📍 Job Overview
Job Title: UX/UI & Service Designer
Company: NextEnergy Group
Location: London, England, United Kingdom
Job Type: Full-time
Category: UX/UI Design, Service Design, Product Design
Date Posted: 2025-06-11
Experience Level: 3-5 years
Remote Status: Hybrid
🎨 Role Summary
- Design and test user-centered digital products and supporting services within a new IT function.
- Translate user research insights into intuitive user interfaces (UI) and comprehensive end-to-end service journeys.
- Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams including engineers and product owners in agile environments to deliver high-quality design solutions.
- Contribute to and expand a design system, documenting new patterns for wider adoption across the organization.
📝 Enhancement Note: The role combines traditional UX/UI design with a strong emphasis on Service Design, requiring a holistic approach to designing not just interfaces but entire user and operational journeys. This suggests a need for strong systems thinking and cross-functional collaboration skills beyond typical UI/UX roles.
🖼️ Primary Responsibilities
- Plan, conduct, and analyze qualitative and quantitative user research studies, including interviews, usability tests, surveys, and analytics reviews.
- Communicate research findings effectively through design artifacts such as personas, journey maps, and actionable insights for product and engineering teams.
- Create information architectures, user flows, wireframes, high-fidelity UI designs, and interactive prototypes using Figma.
- Ensure all designs are responsive across various devices and adhere to WCAG 2.2 AA accessibility standards.
- Document current and future service blueprints, detailing backstage processes, systems, and roles to understand end-to-end service delivery.
- Identify pain points and opportunities within service journeys to streamline both user and internal staff experiences.
- Contribute to the existing design system by reusing and extending the component library and documenting new design patterns for consistency and scalability.
- Work day-to-day within Agile delivery environments (Scrum/Kanban squads) alongside product managers, engineers, and QA testers.
- Provide clear design specifications and actively support the implementation process through design reviews and collaboration with engineering teams.
- Define success metrics with product teams and iterate on designs based on post-launch data analysis and user feedback.
📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a full-stack design role covering research, interaction design, visual design, service design mapping, and contribution to a design system. The emphasis on Agile collaboration and defining success metrics indicates a data-informed and iterative design process is expected.
🎓 Skills & Qualifications
Education: A degree or equivalent professional experience in UX Design, Service Design, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Interaction Design, or a related design field. Relevant certifications (e.g., NN/g UX Certification) are considered advantageous.
Experience: 3-5 years of professional experience specifically delivering UX/UI and service design for digital products, demonstrated through a strong portfolio showcasing research-backed design solutions and measurable impact.
Required Skills:
- Proficiency in planning, conducting, and analyzing qualitative and quantitative user research studies (interviews, usability tests, surveys, analytics).
- Strong ability to translate research findings into actionable design insights, personas, and journey maps.
- Expertise in interaction design principles and creating information architectures, user flows, and wireframes.
- Proficiency in visual design, creating high-fidelity UI designs and interactive prototypes using Figma (or similar industry-standard design tools).
- Experience with service design mapping, including documenting current and future service blueprints and identifying pain points.
- Solid understanding and practical application of responsive design principles.
- Knowledge of and commitment to designing for accessibility, specifically adhering to WCAG 2.2 AA standards.
- Experience contributing to and utilizing design systems and component libraries.
- Comfort working effectively within Agile delivery environments (Scrum/Kanban) and collaborating closely with cross-functional teams (Product, Engineering, QA).
- Ability to provide clear design specifications and support the development process through design reviews.
- Experience defining and tracking design success metrics and iterating on designs based on data and feedback.
- Working knowledge of HTML/CSS principles to facilitate effective communication and handoff with developers.
- Strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills applied to complex design challenges.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills (verbal and written in English) for collaboration and presenting design concepts.
- Effective time management and prioritization skills to manage workload in a dynamic environment.
Preferred Skills:
- Relevant certification in UX design (e.g., NN/g UX Certification).
- Experience conducting usability testing and analyzing mixed-method research data.
- Familiarity with collaboration tools like Miro, Jira, and Confluence.
- Intellectual curiosity and an interest in technology, including AI, and its potential application in design.
- Fluency in other European languages in addition to English.
📝 Enhancement Note: The required skills emphasize a blend of traditional UX/UI skills with a significant focus on Service Design and research. The preference for relevant certifications and experience with specific collaboration tools provides clear guidance for candidates on how to strengthen their application and highlight relevant experience.
🎨 Portfolio & Creative Requirements
Portfolio Essentials:
- Showcase a range of projects demonstrating experience across UX research, UI design, and Service Design.
- For each project, clearly articulate the problem you were solving, your role, and the design process you followed, emphasizing research-backed decisions.
- Include detailed case studies that illustrate your approach to understanding user needs, ideation, prototyping, testing, and iteration.
- Present high-fidelity UI designs and interactive prototypes that demonstrate strong visual design skills and attention to detail.
Process Documentation:
- Document your research and discovery phase, including methodologies used (interviews, surveys, usability testing) and key findings.
- Showcase your ideation and iteration methods, including sketches, wireframes, user flows, and how feedback influenced your design decisions.
- Detail your validation and testing approaches, including usability testing setup, participant recruitment, and analysis of results.
- For Service Design projects, include service blueprints, journey maps, and documentation of backstage processes and systems.
📝 Enhancement Note: A strong portfolio for this role must go beyond showcasing beautiful UI. It needs to demonstrate a robust design process grounded in research, a clear understanding of service design principles, and the ability to articulate design decisions and their impact. Case studies should be detailed and tell a compelling story of problem-solving.
💵 Compensation & Benefits
Salary Range: £45,000 - £65,000 per year. This estimate is based on typical salary ranges for a mid-level UX/UI & Service Designer in London, UK, with 3-5 years of experience, taking into account the financial services and renewable energy sectors and the cost of living in London. Salary is highly dependent on experience, specific skill set, and portfolio strength.
Benefits:
- 30 days of annual holiday, including a festive shutdown period in December.
- Private pension scheme to support long-term financial planning.
- BUPA Healthcare coverage for you and qualifying dependents, providing access to private medical services.
- Cycle to Work scheme, promoting sustainable commuting options.
- Electric Vehicle leasing schemes, supporting environmentally conscious transportation choices.
- Annual discretionary bonus based on individual and company performance.
Working Hours: Standard full-time working hours, typically 40 hours per week, with flexibility offered through the hybrid working model allowing remote work for the majority of the week.
📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is an estimate based on market data for similar roles in London and the specified experience level. This provides candidates with a realistic expectation, while the detailed benefits list highlights the value proposition beyond base compensation, particularly the healthcare and environmentally focused schemes.
🎯Team & Company Context
🏢 Company & Design Culture
Industry: Financial Services / Renewable Energy. NextEnergy Group is a leading market participant in the international solar sector with a focus on investment management, operating asset management, and asset development. This unique blend implies a need for designers who can navigate complex financial concepts while designing for the tangible impact of renewable energy.
Company Size: 201-500 employees. This medium-sized structure suggests a design team that is likely established but still offers opportunities for individual impact and growth. Collaboration across departments is expected.
Founded: 2007. With over a decade of operation, NextEnergy Group has an established history, which likely translates to more defined processes and a stable work environment compared to a startup.
Team Structure:
- The design role is situated within a new IT function, indicating a focus on internal digital products and services supporting the company's core business units.
- Expected to work day-to-day in cross-functional Agile squads alongside product owners, engineers, and QA testers.
- Collaboration within the design team involves contributing to and utilizing a shared design system.
Methodology:
- Emphasis on user research (qualitative and quantitative) as the foundation for design decisions.
- Utilizes iterative design processes, including ideation, prototyping, and testing.
- Incorporates service design mapping to understand and optimize end-to-end user and operational journeys.
- Works within Agile delivery frameworks (Scrum/Kanban).
Company Website: http://www.nextenergygroup.com
📝 Enhancement Note: The company's unique position at the intersection of financial services and renewable energy presents an interesting challenge for designers. The focus on internal IT products suggests designing for complex business processes and potentially specialized user groups within the energy and finance sectors. The medium size and established history imply a balance between structured processes and opportunities for contribution.
📈 Career & Growth Analysis
Design Career Level: Mid-level UX/UI & Service Designer. This role is suitable for a designer with 3-5 years of experience who can independently lead design initiatives from research through implementation and contribute to the broader design practice. The service design aspect adds a layer of complexity and strategic thinking beyond typical UI/UX roles.
Reporting Structure: Likely reports to a Design Lead or Head of Design within the new IT function, collaborating closely with Product Owners and Engineering Leads on specific product initiatives.
Design Impact: Design is positioned within a new IT function focused on internal products, suggesting a significant opportunity to shape how employees interact with core systems and processes, ultimately impacting operational efficiency and potentially external service delivery.
Growth Opportunities:
- Opportunity to deepen expertise in both UX/UI and Service Design within a specialized industry context (renewable energy finance).
- Potential to take on more complex projects or lead design initiatives within the IT function as it matures.
- Growth in influencing product strategy through research-backed insights and advocating for user and service-centered approaches.
- Development of skills in contributing to and potentially leading aspects of the design system.
- Opportunities for cross-functional collaboration and learning from product, engineering, and business teams.
📝 Enhancement Note: The positioning of this role within a new IT function suggests a potential for significant impact on internal operations and a chance to help define the design practice within this specific area of the company. Growth paths likely involve taking on more strategic service design challenges and potentially leading design efforts on key internal products.
🌐 Work Environment
Studio Type: Hybrid model with required in-office presence. The role requires working from the central London (Mayfair) office at least twice a week, with the flexibility to work remotely for the remainder of the week.
Office Location(s): 75 Grosvenor Street, Mayfair, London, England W1K 3JS, UK. A central London location, easily accessible via public transport.
Design Workspace Context:
- The hybrid setup allows for focused remote work and dedicated in-person collaboration days for team meetings, workshops, and design critiques.
- The office environment in Mayfair likely provides a professional setting conducive to collaboration with other teams.
- Expect access to necessary design tools and collaborative software (likely Figma, Miro, Jira, Confluence as mentioned in the requirements).
Work Schedule: A hybrid schedule balancing in-office time (minimum twice a week) with remote work flexibility. This structure aims to combine the benefits of in-person collaboration with the flexibility of remote work.
📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid work model reflects a common trend, offering a balance between in-person team interaction and remote flexibility. Candidates should be prepared for regular commutes to the central London office and plan their remote work setup effectively.
📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process
Design Interview Process:
- Initial screening (likely HR or Recruiter call) to assess basic qualifications and fit.
- Portfolio review with design team members to evaluate design skills, process, and the ability to articulate design decisions. Be prepared to walk through 2-3 key projects in detail, focusing on your research, problem-solving, and impact.
- Potential design challenge or take-home assignment to assess practical design skills and thinking under constraints.
- Interviews with hiring manager and potentially cross-functional stakeholders (Product, Engineering) to assess collaboration skills, technical understanding, and cultural fit.
- Final round interviews focusing on strategic thinking, service design approach, and alignment with company values.
Portfolio Review Tips:
- Curate your portfolio to specifically highlight projects that demonstrate experience in UX/UI design for digital products and service design mapping.
- For each case study, clearly articulate the user problem, your design process (including research, ideation, testing), your specific contributions, and the measurable impact of your design solutions.
- Include service blueprints or journey maps where applicable to showcase your understanding of end-to-end service design.
- Ensure high-fidelity mockups and prototypes are visually polished and accurately reflect your visual design skills.
- Be prepared to discuss your technical understanding, particularly regarding HTML/CSS principles and handoff processes.
Challenge Preparation:
- If a design challenge is part of the process, clarify the scope, deliverables, and time constraints upfront.
- Approach the challenge by applying your standard design process, even if in a condensed format (e.g., brief research, ideation, prototyping, rationale).
- Be prepared to present your solution and articulate your design decisions and trade-offs clearly.
- Consider how your solution aligns with the company's industry and potential user needs.
ATS Keywords:
- Design Skills: UX Design, UI Design, Service Design, Interaction Design, Visual Design, User Research, Usability Testing, Qualitative Research, Quantitative Research, Information Architecture, User Flows, Wireframing, Prototyping, Design Systems, Component Libraries, Accessibility, WCAG, Responsive Design, Design Thinking, Iterative Design, Design Strategy, Design Specification, Design Review, Design Metrics, Data-Informed Design, Problem Solving, Critical Thinking.
- Tools: Figma, Miro, Jira, Confluence, Prototyping Tools, Analytics Tools.
- Methodologies: Agile, Scrum, Kanban, User-Centered Design, Service Blueprinting, Journey Mapping, Persona Development, Case Studies.
- Soft Skills: Communication, Collaboration, Stakeholder Management, Time Management, Prioritization, Flexibility, Intellectual Curiosity, Delivery Focus.
- Industry Terms: Renewable Energy, Solar Sector, Investment Management, Asset Management, Digital Products, Internal Tools, IT Function.
📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is likely designed to assess a candidate's full design lifecycle skills, from research and ideation to implementation support and impact measurement, with a specific lens on service design capabilities. Tailoring your portfolio and interview responses to reflect your experience in these areas, particularly with detailed case studies, will be crucial.
🛠 Tools & Technology Stack
Primary Design Tools:
- Figma (or similar industry-standard design tools): Expected to be proficient in using Figma for creating wireframes, UI designs, and interactive prototypes. This is likely the primary tool for visual and interaction design.
- Prototyping tools: Proficiency in creating interactive prototypes within Figma or using dedicated prototyping tools to demonstrate user flows and interactions.
- Design System Management: Experience utilizing and contributing to design systems and component libraries, likely within Figma or a connected platform, to ensure consistency and scalability.
Collaboration & Handoff:
- Miro (or similar): Likely used for collaborative brainstorming, mapping user flows, creating journey maps, and potentially service blueprints in a visual, shared space.
- Jira/Confluence (or similar): Used for project management, task tracking, documentation, and communication within Agile teams, including providing design specifications and updates.
- HTML/CSS principles: Working knowledge is required to facilitate effective communication and handoff of designs to engineers, ensuring designs are implemented accurately.
Research & Testing:
- Usability Testing Tools: Experience with tools or methodologies for conducting and recording usability tests.
- Analytics Tools: Familiarity with analyzing quantitative data from analytics platforms to inform design decisions and measure impact.
- Survey Tools: Experience using tools for creating and distributing surveys for quantitative user research.
📝 Enhancement Note: The toolset reflects a modern design workflow centered around Figma for core design work and integrated collaboration tools. The emphasis on working knowledge of HTML/CSS highlights the need for effective communication and handoff with engineering teams, a crucial aspect of successful product development in Agile environments.
👥 Team Culture & Values
Design Values:
- User-Centricity: A commitment to understanding and designing for the needs of the end-users, likely internal employees interacting with IT systems and potentially external stakeholders involved in service delivery.
- Collaboration: Valuing close collaboration with product, engineering, and business teams throughout the design process.
- Innovation: Being open to new ideas and approaches, potentially incorporating emerging technologies like AI into design workflows where relevant.
- Delivery Focus: A drive to translate design concepts into tangible, high-quality solutions that deliver measurable impact.
- Continuous Improvement: An iterative mindset, seeking feedback and data to refine designs post-launch.
Collaboration Style:
- Working within Agile squads implies a fast-paced, iterative, and highly collaborative environment with regular communication (daily stand-ups, sprint reviews).
- Expect cross-functional collaboration with engineers during design handoff and implementation.
- Collaboration within the design team involves contributing to and utilizing a shared design system and likely participating in design critiques.
📝 Enhancement Note: The company values and the Agile team structure suggest a culture that is collaborative, iterative, and focused on delivering tangible results. Designers should be comfortable working closely with other disciplines and contributing actively to team goals. The emphasis on intellectual curiosity and interest in AI aligns with the company's forward-thinking approach.
⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities
Design Challenges:
- Designing for complex internal systems and potentially specialized user groups within the energy and financial sectors, requiring a deep understanding of business processes and domain-specific needs.
- Balancing the needs of various internal stakeholders with the principles of user-centered design and service design.
- Integrating service design thinking into the design of digital products to ensure seamless end-to-end experiences that encompass both digital interfaces and underlying operational processes.
- Contributing to a design system in its potentially early stages within the new IT function, helping to define patterns and standards.
Learning & Development Opportunities:
- Opportunity to gain specialized knowledge in the renewable energy and financial services domains.
- Develop expertise in designing for complex enterprise systems and internal tools.
- Enhance skills in service design mapping and implementing service design principles.
- Grow experience in contributing to and potentially leading design system initiatives.
- Learn and apply new technologies, potentially including AI, in the design process.
📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges in this role lie in applying design principles to a complex, specialized domain and integrating service design thinking into the creation of internal digital products. This offers significant growth opportunities in developing domain expertise and expanding service design capabilities within a real-world business context.
💡 Interview Preparation
Design Process Questions:
- Be prepared to walk through your design process for a complex project from start to finish, highlighting your approach to research, ideation, prototyping, and testing. Use examples from your portfolio.
- Discuss how you balance user needs with business goals and technical constraints in your design decisions.
- Explain your experience with service design mapping and how you approach designing end-to-end service journeys.
- Describe how you utilize data and user feedback to iterate on your designs.
Company Culture Questions:
- Research NextEnergy Group's mission and values, particularly their focus on sustainable energy and innovation. Be prepared to discuss how your values align.
- Demonstrate your ability to work effectively in a hybrid and Agile environment, emphasizing collaboration and adaptability.
- Discuss your approach to managing your workload and prioritizing tasks in a fast-paced setting.
- Show your intellectual curiosity and interest in technology, particularly as it relates to design and the energy sector.
Portfolio Presentation Strategy:
- Select 2-3 key projects from your portfolio that best showcase your UX/UI and Service Design skills, particularly those with measurable impact.
- For each project, structure your presentation as a case study: problem, your role, process (research, ideation, testing), solution, and impact.
- Include visuals of your designs at various stages (wireframes, prototypes, high-fidelity mockups) and relevant service design artifacts (journey maps, service blueprints).
- Practice articulating your design decisions clearly and concisely, explaining the "why" behind your choices.
📝 Enhancement Note: Successful candidates will be able to articulate their design process clearly, demonstrate strong problem-solving skills, and show how their work has had a tangible impact. Highlighting experience relevant to complex systems, service design, and cross-functional collaboration will be key, along with demonstrating alignment with the company's mission and culture.
📌 Application Steps
To apply for this design position:
- Submit your application through this link.
- Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight your relevant experience in UX/UI design, service design, user research, and working in Agile environments.
- Ensure your online portfolio is up-to-date and easily accessible, featuring detailed case studies that demonstrate your design process and measurable impact.
- Prepare to discuss specific examples of how you have applied service design principles in your previous roles.
- Research NextEnergy Group and their work in the renewable energy sector to demonstrate genuine interest in the company's mission.
⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and design industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.