Lead Interaction Designer

Job summary

The Government Digital Service (GDS) is the digital centre of government. We are responsible for setting, leading and delivering the vision for a modern digital government.

Our priorities are to drive a modern digital government, by:

1. joining up public sector services
2. harnessing the power of AI for the public good
3. strengthening and extending our digital and data public infrastructure
4. elevating leadership and investing in talent
5. funding for outcomes and procuring for growth and innovation
6. committing to transparency and driving accountability

We are home to the Incubator for Artificial Intelligence (I.AI), the world-leading GOV.UK and at the forefront of coordinating the UK’s geospatial strategy and activity. We lead the Government Digital and Data function and champion the work of digital teams across government.

We’re part of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and employ more than 1,000 people all over the UK, with hubs in Manchester, London and Bristol.

The Government Digital Service is where talent translates into impact. From your first day, you’ll be working with some of the world’s most highly-skilled digital professionals, all contributing their knowledge to make change on a national scale.

Join us for rewarding work that makes a difference across the UK. You'll solve some of the nation’s highest-priority digital challenges, helping millions of people access services they need

Job description

Digital Identity (DI) is looking for an experienced Lead Interaction Designer to support our UCD leadership team. Lead Interaction Designers form a core part of the design team, helping to deliver strategic and organisational change through their work with designers.

You will be working with skilled teams to design, prototype and build multi-channel cross-government public services that change lives.

As a Lead Interaction Designer you’ll:

• work with the Head of User-Centred Design to set design direction and good practice within the programme, and to build and support the design practice and community within the programme
• lead design delivery across multiple teams in a programme; shaping product strategy and delivery, and ensuring our work contributes to our wider organisational design principles, objectives and strategic priorities
• leading and joining up design across our native app (iOS and Android) and web channels, so people get a coherent experience wherever they use GOV.UK One Login
• influencing and assuring the quality of the design delivery across several product delivery teams using tools such as peer review/critiques and accessible design reviews and contribute to the GDS Design Community
• helping teams understand connections and potential collisions between different services and helping to reconcile these
• using evidence to challenge assumptions, negotiate with senior stakeholders and validate design and management decisions
• using their specialist design skills to demonstrate best practice, coaching and mentoring teams
• engaging with designers to develop concepts and deliver high-quality services, based on user needs and meeting GDS design standards
• guide, support and mentor design team members and contribute to building a diverse and supportive team through recruitment and resource planning, and help to ensure that designers have the right conditions and environment to thrive

Person specification

We’re interested in people who have:

• experience as an interaction designer – designing, prototyping and iterating accessible, usable digital services and native apps based on user needs
• an understanding of complex organisations and systems, and the wider implications and long-term impact of business issues and activities
• experience in helping teams understand the wider service context of a project or product and in an agile, multidisciplinary and collaborative environment
• experience in reflecting critically and asking difficult questions; thinking holistically about the big picture while working out details and being able to appreciate and articulate the broader implications of a thing
• experience in design leadership and the ability to guide designers working in a range of design specialisms, particularly in interaction design and service design
• proven experience in establishing positive working relationships with colleagues, stakeholders and teams to deliver outcomes - including introducing positive change to working practices or teams

Benefits

There are many benefits of working at GDS, including:

• flexible hybrid working with flexi-time and the option to work part-time or condensed hours
• a Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 28.97%
• 25 days of annual leave, increasing by a day each year up to a maximum of 30 days
• an extra day off for the King’s birthday
• an in-year bonus scheme to recognise high performance
• career progression and coaching, including a training budget for personal development
• a focus on wellbeing with access to an employee assistance programme
• job satisfaction from making government services easier to use and more inclusive for people across the UK
• advances on pay, including for travel season tickets
• death in service benefits
• cycle to work scheme and facilities
• access to an employee discounts scheme
• 10 learning days per year
• volunteering opportunities (5 special leave days per year)
• access to a suite of learning activities through Civil Service learning

Any move to Government Digital Service from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

Office attendance
The Department operates a discretionary hybrid working policy, which provides for a combination of working hours from your place of work and from your home in the UK. The current expectation for staff is to attend the office or non-home based location for 40-60% of the time over the accounting period.
DSIT does not normally offer full home working (i.e. working at home); but we do offer a variety of flexible working options (including occasionally working from home).

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

The standard selection process for roles at GDS consists of:

• a simple application screening process - We only ask for a CV and cover letter of up to 750 words and a URL to your portfolio within your application. Important tip - please ensure that your c