Principal UX/UI Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Principal UX/UI Designer

Company: myCareer - NSW Government

Location: SYDNEY, NSW, AU

Job Type: Temporary Full-time

Category: Product Design (UX/UI Focus)

Date Posted: 2025-06-13T00:00:00

Experience Level: Principal (10+ years)

Remote Status: Hybrid (Flexible working arrangements within NSW)

🎨 Role Summary

• Lead end-to-end product design initiatives, driving a customer-centric approach from discovery through iterative development and delivery.
• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams including Engineers, Product Managers, and subject matter experts to deliver meaningful, practical solutions for the citizens of NSW.
• Establish strategic relationships with diverse stakeholders across government to align business requirements with innovative, user-centered solutions.
• Champion design best practices, mentor junior designers, and contribute to the maturity of design and research practices within the organization.

🖼️ Primary Responsibilities

• Drive and lead the complete product design lifecycle, encompassing discovery, framing, iterative design, and final delivery, ensuring a strong customer focus throughout.
• Build and nurture relationships with a wide range of government stakeholders, collaborating to define business requirements and translate them into effective, innovative, and user-aligned solutions.
• Work in partnership with management to define and influence product strategy and roadmaps, leading customer-led prioritization to ensure timely delivery of initiatives.
• Maintain and disseminate knowledge of current UI, visual design, and UX trends, challenges, and opportunities within the design team and across the organization.
• Actively contribute to and lead initiatives aimed at improving and maturing the organization's design and research practices, setting high standards for quality and impact.
• Provide coaching and mentorship to less experienced designers, actively contributing to the growth of design capability within product teams and fostering individual potential.
• Effectively manage competing and complex demands to ensure alignment with the overarching product strategy and vision while consistently delivering high-quality designs.
• Offer expert, specialist advice to the Product Owner, clients, and stakeholders on applying best practices in product design and delivering innovative, user-centred applications and solutions.
• Stay abreast of and advocate for the latest UI and visual design practices and trends, integrating them into the design process and product outcomes.
• Develop comprehensive product design artifacts, including customer journey maps, service design blueprints, and interactive solution prototypes.
• Define the future vision and value proposition for product design, leveraging customer-centric design thinking and related innovation methodologies.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While not explicitly stated, a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Design, HCI, or a related field is typically expected for a Principal-level role, complemented by practical experience.

Experience: Extensive experience in UI, visual design, and UX design and delivery, particularly within complex product solutions for customer service delivery environments. A strong portfolio demonstrating this experience is essential.

Required Skills:

• Proven expertise in UI Design, Visual Design, and comprehensive UX design processes.
• Extensive experience with data visualization, branding, and developing visual identity systems.
• Demonstrated ability in planning and conducting user testing and effectively utilizing user feedback to refine designs.
• Extensive experience using analytics tools such as Google Analytics and Hotjar to measure design performance and inform decisions.
• Proficiency in creating and implementing visual design elements, including icon design and creation.
• In-depth understanding and practical application of WCAG accessibility guidelines to ensure inclusive product design.
• Experience designing for both Native mobile applications and React-based web applications.
• Experience designing solutions that integrate with Google Maps.
• Familiarity with collaborating with Vendor Risk teams and Privacy teams regarding the use of UX tools and data.
• Demonstrated experience in coaching and mentoring less experienced designers.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to effectively articulate design decisions and collaborate with diverse stakeholders.
• Demonstrated experience working with government design systems, specifically SNSW GEL and the NSW Digital Design System.
• High proficiency in key design and collaboration tools such as Figma, Miro, and documentation platforms like Confluence.
• Understanding of CSS and familiarity with Monorepo build systems to facilitate effective collaboration with development teams.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with service design blueprints and complex customer journey mapping.
• Knowledge of additional analytics and user feedback tools.
• Experience working in an Agile or Lean startup environment.

🎨 Portfolio & Creative Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Your portfolio should clearly showcase your experience in leading end-to-end product design projects, specifically highlighting complex solutions for service delivery environments.
• Include detailed case studies that walk through your design process, demonstrating your expertise in UI, UX, and visual design, from initial discovery and research through to iterative development and delivery.
• Present examples of your work in data visualization, branding, and the development of visual identities, showing your ability to create clear and professional designs.
• Demonstrate your experience with user testing, showcasing how feedback influenced your design decisions and the impact of those changes on the final product.

Process Documentation:

• Document your research and discovery phase, including methodologies used for understanding user needs and empathizing with citizens of NSW.
• Illustrate your ideation and iteration methods, showing how you explored different solutions and refined designs based on feedback and technical constraints. Examples of low-fidelity sketches, wireframes, and interactive prototypes created in tools like Figma and Miro are highly relevant.
• Detail your validation and testing approaches, explaining how you used tools like Google Analytics and Hotjar to measure success and identify areas for improvement.
• Showcase your experience with creating customer journey maps and service design blueprints, particularly for complex government services.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $145,378 - $168,130 AUD base per annum.

Benefits:

• Access to exceptional health benefits, supporting overall well-being.
• Comprehensive wellbeing benefits designed to promote a healthy work-life balance for designers.
• Eligibility for the Fitness Passport program, encouraging physical activity and healthy lifestyles.
• Access to an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), providing confidential support for personal and work-related issues.

Working Hours: Full-time, with flexible working arrangements available within NSW, allowing for adaptability in managing creative workflows.

🎯Team & Company Context

🏢 Company & Design Culture

Industry: Government Administration. The NSW Government is focused on improving government services, driving digital transformation, and implementing regulatory reform to benefit the citizens of NSW. This provides a unique context for design, focusing on public service and large-scale impact.

Company Size: 10,001+ employees (Department of Customer Service). Working within a large government department means collaborating within a complex ecosystem and influencing services that affect millions of people.

Founded: The Department of Customer Service is a relatively new entity formed as part of government restructuring to improve service delivery.

Team Structure:

• You will join the Government Technology Platforms team within Digital NSW.
• The role involves close collaboration with a cross-functional team including Engineers, a Product Manager, and other subject matter experts.
• As a Principal Designer, you will likely work closely with managers and potentially mentor less experienced designers on the team.

Methodology:

• The team values lean start-up and agile methodologies, indicating an iterative approach to product development and design.
• A strong emphasis is placed on user-centred design values, principles, and practices, driven by a motivation to understand and empathize with citizens.
• The role involves leading end-to-end design through discovery, framing, iterative development, and delivery, aligning with a comprehensive design process.

Company Website: https://www.customerservice.nsw.gov.au/

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Design Career Level: This is a Principal-level design role (DCS Clerk Grade 11/12), indicating a senior leadership position within the design team. It requires significant experience, strategic thinking, and the ability to influence product direction and mentor others.

Reporting Structure: You will work closely with the Product Owner and managers to set strategic direction and prioritize initiatives. The role also involves mentoring junior designers, suggesting a reporting structure where you provide guidance and potentially oversight to other designers.

Design Impact: As a Principal Designer, your work will have a significant impact on the design and delivery of complex product solutions that serve over 8 million citizens of NSW. You will influence product strategy, design practices, and the overall user experience of critical government services.

Growth Opportunities:

• Design Leadership: Opportunity to lead design initiatives, set strategic direction, and influence the future of government digital services.
• Mentorship and Coaching: Develop your leadership skills by coaching and mentoring less experienced designers, contributing to the growth of the design team's capability.
• Practice Maturity: Lead contributions to enhance and mature design and research practices within a large and influential government organization.

🌐 Work Environment

Studio Type: Hybrid work environment, combining on-site work in Sydney with flexible working arrangements within NSW. This offers a blend of in-person collaboration and the flexibility of remote work.

Office Location(s): Primarily based in Sydney, NSW (2000). Specific office locations may vary within the Sydney CBD area for the Department of Customer Service.

Design Workspace Context:

• The hybrid model suggests a workspace designed to support both individual focus and collaborative team sessions.
• Access to tools like Figma and Miro indicates a digital-first approach to design and collaboration, regardless of physical location.
• The emphasis on team collaboration with engineers and product managers suggests dedicated spaces or virtual tools for cross-functional teamwork and design reviews.

Work Schedule: Full-time hours with flexible working arrangements within NSW. This flexibility can support managing creative workflows and personal commitments.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Design Interview Process:

• Expect an initial screening, potentially including a review of your application and portfolio by the hiring manager or a design lead.
• Subsequent rounds will likely include interviews focusing on your past experience, design process, and how you approach complex problems. Be prepared to discuss your most impactful projects in detail, using examples from your portfolio.
• A design challenge or case study presentation is highly probable. This will assess your problem-solving skills, design thinking, and ability to articulate your rationale. Prepare to present a detailed walkthrough of a project from your portfolio, focusing on your process, constraints, decisions, and outcomes.
• Interviews will also assess your cultural fit, collaboration style, and experience mentoring other designers. Be ready to discuss how you work within a team and contribute to a positive design culture.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate your portfolio to specifically highlight projects that demonstrate experience in UI, UX, and visual design for complex product solutions, especially in service delivery environments.
• Structure your case studies to clearly articulate the problem, your role, your design process (including research, ideation, testing, and iteration), the challenges you faced, and the impact of your work.
• Showcase your proficiency in relevant tools like Figma and Miro, and demonstrate how you used data from tools like Google Analytics and Hotjar to inform your designs.
• Include examples that demonstrate your understanding and application of WCAG accessibility guidelines and experience designing for different platforms (Native apps, React apps, Google Maps integration).

Challenge Preparation:

• Familiarize yourself with typical design challenge formats, which may involve solving a specific problem relevant to government services or improving an existing product.
• Practice time management and structuring your presentation to clearly articulate your process and rationale within the given timeframe.
• Be prepared to discuss your approach to understanding user needs, defining the problem, exploring solutions, and validating your design decisions.
• Anticipate questions about your design choices, trade-offs, and how you would collaborate with engineers and product managers to implement your solution.

ATS Keywords: UI Design, UX Design, Product Design, Visual Design, Data Visualization, Branding, User Testing, Google Analytics, Hotjar, WCAG Accessibility, Native Apps, React Apps, Google Maps Integration, Mentoring, Leadership, Communication, Figma, Miro, Confluence, CSS, Monorepo, Design Systems, SNSW GEL, NSW Digital Design System, Customer Journey Mapping, Service Design, Prototyping, User Research, Agile, Lean, User-Centred Design, Stakeholder Management, Cross-Functional Collaboration.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Design Tools:

• Figma: Essential for UI design, prototyping, and collaboration. Expect to use Figma extensively for creating and iterating on designs.
• Miro: Used for collaborative brainstorming, workshops, and potentially creating customer journey maps or service blueprints.
• Knowledge of other design tools may be beneficial but Figma is explicitly required.

Collaboration & Handoff:

• Confluence: Used for documentation, knowledge sharing, and potentially housing design system documentation or project briefs.
• Understanding of CSS and Monorepo build systems is required, indicating collaboration with developers for design handoff and implementation.

Research & Testing:

• Google Analytics: Used for analyzing user behavior and product performance data.
• Hotjar: Used for heatmaps, session recordings, and user feedback collection to understand user interactions.
• Experience with other user testing methodologies and tools is expected.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Design Values:

• Customer-Centricity: A core value is understanding and empathizing with the citizens of NSW to create meaningful and practical solutions.
• Collaboration: The team emphasizes working closely with Engineers, Product Managers, and stakeholders.
• Continuous Improvement: There is a focus on enhancing and maturing design and research practices.
• Mentorship: A culture of coaching and mentoring less experienced designers is valued.

Collaboration Style:

• Expect a collaborative environment working within cross-functional agile teams.
• Communication with stakeholders across government is crucial.
• Collaboration likely involves using tools like Figma and Miro for shared design work and feedback.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Design Challenges:

• Designing complex product solutions for a large and diverse user base (citizens of NSW) with varying needs and technical literacy.
• Navigating the complexities of a large government organization and establishing effective relationships with a range of stakeholders to align business requirements and design solutions.
• Balancing competing and complex demands while ensuring alignment with product strategy and vision.
• Staying updated on and promoting awareness of relevant industry trends and practices within the team and organization.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Opportunity to lead and influence design strategy and practices within a significant government digital team.
• Develop advanced leadership and mentorship skills by coaching other designers.
• Gain deep experience in designing for large-scale public services and navigating the unique challenges of the government sector.
• Contribute to the maturity of design and research practices within a large organization.

💡 Interview Preparation

Design Process Questions:

• Be prepared to discuss your end-to-end design process for a complex project, highlighting your approach to discovery, framing, iterative development, and delivery. Use specific examples from your portfolio to illustrate each stage.
• Explain how you incorporate user research and feedback (including data from tools like Google Analytics and Hotjar) into your design decisions.
• Describe a time you had to balance competing demands or constraints while working on a design project and how you navigated that challenge.

Company Culture Questions:

• Research the NSW Government's digital transformation initiatives and the Department of Customer Service's focus on customer service. Be ready to discuss how your design philosophy aligns with these goals.
• Prepare to discuss your experience collaborating with cross-functional teams (Engineers, Product Managers, etc.) and how you effectively communicate design decisions to non-design stakeholders.
• If asked about mentorship or leadership, be prepared to share examples of how you have coached or supported other designers in their growth.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Focus on 2-3 comprehensive case studies that best showcase your Principal-level experience, particularly those involving complex systems or service design.
• For each case study, clearly articulate the problem, your role, your design process, your key decisions, and the impact of your work, using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result).
• Highlight specific examples of your UI, visual design, and UX deliverables, including wireframes, prototypes, user flows, and visual assets.
• Be ready to discuss your use of specific tools mentioned in the job description (Figma, Miro, Google Analytics, Hotjar) within your case studies.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this design position:

• Submit your application through this link.
• Carefully review your portfolio to ensure it highlights your experience with complex product design, UI/UX, visual design, data visualization, and your process, tailoring case studies to the requirements of this Principal role.
• Update your resume to include relevant keywords from the ATS keywords list and clearly articulate your experience leading design initiatives and mentoring others.
• Prepare for interviews by practicing articulating your design process, discussing past projects in detail, and preparing questions about the team, culture, and specific challenges.
• Research the NSW Government's digital initiatives and the Department of Customer Service to understand the context of the role and demonstrate your interest in public service design.