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Job summary
National £65,302 – £75,129
Inner £69,275 – £78,805
As the Head UCD Business Partnering and Capability you will be highly knowledgeable in UCD and act as a central accelerator for user-centred practice supporting and empowering corporate and service teams. Youll take responsibility for building the user-centred culture within UKHSA, partnering across the agency to advocate for and build sustained UCD capability and the systems, processes, and ways of working that will ensure the needs of users are consistently and systematically prioritised when making decisions and setting priorities.
You will have broad experience leading work or advising projects that have spanned the different disciplines and will be able to define and assure adherence to standards, leading, coaching and mentoring others, including coaching and challenging senior stakeholders and professionals from other disciplines in user-centredness and service standards. Youll create the right conditions and environment in which your team and UCD can flourish.
Introduction
At UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) our mission is to prepare for, prevent and respond to infectious diseases and environmental hazards to keep all our communities safe, to save lives and protect livelihoods. We are a trusted source of advice to government and to the public, focusing on reducing inequalities in the way different communities experience and are impacted by threats to health.
This is an exciting opportunity to join UKHSA as the Head of User-Centred Design (UCD) Business Partnering and Capability within our UCD Team.
About the team
The UCD team draws together experts in design and delivery with a shared mission to create an organisation that puts an understanding of users, their needs, and experiences at the heart of policy making, and service and product design and delivery, to improve organisational performance.
To achieve our mission, the UCD team will:
- Influence Advocate for user-centredness. Building awareness and understanding of UCD principles and practices across UKHSA, actively influencing decision makers to apply UCD standards and practices to policy making and service and product design and delivery.
- Enable Grow the UCD profession and give all staff the tools they need to embody user-centricity; providing a place for expert UCD capability to flourish, and the tools, guidance and frameworks needed to enable all staff to build UCD knowledge and skills.
- Deliver Deploy our expert capability to help the organisation to solve problems and improve products and services by bring a problem-focused user-centric approach to transformation initiatives.
As Head of UCD Business Partnering and Capability, you will be part of the leadership team establishing the UCD function within UKHSA. You will lead on the Influence pillar of our mission and help to embed UCD, Agile and Government Service Standards into the way in which we design and deliver products and services, supporting UKHSA to develop as a high-performing agency and deliver against its mission to save lives and protect livelihoods.
You will be supported directly by a Grade 7 Lead Business Partner and an SEO Capability Manager and work closely with the G6 Head of UCD who leads on the enabling stand and the G6 Head of product who leads on the Deliver strand. You will be joining a team of 26 UCD professionals to support the delivery of these ambitious goals. This is a new role within the team and the successful candidate will be able to develop and shape the role and the team working with key partners in Technology Group to best understand how to influence the organization and drive lasting change.
This is a great development opportunity for an experienced Grade 7 to take on new and challenging work or for an existing Grade 6 looking for experience of driving organisational-wide change in a complex and challenging environment.
About Us
We pride ourselves as being an employer of choice, where Everyone Matters promoting equality of opportunity to actively encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce.
UKHSA ethos is to be an inclusive organisation for all our staff and stakeholders. To create, nurture and sustain an inclusive culture, where differences drive innovative solutions to meet the needs of our workforce and wider communities. We do this through celebrating and protecting differences by removing barriers and promoting equity and equality of opportunity for all.
Location
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) offers hybrid working this means that whilst the role will be based in one of our 4 offices in Birmingham, Leeds, London Canary Wharf or Liverpool, there will be opportunities to work from home. The number of days in the office will be agreed on an individual basis by your line manager.
You will be asked to express a location preference during the application process.
Please be aware that this role can only be worked from within the UK and not overseas. Relocation expenses are not available
Job description
MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- Represent and advocate for UCD throughout UKHSA. Proactively create and maintain a strong strategic network of connections with a wide range of internal and external senior stakeholders, building the influence of our team across the organisation, and using advanced negotiating and influencing skills with senior leaders to embed UCD standards and practice across the organisation.
- Act as a recognised and credible expert, responsible for building a culture of user-centredness within UKHSA, providing expert direction on the organisational change needed to support UKHSA to become user-led. Establish a user-centredness capability development plan, create, and share a narrative and artifacts that make the plan concreate, providing north star inspiration for UKHSA with a focus on spurring action.
- Source and develop specialist learning to expand our internal training programme as well as identifying the right external training to support the organisation to build user-centred knowledge, and awareness.
- Define what good design looks like in UKHSA, integrating and embedding government service standards into UKHSAs governance and assurance mechanisms and designing policies and processes that support UKHSA to embed a user-centred culture.
- Represent UCD on the UKHSA DDaT Assurance Board to support the assurance and approval of spend decisions relating to digital and technology development, products and services, bringing a specific focus to ensure projects have complied with service standards and have truly consider user needs.
- Collaborate with Heads of other DDaT professions within UKHSA and across Government and the NHS to establish the DDaT capability framework within UKHSA, and ensure the UCD job family is an intrinsic part of that framework and recognised as a core capability.
- Represent UKHSAs UCD capability across government, NHS and the wider public health system. Proactively working across government departments to develop and promote excellence within the specialism and contribute to cross-government communities of practice sharing knowledge, experience and seeking to improve the UCD practices and standards.
- Line manage staff, undertaking the full range of line management responsibilities as well as providing coaching and support to staff across UKHSA; proactively develop, promote and monitor staff engagement and wellbeing measures, striving to make improvements, year on year.
Person specification
It is important through your application and Statement of Suitability of 750 words (max) that you give evidence and examples of proven experience of each of the following criteria:
Essential criteria
- Expert knowledge of user-centre design (UCD) gained through significant experience of working in one of the DDaT UCD family roles or Product family roles or through relevant formal qualifications
- Significant experience of using UCD/Agile methods and practices in large, complex organisations, with a strong understanding of the key standards to be addressed in their application
- Experience of designing services that meet the government service standard – including experience being assessed or assessing government services against the standard
- Experience of managing large scale transformation programmes and/or embedding a user-centred culture within an organisation, navigating complex stakeholder landscapes to implement lasting change
- Proven advocacy and leadership skills with track record of embedding design standards, governance and assurance mechanisms within teams and organisations
- Experience of leading and managing relationships with a variety of senior stakeholders, including the ability to work across boundaries to influence and gain approval for strategies, principles, standards, policies, and ways of working
- Able to explain the value of Agile and UCD practice, ideas and concepts, in a way that other people understand, and to champion these values to senior stakeholders in an immature environment, constructively challenging views and/or practice and effectively manage conflict to reach a positive conclusion, with the ability to appreciate and articulate broader implications
- Able to coach and lead teams in UCD and Agile practices
Desirable criteria
- Experience in developing and sourcing quality learning and development products to build UCD knowledge and capability
- Able to demonstrate the importance of delivering inclusive, equitable, accessible and sustainable products and services with knowledge of the barriers to access which affect participation in public services and experience in mitigating for them
Benefits
Working for the UKHSA
For more information on the UKHSA please visit: UK Health Security Agency – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Benefits
There are many benefits of working at UKHSA, including:
- flexible hybrid working with flexi-time and the option to consider work part-time or condensed hours
- a Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
- 26 days annual leave allowance increasing to 32 days after a 10-year service.
- an in-year bonus scheme to recognise high performance
- career progression and coaching, including a training budget for personal development
- paid volunteering leave (5 special leave days per year)
- a focus on wellbeing with access to an employee assistance programme
- job satisfaction from making government services easier to use and more inclusive for people across the UK
- advances on pay, including for travel season tickets
- death in service benefits
- cycle to work scheme and facilities
- access to an employee discounts schemes
- 5 learning days per year
- access to a suite of learning activities through Civil Service learning
UKHSA offers hybrid working for all employees. This means that everyone does some working from home and also spends some time in an office. Youll agree to your hybrid working arrangement with your line manager in line with your preferences and business needs.
Any move to UKHSA from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at: https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk
Things you need to know
Selection process details
STAGE 1 – APPLICATION & SIFT:
You will be required to complete an application form and a statement of suitability. Your Statement of Suitability should outline your skills, experience, and achievements, providing evidence of your suitability for the role, against the essential criteria (outlined in the person specification section). Your Statement of Suitability must not exceed 750 words.
You will also be asked to provide information within the Employer/ Activity history section of the application form. This is equivalent to the information you would provide on a CV, setting out your career history. The sift selection panel will only consider relevant career history information from the last 5 years.
If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to an interview.
STAGE 2 INTERVIEW:
The scenario for the interview, and instructions on how to prepare, will normally be sent approximately three days in advance. No presentation will be necessary, although candidates may choose to create one. Candidates can also refer to notes.
Depending on how many applications we get, there might also be an extra stage before the video interview, for example a phone interview or a technical exercise.
In the Civil Service, we use Success Profiles to evaluate your skills and ability. This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, increases performance and improves diversity and inclusivity. Well be assessing your technical abilities, skills, experience and behaviours that are relevant to this role.
For this role well be assessing you against the following Civil Service Behaviours:
Well also be assessing your experience and specialist technical skills against the following skills defined in the Digital, Data and Technology Profession Capability Framework and candidates should expect questions on the initial 3-4 skills during the interview:
- community collaboration
- digital perspective
- leadership and guidance
- consultancy
Candidates that do not pass the interview but have demonstrated an acceptable standard may be considered for similar roles at a lower grade.
A reserve list will be held for a period of 12 months, from which further appointments can be made.
We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability status.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Expected Timeline:
Advert close: 23:55hrs on 10/12/2023 unfortunately, late applications will not be considered. Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.
Interviews: TBC
Please note these dates could be subject to change.
Security clearance level requirement
Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Enhanced Personnel Security Standard.
For posts on UKHSA Civil Service terms and conditions, new entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band. For existing Civil Servants and roles advertised across government, the rules of transfer apply, i.e., level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive a 10% increase. Either case is determined by whichever is the highest.
Please Note
This role is to be appointed under Civil Service Terms & Conditions. Full details on the T&Cs are found https://www.ukhsa.reed.com/
Are you already a civil servant, or employed by a Civil Service Commission accredited public body? Please state home department on your application form.
Do you meet the nationality requirements for this post? https://www.ukhsa.reed.com/
The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact UKHSA Public Accountability Unit via email: Complaints1@ukhsa.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Visit the Civil Service Commission website.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Nationality requirements
Working for the Civil Service
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
Apply and further information
You may want to save a copy for your records.
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : Daisy Zhang
- Email : UKHSA.recruitment@reed.com
Recruitment team
- Email : UKHSA.recruitment@reed.com
