Senior Interaction Designer

We’re looking for a senior interaction designer who is enthusiastic about designing accessible services that are simple enough for everyone to use.

You’ll work in a fast-paced Home Office Digital Enablers Portfolio Channels Team to create and manage clear, accurate and user-led designs for the Home Office SharePoint intranet site and other internal channels.

Some of the projects you could work on include:

• Improving user experience and developing new features for our SharePoint intranet site including the Home Office Directory.
• Building and improving systems such as; Ideas Lab, SharePoint communication sites and content sections on the intranet.
• Supporting our content team with new SharePoint page designs, improving templates and creating user-led prototypes.
• Supporting our senior user researchers during the Discovery and Alpha phases.

You’ll work closely, and build relationships, with our internal communications teams, senior stakeholders from around the Home Office and other online services, Home Office Digital technical teams, operational staff and policy officials.

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 intranet 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., Your main day-to-day responsibilities will include:

• 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.

Other day to day activities

You will also be expected to carry out the following day to day activities:

• Advocating UCD and being an active part of the design community within the Home Office and across government to share ideas, best practice and support others.
• Blogging and presenting at events to raise the profile of design both within and outside government.
• Taking responsibility for your own learning and development and seek opportunities to improve your knowledge and experience.
• Responsible for creating intuitive and visually appealing designs for SharePoint based internal websites and Intranet., You will be assessed against the following skills and experience during the selection process:
• 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., 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, The allowance values are set by the Home Office, subject to remaining in a qualifying role. This allowance is non-contractual, subject to an annual review and could be withdrawn at any time.

For both new entrants and existing civil servants, the total compensation offer is a combination of base salary and, if applicable, a capability-based allowance. The pay ranges for this role are National: £62,109 - £68,320. New entrants to the Civil Service will start on the pay range minimum. For existing civil servants, our policies on level transfer and promotion will apply.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf. However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct.

If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

Reasonable Adjustments

If a person with disabilities is at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

• Contact Government Recruitment Service via HOrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
• Complete the “Assistance Required” section in the “Additional Requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you are deaf, a language service professional.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the ‘Contact point for applicants’ section.

Feedback 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 .

See our vetting charter . People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks., * 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)
• 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

For meaningful security checks to be carried out, individuals need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time. Learn more on our website. Security Checks - Home Office Careers.

Please note that this role requires Security Check (SC) clearance, which would normally need 5 years’ UK residency in the past 5 years.

However, in exceptional circumstances security clearance applications for candidates who have been present in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5 years may be considered. Failure to meet this residency requirement will result in your security clearance application being rejected., We are unable to sponsor any individuals via Skilled Worker Sponsorship / Tier 2 (General) work visas as we do not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker License.

Pulled from the full job description

• Annual leave
• Company pension, £62,109 New entrants to the Civil Service will start their role on the salary band minimum £62,109 for National roles. You may be eligible for an additional Recruitment and Retention Allowance, pending a Capability and Skills Assessment, with a value of up to £6,000. A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97% GBP, Alongside your salary of £62,109, Home Office contributes £17,992 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides .

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.