User-Centred Design Specialist

Team / Directorate: Digital Services / Communications Customer and Commercial

Starting salary:  £45,367 rising to £50,877 per annum through annual increments being paid each year (pro rata for part time applicants)

Contract type: Permanent

Work pattern: 37 hours a week (Part time, annualised hours, compressed hours or term time working considered - discussions at interview stage welcome)

Interview Date : TBC

Post number: 203837

The role

The purpose of this role is to provide professional expertise and specialist knowledge in the planning and delivery of user-centred digital products and services. You will drive the user-centred design process and lead continuous improvements for NRW's digital platforms, with a primary focus on naturalresources.wales,  working collaboratively within a dynamic, cross-functional team of digital, data, and technology professionals.

To make an informal enquiry about this role, please contact Heledd Quaeck at heledd.quaeck@cyfoethnaturiolcymru.gov.uk

Interviews will be conducted via Microsoft Teams.

Successful external applicants will be subject to a satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service Check (DBS) check. We aim to make offers of appointment within 4 to 8 weeks of the closing date.

What you will do

• Provide objective high level specialist expertise and advice to others based on in-depth knowledge and experience of user-centred design approaches for digital services.
• Lead and direct strategic content improvement projects, focusing effort in the areas of greatest priority and ensuring goals and objectives are met.
• Work with Product Manager and Digital Services Team Leader and others to identify priority areas for user research, service and content design. 
• Lead on setting content and design standards by establishing best practices and ensuring consistency for services and content across all NRW digital products. 
• Take responsibility for assuring the quality of content from more junior colleagues, ensure that content is regularly reviewed and evaluated, contributing to continuous improvements and iteration
• Engage with colleagues across the organisation regularly to align goals, gather feedback and ensure that design work meets both user and business needs.
• Provide in-depth technical/specialist knowledge on content and service design and digital standards across NRW, upon which others will rely and that contributes to organisational policy and strategy.
• Measure and communicate the impact of design on business outcomes, demonstrating the tangible value that design brings to the organisation.
• Facilitate and present at internal and external meetings, giving input and specialist advice on user-centred design and interpreting complex information and successfully communicating this to others.
• Undertake health and safety duties and responsibilities appropriate to the post
• Be committed to Natural Resources Wales Equal Opportunities and Diversity Policy, together with an understanding of how it operates within the responsibilities of the post
• Be committed to your own development 
• Any other reasonable duties requested commensurate with the grade of this role.

Your qualifications, experience, knowledge and skills

In your application and interview you will be asked to demonstrate the following skills and experience using the STAR method.

1. A recognised qualification, degree or equivalent experience.
2. Substantial experience in content design and service design from working in a number of different organisations or in different roles or functions within a single organisation. 
3. A deep understanding and stay up to date with industry best practice – including Digital Service Standards for Wales, accessibility regulations and GOV.UK design system. 
4. Able to explain complex technical concepts in plain English and effectively combine prototypes with other content and design outputs to test with users and show to stakeholders.
5. Planning and managing digital products and services in an agile environment, ensuring that projects keep within budget. 
6. Experience of mentoring others on content design and inspiring others about user-centred design.
7. Experience of agile delivery methodologies and understanding of tools for working with product management and digital teams.
8. Strong interpersonal skills, including experience of establishing and maintaining strong networks across teams.

Welsh language level requirements

• Essential:A1 Entry level (able to use and understand simple, basic phrases and greetings, no conversational Welsh) previous Level 1 

Please note if you do not meet the A1 requirement i.e., ability to understand basic phrases and ability to pronounce Welsh names correctly, then NRW offers a variety of learning options and staff support to help you meet these minimal requirements during the course of your employment with us.

Benefits 

This role will offer a range of benefits, including:

• Civil Service Pension Scheme offering employer contributions of 28.97%
• 28 days annual leave, rising to 33 days
• generous leave entitlements for all your life needs
• commitment to professional development
• health and wellbeing benefits and support
• weekly wellbeing hour to use as you choose

See full details for all the employee benefits you will receive.

Please keep reading

If you think you have what it takes to do this role, but don’t necessarily meet every single point on the job description, please still get in touch and we will be happy to discuss the role with you in more detail.

We’re passionate about creating a diverse workforce and positively encourage applications from under-represented communities. We embrace equality of opportunity irrespective of disability, neurodivergence, ethnic origin, colour, nationality, gender expression and gender identity, marital status, sexual orientation, culture, or religion.   We put the principles of human rights, equality, fairness, dignity and respect at the heart of our values.

We are committed to equal opportunities and we guarantee interviews for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

We want to attract and retain talented and highly skilled staff, so we make sure that our pay scales remain competitive. We advertise the full pay scale on our job descriptions. Appointed candidates start at the first point of the pay scale and annual increments are paid each year.

We want our staff to grow professionally and personally. From leadership development to access to further and higher education courses, our staff have opportunities to expand their knowledge on variety of topics, stay current in their field and continue to learn as their career progresses.  

We are a Bilingual organisation which complies with the Welsh Language Standards.  Welsh language skills are considered an asset to NRW, and we encourage and support staff to learn, develop and use their Welsh language skills. 

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