About the job
Job summary
Senior User Researcher
At the IPO, as a Senior User Researcher, you will be a key member of the user research team, working at the forefront of our digital Transformation program. You will work to deliver radical changes to our services that meet the needs of our customers and our colleagues.
You will have experience of practical user research and an understanding of different methodologies. You will be able to plan, lead and execute user research activities in your allocated project and be able to collaborate across projects and professions when needed.
You will be joining a well-established, inclusive and close-knit team of professionals who are passionate about improving the experiences of our users.
You can expect a warm welcome, and to be supported in all aspects of personal and professional development.
You’ll be encouraged to spend time developing your skills and supported to gain or maintain professional qualifications and accreditations.
Working Style
This role will be carried out in-line with IPO Hybrid working arrangements where staff are currently expected to spend at least 20% of their time working onsite from one of our offices. This role is based in our Newport Office.
The requirement for attendance at an office location can vary by role so we would encourage candidates to discuss working arrangements with the recruiting manager to agree a reasonable balance between working from home and the office.
Job description
Main duties consist of but are not limited to:
At this level, you will be expected to:

• plan and deliver user research to support your allocated project
• support and champion user-centred practices in teams to ensure that teams take a user-centred approach to service design and delivery
• work with others to align user research activities with wider plans to inform a service proposition
• Mentor, coach and train B1 (junior)/B2 (mid-weight) User Researchers (line management is not currently required, but may feature as the team grows)
• be proactive in user research planning - define research objectives, methodology, sampling approach and give recommendations, ensuring that the needs of all users are considered in design and delivery.
• be confident to apply user research methods in practise and seek support and advice from colleagues on choice of methods where required to increase your user research toolkit.
• support the development and promotion of research strategies to understand user needs for a service, and continually test and improve the service
• present findings that inform wider decisions to key internal and external stakeholders and support at departmental service assessments
• contribute to the user research community across government

Person specification
Essential criteria

• Experience in delivering user research in an AGILE project environment
• Strong understanding of user-centred practices
• Strong understanding of the GDS Service Manual

How to Apply
Click the ‘Apply now’ button and complete the application form by providing the following:
Your CV

• Upload an anonymised copy of your current CV. Please remove all identifying markers such as name, title, education institution etc.
• Make sure it clearly shows how you meet the essential criteria listed in the Person Specification.

750-word Personal Statement

• Use this to explain why you’re suitable for the role .
• Structure your statement around the essential criteria in the Person Specification.
• Make sure to provide clear examples to show how you meet each requirement

For further information on the sift and interview stages of this recruitment campaign, please head to our ‘Things you need to know’ section below.
Please visit our Civil Service Careers page - IPO - Recruitment Support , Civil Service Careers (civil-service-careers.gov.uk)
If you require job-specific information, please contact: Gill Richardson.
E-mail:
Telephone:
Behaviours
We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Making Effective Decisions

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

• At interview you will be assessed on technical criteria

Benefits
Alongside your salary of £36,736, Intellectual Property Office contributes £10,642 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• A flexible working scheme with excellent development opportunities
• 25 days annual leave moving to 30 days in annual increments (1 day per year) over 5 years of reckonable service. You will also get 8 days public leave and 1 day privilege leave
• Family friendly policies that support modern working families and individuals with caring responsibilities
• A variety of support functions; Staff Counselling Service, Peer to Peer Support Group
• Eligibility for special and office-wide bonus payments
• The opportunity to form part of our many inclusive network groups, find out more by looking at Intellectual Property Office (IPO) (diversityjobsgroup.com)
• A range of wellbeing initiatives; Onsite Gym (Newport office), Eye Care Scheme, Volunteering Programme, Cycling facilities
• Free car parking is available on site at our Newport office
• On-site shop, restaurant and coffee shop at our Newport office

For more information about what’s on offer at the Intellectual Property Office please review our IPO benefit pack attached to the bottom of this advert.
Please note that benefits may be subject to change.
Things you need to know
Artificial intelligence
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 (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window) , and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.
Stage 1 - Sift
An initial sift of applications will be carried out to create a shortlist. This will be based on the evidence provided for the following Success Profile elements:
Experience
Your CV will be used to assess your suitability for the role and your 750 word Personal statement will demonstrate your Experience against the listed person specification/essential criteria.
Stage 2 - Interviews
If invited to interview Behaviours, Technical and Strength based questioning will be used.
Please note candidates that proceed to the interview stage will be required to deliver a presentation against the Technical Success Profile. Further details will be provided in the invite to interview information.
Applicants to note: CVs sent direct to the IPO will not be accepted.
This post is being advertised to Internal , across Government and external candidates at the same time.
Incomplete and/or late submissions will not be accepted or considered. Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
We do not routinely reimburse travel expenses for candidates, however if participating in the selection process would cause you undue financial hardship or if it restricts your ability to participate, please contact the recruitment team for more information.
In line with Government guidance, successfully appointed candidates will need to provide documents for our Right to Work checks. Information on this will be sent within the invite to interview text.
If you require a reasonable adjustment at any stage of the recruitment process, then please let the recruitment team know via;
Please be aware that only one application per candidate is permitted for each recruitment campaign. Multiple applications, including those made using different accounts, may result in your application being withdrawn or rejected at any stage of the process.
For more information on the IPO’s terms and conditions, please review the attached IPO Modernised Terms and Conditions document attached at the bottom of this advert.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
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.
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.
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) .