Senior User Researcher

**Bristol Regional Centre - 3 Glass Wharf

Cardiff Regional Centre - Ty William Morgan

Edinburgh Regional Centre - Queen Elizabeth House

Liverpool Regional Centre - Water Street

Manchester Regional Centre - Three New Bailey

Worthing - Teville Gate House

Newcastle Upon Tyne - Benton Park View

Please note, due to location restrictions, Worthing and Newcastle-upon-Tyne are only available to existing HMRC employees already based in these locations.
Job Summary**
Discover a career in your hands at HMRC. Whether you're seeking purpose, growth, or a workplace that gives you a true sense of belonging, hear from some of our employees as they share their story about what it's really like to work at HMRC.

Visit our YouTube channel to watch the full series and come and discover your potential.

At HMRC, we are committed to creating a great place to work for all our colleagues; an inclusive and respectful environment that reflects the diversity of the society we serve. We want to maximise the potential of everyone who works for us, and we offer a range of flexible working patterns and support to make an exciting career at HMRC accessible to you.

Diverse perspectives and experiences are critical to our success, and we encourage applications from all people from all backgrounds with the experience and skills needed to perform this role.

About the Chief Digital and Information Office, and the Valuation Office Agency
This role is in the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) as part of HMRC's Chief Digital and Information Office (CDIO). The VOA are the public sector's property valuation experts and advisers with a vision to be a world-leading provider of public sector valuations. The VOA's work is vital to the collection of over £60 billion of revenue which goes back into communities, touching every citizen and every business across England and Wales.

As part of this role, we ensure User Centred Design is at the heart of everything we do. This enables us to ensure the solutions we deliver help users succeed.

Job Description
HMRC is currently undertaking some of the largest digital transformation programmes across Government and other sectors. Our user researchers are at the core of keeping user needs central to design and implementation, providing an opportunity to shape and improve Services that impact millions of users daily.

You will be joining a thriving and supportive User Researcher community, with regular opportunities for insight sharing, training and discussion. Our team draws together expertise from a wide variety of backgrounds and sectors and welcomes new ideas on how we can continue to conduct robust research with real-world impact. You will be based at one of our CDIO Centres across the UK with access to research labs and facilities.

This is an exciting time to join an organisation that is at the forefront of cutting edge user research. Our blog tells you a bit more about what we do and how we do it. User Research in HMRC

If this sounds like the sort of thing which excites you, this is the job for you.

If you want to know more we will be running two interactive webinar events, we'll chat to you about what we do and give you a chance to ask us any questions before you apply – see more details below.

HMRC is currently undertaking some of the largest digital transformation programmes across Government and other sectors. Our user researchers are at the core of keeping user needs central to design and implementation, providing an opportunity to shape and improve Services that impact millions of users daily.

You will be joining a thriving and supportive User Researcher community, with regular opportunities for insight sharing, training and discussion. Our team draws together expertise from a wide variety of backgrounds and sectors and welcomes new ideas on how we can continue to conduct robust research with real-world impact. You will be based at one of our CDIO Centres across the UK with access to research labs and facilities.

This is an exciting time to join an organisation that is at the forefront of cutting edge user research. Our blog tells you a bit more about what we do and how we do it. User Research in HMRC

If this sounds like the sort of thing which excites you, this is the job for you.

If you want to know more we will be running two interactive webinar events, we'll chat to you about what we do and give you a chance to ask us any questions before you apply – see more details below.

Person specification

Responsibilities
As a Senior User Researcher, your responsibilities include:

• Leading on planning, recruiting and conducting user research in larger teams and on more complex services, including playing back user research to stakeholders and digital teams.
• Understanding the service problem then aligning user research activities to influence and support decision-making.
• Applying a range of techniques to analyse and synthesise user research insights, creating research outputs in an actionable way.
• Advocating for, and including, all kinds of users in appropriate research activities to help teams design accessible services for all users.
• Contributing to the user research community at HMRC.
• Managing and/or mentoring User Researchers.
• Participating in HMRC's cross-government research and conferences.

Essential Criteria

• Extensive experience in senior user research, improving digital services and applying GDS standards to meet user needs.
• Skilled in tackling complex problems, aligning research activities to guide decisions and deliver practical solutions.
• Expert in a wide range of research methods, including usability testing, surveys, ethnographic techniques, and data analysis, producing clear, actionable insights.
• Strong advocate for user-centred design, influencing stakeholders and embedding research practices into agile workflows.
• Excellent communicator, able to present complex ideas clearly and persuasively; supported by a relevant degree or equivalent experience.
• Demonstratable experience in coaching and mentoring of team members.

Transitional Sites Information
If your location preference is for one of the following sites, it's important to note that these are not long-term sites for HMRC and we will require you to move to a new building in the future, subject to our location strategy and the applicable employee policies at that time.

For more information on where you might be working, review this information on our locations (opens in a new window)

These Sites Are

• Benton Park View, Newcastle - moving to Pilgrims Quarter, Newcastle

You will be given more information about what this means at the job offer stage.

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• User research methods Analysis and synthesis Research management, leadership and assurance Inclusive research Stakeholder relationship management
• At interview We will ask you to complete a short user research exercise before the interview. Details will be provided two working days prior to the interview if you are successful at this stage.

Alongside your salary of £64,624, HM Revenue and Customs contributes £18,721 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

HMRC operates both Flexible and Hybrid Working policies, allowing you to balance your work and personal commitments. We welcome applications from those who need to work a more flexible arrangement and will agree to requests where possible, considering our operational and customer service needs.

We offer a generous leave allowance, starting at 25 days and increasing by a day for every year of qualifying service up to a maximum of 30 days.

• Pension - We make contributions to our colleagues' Alpha pension equal to at least 28.97% of their salary.
• Family friendly policies.
• Personal support.
• Coaching and development.

To find out more about HMRC benefits and find out what it's really like to work for HMRC hear from our insiders or visit Thinking of joining the Civil Service

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Experience and Technical skills.

How To Apply
As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide the following:

• A name-blind CV including your job history qualifications and key achievements reflecting the key responsibilities of the role.
• A 1000-word Personal Statement. Your Personal Statement should be used to describe how your skills and experience reflect the essential criteria of the role, providing specific examples from your career.

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Sift
At full sift your CV and your Personal Statement will be assessed, with the successful candidates being invited to interview.

We may also raise the score required at any stage of the process if we receive a high number of applications.

Interview
During the panel interview, you will be assessed against the Technical Skills outlined below. You will be asked one question per each technical skill, when answering you will be required to provide a specific instance from your careers which demonstrates the technical skill in question.

• User research methods
• Analysis and synthesis
• Research management, leadership and assurance
• Inclusive research
• Stakeholder relationship management

You will be advised to apply the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) technique when delivering examples. You would be encouraged to prepare demonstratable examples of your experience ahead of the interview to ensure meaningfulness and completeness.

We will ask you to complete a short user research exercise before the interview. Details will be provided two working days prior to the interview if you are successful at this stage

Interviews will take place via video link. Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.

Eligibility
Please take extra care to tick the correct boxes in the eligibility sections of your application form. We understand mistakes sometimes happen but if you contact us later than two working days (Monday-Friday) before the vacancy closes, we will not be able to reopen your application for you. If you do make a mistake with your eligibility form, please contact us via: – Use the subject line to insert appropriate wording for example – 'Please re-open my application –
[insert vacancy ref]
& vacancy closing date
[insert date]'.
To check that you are eligible to apply for this role, please review the eligibility information before submitting your application.

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 – if this applies to you, we'll let you know via your Civil Service Jobs account.

Merit List
After interview, a single merit list will be created, and you will only be considered for posts in locations you have expressed a preference for. Appointments will be made in strict merit order in line with the set number of roles in each location.

Criminal Record Check
Applications received from candidates with a criminal record are considered fairly in accordance with the DBS Code of Practice and the Recruitment of ex-offenders Policy.

Hybrid working at HMRC
HMRC is an office-based organisation, and colleagues are expected to spend 60% of their working time in the office. Our offices provide opportunity for interaction, collaboration which aids learning and development and a sense of community. Where the role allows it, and where the home environment is suitable, colleagues can work from home for up to 2 days a week, averaged over a calendar month (or a proportionate amount of time for colleagues who work less than full time).

Reasonable Adjustments
We want to make sure no one is put at a disadvantage during our recruitment process. To assist you with this, we will reduce or remove any barriers where possible and provide additional support where appropriate.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

Contact the UBS Recruitment team via 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.

Important information for existing HMRC contractual homeworkers
This role may be suitable for existing HMRC employees who are contractual homeworkers. Occasional attendance to the office will be required where there is a business need. Please consider the advertised office locations for this role when applying and only select locations from the 'location preferences' section that you can travel to.

Terms and Conditions
Customer facing roles in HMRC require the ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English and/or Welsh where required. Where this is an essential requirement, this will be tested as part of the selection process.

HMRC has a presence in every region of the UK. For more information on where you might be working, review this information on our locations (opens in a new window).

The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles. The evidence you provide in your application must relate to your own experiences.

Any instances of plagiarism or other forms of cheating will be investigated and, if proven, the relevant application(s) will be withdrawn from the process.

Recording of interviews is prohibited unless explicit agreement is sought in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulations.

Questions relating to an individual application must be emailed as detailed later in this advert.

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant's details held on the IFD will be refused employment.

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

New entrants will join on the minimum of the pay band.

Please note that, if you are applying for roles on a part-time basis, the salary agreed will be pro-rata, reflective of the working hours agreed within your contract.

If you experience accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

For more Information for people applying for, or thinking of applying for, roles at HM Revenue and Customs, please see link: Working for HMRC: information for applicants - GOV.UK.

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

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Experience and Technical skills.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

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)
• 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)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) 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 (opens in a new window).

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.

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) 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 (opens in a new window).

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.

Diversity and 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 (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) 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 : Fran Kershaw
• Email :

Recruitment team

• Email :

Further information

Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles. You have the right to complain if you feel there has been a breach of the Recruitment Principles.

In the first instance, you should raise the matter directly via . Please note that we do not accept complaints or appeals regarding scoring of outcomes of campaigns unless candidates can provide clear evidence that the campaign did not follow the Recruitment Principles.

If you are not satisfied with the response, you may bring your complaint to the Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their website.