These are exciting times at the Department for Education. We are transforming to become a user centred organisation, delivering better outcomes for all our users through agile and iterative software development and continuous improvement.

You will work with user researchers, product managers, designers, business analysts, delivery managers and content specialists as part of a multi-disciplinary team to directly deliver better outcomes for users. You will innovate to radically transform how public services are delivered and improved.

Read more about software development on the DfE Digital blog.

Lead user researcher

About the job

User researchers at Department for Education plan, design and carry out research activities with users that help teams get a deep understanding of the people that use our services, across education and social care. This research informs our policy, proposition, service, content and interaction design so that services work well for users and meet our policy intent.

As a lead user researcher you will be an expert practitioner, leading and aligning user research activities across a portfolio of teams, and setting the strategic direction for research in your business area.. You will:

provide user research expertise and consultancy to your business area, and hands-on support as required
ensure that teams take a user-centred, evidence-based approach to service design and delivery
develop and assure good user research practice across your business area
be part of your business area’s leadership team
be part of the user research profession leadership team, working with the head of user research to develop DfE’s user research practice
lead the recruitment and allocation of user researchers in your business area
build and lead a team of user researchers, providing performance feedback, and supporting their learning and development goals.
take a leading role in the DfE user research community

This role is in [programme area]. [Short details about the programme area, service, and broad types of users of the service. No more than ~50 words]

Selection criteria

Essential skills and expertise we will assess you against are:

Research methods and planning. Ability to advise on the application of appropriate user research methods, as well as extensive hands-on experience in applying these methods
Analysis and synthesis. Ability to analyse and synthesise complex quantitative and qualitative data, involving teams and stakeholders, and presenting clear and actionable findings
Inclusive research. Experience of researching with and advocating for a wide range of users, including users with additional needs and other hard-to-reach groups
Ethics and safeguarding. A high level of understanding of research ethics and safeguarding, and the ability to advise researchers and teams on best practice
Research leadership. Understanding organisational strategy and objectives, setting direction, and aligning user research activity to this across multiple teams
Coaching, mentoring and supervising. Developing the skills of team members, supporting their professional development, and advising and assuring the work of others

Desirable skills (used in the event of a tie-break situation between two candidates):

Agile working. Experience of delivering user research in agile digital delivery/product teams
Government Service Standard. Experience of assessing services against the Government Service Standard
[Add any other desirable skills relevant to your specific team or service – no more than one or two]