SEO Senior Interaction Designer

Birmingham, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Exeter, Ipswich, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle and Nottingham. (Croydon and Stratford will only be available to existing civil servants).

Job Summary
The Insolvency Service is a leading Government agency which plays a crucial role in providing essential services to the public and to business. The work we do is important to the proper functioning of markets, the economy in general and support for thousands of people each year who are in financial difficulty.

Inclusive and diverse teams are important to us. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including groups underrepresented in our workforce. The Insolvency Service strives to ensure that the agency is a safe, inclusive, and welcoming place for everybody to bring their true self to work and to help the agency to achieve its diversity objectives. We have 10 active employee network groups available to join or become an ally, these include, Carers Network, Disability & Health, FACES Network Group, Grass Roots, LGBT+, Mind Matters, No Limits, Part Time Workers, The Shed, and Women's Network Group.

We offer full-time, part-time, job share and flexible ways of working. We value capability, technical skills and experience and we place great emphasis on lifetime development to support our people. We encourage our employees to become more involved in areas they feel strongly about, whether it be for the benefit of the agency, though our Engagement network or in their own local communities via volunteering opportunities.

The Insolvency Service is a great place to work, learn and grow your career

As a Senior Interaction Designer, you will lead design work on complex services, ensuring they are accessible, inclusive and aligned to GOV.UK Service Standard principles. You will mentor designers, collaborate across disciplines, and play a key role in shaping our design community and practice.  

Job Description
We are looking for a Senior Interaction Designer to join the Insolvency Service's Digital team and help design accessible, user-centred digital services that meet the needs of citizens and businesses.

As part of our User Centred Design Team, you will work closely with colleagues across the business and with multiple user groups, using evidence and feedback to continuously improve and simplify our services.   

A core part of this role is hands-on prototyping — turning ideas into tangible designs that can be tested with users early and often. You will create and iterate prototypes at different levels of fidelity, from quick sketches to fully interactive GOV.UK-style prototypes, helping the agency test, validate and refine digital services before they are built.

Responsibilities
As a Senior Interaction Designer you will:

• lead prototyping and interaction design on digital services from initial concepts to high-fidelity prototypes to explore and validate design ideas with users and stakeholders
• rapidly produce, test, and iterate prototypes to communicate design direction, challenge assumptions, and reduce delivery risk
• collaborate closely with user researchers, product managers, content designers, business analysts and developers to ensure designs are informed by evidence and meet user needs
• create end-to-end user journeys that are clear, inclusive, and easy to use
• apply and contribute to the GOV.UK Design System and help evolve design standards and patterns for use across our services
• champion accessibility and inclusive design, ensuring all users can access and understand our services
• communicate and present design decisions clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences
• mentor junior designers and contribute to the cross-government design community and internal communities of practice
• act as an advocate for user-centred design and agile delivery across the organisation

We are looking for a Senior Interaction Designer to join the Insolvency Service's Digital team and help design accessible, user-centred digital services that meet the needs of citizens and businesses.

As part of our User Centred Design Team, you will work closely with colleagues across the business and with multiple user groups, using evidence and feedback to continuously improve and simplify our services.   

A core part of this role is hands-on prototyping — turning ideas into tangible designs that can be tested with users early and often. You will create and iterate prototypes at different levels of fidelity, from quick sketches to fully interactive GOV.UK-style prototypes, helping the agency test, validate and refine digital services before they are built.

As a Senior Interaction Designer You Will

• lead prototyping and interaction design on digital services from initial concepts to high-fidelity prototypes to explore and validate design ideas with users and stakeholders
• rapidly produce, test, and iterate prototypes to communicate design direction, challenge assumptions, and reduce delivery risk
• collaborate closely with user researchers, product managers, content designers, business analysts and developers to ensure designs are informed by evidence and meet user needs
• create end-to-end user journeys that are clear, inclusive, and easy to use
• apply and contribute to the GOV.UK Design System and help evolve design standards and patterns for use across our services
• champion accessibility and inclusive design, ensuring all users can access and understand our services
• communicate and present design decisions clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences
• mentor junior designers and contribute to the cross-government design community and internal communities of practice
• act as an advocate for user-centred design and agile delivery across the organisation

Person specification

Successful Candidates Will Have

• experience using the GOV.UK Design System and designing to meet the GOV.UK Service Standard
• experience designing and prototyping services for government
• user focus - you will be experienced in translating research and evidence into simple, effective, and accessible designs
• expert prototyping skills and be able to produce, test, and iterate prototypes across multiple fidelities (e.g. sketches, wireframes, Figma, and the GOV.UK Prototype Kit) to validate ideas and inform design decisions
• agile working - you will be comfortable operating in fast-paced, multi-disciplinary teams and adapting design approaches to different delivery phases
• communication skills - you will be able to present complex design concepts clearly and persuasively to a range of audiences
• evidence and context-based design - You will be able to apply insights from research, analytics, and policy context to shape services
• collaboration - You will be a strong team player who supports and mentors colleagues and contributes to shared learning
• familiarity with tools such as Figma, Miro, and the GOV.UK Prototype Kit
• an understanding of service design principles and how interaction design fits within end-to-end service delivery
• awareness of content design and how language, structure, and interaction work together

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Changing and Improving
• Working Together

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Candidates will be asked to give a short demonstration at interview to show their prototyping skills, further details will be provided ahead of the interviews.

Alongside your salary of £47,949, Insolvency Service contributes £13,890 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Benefits
We want you to have a good work-life balance and want to support you in all that you do, so we offer a great benefits package including:

• flexible working arrangements and flexi-time
• full time new entrants to the Civil Service and those Civil Servants on modernised terms and conditions will be entitled to 25 days leave increasing on a sliding scale to 30 days after 5 years' service
• in addition to this you are entitled to 8 public/bank holidays plus an additional day of privilege leave
• competitive maternity, paternity and parental leave
• 5 days paid leave for learning and development
• 5 days paid for volunteering
• a Cycle to work scheme
• staff have access to an employee assistance programme, Workplace Wellness, for confidential, independent support and advice during difficult times in either their professional or personal life

Your pension is a valuable part of your total reward package where the employer makes a significant contribution to the cost of your pension. Your contributions come out of your salary before any tax is taken. This means, if you pay tax, your take-home pay will not be reduced by the full amount of your contribution; and your pension will continue to provide valuable benefits for you and your family if you are too ill to continue to work or die before you retire. For more information, visit

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

As part of the sift process, you will be asked to complete:

• CV
• Personal Statement

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the Personal Statement. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to interview.

Your CV should provide a clear overview of your employment history, key responsibilities, relevant qualifications, and the skills and experience you've gained throughout your career including any notable achievements.

Note: Your CV will be scored as part of the assessment process and will be assessed against the criteria outlined in the job advert.

Your personal statement should be no more than 1000 words and must demonstrate how your personal skills, qualities, and experience align with the requirements of the role. Please ensure your statement references the essential criteria outlined in the person specification.

If successful at the sift stage, at interview, you will be assessed on the following:

• Experience

• Behavioural Competencies - assessed through:

• Behaviour 1 - Communicating and Influencing

• Behaviour 2 - Changing and Improving

• Behaviour 3 - Working Together

• Technical Skills.

• Candidates will be asked to give a short demonstration at interview to show their prototyping skills, further details will be provided ahead of the interviews

Expected timeline (subject to change)
Sift – w/c 03/11/2025

Interview – w/c TBC

Location - MS Teams

Candidates are asked to note the above timetable, exercising flexibility through the recruitment and selection process.

Use of AI
Candidates must ensure that their applications, including personal statements and behaviour examples, are truthful and factually accurate. Please note that plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experience of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own. Please refer to the following link for further information and guidance:

Visa Applicants
To sponsor a candidate under the Skilled Worker visa, a sponsorship licence is required. The Insolvency Service does not currently hold this licence and therefore, cannot legally sponsor Skilled Worker visa applicants.

Further Information
A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Any move to Insolvency 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; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website.

Reasonable Adjustment
If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

Contact Government Recruitment Service via as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the 'Assistance required' section in the 'Additional requirements' page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you're deaf, a Language Service Professional.

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service/Disclosure Scotland on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre- stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

Hybrid Working
Insolvency Service operates a hybrid working policy subject to business need, giving people the flexibility to choose when and where they work and collaborate with others.

Individuals are expected to work from one of the office locations stated in the advert to connect with their colleagues, as required by their role and business team needs. There is flexibility to split the working week, spending a minimum of 60% in the workplace, which includes the office, site visits, court etc.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

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

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

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).

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

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).

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

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 (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job Contact

• Name : Olivia Mitchell
• Email :

Recruitment team

• Email :

Further information

A candidate can raise a complaint to the Insolvency Service if they think that:

They have been discriminated against under the Equality Act 2010.

There have been procedural irregularities at any stage of the recruitment process.

If you feel that your application has not been treated in accordance with the recruitment principles, and wish to make a complaint, then you should contact in the first instance: If you are not satisfied with the response that you receive you can then contact the Civil Service Commission.

All complaints must be received by the contact point for applicants within 24 hours from the date the applicant is advised of their non-success at sift, assessment or interview. Complaints will be considered by an independent third-party outside of the recruitment campaign. The decision will be conveyed to the applicant, in writing, within 5 working days of receipt of the complaint. The recruitment process will usually be put on hold until the complaint has been resolved.

Complaints may also be made to the Civil Service Commission at any time if the individual believes their application has not been treated in accordance with the recruitment principles (appointment on merit through fair and open competition). However, complaints must first have been raised with Government Recruitment Service.