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Senior User Experience Researcher

The National Archives

London, Greater London,UK

This job is expired.

Details
Reference number
238306
Salary
£47,500
Grade
Senior Executive Officer
Contract type
Permanent
Business area
TNA - Digital - Digital Services, Digital Archiving
Type of role
Digital
Other
Working pattern
Flexible working, Full-time, Job share, Part-time
Number of posts
2

Contents

Location

About the job

Benefits

Things you need to know

Apply and further information

Location
London, London (region), TW9 4DU

About the job
Summary
The Digital Services & Digital Archiving departments at The National Archives are committed to delivering high quality, user-friendly digital services, such as our website and the services that collect, preserve and provide access to our Digital Archive. We are committed to research, innovation and meeting user needs. We want to test our assumptions thoroughly and regularly with our users, both public and staff, so that we develop services in line with real, evidenced needs and ultimately attract new and more diverse audiences to our nationally important collections.
Job description
Full job description attached (see below).
Responsibilities

We’re currently looking for enthusiastic Senior User Researchers to become leaders in our growing user-centred design community. Playing a pivotal role in a multi-disciplinary product team you will enable delivery of products that help build our digital brand, support our ambition to become a 21st century archive and, ultimately, enable a wider range of users to better access and understand the UK’s public records.

We are currently undertaking several digital transformation projects so understanding our users’ needs and thinking creatively about how users interact with our services is central to our work. This role requires a deep understanding of usability and accessibility practices and excellent knowledge and experience of a variety of user research methods, knowing when and how these should be applied throughout the development lifecycle.

Your ability to confidently analyse and evaluate research findings to reveal actionable insights and recommendations will help us build a rich picture of our users and their requirements so that together we can transform our digital services, ensuring The National Archives remains relevant, accessible and continues to bring value to the nation.

This is a full time post. However, requests for part-time working, flexible working and job share will be considered, taking into account at all times the operational needs of the Department. A combination of onsite and home working is available and applicants should be able to regularly travel to our Kew site.

We are committed to continually improving the diversity of our workforce and therefore encourage applications from people of colour, the LGBTQI+ community, the trans community, those who are neuro diverse, and those with a disability.

How to apply:

To submit your application please click the 'Apply now' button on this page. You will be asked to write a personal statement and upload your CV. In your personal statement please explain, using examples, how you meet the essential criteria below. You may draw on knowledge, skills, abilities, experience gained from paid work, domestic responsibilities, education, leisure interests and voluntary activities. Please note selection for interview will largely be based on the information you provide in this section so please make full use of the 1250 word count.

Essential criteria:

Expert knowledge and significant experience in user-centred design for websites, digital services or software development, with experience of applying user research to all stages of development (from Discovery to Alpha, Beta, and Live).
A thorough understanding of the strengths and limitations of different research methods, both quantitative and qualitative, and the confidence to deploy these appropriately.
Strong communication and interpersonal skills, able to engage effectively with a wide range of users and potential users and lead research sessions in an open, engaging and sensitive manner.
Strong critical thinking and analytical skills and a demonstrable ability to collate, synthesise and present user research findings in a creative, clear, rational way that is easy for colleagues to interpret and contribute to.
An advocate for user-centred design, with a passion for learning, sharing best practice and influencing colleagues to ensure user research and user testing are embedded in development cycles.
Ability to collaborate effectively within an Agile multidisciplinary team to help keep product development on track, including helping the product team understand which technical options are likely to best meet user needs.
Experience of applying WCAG accessibility guidelines with a knowledge of how to apply user research to help create services that are inclusive, useable and accessible.
A commitment to supporting the development of junior members of staff through shadowing, coaching and mentoring as well as through formal line management and training.

Benefits
Generous benefits package, including pension, sports and social club facilities, onsite gym, discounted rates at our on-site cafe and opportunities for training and development.

Any move to The National Archives from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk;

Things you need to know
Security
Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.
People working with government assets must complete basic personnel security standard checks.
Selection process details
Reasonable adjustments:

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.
If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

Contact The National Archives via careers@nationalarchives.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs
Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional


Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

UK nationals
nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
nationals of the Republic of Ireland
nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with settled or pre-settled status or who apply for either status by the deadline of the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals

Further information on nationality requirements
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.
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Apply and further information
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative.
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.
Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

Name :
The National Archives Recruitment Team
Email :
careers@nationalarchives.gov.uk
Telephone :
02039855979

Recruitment team :

Email :
careers@nationalarchives.gov.uk

Further information
If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact The National Archives via email: careers@nationalarchives.gov.uk If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission at http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/civil-service-recruitment/complaints/

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