Internal Applicants Only - User Experience (UX) Designer

Cardiff University is seeking a creative and curious User Experience Designer / Researcher to help shape the future of our digital services. You'll join a collaborative development team focused on creating smooth, intuitive, and evidence-driven experiences for students and staff across the University. Your work will shape how our Corporate, Administrative, Research, and Teaching communities interact with the University's digital products - ensuring every touchpoint is informed by user insight and feels clear, accessible, and user-centred.

In this role, you'll work closely with multidisciplinary teams, lead user research activities, and translate insights into thoughtful design solutions that improve how people engage with our digital systems. We're looking for someone who communicates well, enjoys solving complex problems, and brings fresh thinking to support our digital transformation.

If you're passionate about designing meaningful experiences in a university setting, we'd love to hear from you., The position is based within University IT where the role holder will work as part of a professional service delivery team dedicated to the provision of an efficient, effective, customer focused and quality driven IT service to all staff and students across the University.

The job requires the role holder to:

• Lead on the User Experience (UX) design for changes to University's digital systems.
• Take responsibility for the design of user centred digital experiences for the wide range of users across the university including students, lecturers, researchers, and professional services staff.
• Provide professional advice and guidance on UX design to the development team and the broader stakeholder community that will have an institute wide impact.
• Take responsibility for resolving issues independently, ensuring that the user experience of software products meet a clear set of objectives.
• Create specific working groups with colleagues across the University to achieve programme / project objectives
• Develop and deliver UX training to educate the stakeholder community with the up-to-date best practice and ensure that standards are adhered to.
• Plan, conduct, and analyse user research activities - such as interviews, usability testing, journey mapping, and observations - ensuring our services reflect real student and staff needs.
• Translate research insights into clear user journeys and design solutions, making complex academic and administrative processes feel simple and accessible.
• Produce UX deliverables including sketches, wireframes, prototypes, interaction flows, and polished design specifications suitable for development.
• Apply and promote modern UX and service design methods, supporting consistency, accessibility, and usability across university systems (e.g., VLEs, student portals, research tools). Bring curiosity and fresh thinking, staying up-to-date with developments in UX, educational technologies, and inclusive design.
• Solve complex UX challenges, helping teams understand problems and move toward evidence-based solutions that work within university requirements.
• Establish relationships with key contacts to ensure role objectives are met, developing appropriate communication links with internal and external stakeholders as required.
• Collaborate closely with cross functional teams, including developers, analysts, content specialists, librarians, researchers, and academic departments.
• Adapt and contribute flexibly, supporting colleagues and taking on new tasks as projects evolve across the academic calendar.
• Support project alignment, helping teams stay focused on user needs, priorities, and development timelines.
• Work within matrix-teams of staff across the organisation to deliver enhanced technology solutions to the University. Provide advice and guidance where necessary.
• Abide by University policies on health and safety and equality and diversity., * Perform other duties occasionally which are not included above, but consistent with the role. Complete tasks normally associated with junior colleagues to meet operational demands, undertake duties associated with a more senior role for developmental purposes
• Where the role requires staff management and leadership the following responsibilities will also apply:
• Manage performance, inductions and development of staff under the line management of the role holder. Support and guide team members in welfare issues, escalating as necessary to specialist support areas.

Current Technologies :

• Figma - Design, prototyping, design systems
• JIRA - Planning and coordination
• User research tools - Surveys, usability testing platforms
• Analytics tools - Google analytics or similar
• Collaboration tools - Miro, Confluence, or equivalent

As an employee of Cardiff University the post holder will:

• Ensure compliance with legal and regulatory requirements in respect of equality and diversity, data protection, copyright and licensing, security, financial and other University policies, procedures and codes as appropriate.

• Take reasonable care for the health and safety of yourself and of other persons who may be affected by your acts or omissions at work in accordance with the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, EC directives and the University's Safety, Health and Environment Policies and procedures and to cooperate with the University on any legal duties placed on it as the employer.

1. Degree/NVQ 4 or equivalent / Professional membership/experience, 2. Substantial experience designing digital user experiences for web or mobile products, ideally within complex, multi-stakeholder environments such as universities or large organisations.
2. Demonstrable experience of hands-on interaction design skills, including wireframing, interface design, prototyping, and iterative user-centred testing.
3. Proven experience planning, conducting, and analysing user research, such as usability testing, interviews, contextual inquiry, or surveys.
4. Excellent and proven relationship management skills with experience of managing the requirements of stakeholders.

Customer Service, Communication and Team Working

6. Proven ability to balance diverse user requirements through active participation within teams and groups with organisational goals and constraints.
7. Excellent interpersonal, communication and organisational skills. Able to document and explain complex design decisions and research insights in a logical and clear framework that can be readily understood by others.
8. Experience of working closely with software developers and of contributing effectively within multidisciplinary teams.

Planning, Analysis and Problem Solving

9. Demonstrable knowledge and experience in problem solving, able to explore options, validate assumptions, and propose solutions grounded in user needs.
10. Evidence of shaping user experience through workshops, codesign sessions, or design led project activities, ideally within an educational or similarly complex setting.

Desirable Criteria

11. Management qualification in ITIL, or similar.
12. Ability to speak Welsh or willingness to learn.

Cardiff University is committed to supporting and promoting equality and diversity and to creating an inclusive working environment. We believe this can be achieved through attracting, developing, and retaining a diverse range of staff from many different backgrounds who have the ambition to create a University which seeks to fulfil our social, cultural and economic obligation to Cardiff, Wales, and the world. In supporting our employees to achieve a balance between their work and their personal lives, we will also consider proposals for flexible working or job share arrangements., Applications may be submitted in Welsh, and an application submitted in Welsh will not be treated less favourably than an application submitted in English.