About this role
Job summary
The role sits within the UKHSA's core User-Centred Design (UCD) team, which is part of the Readiness and Surge division. Readiness and Surge works across UKHSA and sets the strategic direction for UKHSA's readiness to respond to all threats and hazards.
We focus on Agency capability, putting external stakeholder and customer needs at the centre of designs for the future. We identify opportunities to improve public health outcomes through better user experiences and end to end design.
The team are responsible for:
embedding UCD approaches into UKHSA ways of working UCD expertise in project delivery ensuring user needs are understood and designed for, advocating for all users, to achieve equitable outcomes ensuring our products are accessible and developed to the Government Service Standards and follow appropriate style guides and patterns leading the UKHSA-wide UCD community of practice to support organisational and in-profession development standards for UCD professionals
Main duties of the job
As a senior service designer, you'll work as part of a multidisciplinary squad collaborating with teams across UKHSA. This role involves providing strategy, guidance and support to internal teams across UKHSA to ensure that their policies, services and products are user-centred.
The senior service designer will work with stakeholders to design services that reduce friction and complexity across the whole service, finding accessible solutions to complex problems and helping UKHSA to achieve its public health objectives.
As an experienced practitioner you'll be comfortable assuring best practice, leading and mentoring others within the team, including coaching stakeholders and professionals from other disciplines in service and interaction design and user-centricity.
Together with other UCD professions you'll ensure quality, innovation, and creativity in how we approach all aspects of design and how we bring concepts to life for stakeholders to effect change.
You'll be an active part of the UCD community. As a senior leader you'll actively encourage, facilitate, and demonstrate sharing of insights and practices within the community and across the organisation.
This role is aligned to Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework - senior service designer.
About us
We pride ourselves as being an employer of choice, where Everyone Matters promoting equality of opportunity to actively encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce.
UKHSA ethos is to be an inclusive organisation for all our staff and stakeholders. To create, nurture and sustain an inclusive culture, where differences drive innovative solutions to meet the needs of our workforce and wider communities. We do this through celebrating and protecting differences by removing barriers and promoting equity and equality of opportunity for all.
Please visit our careers site for more information https://gov.uk/ukhsa/careers
Job description Job responsibilities
As a senior service designer, youll:
provide design leadership and deliver effective designs supporting service transformation by working with stakeholders and customers to understand existing services and identify key opportunities to improve the service end-to-end. identify solutions to complex problems within services, and support these by developing design concepts, balancing user needs with business, operational and technical requirements. act as a recognised and credible expert in service design, advocating for the value of a user-centred, inclusive, and evidence-based approach to service design and delivery, and influencing programme/project roadmaps to embed effective and user-centred design practice. lead and manage change positively, championing and promoting a culture of imaginative thinking, learning from experience, expanding mindsets and genuinely listen to and encourage ideas from key stakeholders, partners, and colleagues. work with other professions and stakeholders to discover and analyse insights to identify common themes, pain points and user needs make actionable recommendations based on insights and communicate these to stakeholders clearly and confidently improve design practice by using a range of design techniques and encouraging others to also think of alternative ways to conduct design work, developing the practical experience of non-specialists actively participate in the UCD community of practice, fostering a culture of continuous professional development, working openly and collaboratively to contribute to building the service design capability line manage staff, undertaking the full range of line management responsibilities as well as providing coaching and support to staff across UKHSA This is not an exhaustive list.
Essential criteria
Significant experience in service design with experience of using user-centred design methods and practices in large, complex organisation Able to navigate stakeholder landscapes, leading and managing relationships with a variety of internal and external stakeholders with different reporting relationships to improve services and gain support for standards, design solutions, roadmaps, and ways of working Able to select and use appropriate design methods and prototyping tools to explore complex service problems and opportunities across digital and non-digital channels as appropriate Able to demonstrate the importance of designing inclusive, equitable, accessible and sustainable services Proven leadership skills with experience of leading, directing and planning design activities, working directly with other professions to ensure effective and timely delivery To be able to work as part of a multidisciplinary team, working directly with other professions to ensure effective and timely delivery To be able to identify and create new design patterns and components based on evidence Experience of coaching and mentoring other service designers Experience of government service assessments Desirable criteria
Working in an agile environment Selection process
This vacancy is using Success Profiles and will assess your technical skills and experience.
The User Centred Design Team will be running two webinars:
13th of August at 15:00 Hrs. 20th of August at 15.00 Hrs. The purpose of the webinar is to enable you to hear more about this role and speak to some of the team. This is a great opportunity to learn more about our culture, what we do at UKHSA and provide general advice on the application process.
If you would like to attend one of the webinars, pleases contact [email protected] who will email you a Teams invite for the webinar date of your choice.
Stage 1: Application & Sift
You willbe requiredto complete an application form. You will be assessed onthe listed9 essentialcriteria,and this will be in the form of:
an application form(Employer/ Activity history section on the application) a 1000 wordsupporting statement. This should outline how you consider your skills, experience andknowledge provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential criteria.You will receive a joint score for your application form and statement. (The application form is the kind of information you would put into your C.V please beadvisedyou will not be able to upload your CV. Please complete the application form in as much detail as possible). Please do not email us your CV.
HealthjobsUK has a word limit of 1500, but your supporting statement must be no more than1000words. We will not consider any words over1000 words.
Longlisting: In the event of a large number of applications we will longlist into 3 piles of:
Meets all essential criteria Meets some essential criteria Meets no essential criteria Only those meeting all essential criteria will be taken through to shortlisting.Shortlisting: In the event of a large number of applications we will shortlist on:
Significant experience in service design with experience of using user-centred design methods and practices in large, complex organisation Able to navigate stakeholder landscapes, leading and managing relationships with a variety of internal and external stakeholders with different reporting relationships to improve services and gain support for standards, design solutions, roadmaps, and ways of working Desirable criteria may be used in the event of a large number of applications / large amount of successful candidates.
If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to interview and assessment.
Feedback will not be provided at this stage.
Stage 2: Interview
You will be invited to a remote interview via MS Teams.
Technical skills and experience will be tested at interview.
For this role well assess your experience and specialist technical skills against the Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework - senior service designer.
Candidates should expect questions on the following technical skills during the interview:
Designing for everyone Designing strategically Evidence based design Leading design Youll be invited to a 60-minute remote video interview. This will include a presentation on your understanding of user-centred design and service design, to help us understand more about you and your skills and experience.
Interviews dates are planned for early September 2026. Please note these dates are subject to change.
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.
Location
This role is being offered as hybrid working based at any of our Core HQs in either Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool or London (Canary Wharf). We offer great flexible working opportunities at UKHSA and operate using a hybrid working model where business needs allow. This provides us with greater flexibility about how and where we work, to get the best from our workforce. As a hybrid worker, you will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of your contractual working hours (approximately 3 days a week pro rata, averaged over a month) on-site.
Our core HQ offices are modern and newly refurbished with excellent city centre transport link and benefit from benefit from co-location with other government departments such as the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC).
Eligibility criteria
Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including by definition internal applicants).
Security clearance level requirement
Part 1
Successful candidates must pass a basic Disclosure and Barring Security (DBS) check before they can be appointed.
Part 2
Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Basic Personnel Security Standard.
Salary information
If you are successful at interview, and are moving from another government department, NHS, or Local Authority, the relevant starting salary principles for level transfers or promotions will apply. Otherwise, roles are offered at the pay scale minimum for the grade, but in exceptional circumstances there may be flexibility if you are able to demonstrate you are already in receipt of an existing, higher salary. Pay increases are through the relevant annual pay award for the role and terms.
Please be aware that the salary is based on the office location.
Grade 7:
£56,185- £66,581 (National)£58,340- £68,574 (Outer London)£60,494- £70,566 (Inner London)
Person Specification
Application form and supporting statement Essential
Application form and supporting statement
Technical Essential
Designing for everyone Designing strategically Evidence based design Leading design
Presentation Essential
Presentation
Disclosure and Barring Service Check This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Certificate of Sponsorship Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Employer details Employer name UK Health Security Agency
Address Core HQs
Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool or London (Canary Wharf)
E14 4PU
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-health-security-agency (Opens in a new tab)