases and parallel strands of research
Ability to structure and deploy a team of researchers, building their capacity to maximise their contribution to the business
Driving the standards for ethical and inclusive research practice, including ensuring the safeguarding and wellbeing of participants and researchers

Willingness to be assessed against the requirementsfor BPSS clearance

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.

How to Apply

Candidates must submit a CV and statement of suitability (max 750 words). Failure to provide both documents will result in a rejection of your application. Also, if the statement is too long, we won’t read past the first 750 words.

The statement of suitability should outline your experience, against the following points of the essential criteria list above, under ’Person Specification’

Being an effective advocate for users, including in an environment with highly technical users and complex user journeys across multiple products and services (250 words)
Building effective, collaborative working relationships, including with technical, analytical and data focused stakeholders, to help shape strategy and ways of working (250 words)
Advising on, and quality assuring, the application of user research methods across different life cycle phases and parallel strands of research (250 words)

This will be used to sift applicants. Your application will be reviewed by a diverse panel.

In Justice Digital, we recruit using a combination of the Government Digital and Data Profession Capability and Success Profiles Frameworks. We will assess your Experience, Technical Skills and the following Behaviours during the assessment process:

Leadership
Communicating and influencing
Working together
Managing a quality service

Successful candidates who meet the required standard will then be invited to a 75 minute interview held via video conference, where you will be assessed against the essential criteria listed above, under ’Person Specification’. This will include a ten minute presentation, which will be given in advance of the interview.

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.

Terms & Conditions

Please review our Terms & Conditions which set out how we recruit and provide further information related to the Justice Digital Recruitment Terms & Conditions role and salary arrangements.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact digitalanddatarecruitment@justice.gov.uk

Additional Information

Working Arrangements & Further Information

The MoJ offers Hybrid Working arrangements where business need allows. This is an informal, non-contractual form of flexible working that blends working from your base location, different MoJ sites and / or from home (please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas). All employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office, subject to local estate capacity.

Some roles will not be suitable for Hybrid Working. Similarly, Hybrid Working will not suit everyone’s circumstances. Arrangements will be discussed and agreed with the successful candidate(s) and subject to regular review.

For nationally advertised roles: All successful candidates will be appointed to the nearest viable office nearest to their home postcode and on its respective pay scale. This will be at either a HQ building (subject to desk allocation, a Justice Collaboration Centre (JCC) or a Justice Satellite Office (JSO) – See Map. All employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office, subject to local estate capacity).

For current MoJ employees, your base location will need to be changed to the nearest viable office (to your home postcode), either at a HQ building, JCC or JSO within the National Office Network and moved its location’s respective pay scale (any legacy arrangements/locations will need to be amended).

Some of MoJ’s terms and conditions of service are changing as part of Civil Service reform. The changes will apply to staff joining MoJ who are new to the Civil Service. Staff joining MoJ from other civil service employers will transfer onto the new MoJ terms if they are already on 'modernised' terms in their current post or onto 'unmodernised' MoJ terms if they are on 'unmodernised' terms at their current post. Details will be available if an offer is made.

MoJ candidates who are on a specialist grade, will be able to retain their grade on lateral transfer.

All candidates who are currently in receipt of Mark Time / Pay Protection should ensure they are familiar with the new policy on permanent and temporary promotion which can be found on the employee intranet.

Flexible working hours

The Ministry of Justice offers a flexible working system in many offices. Standard full time working hours are 37 hours per week. MoJ welcomes part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns, where they meet the demands of the role and business needs. All applications for part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns will be considered in accordance with the MoJ’s Flexible Working policy.

Benefits

The MoJ offers a range of benefits:

Annual Leave

Annual leave is 25 days on appointment and will increase to 30 days after five years’ service.

There is also a scheme to allow qualifying staff to buy or sell up to three days leave each year. Additional paid time off for public holidays and 1 privilege day. Leave for part-time and job share posts will be calculated on a pro-rata basis.

Pension

The Civil Service offers a choice of pension schemes, giving you the flexibility to choose the pension that suits you best.

Training

The Ministry of Justice is committed to staff development and offers an extensive range of training and development opportunities.

Networks

The opportunity to join employee-run networks that have been established to provide advice and support and to enable the views of employees from minority groups to be expressed direct to senior management. There are currently networks for employees of minority ethnic origin, employees with disabilities, employees with caring responsibilities, women employees, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees.

Eligibility

Staff on fixed term appointments must have been recruited through fair and open competition.

Vacancies advertised “cross-government” are only open to all Civil Service employees and employees of accredited non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) who were appointed on merit following a fair and open competition; or were appointed to a permanent post through an exception in the Civil Service Commissioners' rules.

Support

A range of ‘Family Friendly’ policies such as opportunities to work reduced hours or job share.
Access to flexible benefits such as voluntary benefits, retail vouchers and discounts on a range of goods and services.
For moves to or from another employer or moves across the Civil Service this can have implications on your eligibility to carry on claiming childcare vouchers. You may however be eligible for alternative government childcare support schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. More information can be found on www.www.GOV.UK or Childcare Choices. You can determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.
Paid paternity, adoption and maternity leave.
Free annual sight tests for employees who use computer screens.

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles. Should you feel that the recruitment process has breached the recruitment principles you are able to raise a formal complaint in the following order

To Transformative Business Services (0345 241 5359 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@resourcing.soprasteria.co.uk);
To Ministry of Justice Resourcing team (resourcing-management-office@justice.gov.uk);
To the Civil Service Commission (details available here)

As a Disability Confident employer, MoJ are committed to providing everyone with the opportunity to demonstrate their skills, talent and abilities, by making adjustments throughout all elements of the recruitment process and in the workplace. MoJ are able to offer an interview to disabled candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns.

You will be able to request reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process within the application form. If you need additional help completing the application form, please contact the TBS Recruitment Enquiries Team.

For more information on applying for a role as a candidate with a disability or long-term condition, please watch our animated videos.

Diversity & Inclusion

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 Diversity and Inclusion Strategy.

Redeployment Interview Scheme

Civil Service departments are expected to explore redeployment opportunities before making an individual redundant. The MoJ is committed, as part of the Redeployment Interview Scheme, to providing opportunities to those who are 'at risk of redundancy'.

MoJ is able to offer an interview to eligible candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns. Candidates will not be eligible for the Redeployment Interview Scheme if they are applying on promotion.

Civil Service Nationality Rules

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

UK nationals
nationals of the Republic of Ireland
nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window) https://www.gov.uk/settled-status-eu-citizens-families
nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rules

Reserve list

A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made for the same or similar roles.

Contact Information

MoJ:

If you require any assistance please call 0345 241 5359 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@resourcing.soprasteria.co.uk

Please quote the job reference - 6171

HMPPS

If you require any assistance please call 0345 241 5358 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@resourcing.soprasteria.co.uk

Please quote the job reference

Allowance

GDD allowance- London only:

London: £70,303 - £80,475 (which may include an allowance of up to £10,172)

Ministry of Justice

6171 - Lead User Researcher

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