About the job

Job summary

The Scottish Government’s Digital Strategy “A changing nation: how Scotland will thrive in a Digital world” sets out specific actions for Transforming Government aligned to the National Performance Framework. Of most relevance to this role: build a suite of common platforms to be adopted across the public sector.  

  

Access to public services is key. The mission of the Digital Identity programme is to provide users with a safe, easy way to prove who they are and access the services to which they are entitled. 

  

We’re proud of successfully launching the service, ScotAccount with Disclosure Scotland and have ambitious plans to improve existing services, add new features and extend use across the Scottish public sector - you can learn more about this on our blog.   

  

The post holder will join the User Centred Design team and work closely with user researchers, service designers, content designers and technical colleagues to continuously improve the service based on user insights. As a valued member of the team, you will have enormous impact – contributing to an essential digital service and benefitting everyone across Scotland! 

 

This is an opportunity to experience a dynamic, fast-paced project environment and to gain valuable insight into digital programmes that deliver essential public services. 

  

 

HOW DOES IT FEEL TO WORK HERE? 

** Service Designer, Digital Identity Programme ** 

Since joining the Digital Identity team within the Digital Directorate mid-2023, I've had the pleasure of being a part of a growing supportive and collaborative team. My UCD colleagues have always been open to sharing their knowledge and working together across our design roles. It's been a great experience to work on a rewarding project such as ScotAccount at a crucial time in its first year of private beta with Disclosure Scotland. I've developed my existing skills as well as had many opportunities to access various trainings and knowledge sharing events, such as trauma informed design. I look forward to the year ahead as the project scales and we prepare to onboard more public services to ScotAccount. 

Hear from colleagues discussing Digital Careers at Scottish Government. 

 

Job description

HOW WILL I SPEND MY TIME? 

A Senior Interaction Designer is an experienced designer who works with minimal support and can influence and mentor others. 

At this role level you will: 

• Work with service owners and multidisciplinary team(s) to develop design concepts 
• May have responsibility across a large or complex or services 
• Help set direction and embed good practice within teams 
• Make important decisions based on research and understand how this research impacts users. 
• Lead on Interaction design practice improvement projects  
• Engage with and contribute to the Scottish Government Interaction design community of practice (DDaT) 

 

What technologies will I use? 

 

Using Axure and being aware of Figma is preferred, however any prototyping tool expertise should be transportable. Use of Confluence and Jira would also be advantageous. 

Your responsibilities will include: -  

Agile working 

• Identify and compare the best processes or delivery methods to use, including measuring and evaluating outcomes 
• Help teams to manage and visualise outcomes, prioritise work and adhere to agreed minimum viable product (MVP), priorities and scope 

 

Communicating between the technical and non-technical 

• Listen to the needs of technical and business stakeholders and can interpret them 
• Effectively manage stakeholder expectations 
• Manage active and reactive communication 
• Support or host difficult discussions within the team or with diverse senior stakeholders 

 

Community collaboration 

• Work collaboratively in a group, actively networking with others 
• Adapt feedback to ensure its effective and lasting 
• Use your initiative to identify problems or issues in the team dynamic and rectify them 
• Identify issues through Agile ‘health checks’ with the team, and help to stimulate the right responses 
• Engage with and contribute to Scottish Government DDaT Interaction design community 

 

Digital perspective 

• Apply a digital understanding to your work 
• Identify and implement solutions for assisted digital 
• Ensure that design is done in line with latest WCAG accessibility guidelines 
• Use patterns and components using Scottish Government Design System  

 

Evidence- and context-based design 

• Use data, research, and evidence to make design decisions across multiple channels that meets user needs.  
• Encourage and advocate for continuous user testing within the design life cycle to achieve the best design solution. 
• Design systems for use across multiple services and identify the simplest approach to meet user needs 
• Reuse patterns and components using Scottish Government Design System 

 

Leadership and guidance 

• Make decisions characterised by medium levels of risk and complexity and recommend decisions as risk and complexity increase 
• Build consensus between services or independent stakeholders 
• Identify problems or issues in the team dynamic and rectify them 
• Engage in varying types of feedback, choosing the right type at the appropriate time and ensuring the discussion and decision stick 
• Bring people together to form a motivated team and help create the right environment for a team to work in. 
• Facilitate the best team makeup depending on the situation 

 

Prototyping 

• Use a variety of prototyping methods and use agreed design tools like Axure RP or Figma. 
• Create prototypes and conduct user testing to evaluate and iterate on designs 
• Share best practice and coach others 
• Look at strategic service design end to end 
• Contribute and write design documentation detailing decisions to change a service 

 

Stategic thinking 

• Define strategies and policies, providing guidance to others on working in the strategic context 
• Evaluate current strategies to ensure business requirements are being met and exceeded where possible 

 

User focus 

• Give direction on which tools or methods to use 
• Demonstrate experience in meeting the needs of users across a variety of channels 
• Bring insight and expertise in how user needs have changed over time to ensure they're met by the business objectives 
• Apply strategic thinking to provide the best service for the end user 

 

Working within constraints 

• Identify, communicate, and work within constraints 
• Challenge the validity of constraints 
• Ensure standards are being met 

 

WHAT IMPACT WILL I HAVE? 

 

Over a successful year you will take pride in having contributed to the continuous improvement of ScotAccount by making evidence-based design iterations and worked on designing new features and functionality of the service. 

 

COMPETENCIES  

• People Management 
• Communications & Engagement 
• Improving performance 
• Analysis & Use of Evidence 

  

If invited to any interview or assessment the panel will be looking for evidence of how you meet the above competencies. More details on these are available in the Person_Specification_Band_B_Updated_9.9.22_PDF 

Person specification

No formal qualifications are required for this role. We would love you to apply if you meet the following essential criteria. If you would like to chat first, please  get in touch 

 

ESSENTIAL CRITERIA  

 

1. Your experience of working in agile team and using agile tools allows you to use an iterative and flexible approach to rapidly deliver ideas, designs, and prototypes. 
2. Your experience of creating and leading designs for digital products and services using research evidence, design standards and systems like Scottish Government Design System allows you to inform the best Interaction design solution.  
3. Your experience of negotiating and influencing a diverse range of stakeholders, building consensus allows you to develop products and services, managing challenging situations.   
4. Your experience of working collaboratively in a group, actively networking with others allow you to develop best practice and solve problems 
5. Your experience shows how working with user stories, user insights allows you to create prototypes and designs that have been measured to show that they have effectively met the needs of users.     
6. Your experience of leading the design process and using data to review, evaluate and improve it, allows you to direct and critique the design work of others and also ensure design decisions are documented. 

 

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU 

 

A meaningful and rewarding career, a collaborative culture and support for your career goals, while promoting a healthy work-life balance. We offer a valuable range of benefits to attract, develop and retain the best talent. These include: 

 

• Salary between £44,557 to £53,351 
• £5000 Digital (DDaT) Pay Supplement after a 3-month qualifying period *** 
• Generous Pension Scheme with employer contributions ranging from 26.6% to 30.3% 
• Flexible working arrangements including compressed hours and flexi time, with potential to accrue up to 4 days off a month. 
• 36.5 Days Annual Leave - including public and privilege holidays.  This increases to 41.5 days after 4-year service.  

 

*** Digital (DDaT) Pay Supplement: 

 

This post attracts a £5000 DDAT pay supplement after a 3 months DDaT competency qualifying period. Pay supplements are temporary payments and are subject to regular review.  

 

To learn more about our full range of benefits please visit our career's page 

 

REMOTE WORKING 

 

We operate a flexible location policy, with a contractual named base in Scotland of either Atlantic Quay (Glasgow) or Victoria Quay (Edinburgh). 

 

The team currently works on a hybrid basis and are fully flexible. We meet in person once a month and when it is useful to do so, such as a divisional away day. If you wish, you can work throughout the week at the base office (or another Scottish Government office subject to availability). Commuting costs to the named base office are not reimbursed. 

 

While Staff are assigned to the base office, there may be a need for travel to other Scottish Government offices/other locations depending on assigned work.   

 

 HOW TO APPLY  

 

The Closing Date for applications is 10/03/2024 

 

To apply please submit the following using our online application process: - 

  

• A CV (no longer than two A4 pages) setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements, with particular reference to the essential criteria 
• A Personal Statement (no longer than 750 words) explaining why you consider your personal skills, qualities, and experience suitable for this role, with particular reference to the essential criteria. 

 

When reviewing your application, we will be assessing your career history and achievements against the essential criteria for the role. We are looking for examples of things you have previously achieved or your knowledge in a particular field which are relevant to the role. Please review and download links below for further guidance and support with your application. 

 

If you have any questions, please contact Digitalcareers@scot.gov and we will be happy to assist.  

   

Useful Links 

  

For further information on how to apply, and DDaT profession please visit 

 

How to Apply - Digital Jobs 

DDaT_Recruitment_-_Further_Information 

 

We are unable to progress applications which fail to provide clear evidence of meeting the essential criteria in their CV and Personal Statement. 

 

Diversity and Inclusion  

  

Delivering a successful national service for Scotland is impossible without ensuring we consider the diverse needs, perspectives, and backgrounds of everyone in Scotland in our work.   

  

We are focused on hiring the best talent available, encouraging applications from candidates of all backgrounds, working to ensure everyone is treated fairly, with respect and has a positive recruitment experience – regardless of the outcome.   

  

It’s not essential to be in a similar role right now. You may be working in another field or returning from a career break   - the experiences you have gained through this can bring fresh perspectives to our teams and work.  

  

If you are considering applying and feel it would be helpful to discuss this initially, please email Digitalcareers@scot.gov 

   

The Scottish Government is a diverse and inclusive workplace, and we want to help you demonstrate your full potential whatever type of assessment is used. If you require any adjustments to our recruitment process, please let us know via ScottishGovernmentrecruitment@gov.scot   

   

As part of any recruitment process, Scottish Government and associated public bodies collects and processes personal data relating to job applicants and applicants for public appointments.  

   

Personal information you provide in the recruitment process will be made available to Scottish Government and our additional data processors.  

 

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)
• 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

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £43,725, Scottish Government contributes £11,805 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

Sift and Interview dates TBC

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.