Senior Interaction Designer

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) has a clear mission - to grow the economy. Our role is to help businesses invest, grow and export to create jobs and opportunities right across the country. We do this in three ways. Firstly, we help to build a strong, competitive business environment, where consumers are protected and companies rewarded for treating their employees properly. Secondly, we open international markets and ensure resilient supply chains. This can be through Free Trade Agreements, trade facilitation and multilateral agreements. Finally, we work in partnership with businesses every day, providing advance, finance and deal-making support to those looking to start up, invest, export and grow. The Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) directorate develops and operates tools and services to support us in this mission. The team have been nominated four times in a row for 'Best Public Sector Employer' at the Women in Tech awards!, As a Senior Interaction Designer at DBT, you will be at the forefront of creating intuitive, accessible, and engaging digital experiences that meet user needs and align with government standards. Working in multidisciplinary teams alongside researchers, developers, content designers, and product managers, you'll design services that are simple, clear, and effective. You'll use evidence-based design to solve complex problems, ensuring that services work seamlessly across channels and devices. Your work will directly impact how businesses and citizens interact with government services, making them easier and faster to use. We are committed to supporting your professional growth. You'll have access to the DDaT Capability Framework, mentoring, and a thriving design community across government. From advanced training in interaction design and prototyping to opportunities to lead on high-profile projects, you'll be encouraged to develop your skills and share best practice. You'll also benefit from flexible working, inclusive culture, and collaboration with experts who value design excellence. Main responsibilities You will:

• Design clear, usable, and accessible digital interfaces across multiple channels (web, apps, conversational interfaces).

• Lead interaction design activities for complex services, ensuring designs meet user needs and government standards.

• Create prototypes and design patterns to test ideas, communicate concepts, and ensure consistency and scalability.

• Use research and analytics to understand user needs, identify service failures, and iterate designs.

• Work effectively in a multidisciplinary, agile environment, adapting quickly to changing priorities.

• Champion accessibility and inclusion, ensuring designs meet legal requirements and consider emerging technologies.

• Collaborate with designers across teams and departments, reviewing work and developing shared patterns.

• Engage stakeholders through workshops and co-design activities, promoting user-centred design principles., Please note these dates are indicative and may be subject to change. If there is a high volume of applications, we will sift looking at the lead criteria 'Proven experience designing systems for use across multiple services, ensuring they meet varied user needs' only. You may then be progressed to full sift or straight to interview. How we interview At the interview stage for this role, you will be asked to demonstrate relevant Technical Skills from the Success Profiles framework. These are role specific and in line with the Design at the Department for Business and Trade - DBT. You will also be asked to deliver a presentation and will be informed on the topic following the sift. How we offer Offers will be made in merit order based on location preferences. If you pass the bar at interview but are not the highest scoring you will be held on a 12-month reserve list in case a role becomes available. If you are judged a near miss at interview, you may be offered a post at the grade below the one you applied for. This role requires SC clearance. DBT's requirement for SC clearance is to have been present in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5 years. Failure to meet this requirement will result in your application being rejected and your offer will be withdrawn. Checks will also be made against:

• departmental or company records (personnel files, staff reports, sick leave reports and security records)

• UK criminal records covering both spent and unspent criminal records

• your credit and financial history with a credit reference agency

• security services record

• location details

• Proven experience designing systems for use across multiple services, ensuring they meet varied user needs (Lead Criteria)

• Strong grounding in user-centred design principles, from concept to delivery, and ability to bring agile teams along.

• Proven ability to create high-quality design artefacts such as wireframes, service maps, and personas.

• Skills in digital prototyping and are confident working with developers, understanding accessibility, security, and version control.

• The ability to manage stakeholder expectations, navigate complex discussions, and communicate design rationale clearly.

• Experience in guiding, mentoring, and supporting others, sharing best practice and contributing to strategic design initiatives. It is desirable that you have:

• Experience of agile tools, how to use them and can adapt and reflect to see outside of the process

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

• Interface Design
• Product Design
• Prototyping
• Design Communication
• Design Strategically
• Designing Together
• Evidence-Based Design
• Leading Design

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• A flexible, hybrid working environment with options like condensed hours
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 28.97%
• Annual leave starting at 25 days rising to 30 days with service
• Three paid volunteering days a year
• An employee benefits programme including cycle to work, This role can only be worked from within the UK, not overseas. If you are based in London, you will receive London weighting. DBT employees are contracted to work in a hybrid pattern, spending 2-3 days a week (pro rata) in the office. Travel to your primary office location will not be paid for by DBT, but costs for travel to an office which is not your main location will be covered. You can find out more about our office locations, how we calculate salaries, our diversity statement and reasonable adjustments, the Recruitment Principles, the Civil Service code and our complaints procedure on our website. Find out more about life at DBT, our benefits and meet the team by watching our video or reading our blog! Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window). See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants. 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). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.