Senior Interaction Designer
Summary
The Government Commercial Agency is hiring its first permanent Senior Interaction Designer (Grade 7) to lead end-to-end design of complex, government-wide transactional services in a small UCD team — mapping user journeys, prototyping in Figma/HTML-CSS, ensuring WCAG 2.2 AA accessibility, and line-managing contractors on a hybrid basis across five UK office locations.
- Job grade: Grade 7
- Contract type: Permanent
- Type of role: Digital
- Working pattern: Full-time
- Number of jobs available: 1
Location
About the job
Job summary
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Ready to shape government-wide procurement? Join us as our first permanent Senior Interaction Designer and become a driving force in our growing UCD team. You’ll lead the design of complex, high-impact transactional services, ensuring every user enjoys seamless, inclusive, and intuitive digital experiences. If you’re passionate about evidence-based design, mentoring others, and building services that deliver real value to the nation, we want you on our team. Ready to make a lasting impact?
Job Summary
This role will join a growing UCD team that currently contains 5 permanent team members, and a host of wonderful contractor colleagues. It will report directly to the Head of UCD, and will take over line management of any contractors assigned to the same programme of work.
Job description
Key Accountabilities:
Lead End-to-End Journey Design: Map complex user flows, wireframes, and digital interaction touchpoints to ensure services are simple, intuitive, and seamless for all users.
Rapid Prototyping & Iteration: Create low-to-high fidelity interactive prototypes (in Figma, HTML/CSS, or design kits) to test design hypotheses and refine interaction models rapidly.
Drive Accessibility & Inclusive Design: Guarantee all digital touchpoints strictly comply with WCAG 2.2 AA standards, ensuring equal access for citizens with varying digital skills or assistive technology needs.
Apply and Extend Design Systems: Champion established standards (such as the GOV.UK Design System) while developing new reusable UI patterns.
Evidence-Based Design Decisions: Collaborate closely with User Researchers, Content Designers, and Performance Analysts to iterate interfaces based on real user data.
Balance Policy, Legal & Tech Constraints: Work alongside software engineers, policy leads, and product managers to translate complex regulatory or backend constraints into elegant human-centred solutions.
Lead Co-Design & Strategic Workshops: Facilitate design critiques, co-design sessions, and cross-functional alignment workshops to build consensus among diverse stakeholders and delivery squads.
Shape Service Strategy Across Project Phases: Provide design leadership across Discovery, Alpha, Beta, and Live phases, ensuring the team builds the right thing before committing resources to scaling.
Line Management & Mentoring: Lead and guide contract team members, manage performance to ensure a high-performing team, and support staff development through regular feedback.
Person specification
Essential Criteria (to be assessed at application stage):
Proven End-to-End Interaction Design Experience: Extensive track record of designing complex, intuitive user journeys and interfaces within an Agile delivery environment.
Prototyping: Demonstrated capability in creating low-to-high fidelity interactive prototypes (using Figma, HTML/CSS, or design toolkits) to test hypotheses and validate user flows.
Expertise in Accessibility & Inclusion (WCAG 2.2): Deep knowledge and practical application of inclusive design principles and WCAG 2.2 standards to ensure products work for all users, including those using assistive tech.
Evidence-Based & Collaborative: Track record of using user research, data, and usability testing to defend design decisions and iteratively improve digital services alongside cross-functional teams.
Influencing: Proven ability to impact direction of projects, outcomes of the team and build consensus among diverse stakeholders and delivery squads.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Delivering at Pace
- Communicating and Influencing
- Making Effective Decisions
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Designing for everyone (lead success profile, a task will be sent ahead of the interview to be presented to the panel during the interview)
- Design communication
- Evidence-based design
Benefits
Valuing our people:
Competitive salary
Generous pension scheme
A discretionary non-contractual performance related bonus
Working remotely in addition to working in advertised office location
Flexi time scheme (available for B1-B6)
Minimum 25 days annual leave to a maximum service related 30 days excluding bank holidays
Want to make a difference? Find out more about the rewarding work that we do in our candidate pack.
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service D&I Strategy.
We want to make our recruitment process accessible to everyone, so if there is any way that we can support you, please contact recruitment@gca.gov.uk
Working flexibly, delivering outcomes
GCA operates a smarter working model that balances flexibility with collaboration. Successful candidates are expected to spend at least 26 days per quarter (approximately 2 days per week, pro-rata) at their contracted office, another GCA site, or off-site for meetings. For the remainder of the time, you may work from home or another suitable location that meets business needs.
Things you need to know
Artificial intelligence
Selection process details
Selection Process
A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months, which the Civil Service may use to fill future suitably similar vacancies across government for candidates who are considered appointable following interview. Should you be placed on a reserve list and want to be removed please contact recruitment@gca.gov.uk.
Please note that as part of this recruitment process, if you are unsuccessful at the interview stage but are close to the benchmark score you may be considered for and offered a role at a lower pay band within the same job family.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).
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
Working for the Civil Service
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).
Diversity and Inclusion
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : Recruitment team
- Email : recruitment@gca.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : recruitment@gca.gov.uk
Further information
If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, you should contact recruitment@gca.gov.uk in the first instance.
If you remain unsatisfied with the response you receive you can then contact the Civil Service Commission at info@csc.gov.uk
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