About the job

Job summary

This is a Nationally based role

Job description

We encourage applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the wider society that we serve. We pride ourselves on being an employer of choice. We champion diversity, inclusion and wellbeing and aim to create a workplace where everyone feels valued and a sense of belonging. To find out more about how we do this visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity.

Lead Interaction Designer

Location: National*

Interviews: expected w/c 3rd June

Grade: G6

(MoJ candidates who are on a specialist grade, will be able to retain this grade on lateral transfer)

Salary:

London: £70,303 - £80,475 (which may include an allowance of up to £10,172) National: National: £66,314 - £75,810

Working pattern: Full time, Part time, flexible working

Contract Type: Permanent

Vacancy number: 86897

*We offer a hybrid working model, allowing for a balance between remote work and time spent in your local office. Office locations can be found ON THIS MAP

The Role

We’re recruiting for a Lead Interaction Designer here at Justice Digital, to be part of our warm and collaborative HMPPS Digital - Prison team.

This role aligns against ‘Lead interaction Designer’ from the Government Digital and Data Framework

These are exciting times at Justice Digital. We have a clear vision — to develop a digitally-enabled justice system that’s better and simpler for everyone. We’re looking for talented people who are passionate about this mission and ready for the challenge.

You’ll be welcomed into a thriving design community and into multidisciplinary teams, alongside user researchers, product owners, delivery managers and software developers to deliver world-class, user-centred services.

As well as doing great work, we’re creating a place that’s great to work in. We offer brilliant training opportunities, excellent kit and support from expert colleagues. On top of that, you’ll find flexible working, an inclusive culture and a place where your opinion is valued.
 
We are growing our digital services and products at MoJ, especially within HM Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS). Our teams could be designing a sophisticated case management system for probation staff or designing tools that help people in prison prepare for life after release.

A lead interaction designer is an expert practitioner who influences and mentors others. You will support designers across teams to do their best work and ensure designs are consistently inclusive, accessible and easy to use.

Working with the other MoJ Design Leads and the Head of Design, you’ll also be a part of advancing our approach across the department, helping to grow our design culture, and standardising and systemising the way we work to allow the design function to scale.

To help picture your life at MoJ Justice Digital please take a look at our blog and our Digital and Technology strategy 2025

Key Responsibilities:

As a Lead Interaction Designer, you will

People & community

• Lead the recruitment of a talented and diverse team of designers that meet the growing needs of Prisons
• Support the professional development of designers through coaching, line management & career progression
• Lead Community of Practices that inspire designers to learn, share best practice and collaborate on strategic problems.

Design standards & operations

• Work with the Head of Design to set an ambitious vision for Design at MoJ, pushing the boundaries of what design can do to transform government
• Work with the other Design Leads to develop and embed design standards that ensure all our design work is consistently inclusive, accessible and easy to use.
• Oversee the work of the MoJ Design Operations specialist. Specifically: the development of the MoJ Design System and ensuring all our designers have the guidance, tools and training they need to enable great design

Cross-government collaboration

• Be an active leader in the cross-government design community, sharing our work, learnings and developing best practice

Influence Digital Strategy

• Work closely with HMPPS Heads of Digital, Leads & Service Owners to champion design, influence strategy and ensure teams are supported and equipped to deliver against that strategy

If this feels like an exciting opportunity, something you are enthusiastic about, and want to join our team please read on and apply!

Person Specification

Essential

• You have a strong grounding in user-centred design, and have experience working on multiple or highly complex services. You know how to give direction on which tools or methods to use and how to bring agile delivery teams along with you.
• You know what good public services look like and how to design in an inclusive, accessible way. You can set design standards and coach others.
• Having worked as a designer, you can create high-quality, compelling design concepts and artefacts. You are experienced in rapid paper and digital prototyping, and understand security, accessibility, version control and hosting.
• You advocate for end to end service design at a strategic level, agnostic of teams, departments and organisations.
• You are passionate about growing talent and developing design culture. You have experience of managing designers and coordinating communities of practice.
• You can interpret the needs of senior leaders and stakeholders. You use design thinking to help solve complex organisational challenges and influence strategy.

Willingness to be assessed against the requirements for BPSS clearance

We welcome the unique contribution diverse applicants bring and do not discriminate on the basis of culture, ethnicity, race, nationality or national origin, age, sex, gender identity or expression, religion or belief, disability status, sexual orientation, educational or social background or any other factor.

Our values are Purpose, Humanity Openness and Together. Find out more here about how we celebrate diversity and an inclusive culture in our workplace.

Terms & Conditions

Please review our Terms & Conditions which set out the way we recruit and provide further information related to the role and salary arrangements.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact recruitment@digital.justice.gov.uk

Person specification

Please refer to attached Job Description

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £66,314, Ministry of Justice contributes £18,501 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

How to Apply

Candidates must submit

• CV
• Portfolio with work examples
• Statement of suitability (max 750 words). 

Failure to provide those documents will result in a rejection of your application. Also, if the statement is too long, we won’t read past the first 750 words.

The statement of suitability should outline your experience, against the following points of the essential criteria list above, under ’Person Specification’

• You have a strong grounding in user-centred design, and have experience working on multiple or highly complex services. You know how to give direction on which tools or methods to use and how to bring agile delivery teams along with you.
• Having worked as a designer, you can create high-quality, compelling design concepts and artefacts. You are experienced in rapid paper and digital prototyping, and understand security, accessibility, version control and hosting.
• You can interpret the needs of senior leaders and stakeholders. You use design thinking to help solve complex organisational challenges and influence strategy.

*Should we receive a high volume of applications, a pre-sift based on Design experience will be conducted prior to the sift.

In Justice Digital, we recruit using a combination of the Government Digital and Data Profession Capability and Success Profiles Frameworks. We will assess your Experience, Technical Skills and the following Behaviours during the assessment process:

• Leadership
• Communicating and influencing
• Working together
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Changing and Improving

Your application will be reviewed against the Person Specification above by a diverse panel.

Successful candidates who meet the required standard will then be invited to a 1.5-hour panel interview held via video conference, which will include a Design Task.

Should you be unsuccessful in the role that you have applied for, but demonstrated the capability for a role at a lower level, we reserve the right to discuss this
 
opportunity with you and potentially offer you the position without the need for a further application.

A reserve list may be held for a period of up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. 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.