The Research Operations Assistant is responsible for ensuring User Researchers have a representative sample of users for their research, and for ensuring research data is safe, compliant, and accessible by the wider organisation. As part of the User Centred Design community, this role will follow the strategic direction of the Research Operations (ResearchOps) team to help enable user researchers at NHS Business Services Authority to do their best work.User Researchers are an integral part of digital delivery teams. They help their teams develop a deeper understanding of the people who encounter their services, including NHS colleagues, patients, and the general public. Their findings support teams to design and build better services quickly and ethically and aim to mitigate and lower costs of digital services within NHSBSA. They use data and real-life experiences of users to help shape the continuous improvement of digital services.As Research Operations Assistant you will be supporting the growth of ethical, scalable, and efficient research in NHSBSA. You will be helping to put the user at the heart of a variety of services which affect the lives of millions of people.You will coordinate research participant recruitment, consent, and incentive processes plus other key aspects of research operations as a key component in our user-centred design team. 1. Participant Recruitment: taking responsibility for recruiting participants for User Research for specific digital services, including: a. Inviting participants to take part in NHSBSA research and be the key point of contact for support throughout the research process. b. Recruiting a representative sample of users for NHSBSA services, including liaising with internal and external stakeholders and 3rd party organisations to expand the NHSBSA research panel. c. Logging participant information to meet Information Governance and GDPR requirements. d. Taking responsibility for ensuring incentives are distributed and accurate financial records are kept to meet finance incentive processes. e. Responsible for monitoring the team shared mailbox and ensuring all participant recruitment queries are dealt with quickly and effectively. 2. Insight & Knowledge Management: Supporting Research Operations activity, including: a. Coaching and mentoring members of the team to deliver high quality outputs. b. Attending and participating in the Research Operations community of practice. c. Providing regular updates on Research Operations within the user research and design communities of practice, CX network, DDaT Directorate meetings. d. Work with the UR community to ensure the Research Roundup contributions are collated and shared regularly and consistently across the NHSBSA. e. Promoting via various communication methods, the Research Library as a source of knowledge across the NHSBSA and collecting feedback on how improvements can be made. f. Supporting any additional research operations activity at NHSBSA. g. Ensuring compliance with all confidentiality and governance requirements, supporting User Researchers to do the same with any data handling (GDPR, IG, cyber security etc). h. Sharing knowledge and expertise in data management with the user centred design community and wider NHSBSA. 3. Guidance & Templates: Supporting ways of working in user research at NHSBSA, including: a. Producing accurate documentation and guidance to support team development. b. Supporting training of relevant teams in research operations best practice. c. Supporting research practices and policy reviews. d. Following consent processes and supporting User Researchers with consent forms. e. Supporting the consideration of research ethics and accessibility needs when recruiting participants and supporting the development of the User Research Playbook. f. Supporting the onboarding and offboarding of researchers. g. Coordinating requests for research incentives, including raising requests and logging purchases for audit purposes. 4. Governance: Supporting the management of the research library where outputs of user research and associated research materials can be stored and retrieved, including: a. Working with other members of the Research Operations Team and wider digital, data and technology teams to understand user researcher needs for file storage. b. Supporting the management of a self-service insights library to allow colleagues across the organisation quick access to user research findings. c. Preparing library summaries and extracts as required. d. Ensuring that the library is accurate, up to date and adheres to GDPR and data security best practice. e. Following the established library taxonomy for User Research at NHSBSA. 5. Tools: Coordinating tools and software used by the user research community to safely and effectively conduct user research, including: a. Lone worker safety devices. b. Granting permissions and access to the Research Library. c. Keeping track of research-specific software licenses used in the User Research team. 6. Asset Management: Ensuring that User Researchers have access to any physical resources they need for their role, including: a. Managing and coordinating any physical technology used in research, such as recording equipment and digital devices. b. Ensuring all User Researchers are allocated and have a working work mobile phone and are aware of how to use these for the purposes of their role, including safety procedures in face-to-face research. And regularly keeping documentation up to date. c. Supporting with the planning of face-to-face research, including any processes to enable travel, premises bookings and safety considerations. d. Coordinating the use of the User Research Lab. 7. Research Panel: Assist the Research Operations Manager with managing the Citizen and Health Professional panels. Monitoring uptake, profiling participants and supporting and following the inclusion strategy for user research at NHSBSA. Continue to expand the research panel and ensure user researchers have access to a diverse and representative sample of service users, in particular those with low digital literacy skills and access needs. a. Extracting eligible participants for research from the panels. b. Ensuring contact with panel members meets the sign up guidance provided. c. Responsible for monitoring the shared mailbox and ensuring all panel queries are dealt with quickly and effectively. d. Liaising with internal and external stakeholders to support the expansion of a diverse research panel. e. Networking with relevant trusts, bodies, and charities to build relationships with potential participant providers. f. Independently building networks to further expand on participant recruitment. g. Supporting the development of the yearly newsletter to panel members once a year. h. Follow Information Governance guidelines and ensure opt out participants are removed from the panel and members are re-contacted every 2 years to allow them to opt back and refresh their details. i. Monitor demographics and identify where the panel is not representative and look for opportunities to improve diversity. In addition to the above accountabilities, as post holder you are expected to: 1. Undertake additional duties and responsibilities in line with the overall purpose of your role and as agreed by your line manager. 2. Demonstrate NHSBSA values and core capabilities in all aspects of your work. 3. Foster an environment where your own and colleagues safety and well-being is promoted. 4. Contribute to a culture which values diversity and inclusion. 5. Comply with NHSBSA policies, procedures and protocols as they apply to your role. Working relationshipsResponsible to: Service Design lead, Research Operations Manager, Team Manager Responsible for: Ensuring User Researchers have a representative sample of users for their research, and that research data is safe, compliant, and accessible by the wider organisation, Key relationships and connections: 1. User Researchers 2. Wider UCD Community 3. Delivery managers and project teams 4. Digital & Insight colleagues 5. Internal stakeholders 6. Non-profit organisations 7. Local Authorities