Description Job Description Social Security Scotland, an Executive Agency of the Scottish Government, is the largest and most complex IT and digital change programme since devolution. With a lifetime budget of over £300m, delivering a social security system that will support the people of Scotland for decades to come. Due to the demands of this exciting programme of work, the Agency is currently experiencing rapid growth and we require more incredible digital, security and technology experts to join us, including Junior User Researchers. A Junior User Researcher has relevant work experience or a degree in a relevant subject. You will need to understand how a service works, and champion people’s needs. A relevant degree and experience in a role titled ‘user researcher’ isn’t a requirement. What’s important is you have experience understanding how a service works to meet people’s needs. At this role level, you will: Contribute to the planning and delivery of user research activities (for example, recruit research participants and create research documentation). Work independently after being given direction by more senior researchers. Independently identify user pain points and needs. Develop awareness of ethical and legal user research. Develop awareness of how to make services accessible and inclusive. Engage with and contribute to the Scottish Government user research community of practice. Responsibilities Responsibilities Analysis and synthesis Understand different research analysis and synthesis methods and how to apply them correctly. Undertake analysis of small projects with supervision as needed, to identify themes and produce clear findings. Involve your team in analysis and synthesis as appropriate. Present and document findings appropriately so that colleagues can understand and use them. Inclusive research Broadly explain to others why government services need to be usable and accessible for everyone and describe the diversity of people who use government services. Explain to others why many kinds of users need to be included in user research activities. Learn from the team how to design inclusive research. User research methods Plan and conduct a user research project with support as needed. Understand when to use different user research methods and how to apply them correctly. Effectively manage the participation of teams, stakeholders, and users in research activities. Agile research practices Be aware of and describe agile methodology and the roles in a multi-disciplinary team. Learn how to work in agile teams and take a flexible approach to research design to enable rapid delivery. Research management, leadership and assurance Explain the importance of working to a user research plan and of following standards for user research. Input to the planning of user research activity that balances the needs of the business and user context. So that decision making, and action are informed, and evidence based. Engage with and contribute to the Scottish Government user research community of practice. Stakeholder relationship management Describe who your stakeholders are, what evidence is relevant to them and the importance of managing relationships with them. Engage with and build relationships with key stakeholders within your team. Contribute to the design of user research to inform evidence-based decision making. User-centred practice and advocacy Describe how government services and technology impacts user behaviour. Explain how user-centred practices are used to build services that adapt to changing user behaviour and needs. Understand the internet and the range of available technology choices, including assistive technology. Qualifications Success Profiles We use an assessment framework called ‘Success Profiles’ which lists the elements we test and provides detailed descriptions of each. Find out more about how we assess the Success Profile elements. Technical skills This role is aligned to Junior User Researcher within the User-Centred Design job family. Please review the following to understand the skill expectations User researcher - Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework 1. Stakeholder relationship management - (Level: Awareness) 2. Inclusive research - (Level: Awareness) 3. User research methods - (Level: Working) 4. Analysis and synthesis - (Level: Working) 5 .Research management, leadership and assurance - (Level: Awareness) Essential Experience 1. Your experience of using analysis and synthesis methods allows you to produce robust and actionable research insights that can be shared with your team/colleagues. 2. Your experience of contributing to ethical research activity and including a diverse range of users within research allows you to contribute to the design of inclusive and accessible products or services. Behaviours • Communicating & Influencing (Level 2) • Changing and Improving (Level 2) You can find out more about Success Profiles Behaviours, here: Success Profiles - Civil Service Behaviours (publishing.service.gov.uk) How to apply Apply online, providing a CV and Supporting Statement (of no more than 750 words) which provides evidence of how you meet the skills, experience and behaviours listed in the Success Profile above. For external candidates, when applying you may see questions only relevant for current Civil Servants, please answer No to all of these questions. Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the CV and personal statement on Essential Experience. Candidates who pass the initial sift will have their applications fully assessed. We will test your behaviours, technical skills and experiences as part of the sift process, and if successful, you will be invited to an assessment and interview where we will test these again. Full details of the selection process will be made available to shortlisted candidates once the sift has been completed. Candidates selected for interview will be requested to provide a presentation on the technical skills required, details of which, will be shared in advance of the interview. Information Session We are holding candidate information sessions for this role to provide you with information about the application and interview process as well as further information on the role and team. The session will be held on Friday 13th December at 12-1pm. Please join us using the link below to find out more about the role and working for Social Security Scotland. Click here to join the meeting Expected Timeline (subject to change) Sifting – w/c 6th January 2025 Interviewing – w/c 20th January 2025 Location – In Person in either Dundee or Glasgow Reserve List In the event that there are more successful candidates than posts available, a reserve list will be kept for up to 12 months. About Us Social Security Scotland is an Executive Agency of the Scottish Government. Our benefits help people from all walks of life in Scotland. We offer rewarding careers and employ people across Scotland in a wide range of professions and roles. We are committed to recruiting a diverse workforce that is representative of the clients we serve. Find out more about us here. We offer a supportive and inclusive working environment along with a wide range of employee benefits. Find out more about what we offer. As part of the UK Civil Service, we uphold the Civil Service Nationality Rules. DDaT Pay Supplement This post attracts a £5000 Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) pay supplement after a 3 months DDaT competency qualifying period. The payment will be backdated to your start date in the role. Pay supplements are temporary payments designed to address recruitment and retention issues caused by market pressures and are subject to regular review. This post is part of the Scottish Government DDaT profession. As a member of the profession you will join the professional development system, currently BCS Role Mode plus. Working Pattern Our standard hours are 35 hours per week and we offer a range of flexible working options, depending on the needs of the role. We embrace a hybrid working style where all colleagues will spend time in our Glasgow or Dundee office. There is an expectation of a minimum 2 days per week in your assigned location. If you have specific questions about the role you are applying for, please contact us. Equality Statement Social Security Scotland are committed to equality and inclusion, and we aim to recruit a diverse workforce that reflects the population of our nation. Social Security Scotland are a Disability Confident Employer. We will consider and implement any reasonable adjustments you may require throughout the recruitment process and during the course of your employment, should you be successful in securing a post. If you feel you may require assistance with any part of our recruitment process, please contact us at recruitmentsocialsecurity.gov.scot Find out more about our commitment to diversity and how we offer and support recruitment adjustments for anyone who needs them. Further information Find out more about our organisation, what we offer staff members and how to apply on our Careers Website. Read our Candidate Guide for further information on our recruitment and application processes. Apply Before - Thursday 19th December at 23:55 Contact name - Resourcing Team Contact email - recruitmentsocialsecurity.gov.scot