Senior Interaction Designer - CO - G7

Job description

You’ll lead design in a multidisciplinary Pioneer team—a place-based project with public sector partners to prototype solutions and policies aligned to government missions. You’ll lead on problem framing, visualising ideas, prototyping in code, designing workshops and stakeholder engagements, and support the team with design research when needed. You’ll help your team use various methods and approaches for ‘test and learn’. 

This role is mapped to the Senior Interaction Designer role in the Government Digital and Data framework, however we’re looking for some wider additional skills in UX design, mapping and design research. We’re looking for someone who can bring digital and data skills to a policy environment and is excited about working on the ground alongside place-based partners. 

This role will require travel within the UK to work closely with local partners.

Responsibilities

You will:

•    lead and coordinate design work in your team and design solutions that meet user needs

•    work effectively in a multidisciplinary, agile environment, adapting quickly to constraints and changes in requirements, priorities or user needs

•    use research and analytics to understand policy areas and users needs, identify service failures and test different designs

•    lead design research when needed, working alongside the Data Analyst responsible for data and quantitative research 

•    design collaboratively and in the open, using prototyping to engage your team and stakeholders with the design process and adapting it if necessary

•    champion accessibility and inclusion, consider the impact of change: new policies and technologies, and ensure that designs meet legal requirements

•    guide, support and mentor designers

•    collaborate with designers in other teams and departments, reviewing each other's work and developing shared patterns

For further information on the role, please see the document attached at the bottom of the advert.

Person specification

It’s essential that you:

Design communication
•  work with the team and stakeholders to frame problems, map systems and processes and create clear, evidence-based cases for change supported by high quality outputs and deliverables
•   build consensus around an approach and build strong relationships

Designing for everyone
•  understand of the importance of inclusive, equitable, accessible and sustainable public services including working knowledge of WCAG
•  design and deliver ethical solutions that consider the personal and social context of stakeholders and users
•    support equity and inclusion for your delivery work as well as in your team

Designing strategically
•  use risks, opportunities and constraints in technology, systems and policies to shape design
•  work with senior stakeholders with the ability to negotiate important design decisions
•    lead design in a multidisciplinary team working in a complex policy environment ensuring test and learn approaches are grounded in theories of change and measurable

Designing together
•    engage with people in a variety of ways (e.g. workshops; sketching; prototyping; mapping) and have the ability to adapt a design session to ensure you achieve a useful outcome

Evidence-based design
•  make effective decisions with research and data
•    apply design research methods to support with qualitative research

Iterative design
•  work in an agile, multidisciplinary and collaborative environment
•  design clear, usable, accessible digital interfaces across multiple channels, for example for web, apps, or conversational interfaces
•    prototype complex ideas at an appropriate fidelity including prototyping in code

It’s desirable that you:

Systems thinking
•  understand and can apply systems thinking frameworks and practices to complex policy areas
• Policy design
•    understand the policymaking cycle and where the opportunities are for change, involving lived experience, and/ or relational/participatory work.

Iterative design

•    Have awareness of the GOV.UK Design system and GOV.UK prototype Kit”

Additional information:

A minimum 60% of your working time should be spent at your principal workplace. Although requirements to attend other locations for official business will also count towards this level of attendance.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Changing and Improving
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Design Communication
• Designing Strategically
• Designing Together
• Evidence-based Design
• Iterative Design