About the job

Job summary

As a Senior Interaction Designer you’ll work in a multidisciplinary team, alongside content designers, user researchers, analysts, and managers. You will be involved in the delivery of the public facing (GOV.UK) UKHSA data dashboard and provide support to other public health priority topics driven by the needs of internal UKHSA colleagues and external stakeholders.

You need to have a strong foundation in user-centred design with an ability to identify user needs and business requirements, manage stakeholder expectations, and create and iterate design solutions.

Your job will be to design accessible public services that are simple enough for everyone to use. You’ll be excited by the challenge of creating digital services that work across multiple channels, devices, browsers and platforms.

You’ll be able to see the bigger picture as well as the fine detail; to create high fidelity prototypes in specialist tools and code as well as sketch on paper. You’ll understand the way that the internet works and how to design in an agile environment.

Job description

The main duties and responsibilities are:

• Based on iterative user research, understand user needs and design services that meet them.
• Translate concepts into user-centred interfaces and refine the user experience.
• Work with user researchers and developers to turn prototypes into user-centred services.
•  Create and iterate prototypes and live features working as part of a multidisciplinary delivery team and with internal stakeholders
• Provide guidance on user experience design.
• Communicate product ideas and user experience design concepts to different audiences in meetings, via presentations and through workshops.
• Ensure that the design of services is consistent, both internally and with the rest of GOV.UK
• Embed a digital culture across UKHSA, with a focus on user needs and delivering services that meet the GOV.UK Service Standard

Other:

• • The above is only an outline of the tasks, responsibilities and outcomes required of the role.  You will carry out any other duties as may reasonably be required by the Directorate.
  • The job description and person specification may be reviewed on an ongoing basis in accordance with the changing needs of the organisation.
  • Initially there won’t be any line management responsibilities, however this may change in the future.

Person specification

Essential Criteria:

You will be assessed on the below (7) essential criteria's, which have been selected from the Job Description.

• Experience of handling projects and priorities in an agile, fast-paced, environment
• Demonstrable and practical experience of applying user centered design and testing methodologies, including designing responsive and accessible user interfaces for a variety of different services
• Experience of engaging with members of multi-disciplinary teams in the design process
• Experience of working in a challenging stakeholder environment
• Experience of interpreting user research
• Ability to communicate design processes, ideas, and solutions clearly and effectively
• Able to undertake rapid, lightweight prototyping, from paper to interactive, including expert command of design related software and prototyping tools

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £51,824, UK Health Security Agency contributes £13,992 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

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours.

Selection Process Details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

Stage 1: Application & Sift 

You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on the above listed essential criteria, and this will be in the form of  a:

• CV/ Application form (‘Employer/ Activity history’ section on the application)
• 750 word Statement of Suitability

This should outline how you consider your skills, experience, and knowledge, provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential criteria.

The CV / Application form and Statement of Suitability will be marked separately, and you must pass both to move forward to interview.

Longlisting: In the event of a large number of applications we will longlist.

Shortlisting: In the event of a large number of applications we will shortlist on all essential criteria's. 

If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to interview & assessment

Please do not exceed 750 words.  We will not consider any words over and above this number.

Feedback will not be provided at this stage. 

Stage 2: Interview 

You will be invited to a (single) remote interview.

Behaviours will be tested at interview.

The Behaviours tested during the interview stage will be:

• Changing and Improving
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace

Interviews will be held week commencing 1st of July. Please note, these dates are subject to change.

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Location information 

UKHSA operates a hybrid working model where business needs allow.  This provides us with greater flexibility about how and where we work, to get the best from our workforce. As a hybrid worker, you will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of your contractual working hours (approximately 3 days a week pro rata, (averaged over a month) working at one of UKHSA's locations (Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, and London).  Specialist or regional roles will be based at the appropriate UKHSA site.

Eligibility Criteria

Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including by definition internal applicants).

Disability Confident scheme  

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.  

Reserve List  

Candidates who pass the interview criteria but are not offered a post will be kept on a reserve list for 12 months and may be contacted if similar roles become available.   

If you are interviewed for the post and do not meet the required threshold for the specified grade, your application may be assessed against a similar, lower grade role and you may be offered the post should one be available.  

Security Clearance Level Requirement 

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Basic Personnel Security Standard.

Working for the Civil Service:

The Civil Service Code 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. 

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment. 

 It’s important to note that there are currently exceptions to applications being considered if your conviction relates to any of the following: 

• life sentences 
• arson 
• sexual offences 
• hate and terror offences 

Some departments will also consider the specific offence against the nature of the business, i.e., a conviction for fraud may rule you out for a finance role. 

 If you are interviewed for the post and do not meet the required threshold for the specified grade, your application may be assessed against a similar, lower grade role and you may be offered the post should one be available.

Starting salary

Entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band.  

The internal roles rules apply to existing Civil Servants, i.e. level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive 10% increase.  

Either case is determined by whichever is the highest. 

For further details please refer to the Information Sheet - Starting Salaries & Benefits attachment.

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.