Description
Interim Design Lead
Location:
Worthing
We are working with one of the largest organisations in the UK and they run the biggest digital operation in Government. We're making services and information simpler, clearer and faster for citizens and businesses.
To do that, we need an interim Design Lead with extensive content or interaction design experience, who understands the web, technology and people, to join us.
About the job
The role will be based in Worthing and will cover London and Worthing digital delivery centres. Regular travel to London and some travel to other centres is expected as part of the role.
Our team members:
- work in the areas of service design, content design and interaction design,
- develop programmes of digital services and end-to-end, cross-channel journeys that meet user needs,
- collaborate with a wide range of disciplines and stakeholders, including policy and programme development, subject matter experts, user researchers, scrum masters and service managers,
- support the production of high-quality services through training, coaching and design/content strategy,
- advise on policy and process owners on the best way to meet user needs through content and services.
As Design Lead, you'll:
- maintain an overview of work taking place across the centre's scrum teams, working primarily with content designers, interaction designers and service designers. You'll also work with user researchers, product managers and business analysts to help define services, and with developers to figure out how they can be built.
- collaborate with our design leadership team to help co-ordinate and integrate design across our delivery centres and interactive services.
- lead the building of design culture and expertise, helping to build a collaborative environment and communities of practice.
- play a key role in embedding digital design skills and service standards and be a part of our active and supportive design community.
Your role will include:
- leading the team to deliver high-quality digital services, based on user needs and meeting GDS design standards,
- helping team members identify ways to improve services and user journeys, for example: simplifying complex user experiences and improving content within interactive services,
- developing collaborative relationships with subject matter experts, programme owners, GDS and other stakeholders,
- leading quality assurance, including peer review and fact check processes, design critiques, and accessible design,
- monitoring/analysing the performance of services and tools, and working with the wider team to understand user behaviours and feedback,
- helping the team to work in an agile environment with rapidly changing deadlines, workloads and goals,
- contributing to effective demand and resource planning in collaboration with operations and scrum team management,
- working as part of the design leadership team to lead and enable strategic change.
Essential skills/expertise
You must have:
- extensive experience of designing digital content and/or services that are accessible, usable, and based on user needs
- prototyping experience: either through prototyping tools plus a willingness to develop the skills to prototype in code, or already prototyping directly in code
- proven leadership skills: experience in design leadership, coaching and mentoring
- experience introducing positive change into working practices, teams or organisations
- experience of working in multi-disciplinary teams and collaborative environments while maintaining effective performance in complex and challenging circumstances
- excellent communication, organisational and decision-making skills
- excellent stakeholder engagement skills - collaborating, relationship-building, communicating and developing understanding and support of user-centred design experience of working within an agile environment
- All candidates are subject to the requirements of the Bassline personnel security standard and will be required to provide appropriate documentation to verify ID, nationality, employment and/or academic history and criminal record check (unspent convictions)
Desirable skills/expertise
It would be great if you also have:
- knowledge of service design and/or digital transformation
- familiarity with GOV.UK design patterns, style guidance, plain English standards and/or the GDS service manual
- experience in developing design or content strategy, knowledge management, information architecture, search engine optimisation or other content-related expertise