Senior Interaction Designer

Job summary

We’re looking fora Senior Interaction Designer who is enthusiastic about designing accessible services that are simple enough for everyone to use. The Enablers Portfolio supports essential areas of the Home Office by creating, maintaining, and managing key technology solutions. We work closely with colleagues within and outside of Home Office Digital including Human Resources, Finance, Estates, Commercial, Security, Communications, and Science, Technology, Analysis and Research teams. Together, we enable smarter, more connected digital experiences across the Home Office.

You could be part of a team shaping the Home Office customer relationship management systems, supporting strategic initiatives using Microsoft dynamics.

You’ll determine the best way for users to interact with services, the overall flow and individual design elements. You will mentor and train other designers, supporting the growth and development of the interaction design team.

You will have an understanding of the way the internet works and have experience of designing in an agile environment. You must be driven to help government transform the way it delivers services so that they are simpler, faster and easier to use.

You can learn more about design and research in the Home Office on our blog:

• Sharing user-centred design lessons learnt at the Home Office.
• Applying user-centred design in a data-focused product.
• and by looking at our design system.

We have a thriving user-centred design (UCD) community. If you want to work with us to ensure that our services are easier and simpler to use, apply now.

Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working. Where this is the case, employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in the office. Applicants can raise any queries to the email address at the bottom of the advert.

Watch this short video to hear from members of Home Office Digital talking about the projects they work on and their experience of working here: Working for Home Office Digital.

Job description

Your main day to day responsibilities will be:

• Identifying, developing and using best practice and standards to design services consistent with the rest of government and the Home Office.
• Line managing, supporting and mentoring interaction designers, allocating tasks and providing them with guidance, training and constructive feedback.
• Advocating for users and understanding user needs to design simple, effective and accessible services.
• Creating prototypes and concepts to communicate and test ideas with users and improving with evidence.
• Mapping user journeys, processes and visualising design problems.
• Collaborating within a multidisciplinary team on large, complex services by facilitating the design process, participating in research activities, workshops and communicating design decisions to the team and stakeholders.

Person specification

Working Pattern

This role is available on a full-time basis with the option of compressed hours working. This role is also suitable for part-time working hours, with a minimum requirement to work 3 days per week due to business requirements.

Essential skills

• Evidence-based design: leads evidence-based design initiatives for significant projects, often involving complex user needs and multiple stakeholders. Mentors junior staff in evidence-based design methodologies.
• Prototyping and concept creation: manages the prototyping and concept creation process for high-impact projects. Applies advanced techniques, like interactive and complex prototyping in code, to validate and refine concepts. Provides guidance to junior team members.
• Interaction design: able to manage and guide the interaction design process for complex projects. Balances user needs, technical constraints, and business objectives to achieve optimal design solutions.
• Accessibility and inclusion: applying accessibility standards, understanding how the internet works and the technology constraints that may need to be considered in design.
• Managing people and leading: coaching and mentoring other interaction designers, growing skills, and providing constructive feedback on work.
• Communicate, persuade and advocate: talking about, and advocating for UCD to various audiences and stakeholders, in a way that other people understand​

Technical skills

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

• Evidence-based design – Level 4
• Prototyping and concept creation – Level 4
• Interaction design – Level 4
• Accessibility and inclusion – Level 3
• Managing people and leading – Level 3
• Communicate, persuade and advocate – Level 4

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £62,732, Home Office contributes £18,173 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

Why work for us...

Find out more information at: Benefits - Home Office Careers, but some of the primary ones are:

• A Civil Service Pension with employer contribution rates of at least 28.97%.
• In-year reward scheme for one-off or sustained exceptional personal or team achievements.
• 25 days annual leave on appointment, rising with service.
• 8 days of public holidays, plus 1 additional privilege day.
• Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working. This is a non-contractual arrangement where all employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office.