Job Title: Senior Research Officer
Directorate: Strategy, Analysis & Change
Workstream: Strategy and User Insight
About us
HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) is responsible for the administration of criminal, civil and family courts and tribunals in England and Wales. Our roles support our service users and colleagues, where people and businesses access potentially life-changing justice. We’re looking for individuals who are committed to public service and want to make a difference in people’s lives in delivering justice. If you’re interested in developing a career with a real purpose, please apply.
About the role
This is an exciting opportunity to join HMCTS’s Insight function in the Strategy and User Insight (S&UI) Division. The Insight function ensures that our understanding of user characteristics, behaviours, and needs, is analysed and shared in inspiring ways to inform decision-making throughout HMCTS.
You will be part of a multidisciplinary team, comprised of social researchers, behavioural scientists, and operational researchers, setting the direction for the use of research to create insight across digital services, customer services, and operational delivery teams. This is a hands-on research role within the courts service at a crucial time of change.
You will be carrying out research and evaluation to improve HMCTS services and the systems and processes underpinning our services. Projects will focus on the users of HMCTS services (e.g. defendants and claimants) and professional users of HMCTS systems and processes (e.g. court staff and judges). The role will have a key focus on understanding Civil, Family and Tribunal services. You will be working in a fast-paced operational environment where things can change quickly, but where there is a real opportunity to help shape frontline services.
You will also be implementing much of the research we do: this is a ‘hands on’ role where you are likely to be out in the courts, carrying out fieldwork (e.g. qualitative and observational research, preparatory court visits to help with questionnaire design).
We’re recruiting a resourceful, creative and adaptable research analyst who is keen to make a difference to users of the justice system to join our Insight team (within the Strategy and User Insight Division). You will be working on a wide variety of research projects relating to court processes in the civil, family and tribunal jurisdictions. You will work as part of the team on both large and small-scale research and evaluation projects, drawing on your knowledge of and skills in key quantitative and qualitative methods.
Your role as the Senior Research Officer encompasses several key aspects (but not limited to):
Delivering quantitative and qualitative research projects that enable HMCTS to make timely, evidence-based decisions.
Designing research projects and evaluations; conducting secondary analysis of data and/ or undertaking primary research.
Undertaking primary research to generate staff and public user insights.
Analysing and synthesising a range of evidence to present compelling summaries and narratives of knowledge.
Communicating succinctly the results of analysis and managing relationships effectively with operational colleagues, senior stakeholders and external organisations to ensure maximum impact of analytical work being delivered.
Providing advice, with support of senior analysts, on the outcomes of research and analysis.
You will be required to work in a flexible way and undertake any other duties reasonably requested by line management which are commensurate with the grade and level of responsibility of this post.
The civil, family and tribunals team’s work over the next year is likely to include quantitative and qualitative work on improving access to justice in civil, family and tribunal services as well as improving the operational perfromance of services through the analysis of a wide evidence base including management infromation data, user experience data and primary research with users including citizens, court staff, judiciary and the third sector.
Who are we looking for? (Person Specification)
The ideal candidate for this position should demonstrate:
Essential
An existing member of the Government Social Research (GSR) profession - Government Social Research Profession - GOV.UK.
Experience of conducting social research, including quantitative and qualitative research from development of research materials (survey questionnaires, qualitative topic guides, and data collection instruments), surveys, fieldwork (including qualitative interviews), and analysis of data
Experience of conducting in-house research to develop an understanding of the organisation’s customers.
Have experience of, and appreciate the strengths / weaknesses of, a wide range of research methods (quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods, evaluation) to apply a multi-disciplinary approach.
Ability to manage work flexibly and adapt as priorities change.
Knowledge and experience of applying data analysis and statistical methods skills.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including an ability to develop strong relationships with a range of stakeholders and identify their insight needs, and work closely and collaboratively with them.
Desirable
Knowledge of Civil, Family or Tribunals’ jurisdictions.
Familiar with statistical packages such as SPSS, SAS or R.
Application Stage
Please submit:
An anonymised CV
Statement of suitability demonstrating how you meet the essential criteria (up to 750 words). Please ensure you cover both ‘what’ you do but also ‘how’ you do it. (i.e., the effective skills, knowledge & experience needed to undertake the role).
We aim to sift both the CV and the Statement of Suitability but, in the event of a large number of applicants, an initial short sift may be conducted on the Statement of suitability only. Candidates who pass the initial sift of the Statement of Suitability will either progressed to a full sift where the CV is then assessed or progressed straight to further assessment/interview.
Interview
If you are invited for an interview, this will take place via MS Teams.
Please note: We will verify GSR membership of candidates who are shortlisted to interview by checking the GSR database.
We will assess your suitability against the role requirements outlined above. You will also be assessed against the Civil Service Success Profiles framework and the Government Social Research Technical Framework.
Guidance for the frameworks can be found below:
Success Profiles - GOV.UK
The Government Social Research Technical Framework - GOV.UK
Success Profile Behaviours (Grade SEO):
Managing a Quality Service
Making Effective Decisions
Communicating and Influencing
GSR Technical Framework
Technical Skills
Using & Promoting Social Research
You will be asked to prepare a 5-minute presentation followed by questions from the panel. The presentation brief will be shared with you in advance of your interview. The presentation and follow up questions will focus on both aspects of the GSR Technical Framework, including Technical Skills and Using & Promoting Social Research.
In addition, you will be asked one separate interview question based on the GSR Technical Framework.
Further details
Allowance
This role qualifies for a GSR based salary supplement which is applied after successfully taking up the post, at SEO level this supplement is dependent on your base location.
Travel Requirements
You will be expected to travel to HMCTS sites on an ad-hoc basis in line with business needs. This will include occassional travel to London, if nationally based.
Working pattern
This is a full-time position only due to the nature of the role.
About our benefits
We reward our people for their hard work and commitment. We have a number of family
friendly and flexible working polices that will help you achieve a healthy work-life balance. In addition, we offer a range of employee benefits which include generous annual leave, a highly competitive contributory pension scheme, childcare benefits, season ticket and bicycle loans.
Proud to Serve. Proud to keep justice going.