User Researcher

User Researchers at DVSA

You will be involved in the end-to-end planning of user research activities. This will include identification of target audience, creating relationships with identified audience members (this could be members of the public or trade bodies), planning the overall user research approach and choice of appropriate research methodology. It will also include strategies for collecting qualitative and quantitative data, responsibility for tool selection (ensuring security and suitability of any tools used especially with respects to data sensitivity) and determining the appropriate technique for analysing the data and visualising the results. These choices will be balanced against the project aims and objectives, the outcomes expected for our users and the cost effectiveness of the activity.

At DVSA user researchers will be part of one or more agile / scrum delivery teams within the Digital Services team; working collaboratively with Product Owners, Business Analysts and Technical Colleagues (e.g. software developers, testers) to develop digital solutions that deliver value to customers and the business. You will contribute data and insight, which will lead to continuous improvement of digital services and products.

You will likely come from a research or analyst background and have an excellent understanding of user research methods, web-based and/or mobile application services and experience in working with a wide variety of diverse user needs. You will be confident using a variety of research methods as you see fit and present findings, business recommendations and user insights to project stakeholders at all levels. Working closely with design teams on our digital services you will be an advocate for of user needs-based design.

Becoming a user researcher

Most user researchers will have a degree in psychology, human computer interaction (HCI), digital marketing, product design or graphic design but this is not a requirement.

I need to get some more info on this section.

Follow this link https://www.gov.uk/guidance/user-researcher to find out more info on career progression and what skills are needed at each stage.

Here we would like a short video from a current user researcher on what the role is like – we don’t currently have this but are working on getting it.