Lead Interaction Designer

Job summary

The Division

The Digital and Data division brings together the delivery, data, and user centred design functions within the directorate. Professionals within these functions work as part of agile and dynamic multi-disciplinary teams delivering products and services designed to meet the needs of users.

Job description

About the Role

UKEF is committed to be a user-centred organisation, creating and designing services to provide:

• Accessible and intuitive access to UKEF services for exporters and lending partners
• Efficient and streamlined case management for internal users
• Robust data access, insight gathering, and reporting

This role will lead the interaction design function within the organisation, ensuring that the services we deliver are:

• Accessible so that anyone can use them, regardless of disability or access need
• Intuitive for new users or those with low digital skills
• Aligned with the government service standard

The successful candidate will spend part of their time working embedded within service teams, and part of their time establishing and maintaining interaction design standards and ways of working across the organisation.

Main Activities

A lead interaction designer is an expert practitioner who works with minimal support, influencing and mentoring others. You will:

• have oversight of the design of all digital touchpoints, ensuring designs follow best practice and adhere to the departments design system and government service standard.
• manage and steer the interaction design approach for existing and new services, identifying appropriate strategies, methods, and priorities.
• work with multi-disciplinary teams to produce and develop design concepts, re-using common component design patterns from across government where appropriate.
• implement design concepts into practical working prototypes to test with users.
• set direction and embed good practice within teams for products and services they are working on.
• lead on accessibility, user centred design and assisted digital for projects and services.
• assure the quality of interaction design delivery across teams for multiple or highly complex services.
• represent design for UKEF at cross-government and internal assessments against the Service Standard.
• manage and support design contractors ensuring they are delivering in line with internal standards and contributing to the internal UCD communities.

This list is not exhaustive, and you may be required to carry out additional duties according to business needs.

Person specification

UK Export Finance is looking for motivated individuals with a desire to learn about the business. Successful candidates will be provided not only with functional training to enable them to do well in their role, but also with personal development to help them to achieve their career ambitions. Please note that the person specification below outlines at which stage(s) you will be assessed on how you meet the criteria for the role(s) including:-

A = assessed at application stage I = assessed at interview stage T = assessed by test stage = assessed at presentation stage

Essential

Qualifications

• 5 GCSE passes (including Maths and English) at Grade 4 (C) or above; or relevant professional experience. (A)

Knowledge

• Understanding and experience with the gov.uk design system and Government Service Standard. (A)
• Embed a practice of hypothesis-driven design in a team. (A)
• Guide the organisation in how to use evidence to improve services. (A)
• Analyse, synthesise and use evidence to improve the way the organisation works ensure user insights are shared with and used by the wider organisation and across government. (A)
• Coach others in how to effectively communicate design. (A)
• Develop or introduce more effective methods of communicating design and working in the open. (A)
• Measurably improve the practice of inclusive, accessible and environmentally sustainable design in multiple teams or across your organisation. (A)

Skills/Ability

All skill levels are in relation to Lead Interaction Designer - Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework

Leading design (P). You can:

• lead and coordinate design work in a team
• advocate for user-centred design with leaders outside of digital and data
• create an inclusive, productive environment for designers to work in
• mentor and coach other designers
• iterate and improve design processes within your team

Level: practitioner

Evidence based design: (I). You can:

• embed a practice of hypothesis-driven design in a team
• guide the organisation in how to use evidence to improve services
• analyse, synthesise and use evidence to improve the way the organisation works
• ensure user insights are shared with and used by the wider organisation and across government

Level: expert

Experience

Designing strategically (I). You can:

• help a team understand how user-centred design helps it meet its goals
• help teams align their work to the goals and vision of their organisation
• use risks, opportunities and constraints in technology, systems and policy to shape design
• identify and create new design patterns and components

Level: practitioner

Designing together (I). You can:

• effectively plan and run design sessions that include senior leaders or stakeholders
• help teams connect and work across organisational boundaries
• coach other designers in how to involve stakeholders of any level in the design process
• develop or introduce more effective ways to design together

Level: expert

Iterative design (A). You can:

• embed the practice of iterative design and agile working in teams or wider organisation
• lead on prototyping complex ideas at any fidelity
• help teams adapt quickly to changes in requirements, priorities or user needs
• iterate delivery processes or team structures to help teams work effectively

Level: expert

This list is not exhaustive, and you may be required to carry out additional duties according to business needs.

Qualifications

5 GCSE passes (including Maths and English) at Grade 4 (C) or above; or relevant professional experience. (A)

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Leadership
• Changing and Improving
• Making Effective Decisions

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• a.Presentation
• b.Technical questions

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £61,250, UK Export Finance contributes £17,744 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

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

We are assessing candidates using Success Profiles and Line Management Standards (see Appendix 1) and across the whole process we will assess your Experience, Technical and Behaviours and Line Manager Standards as highlighted below.

The application must be completed by 23.55 on the day of the closing date for it to be accepted.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Please ensure that you read through the Candidate Information Pack attached to this advert, before applying.

All applications will be sifted against our essential criteria outlined in the personal specification.

• Statement of suitability - you should fully articulate in 500 words how you meet the essential criteria outlined in the person specification within the Information Pack.

For the initial sift your application will be evaluated against:

1. Experience - Application and Statement of Suitability.

In the event of a large response, an initial sift will be carried out on the following essential criteria:

• Understanding and experience with the gov.uk design system and Government Service Standard. (A)
• Measurably improve the practice of inclusive, accessible and environmentally sustainable design in multiple teams or across your organisation. (A)

If you are successful following the sift stage, you will be invited to an initial interview, via MS Teams; this will include the following assessment:

1. Behaviours / Experience- a formal panel interview where you will be interviewed across all three behaviours highlighted in Appendix 1.
2. Technical - you will be assessed across your technical expertise and acumen, in relation to the essential criteria:
   1. Presentation
   2. Technical questions
3. Line Management Standards - Delivery Focus (demonstrated through the Leadership behaviour)

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 (opens in a new window).

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

Nationality requirements

Open to UK nationals only.

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.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Recruitment Team
• Email : Recruitment2@ukexportfinance.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : Recruitment2@ukexportfinance.gov.uk

Further information

Should you have a complaint or wish to raise any concerns regarding the recruitment process, please e-mail your complaint to the Head of Pay and Resourcing (UKEF) at Recruitment2@ukexportfinance.gov.uk and include “Complaint” in the subject heading. Should you remain dissatisfied following UKEF’s investigation then you can refer your complaint to the Commission - http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/making-complaint.

Attachments

UKEF - Lead Interaction Designer - March 2026 Opens in new window (pdf, 4563kB)