User Research Officer

Job description

Job responsibilities

In this role, you are accountable for:

1. Taking responsibility for specific areas of the business and/or projects, and working closely and alongside Service and Project Management teams and Corporate Functions to develop user experience and research needs.

2. Working with project and service teams to devise appropriate research strategies to facilitate early stage concept and prototype testing, and continual research on design iterations.

3. Leading the research process from developing a research and recruitment approach, through to fieldwork, analysis and report writing.

4. Planning and conducting qualitative research to a high standard from interviewing to moderating workshops and usability testing sessions to generate actionable insights in support of the development of digital services.

5. Working closely with designers and developers to turn user data into actionable product/service requirements that feed into prototype development, and influences product/service direction. Ensuring that issues and opportunities are clearly identified and properly reported.

6. Managing ad-hoc qualitative research projects to explore and ensure we are meeting user and business needs.

7. Ensure that a wide and varied cross-section of the public are engaged in user research including those with a range of accessibility needs.

8. Sharing and presenting research findings and recommendations with internal audiences (e.g. project teams and senior decision makers), and external audiences (e.g. to other government teams) when required.

9. Knowledge and experience of best practice user research methodologies and analysis techniques to reveal actionable insights.

10. Having assimilated user insight from multiple sources, to determine gaps and develop recommendations for further research based on evidence.

11. Effectively deliver user research projects within deadlines, maintaining a focus on results despite unforeseen challenges and setbacks.

12. Demonstrable experience of coaching, mentoring and/or advising colleagues on best in practice methodology and able to transfer knowledge effectively to others.

13. Able to present, explain, defend and simplify complex research to ensure comprehension and understanding among both research literate and non-research literate colleagues.

14. Participate within Communities of Practice.

In addition to the above accountabilities, as post holder you are expected to:

Undertake additional duties and responsibilities in line with the purpose of your role and as agreed by your line manager.

Demonstrate NHSBSA values and core capabilities in all aspects of your work.

Encourage an environment where your own and colleagues safety and well-being is promoted.

Contribute to a culture which values diversity and inclusion.

Follow NHSBSA policies, procedures, and protocols as they apply to your role.

Working relationships

Responsible to: Service Delivery Lead and Line Manager

Key relationships and connections:

r Patients, Health Care Professionals and other NHS colleagues

Digital project teams (Product Owner, Delivery Manager, Designers, Developers, Testers)

Internal and external stakeholdersNon-profit organisations e.g. Citizens Advice

Person Specification

Personal Qualities, Knowledge and Skills

• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, and the ability to quickly and accurately develop recommendations based on qualitative, and quantitative evidence.
• Confident in explaining user needs to senior stakeholders and acting as a persuasive advocate for those needs within a project team.
• Develop innovative and creative ways to disseminate research and insight to create impact.
• Understands a range of research methodologies and know which one to apply in a range of circumstances.
• Strong storytelling skills that elicit empathy for the user.
• Team worker, co-operative, flexible, hard working.
• Proactively identifies and documents user needs.

• Able to produce artifacts articulating research insights such as experience maps and personas.
• Knowledge of accessibility standards.
• Highly computer literate, familiar with collaboration tools such as Trello and Jira.

Experience

• Significant experience of generating analysis and insight from a range of sources including customer data sets, qualitative and quantitative sources.
• Experience of using of a variety of user research methodologies to reveal actionable insights.
• Proven ability to transfer and develop skills/ knowledge within a team, both technically and culturally

• Agile methodology scrum
• Continuous Integration and Delivery
• Experience of design using GDS standards
• Experience as a principle researcher, solely responsible for research project or multiple projects.

Qualifications

• First degree or equivalent qualifications and experience in a relevant social sciences related discipline.

• Degree in Human Computer Interaction/ Sociology/Cognitive Psychology/Market Research or related field.
• Relevant Professional Qualifications i.e. BCS Foundation in SIAM

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website.

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants.

Employer details

Employer name

NHS Business Services Authority

Address

Stella House

Goldcrest way, Newburn Riverside

Newcastle Upon Tyne

NE15 8NY

https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/what-we-do/work-us