User Researcher

Job summary

In the role of User Researcher, you are expected to be an experienced practitioner of user research. At this level, you will be expected to work independently within a team. This role has been benchmarked against the Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework. You will be the lead voice for user research in the organisation as you will be the core specialist in this area. While the work will be steered by others it would not be at a detailed level as you are expected to be expert.

You will work independently and within the scope of relevant projects. While managed by the Head of Forestry Development, the role is expected to operate predominantly under its own steam and engage with relevant staff and customers where required. It is expected that input and/or advice would only be sought from the Head of Forestry Development when establishing new research, in order to sense check it, as well as after drafting reports based on research, in order to ensure it is deemed suitable to share more widely.

You will help develop and embed the principles of user-centred design within Scottish Forestry and across its varied functions. You will support the business to develop appropriate processes, tools and transactional services, from the user perspective, based on credible insights e.g. on user needs and cognisant of accessibility and equality considerations.

You are expected to create better and more efficient processes for internal and external stakeholders, which in turn will assist in driving activity to help Scottish Forestry carry out regulatory requirements and meet statutory targets, such as for woodland expansion.

You will work in a hybrid fashion – a mix of office and home working – and will need to travel across Scotland to our regional offices in order to carry out user research, therefore long-distance travel and overnight stays away from your contractual office will be required.

Job description

• Matrix-work across the organisation by working without borders with change and project managers across business areas, to lead on UR, sitting on project working groups and inputting to projects across business areas, including future forestry grant support in Scotland.

• Understand and work with different roles across digital, operational delivery and policy and external stakeholders to plan and carry out user research, to understand users and their requirements, add insights and context, as well as identify pain points.

• Identify important stakeholders and communicate with them clearly and regularly on user research issues and the development of research projects.

• Build consensus among stakeholders through facilitation, negotiation, and mediation, using evidence to explain how decisions for recommendations for projects, based on UR, have been reached.

• Develop and maintain templates and tools, such as screening surveys, interview scripts and consent forms to streamline research.

• Build and maintain (in line with GDPR) a database spreadsheet of internal and external stakeholders who have opted in as willing research participants for future studies, reducing timescales for recruitment.

• Conduct research with users through various established methods, such as interviews, observation, workshops and focus groups, including appropriate ways to promote and encourage user participation, reflecting on usability, accessibility and equality considerations.

• Involve, where relevant, Delivery, Policy and Digital teams and other colleagues in analysing the findings of UR, using descriptive and diagnostic methods and synthesise the findings of the research into various models including concepts, journey mapping, service blueprints to be used in projects.

• Present clear findings, both written and orally, that colleagues can understand and use.

• Establish and maintain a high recruitment efficiency for projects, ensuring that they are established within 2 weeks of commissioning.

• Lead on training and advocacy across SF in user-centred design to build an understanding of the importance of making user needs the focus of the design process to ensure products/services work for the people using them.

• Identify and establish metric movements for processes/services/guidance by measuring pre & post values (for example customer satisfaction or process efficiency) to demonstrate a direct line between UR actions and subsequent improvements in the way we work, for both staff and customers.

• Be responsible for and maintain full compliance with GDPR/data privacy, in particular when handling information about internal and external stakeholders and any information they share through research, and in ensuring that such information is only kept for the minimum time required.

• Bring a more user-centred approach to activities by carrying out research and offering own professional insights that in turn helps develop better services/outcomes for users.

• Network with peers across the public sector to share learning, insights and approaches, and take advice on our own approaches where necessary.

• Source, read and interpret existing guidance, such as the Digital Scotland Service Manual Service Manual and Scottish Approach to Service Design, and literature on UR without significant input from other roles within SF, understanding where to find this information and using own judgment to determine its relevance and how to apply it

Person specification

Experience

Essential:

• Demonstrable knowledge and experience in user centred design practices for service or software development.
• Proven experience of understanding user needs for processes, tools and transactional services, especially those with the most complex user journeys.
• Proven experience of designing, facilitating and analysing a wide range of qualitative and quantitative user research methods.
• Strong understanding of strengths and limitations of different research methods.
• Proven experience of presenting user research findings in a wide variety of formats and contexts.
• Proven experience introducing and establishing user research practices in an organisation.

Desirable:

• Experience with government services
• Experience of GDS (Government Digital Service Standard) and/or DSSS (Digital Scotland Service Standard)

Technical

Essential:

• Degree relevant to User Experience, or equivalent accredited learning, or demonstrable relevant and equivalent experience.

Behaviours

On the application form you’ll find four free text boxes to provide your behaviour responses. Please note, you’re only required to provide evidence against the below behaviours on your application. This means that if less than four behaviours are noted, you can leave the relevant free text(s) box blank on your application.

Behaviour 1 and Lead Criteria: Communicating and Influencing

Behaviour 2: Changing and Improving

Behaviour 3: Working Together

Behaviour 4: Managing a Quality Service

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £45,711, Scottish Forestry contributes £13,242 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in