Job summary
Join the NHSBSA as a Lead User Researcher in our Digital, Data and Technology department, based in Newcastle upon Tyne. Lead and mentor our research community, ensuring user-centred, evidence-based service design and delivery. Collaborate across teams to improve service accessibility and quality, guiding on research ethics, user consent, and innovative practices. You'll influence key stakeholders, manage complex research problems, and foster a culture of continuous improvement. Ideal candidates have significant experience in user research, stakeholder engagement, and agile methodologies. If you're passionate about transforming NHS services through user insights, apply now to be part of our dynamic team.
What do we offer?
- 27 days leave (increasing with length of service) plus 8 bank holidays
- Flexible working (we are happy to discuss options such as compressed hours)
- Flexi time
- Hybrid working model (we are currently working largely remotely)
- Career development
- Active wellbeing and inclusion networks
- Excellent pension (23.7% employer contribution)
- NHS Car lease scheme
- Access to a wide range of benefits and high street discounts!
Main duties of the job
As a Lead User Researcher, you will:
- Ensure that teams take a user-centred, evidence-based approach to service design and delivery
- Develop and assure good user research practice
- Lead our research community, demonstrating a range of management skills, guidance and supportive approaches
- Play a leading role in our approach to user consent & research ethics, and the continued growth of our research operations team
- Engage with stakeholders to prioritise requirements and deliver key user insights to constantly improve the design of our services
About us
Here at the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA), what we do matters.
We manage the NHS Pension scheme, process prescription payments and much more. Our services are used by NHS organisations, contractors and the public: we take pride in being part of something so meaningful, that touches millions of lives.
Just as we design our services around the needs of our customers, we place our people at the heart of our organisation. That's why when you join us, you'll be empowered and given the right support to help your career grow.
As one of the UK's Best Big Companies to work for, we're all connected to our values: Collaborative, Adventurous, Reliable and Energetic. We care about our people, our purpose, and your progress.
We strive to offer a fantastic colleague experience, where every voice is heard, and every colleague is supported and respected. Wellbeing, diversity and inclusion is at the centre of this, so when you join us, you can connect with our Lived Experience Networks who help us to bring our authentic selves to work.
We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and circumstances. We are committed and proud to be a flexible employer and will endeavour to offer a working pattern that suits you wherever possible, whether that be hybrid working, flexible hours, job sharing and more.
Ready to join us on our journey to be a catalyst for better health? Apply today and see where the NHSBSA can take you.
We are people connected to care.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Key accountabilities:1. Help the organisation to adopt a wide range of analysis and synthesis techniques, and to continually assure, improve and innovate their practices to generate clear and valuable findings. Support the analysis, interpretation and resolution highly complex research problems2. Guide teams to communicate complex and often sensitive analytical/statistical/research insights and issues to a wide range of internal and external stakeholders, guiding them on a certain course of action; conveys research concepts; develops and delivers formal, complex presentations to large groups3. Drive teams to understand the diversity of users of government services, effectively include all kinds of users in appropriate research activities and advocate inclusive practices and help teams design and deliver accessible services that work for all users4. Take the lead on our approach to user consent & research ethics, the continued growth of our research operations team and onboarding of new staff in our community5. Ensure teams understand the ways that digital technology is changing user behaviour, and the challenges and opportunities for the design and delivery of government services6. Understand organisational goals and challenges, aligning research activities across teams to inform policy and proposition7. Demonstrate highly developed specialist knowledge of the technologies used to build and operate digital services, collaborating closely with colleagues in different digital disciplines namely, heads of delivery and heads of service8. Understand and demonstrate experience in a range of user-centred practices, help inexperienced teams adopt user-centred practices and embed them into their Agile workflow and advocate user research, and engage sceptical colleagues and stakeholders9. Provide hands-on leadership of multidisciplinary scrum teams and interdisciplinary teams of researchers including mentoring, quality assurance processes and standards10. Receive and act upon, and where possible resolve, a range of escalations including staffing, disciplinary procedures, resourcing business and technical, to secure satisfactory outcomes. Where unable to resolve, providing sufficient detail, escalate to the appropriate levels within the organisations, within agreed policies, procedures, and processes to ensure appropriate resolution11. Lead recruitment and selection in line with organisational processes, and participate in the implementation and delivery of initiatives to secure suitable resources, increase skills levels and develop talent pools to meet the changing needs of the business landscape12. Provide feedback to support and encourage teams and individuals to develop thinking and independently work through issues, to reach solution-based outcomes. Leading by example by seeking, providing and implementing individual feedback to improve ways of working and own performance13. Identify and support opportunities for the community to further develop their skills to meet the changing needs of the business, taking ownership for decision making within own area, seeking support and feedback to develop well thought out solutions, processes and work as required, and in conjunction with agreed procedures, continually sharing best practice across the research and UCD communities14. Maintain own knowledge and expertise with continuous learning to be at the forefront of sector knowledge, investigating research and development to support future business needs. Develop an understanding of emerging technologies and business opportunities, proposing policy or procedural changes where appropriate to capitalise on these opportunities across the organisation15. Identify opportunities, engaging and fostering relationships and partnership working within the organisation, and with third parties, and cross government organisations to identify, influence and deliver value to the organisation16. Working collaboratively with respective "Line Managers" to identify, implement and support team and individual development and performance17. Implement, monitor and report on a number of areas including agreed service levels, KPI's and standards within team, reviewing individual and team performances including outputs from appraisals, development needs, and trends are identified, and anomalies understood and reports generated and delivered to agreed frequency, methods and processes18. Managing staff workload and completing own assigned tasks, to a high quality and within agreed timelines. Delivering continuous improvements to enhance own and business areas; co-ordinating and delivery of work across multiple strands such as continuous improvement, project related work, and operational tasks, and escalating issues at appropriate times19. Preparing strategic plans to enable the delivery and management of projects and programmes in line with service roadmaps. Providing operational direction of long term plans to deliver systems and services across the organisation20. Manage and implement approaches strategies, standards, practices and policies across the team, ensuring and monitoring the timely delivery of business objectives within budget through the management of projects and programmes21. Providing feedback on functional and non-functional requirements to ensure the overall needs of the business are met from a DDaT perspective22. Participating in procurement processes for hardware and software. Reviewing functional requirements and providing non-functional requirements to ensure the overall needs of the business are met from an DDaT perspective
In addition to the above accountabilities, as post holder you are expected to:Undertake any other duties and responsibilities as agreed with your line manager and commensurate with your role
Demonstrate the business values and behaviors in all aspects of your conduct at work.
Ensure and maintain a safe working environment which reflects the business health and safety policies and practices.
Be familiar with and adopt policies and practices governing finance, budgets and the procurement of services.
Ensure your behavior reflects a commitment to and the benefits of equality and diversity in the workplace.
Working relationshipsResponsible to: Head of Profession User Centred DesignResponsible for: Professional development and support of the User Research Community Key relationships and connections:1. Chief Digital, Data and Technology Officer2. Head of DDaT Capability and Operations3. Head of Governance, Risk and Compliance4. Heads of Delivery and Consultancy5. Heads of Profession6. Lead Delivery Managers7. Head of Data Science and Advanced Analytics8. Head of Data Strategy and Governance
Job description
Job responsibilities
Key accountabilities:1. Help the organisation to adopt a wide range of analysis and synthesis techniques, and to continually assure, improve and innovate their practices to generate clear and valuable findings. Support the analysis, interpretation and resolution highly complex research problems2. Guide teams to communicate complex and often sensitive analytical/statistical/research insights and issues to a wide range of internal and external stakeholders, guiding them on a certain course of action; conveys research concepts; develops and delivers formal, complex presentations to large groups3. Drive teams to understand the diversity of users of government services, effectively include all kinds of users in appropriate research activities and advocate inclusive practices and help teams design and deliver accessible services that work for all users4. Take the lead on our approach to user consent & research ethics, the continued growth of our research operations team and onboarding of new staff in our community5. Ensure teams understand the ways that digital technology is changing user behaviour, and the challenges and opportunities for the design and delivery of government services6. Understand organisational goals and challenges, aligning research activities across teams to inform policy and proposition7. Demonstrate highly developed specialist knowledge of the technologies used to build and operate digital services, collaborating closely with colleagues in different digital disciplines namely, heads of delivery and heads of service8. Understand and demonstrate experience in a range of user-centred practices, help inexperienced teams adopt user-centred practices and embed them into their Agile workflow and advocate user research, and engage sceptical colleagues and stakeholders9. Provide hands-on leadership of multidisciplinary scrum teams and interdisciplinary teams of researchers including mentoring, quality assurance processes and standards10. Receive and act upon, and where possible resolve, a range of escalations including staffing, disciplinary procedures, resourcing business and technical, to secure satisfactory outcomes. Where unable to resolve, providing sufficient detail, escalate to the appropriate levels within the organisations, within agreed policies, procedures, and processes to ensure appropriate resolution11. Lead recruitment and selection in line with organisational processes, and participate in the implementation and delivery of initiatives to secure suitable resources, increase skills levels and develop talent pools to meet the changing needs of the business landscape12. Provide feedback to support and encourage teams and individuals to develop thinking and independently work through issues, to reach solution-based outcomes. Leading by example by seeking, providing and implementing individual feedback to improve ways of working and own performance13. Identify and support opportunities for the community to further develop their skills to meet the changing needs of the business, taking ownership for decision making within own area, seeking support and feedback to develop well thought out solutions, processes and work as required, and in conjunction with agreed procedures, continually sharing best practice across the research and UCD communities14. Maintain own knowledge and expertise with continuous learning to be at the forefront of sector knowledge, investigating research and development to support future business needs. Develop an understanding of emerging technologies and business opportunities, proposing policy or procedural changes where appropriate to capitalise on these opportunities across the organisation15. Identify opportunities, engaging and fostering relationships and partnership working within the organisation, and with third parties, and cross government organisations to identify, influence and deliver value to the organisation16. Working collaboratively with respective "Line Managers" to identify, implement and support team and individual development and performance17. Implement, monitor and report on a number of areas including agreed service levels, KPI's and standards within team, reviewing individual and team performances including outputs from appraisals, development needs, and trends are identified, and anomalies understood and reports generated and delivered to agreed frequency, methods and processes18. Managing staff workload and completing own assigned tasks, to a high quality and within agreed timelines. Delivering continuous improvements to enhance own and business areas; co-ordinating and delivery of work across multiple strands such as continuous improvement, project related work, and operational tasks, and escalating issues at appropriate times19. Preparing strategic plans to enable the delivery and management of projects and programmes in line with service roadmaps. Providing operational direction of long term plans to deliver systems and services across the organisation20. Manage and implement approaches strategies, standards, practices and policies across the team, ensuring and monitoring the timely delivery of business objectives within budget through the management of projects and programmes21. Providing feedback on functional and non-functional requirements to ensure the overall needs of the business are met from a DDaT perspective22. Participating in procurement processes for hardware and software. Reviewing functional requirements and providing non-functional requirements to ensure the overall needs of the business are met from an DDaT perspective
In addition to the above accountabilities, as post holder you are expected to:Undertake any other duties and responsibilities as agreed with your line manager and commensurate with your role
Demonstrate the business values and behaviors in all aspects of your conduct at work.
Ensure and maintain a safe working environment which reflects the business health and safety policies and practices.
Be familiar with and adopt policies and practices governing finance, budgets and the procurement of services.
Ensure your behavior reflects a commitment to and the benefits of equality and diversity in the workplace.
Working relationshipsResponsible to: Head of Profession User Centred DesignResponsible for: Professional development and support of the User Research Community Key relationships and connections:1. Chief Digital, Data and Technology Officer2. Head of DDaT Capability and Operations3. Head of Governance, Risk and Compliance4. Heads of Delivery and Consultancy5. Heads of Profession6. Lead Delivery Managers7. Head of Data Science and Advanced Analytics8. Head of Data Strategy and Governance
Person Specification
Personal Qualities, Knowledge and Skills
Essential
- Implementing long term service strategy with sound research to enable service design.
- Determining research standards, policies, user testing plans, roadmaps and vision.
- Can focus on outcomes rather than solutions and activities.
- Offering advice and consultation as the Subject Matter Expert in research for key stakeholders.
- Combining user research and analytics to problem solve through design iterations and improve user experience.
- Thorough knowledge of user-centred design and product development process, based on expert user research methods.
- Understand and communicate to others the benefits and applicability of UI design, user testing tools, methods and standards to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
- Evaluate research and design proposals from external suppliers, and make recommendations to senior stakeholders.
- User consent processes and research ethics management.
- Research operations and participant recruitment.
Desirable
- Significant experience in a senior/lead research role
- Past experience in Government or NHS organisation
- Ongoing Continuous Professional Development
- GDS/CDDO or NHS service standards
Experience
Essential
- Onboarding of new staff within a team or professional community
- Engaging and building relationships with a range of stakeholders and service owners to support delivery of user needs
- Identifying user needs and ensure they are captured and implemented
- Managing user data in a secure way, in line with organisational policy
- Accessibility considerations and testing with users with additional needs to shape inclusive design
- Managing research as a lead or as part of a UCD/research team
- Multi-tasking, analysing opportunities, defining successful approaches, and proactively solve problems
- Working across multiple services and leading groups of UCD professionals to set direction, assuring the quality and depth of research
- Supporting the research community to maintain a focus on delivery, whilst instilling the importance of professional development and continual learning
- Able to have an overall perspective on business issues and activities, understand their wider implications and long-term impact
Desirable
- Facilitating conflict resolution within teams or professions
- Influence and manage in a complex matrix department
- Interpreting strategy and translate emerging trends and technologies which might impact or benefit the organisation
- Working within multidisciplinary agile teams, and experience of creating epics and user stories
- Coaching and leading teams in user centred design principals
Qualifications
Essential
- Educated to degree level (or relevant qualifications) in a relevant field, or significant relevant working experience of the subject matter
Desirable
- Master's Degree or equivalent Post Graduate qualification
Person Specification
Personal Qualities, Knowledge and Skills
Essential
- Implementing long term service strategy with sound research to enable service design.
- Determining research standards, policies, user testing plans, roadmaps and vision.
- Can focus on outcomes rather than solutions and activities.
- Offering advice and consultation as the Subject Matter Expert in research for key stakeholders.
- Combining user research and analytics to problem solve through design iterations and improve user experience.
- Thorough knowledge of user-centred design and product development process, based on expert user research methods.
- Understand and communicate to others the benefits and applicability of UI design, user testing tools, methods and standards to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
- Evaluate research and design proposals from external suppliers, and make recommendations to senior stakeholders.
- User consent processes and research ethics management.
- Research operations and participant recruitment.
Desirable
- Significant experience in a senior/lead research role
- Past experience in Government or NHS organisation
- Ongoing Continuous Professional Development
- GDS/CDDO or NHS service standards
Experience
Essential
- Onboarding of new staff within a team or professional community
- Engaging and building relationships with a range of stakeholders and service owners to support delivery of user needs
- Identifying user needs and ensure they are captured and implemented
- Managing user data in a secure way, in line with organisational policy
- Accessibility considerations and testing with users with additional needs to shape inclusive design
- Managing research as a lead or as part of a UCD/research team
- Multi-tasking, analysing opportunities, defining successful approaches, and proactively solve problems
- Working across multiple services and leading groups of UCD professionals to set direction, assuring the quality and depth of research
- Supporting the research community to maintain a focus on delivery, whilst instilling the importance of professional development and continual learning
- Able to have an overall perspective on business issues and activities, understand their wider implications and long-term impact
Desirable
- Facilitating conflict resolution within teams or professions
- Influence and manage in a complex matrix department
- Interpreting strategy and translate emerging trends and technologies which might impact or benefit the organisation
- Working within multidisciplinary agile teams, and experience of creating epics and user stories
- Coaching and leading teams in user centred design principals
Qualifications
Essential
- Educated to degree level (or relevant qualifications) in a relevant field, or significant relevant working experience of the subject matter
Desirable
- Master's Degree or equivalent Post Graduate qualification
Additional information
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
