Head of User Centred Design

Job summary We are MHCLG MHCLG is looking for two Heads of User Centred Design, to join the Funding Service and Local Digital programmes. The Local Digital team supports councils across England to deliver more secure, user-centred, cost-effective local public services through open, collaborative and reusable work. The Funding Service is transforming how MHCLG delivers grant funding to councils, community organisations and local services across the country - making it faster, more consistent, cost-effective and user-centred across the full lifecycle.

As the Head of User Centred Design for one of these programmes, you’ll set the direction for User Centred Design (UCD) in your teams. You’ll champion the context and experience of our users, ensuring that their needs are at the heart of everything we do. You'll develop and assure the quality of UCD work across the programme, coaching teams to develop design concepts, embed good practice and share learnings with each other.

You’ll ensure that decisions are being taken based on research and evidence. You'll be an expert at advocating for user-centred design, convincing stakeholders to interact with real users and finding pragmatic ways of influencing teams operating at pace in ambiguous environments to incorporate UCD into their work and decision making. This role will work with a range of disciplines, including a growing number of Civil Servants from a range of UCD professions and individuals from third-party suppliers.

This is a leadership and management role - you may support UCD activities in the team, but your primary focus will be on leading your team and their delivery and influencing our stakeholders. Find out more about our Digital teams and what they are working on through our MHCLG Digital blog . Please note that MHCLG do not offer visa sponsorship and applicants will need a valid visa for the duration of your employment.

Job description As a Head of UCD you'll; * be a visible leader, setting the direction of user centred design on the programme and advocating for the importance of designing user-centred services, accessibility, and improved policy design, including with senior stakeholders and Ministers * advise and coach peers and teams members on design thinking, providing specific steers and expertise across the programme where needed *support your programme’s blended UCD team of civil servants and third party staff, helping individuals feel involved and supported in their professions, help them to identify improvements in their ways of working and use their insights to influence the product roadmap * play a leadership role in the department's UCD communities, contributing to the development and adoption of shared best practices for UCD professions * be an excellent people manager who can develop and empower a high performing team Person specification As a Head of UCD you'll have; * experience in growing and mentoring a high-performing UCD team, establishing processes and methodologies to ensure user-centred design principles are integrated into product development activities * a strong understanding of user-centred design practices and methods, enabling you to support and coach team members and assure the quality of UCD work * experience of championing continuous service design in a multidisciplinary team, including prioritisation of UCD work to deliver the most value to users * experience of building effective relationships and working closely with policy stakeholders to embed design principles at the very earliest stages of policy and design thinking * strategic thinking skills, identifying opportunities for user-centred design to add value, and communicating those opportunities clearly to stakeholders and decision makers * experience in people management and leading teams through ambiguity, uncertainty, challenge, or change Benefits Alongside your salary of £72,686, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government contributes £21,057 towards you being a membe