Interaction Designer - contract

Contract: Until 31/03/2027
Rate: £442 per day (Inside IR35)
Security Clearance: BPSS
Location: Remote with monthly travel to Manchester and occasional travel to other UK sites as required
Start Date: 19th October

Overview

We are seeking an experienced UX Strategist/Interaction Designer to join a major digital transformation programme currently in the discovery phase.

This role is ideally suited to someone who thrives in complex problem spaces and enjoys shaping solutions from the ground up. Rather than focusing solely on interaction design, this position requires a strategic practitioner who can lead user-centred design activities, facilitate design thinking workshops, and rapidly prototype concepts that inform future services and products.

You'll work as part of a multidisciplinary team alongside User Researchers, Service Designers, Delivery Managers, and stakeholders to identify user needs, define opportunities, and shape both digital and non-digital service improvements.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead user-centred design activities throughout the discovery phase.
• Facilitate design thinking, ideation, and collaborative workshops with stakeholders and delivery teams.
• Translate user research findings into actionable design recommendations and service improvements.
• Create rapid prototypes and design concepts using Figma for testing and validation with users.
• Work closely with User Researchers and Service Designers to understand user pain points and uncover opportunities.
• Drive design initiatives independently, taking ownership of complex workstreams with minimal supervision.
• Collaborate with wider teams to ensure proposed solutions align with broader organisational objectives.
• Support service improvement initiatives by exploring innovative and practical solutions.
• Work with Delivery Managers to forecast and plan design activities across multiple workstreams.
• Present design concepts, insights, and recommendations to stakeholders at varying levels.

Essential Skills & Experience

• Proven experience in UX Strategy, Interaction Design, Service Design, or a similar User-Centred Design role.
• Strong experience leading discovery-phase design activities within agile multidisciplinary teams.
• Ability to independently drive design work and influence decision-making.
• Expertise in facilitating workshops, design thinking sessions, and stakeholder engagement activities.
• Strong prototyping and wireframing skills using Figma.
• Experience translating user research insights into meaningful design outcomes.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Comfortable working within ambiguous environments and exploring innovative solutions to complex problems.
• Strong understanding of user-centred design principles and best practices.

Desirable Experience

• Experience working within UK Government or Public Sector organisations.
• Familiarity with GOV.UK design standards and service design practices.
• Experience contributing to end-to-end service improvement initiatives.
• Knowledge of design systems and prototyping tools beyond Figma.
• Experience working on large-scale transformation or citizen-facing services.

Working Arrangements

• Predominantly remote working.
• Expected attendance in Manchester approximately once per month.
• Additional travel to various UK locations may be required for research and discovery activities, depending on project needs.
• BPSS clearance is required.

This is an excellent opportunity for a senior UCD professional who enjoys shaping strategy, leading discovery activities, and influencing the direction of future digital services.