User Researcher

User Researcher

Division – Data, Technology & Innovation

Department – Intelligence & Digital - Digital Delivery Hub

Salary - National (Edinburgh and Leeds) ranging from £51,200 to £64,000 and London £56,400 to £70,400 per annum (Salary offered will be based on skills and experience)

About the FCA

The FCA regulates the conduct of 45,000 firms in the UK to ensure our financial markets are honest, fair and competitive. Follow this link to find out more About the FCA.

Data, Technology and Innovation (DTI) is leveraging state-of-the-art data & digital capabilities to deliver innovation in regulation. We utilise data science and intelligence gathering to proactively identify and intervene to prevent harm and protect consumers.

As part of the Data, Technology & Innovation (DTI) Division, we are leading the FCA in harnessing the power of data and advanced analytics to transform financial regulation.

In Intelligence and Digital, a subdivision of DTI, we believe in doing things differently. We believe in collaboration, inclusivity, innovation and using data to be at our best. We place emphasis on curiosity and experimentation. We collaborate widely with other regulators, academics, innovative companies, and within the FCA.

Data is an essential ingredient to delivering effective regulation, so we treat our data as an asset and have built services to ensure we can make best use of it.

Importantly, we believe that people need space to learn and grow and we supply supporting learning programmes and opportunities for all staff.

In our culturally diverse team, everyone is encouraged to be part of the team and put their ideas forward. We strongly value, encourage and support diversity, equity, and inclusion.

What will you be doing?
As a User Researcher at the FCA you will work within a multi-disciplinary digital product team (squad) to help increase the maturity of UCD, while providing user research expertise to plan, design and carry out research activities with users. You will help teams get a deep understanding of users as they design new products and services that help our users achieve their goals.

• Plan, design and carry out inclusive research activities with a diverse set of users that help teams get a deep understanding of the people using FCA services

• Provide clear findings that a wide range of colleagues can understand and use

• Grow user-centred practices in new and existing teams

• Support inclusive and accessible design and development of products and services

• Align user research activities with wider plans to inform a service proposition

• Possible future line management of junior user researchers, including professional/technical leadership and supporting professional development of junior staff/graduates

What will you get from the role?

It is an exciting time to join our community of UCD specialists and you will:

• Deliver impactful work in programmes that help consumers avoid financial harm and ensure fair markets

• Help FCA products and services meet the needs of people in firms, consumers and FCA staff alike

• Grow your expertise and experience within a vibrant and positive community of practice making a difference to the maturity of user-centredness

• The opportunity to understand and shape the workings of the financial services industry at a time of considerable change, whilst benefitting from a unique aerial view of the industry

Which skills are required?

We are a Disability Confident Employer; therefore, disabled people or individuals with long-term conditions who best meet the minimum criteria for a role will go through to the next stage of the recruitment process. (To learn more about the Disability Confident Scheme Click Here)

Minimum

• Experience working as a User Researcher within multi-disciplinary teams

• Experience in working in project/programme environments involving business & IT change

• Research experience within any of the following types of organisations/sectors: financial services, government/regulatory body, technology, consultancy (ideally IT consultancy)

Essential

• Analysis and Synthesis: Proficient in adopting, improving, and innovating analysis and synthesis techniques to generate valuable insights for an organisation

• Inclusive Research: Skilled in advocating for and implementing inclusive research practices, ensuring accessibility and diversity in user participation and service design

• User Research Leadership: Capable of adopting diverse user research methods and leading communities of practice to enhance and innovate organizational research approaches

• Digital Transformation Understanding: Helps teams grasp how digital technology impacts user behaviour and addresses challenges and opportunities in designing government services

• Strategic Alignment: Aligns research activities with organizational goals, informing policies and propositions effectively

• Technical Knowledge in Design: Demonstrates expertise in technologies for digital services and collaborates effectively with cross-disciplinary teams

• Advocacy for User-Centered Agile Practices: Guides teams in adopting user-centered methods within Agile workflows, promoting user research and addressing stakeholder resistance

Our Values & Diversity

We are proud to be an inclusive employer and our ambition is to cultivate a culture for all employees that respects their individual strengths, views, and experiences. We believe that our differences and similarities enable us to be a better organisation – one that makes better decisions, drives innovation, and delivers better regulation.

Within the workplace you will have access to various employee resource groups which aim to promote and achieve a healthy work / life balance and support our diversity ambitions.

Did you know? 50% of our Executive Committee were the first in their family to attend university.

The FCA is committed to achieving greater diversity across all levels of the organisation. Given this, we particularly welcome applications from women, minority ethnic, disabled, and neurodivergent candidates for our senior associate role.

Benefits of working at the FCA

• 25 days holiday per year plus bank holidays

• Hybrid working (work from home up to 60% of your time)

• Private healthcare with Bupa

• A non-contributory Pension of at least 8%

• Life assurance

• Income protection

We also have a competitive flexible benefits scheme which gives you the opportunity to create a personalised benefits package, tailored to suit your lifestyle.

We welcome applications from candidates who are looking for flexible arrangements. Many of our staff work flexibly including working part-time, staggered hours, and job shares. We can’t promise to give you exactly what you want but we can explore what might work best for both sides.

Follow this link to see what life is like at the FCA - Life at the FCA

Application Support

We are dedicated to removing barriers and ensuring our application process is accessible to everyone. We offer a range of adjustments to make your application experience as comfortable and straightforward as possible.

If you have an accessibility need, disability, or condition requiring changes to the recruitment process, please contact your recruiter using the details below and they will be happy to discuss this further with you.

Useful Information and Timeline

• This role is graded Senior Associate – Regulatory

• Advert Closing Date: 26th December 2024

• CV Review/Shortlist: 30th December until 3rd January

• First stage Screening Calls: Week commencing 6th January

• Competency & Case Study Interview: Week commencing 20th January

Your Recruiter will discuss the process in detail with you during screening for the role, therefore, please make them aware if you are going to be unavailable for any date during this time.

Got a question?

If you are interested in learning more about the role, please contact:

• For internal applicants, please contact Sara Holland at Sara.Holland2@fca.org.uk

• For external applicants, please contact Asha Gladis at Asha.Gladis@fca.org.uk

Applications must be submitted through our online portal. Applications sent via email will not be accepted.