23357 - Senior User Researcher
About The Position
HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) administers criminal, civil and family courts and tribunals in England and Wales. The Senior User Researcher will work in Digital Technology Services as part of a team supporting the redesign and transformation of services around user needs, including digital services, the physical court environment and telephony services. The research will generate actionable evidence to shape and validate service design and improve experiences for citizens, legal professionals, judges and other court and tribunal users. The role includes defining research requirements with service teams, overseeing research across HMCTS in collaboration with the Head of User Research, sharing research outputs across the organisation, mentoring researchers and improving how research is deployed across service delivery programmes. The postholder will engage with stakeholders and maintain constructive relationships with programme and project partners, including staff, managers, external suppliers, the judiciary and other government departments. They will also provide strategic people leadership, set expectations, hold teams accountable for agreed objectives, champion wellbeing and inclusion, and develop capability and performance. This is a 12-month fixed-term role, nationally based. Successful applicants are expected to work from an HMCTS office three days per week, subject to business availability, and to travel to other HMCTS sites for fieldwork, team meetings and business needs. Hybrid arrangements may be available where business needs allow, with a minimum of 60% of working time in an office. Full-time, part-time, flexible-working and job-share arrangements are listed as available.
Requirements
- Extensive background conducting user research across multiple services.
- In-depth understanding of user-centred design principles and tools.
- Proven ability to deliver public-facing user research.
- Ability to select and apply appropriate research methods to generate specific insights into user behaviour and needs.
- Demonstrable success facilitating and communicating with senior stakeholders, including Ministers, senior management teams and the public.
- Experience managing project or programme deliverables within budget.
Nice To Haves
- Expertise leading user experience research or related functions, with a strong track record of guiding teams, shaping research strategy and influencing organisational decision-making.
- Experience defining and implementing a strategic approach to user research.
- Experience working within an Agile software development project or programme.
Responsibilities
- Help define and design research requirements for service teams.
- Work with the Head of User Research to oversee user research across HMCTS.
- Ensure user research outputs are shared effectively across the organisation.
- Mentor and support user researchers at HMCTS.
- Drive continuous improvement in the deployment of user research across a service delivery programme.
- Identify key stakeholders and their requirements through engagement and discussion.
- Develop and maintain constructive relationships with programme and project stakeholders, including staff, managers, external suppliers, the judiciary and other government departments.
- Provide strategic people leadership, set clear expectations and hold teams accountable for delivery against agreed objectives.
- Champion wellbeing and foster an inclusive management culture.
- Make informed decisions aligned with HMCTS and Civil Service priorities, and drive capability development and performance.
Benefits
- Annual leave of 25 days on appointment, increasing to 30 days after five years' service.
- Option for qualifying staff to buy or sell up to three days of leave each year.
- Paid public holidays and one privilege day.
- Choice of Civil Service pension schemes.
- Extensive training and development opportunities.
- Employee-run networks providing advice and support and a route for minority-group employee views to reach senior management.
- Family-friendly policies, including opportunities to work reduced hours or job share.
- Access to flexible benefits, voluntary benefits, retail vouchers and discounts.
- Paid paternity, adoption and maternity leave.
- Free annual sight tests for employees who use computer screens.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
Education Level
No Education Listed
