Senior UX / UI Designer - Homes/Mortgages Platform (12-Month FTC)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior UX / UI Designer - Homes/Mortgages Platform (12-Month FTC) Company: Lloyds Banking Group Location: Halifax, United Kingdom Job Type: FULL_TIME Category: UX/UI Design Operations Date Posted: 2025-08-11T00:00:00 Experience Level: Mid-Senior Level (5-10 years) Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• This role is focused on enhancing the digital user experience for Lloyds Banking Group's Homes and Mortgages platform, requiring a strategic approach to UX/UI design within a financial services context.
• The position involves end-to-end product design, from initial concept and wireframing to final prototyping and visual design, with a strong emphasis on customer-centricity and usability.
• A key aspect is the contribution to and utilization of a design system, ensuring consistency and efficiency across multiple digital channels and customer journeys.
• Success in this role will be measured by the ability to translate complex customer needs and business requirements into intuitive, user-friendly digital interfaces that drive positive customer outcomes and support the bank's strategic transformation.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the raw job description is for a UX/UI Designer, the context of a "Homes/Mortgages Platform" within a large financial institution like Lloyds Banking Group implies a significant operational component. The role requires not just aesthetic design but also a deep understanding of financial processes, regulatory considerations, and the seamless integration of digital tools into complex customer journeys. This positions the role within the broader "Operations" umbrella, specifically focusing on the operational efficiency and effectiveness of digital customer interactions within the GTM (Go-To-Market) strategy for financial products.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Lead the end-to-end design process for key features and enhancements within the Homes and Mortgages platform, from user research and concept development to high-fidelity prototyping and final visual design.
• Collaborate closely with cross-functional agile teams, including product owners, engineers, researchers, and business stakeholders, to define product scope, visualize outcomes, and prioritize design efforts.
• Champion a customer-centric design approach by integrating user research insights, competitor analysis, and usability best practices into all design decisions and deliverables.
• Contribute to and leverage the existing design system by creating, refining, and documenting reusable design components, ensuring brand consistency and efficient workflow across the platform.
• Develop and present intuitive user flows, wireframes, mock-ups, and interactive prototypes to effectively communicate design concepts and gather feedback from stakeholders and user groups.
• Facilitate design thinking workshops and brainstorming sessions to generate innovative solutions and ensure diverse perspectives are incorporated into the design process.
• Ensure that design solutions align with business objectives, technical constraints, and regulatory requirements specific to the financial services industry, particularly in mortgages and home lending.
• Continuously iterate on designs based on user feedback, A/B testing results, and performance metrics to optimize customer journeys and improve key performance indicators (KPIs) related to engagement and conversion.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities are enhanced to reflect the "operations" aspect of a UX/UI role within a financial services context. This includes emphasizing the translation of complex financial processes into user-friendly digital interfaces, the importance of regulatory compliance in design, and the impact of design on operational efficiency and customer acquisition/retention within the mortgage sector.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• A Bachelor's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Computer Science, or a related field is typically expected for senior-level design roles, though equivalent practical experience will be strongly considered.

Experience:

• Demonstrable experience (5-10 years) in Product Design, with a strong portfolio showcasing end-to-end UX/UI design processes and successful digital product launches.
• Proven experience in contributing to, or actively utilizing, design systems to maintain consistency and efficiency across multiple digital platforms and touchpoints.
• Experience working within Agile development methodologies, collaborating effectively with product managers, engineers, and researchers in fast-paced, iterative environments.
• A solid understanding of user research methodologies, competitor analysis, concept development, workshop facilitation, and visual design principles across various channels.
• Proficiency in interaction design and a strong grasp of usability best practices, accessibility standards (e.g., WCAG), and their application in financial products.

Required Skills:

• Product Design: End-to-end design lifecycle management from ideation to implementation.
• Design Systems: Experience creating and contributing to design system components for scalable and consistent user experiences.
• Prototyping & Wireframing: Proficiency in creating interactive prototypes and detailed wireframes using industry-standard tools.
• Visual Design: Strong aesthetic sense and ability to create visually appealing and brand-aligned interfaces.
• User Research & Usability: Understanding of user research techniques and applying usability principles to optimize user journeys.
• Figma: Advanced proficiency in Figma for UI design, prototyping, and collaboration.
• InVision: Experience with InVision for prototyping, collaboration, and user feedback gathering.

Preferred Skills:

• Sketch: Proficiency in Sketch as an alternative or complementary design tool.
• Financial Services/Mortgage Domain Knowledge: Understanding of the financial services industry, particularly the mortgage and home-buying process, and its associated user needs and complexities.
• Workshop Facilitation: Experience in leading design thinking workshops and cross-functional ideation sessions.
• Accessibility Standards: Deep knowledge of WCAG guidelines and best practices for inclusive design.
• Data Analysis for Design: Ability to interpret user data and analytics to inform design decisions and measure impact.

📝 Enhancement Note: The skills section is expanded to include specific operations-related competencies such as data analysis for design decisions, understanding of financial services domain, and accessibility standards, which are critical for designing robust and compliant user experiences in regulated industries.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Case Studies: A comprehensive portfolio demonstrating at least 3-5 detailed case studies that highlight your end-to-end product design process, from problem definition and user research to solution development, prototyping, and final implementation.
• Process Visualization: Showcase your ability to visualize and articulate complex user flows, information architecture, and interaction design through clear diagrams and documentation.
• Design System Contribution: Include examples of design components you have contributed to or created for a design system, demonstrating adherence to established patterns and guidelines.
• Problem-Solving: Present specific examples of how you have identified user pain points or business challenges and designed effective solutions that improved user experience and business outcomes.
• Metrics & Impact: Quantify the impact of your design work whenever possible, using metrics such as conversion rate improvements, task completion times, user satisfaction scores (NPS, CSAT), or reduction in customer support queries.

Process Documentation:

• User Journey Mapping: Provide examples of user journey maps you have created to understand and optimize the customer experience within a specific product or service.
• Wireframing & Prototyping Workflow: Detail your process for creating wireframes and interactive prototypes, including the tools used and how feedback is incorporated.
• Design Iteration: Illustrate how you iterate on designs based on user testing, stakeholder feedback, and performance data, showing the evolution of a design solution.
• Collaboration Documentation: If possible, include documentation or examples of how you have collaborated with developers and product managers, demonstrating clear communication and handoff processes.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio requirements are tailored to showcase operational design thinking, emphasizing process documentation, user journey mapping, and the ability to demonstrate measurable business impact, which are key indicators of operational effectiveness for a senior design role.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: £59,850 - £66,500 per annum (GBP)

Benefits:

• Pension: Generous pension contribution of up to 15%, supporting long-term financial security.
• Share Schemes: Participation in share schemes, including free shares, offering employees an ownership stake in the company's success.
• Lifestyle Discounts: Access to a range of benefits that can be adapted to individual lifestyles, such as discounted shopping and other perks.
• Holiday Entitlement: A competitive 30 days of annual holiday, plus bank holidays, ensuring ample time for rest and rejuvenation.
• Wellbeing Support: Comprehensive wellbeing initiatives designed to support the physical, mental, and financial health of employees.
• Parental Leave: Generous parental leave policies, supporting employees through significant life events.
• Hybrid Working: Flexibility to work from home and in the office, promoting a better work-life balance.

Working Hours:

• Full-time position, with an expected commitment of around 40 hours per week.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is confirmed from the input data. The benefits are listed as provided, with a note on how they align with supporting operations professionals through financial security, work-life balance, and personal development.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Banking and Financial Services (specifically focusing on retail banking, mortgages, and home loans). Company Size: Large (Lloyds Banking Group is one of the UK's largest financial institutions, employing tens of thousands of individuals globally). Founded: 2009 (formed from the merger of Lloyds TSB and HBOS), with a heritage dating back to 1765.

Team Structure:

• Agile Teams: The UX/UI Designer will likely be embedded within one or more agile product teams, working closely with a Product Owner, Scrum Master, Developers, QA Testers, and potentially Business Analysts and User Researchers.
• Reporting: The role reports into a Design Lead or Head of UX/UI, who oversees the design function and ensures alignment with broader digital strategy and brand standards.
• Cross-functional Collaboration: Expect extensive collaboration with various departments, including product management, technology, marketing, legal, compliance, and customer service, to ensure holistic product development and customer journey optimization.

Methodology:

• Agile & Lean UX: The team operates using agile methodologies, with a strong emphasis on Lean UX principles, focusing on rapid iteration, user feedback, and data-driven decision-making.
• Customer-Centricity: A core principle is placing the customer at the heart of all design and development efforts, ensuring products and services meet evolving customer needs and expectations.
• Data-Informed Design: Designs are informed by a combination of qualitative user research, quantitative data analysis (e.g., user behavior analytics, A/B testing results), and market insights.
• Design System Implementation: Emphasis on leveraging and contributing to a robust design system to ensure consistency, scalability, and efficiency in product development.

Company Website: https://www.lloydsbankinggroup.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company context is fleshed out to highlight the scale and heritage of Lloyds Banking Group, its commitment to agile and customer-centric methodologies, and the typical structure of design teams within such a large financial institution, emphasizing the operational environment.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Senior UX/UI Designer role, indicating a level of expertise and autonomy. In an operations context, this means being responsible for significant aspects of the digital customer journey, driving efficiency and effectiveness through design.

Reporting Structure: The Senior UX/UI Designer will report to a Design Manager or Head of UX/UI, but will work primarily within product-focused agile teams. This structure allows for both specialized design leadership and embedded team collaboration, crucial for effective operations.

Operations Impact: The role has a direct impact on the operational efficiency of customer interactions within the Homes and Mortgages platform. By creating intuitive and user-friendly interfaces, the designer can reduce customer effort, minimize errors, decrease reliance on support channels, and improve conversion rates, all of which contribute to the overall operational performance and profitability of the business.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Potential to specialize further in financial services UX, mortgage product design, or accessibility within digital platforms.
• Lead/Managerial Roles: Progression to a Lead UX/UI Designer or Design Manager role, overseeing a team of designers and strategizing design direction.
• Cross-functional Movement: Opportunities to move into Product Management, UX Research, or even broader Digital Transformation roles within the bank.
• Skill Development: Continuous learning through internal training, external workshops, conferences, and opportunities to work on diverse projects within the Group's extensive portfolio.

📝 Enhancement Note: The analysis of career growth is framed through an "operations" lens, highlighting how design skills translate into operational improvements and the potential career paths that leverage this operational impact within a large financial organization.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The work environment is described as hybrid, meaning a blend of office-based work and remote working. Lloyds Banking Group typically offers modern, well-equipped office spaces designed to foster collaboration and productivity.

Office Location(s): The primary work locations are Halifax and Leeds in the United Kingdom. These locations are likely to have dedicated office hubs for employees.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Spaces: Offices are expected to feature collaborative zones, meeting rooms, and informal spaces to facilitate teamwork, design reviews, and brainstorming sessions.
• Technology & Tools: Employees will have access to the necessary technology and software, including high-performance workstations, reliable internet, and access to all required design and collaboration tools (Figma, InVision, Slack, Jira, etc.).
• Team Interaction: Although hybrid, there are structured opportunities for in-person interaction with design colleagues, product teams, and other stakeholders during designated office days.

Work Schedule:

• The role is full-time, with a hybrid arrangement requiring employees to be in the office for at least two days per week or 40% of their time. This schedule is designed to balance the benefits of remote flexibility with the advantages of in-person collaboration and team cohesion, crucial for efficient operations.

📝 Enhancement Note: The work environment description is enhanced to emphasize how the hybrid model and office setup support operational workflows, collaboration, and the effective use of design tools within the financial services sector.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Application Screening: Initial review of CV and portfolio to assess relevant experience, skills, and alignment with the role's requirements and the company's values.
• Hiring Manager/Team Interview: A conversation with the hiring manager and potentially key team members to discuss your background, experience, and approach to UX/UI design. Expect questions about your portfolio and specific project experiences.
• Design Challenge/Portfolio Presentation: You will likely be asked to present a selection of your work from your portfolio, detailing your process, decision-making, and the impact of your designs. A practical design challenge may also be given, either before or during the interview stages, to assess your skills in real-time.
• Stakeholder Interviews: Depending on the seniority, you might meet with cross-functional stakeholders (e.g., Product Managers, Engineering Leads) to gauge your ability to collaborate and communicate effectively across different disciplines.
• Final Interview: Potentially a final interview with a more senior leader to assess cultural fit and strategic alignment.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Selectively: Choose 3-4 strong case studies that best represent your skills and experience relevant to this specific role (financial services, complex platforms, user journey optimization).
• Tell a Story: For each case study, clearly articulate the problem, your role and process, the challenges faced, the solutions you designed, and the measurable outcomes achieved. Focus on why you made certain design decisions.
• Showcase Process: Detail your methodology – research, ideation, wireframing, prototyping, user testing, iteration. Demonstrate your understanding of the end-to-end design lifecycle.
• Highlight Collaboration: Explain how you worked with cross-functional teams, incorporated feedback, and managed stakeholder expectations.
• Quantify Impact: Use data and metrics to demonstrate the success of your designs. If direct metrics aren't available, use qualitative feedback or projected benefits.
• Focus on Homes/Mortgages: If you have relevant experience in financial services or complex platforms, highlight it.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Context: If given a design challenge, ensure you understand the user problem and business context provided.
• Think Aloud: During a live challenge, articulate your thought process, assumptions, and design decisions. This is often more important than the final deliverable.
• Prioritize: Focus on the most critical aspects of the problem and demonstrate how you would approach solving it efficiently.
• Sketching & Wireframing: Be prepared to sketch out ideas quickly and create low-fidelity wireframes to communicate concepts.
• Time Management: Manage your time effectively to cover all aspects of the challenge.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview and portfolio review advice is tailored to a senior design role in a financial institution, emphasizing the importance of demonstrating operational impact, cross-functional collaboration, and a structured design process relevant to complex financial products.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: The primary tool for UI design, prototyping, and collaboration. Proficiency is essential for creating high-fidelity mock-ups, interactive prototypes, and contributing to design systems.
• InVision: Likely used for advanced prototyping, user testing, and design handoff. Familiarity with its features for collaboration and feedback is beneficial.
• Sketch: Potentially used as a complementary design tool or for legacy projects. Experience with Sketch is a plus.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Google Analytics / Adobe Analytics: Understanding how to interpret website and application analytics to inform design decisions and measure user behavior.
• Hotjar / Crazy Egg: Tools for heatmaps, session recordings, and user feedback to gain qualitative insights into user interactions on the platform.
• Tableau / Power BI: While not directly a design tool, an understanding of how data is visualized and reported can help designers create more effective dashboards and reports.

CRM & Automation:

• Salesforce / Microsoft Dynamics: While primarily CRM tools, a basic understanding of how customer data is managed and utilized can inform UX design for customer-facing applications.
• Jira / Confluence: Essential for agile project management, task tracking, documentation, and team collaboration. Designers will use these tools to manage their work and communicate with development teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: The tools list is expanded to include common analytics and project management tools used in operations and agile environments, highlighting how UX/UI designers interact with these systems to drive efficient product development and user experience.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Customer Focus: A relentless commitment to understanding and serving customer needs, ensuring that design decisions directly benefit the user experience and operational efficiency of customer interactions.
• Integrity: Upholding the highest standards of ethical conduct and transparency, particularly crucial in the financial services sector where trust is paramount.
• Collaboration: Fostering a team-oriented environment where open communication, shared knowledge, and mutual support are encouraged across all disciplines.
• Excellence: Striving for high-quality outcomes in all aspects of work, from design execution to process improvement and stakeholder engagement.
• Innovation: Encouraging creative problem-solving and the adoption of new technologies and methodologies to continuously improve products and services.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: The team emphasizes working closely with product, engineering, research, and business stakeholders to ensure a holistic approach to product development and a shared understanding of goals.
• Feedback-Driven: A culture of constructive feedback is integral, with regular design reviews and critiques to refine solutions and maintain high standards.
• Knowledge Sharing: Encouraging the sharing of best practices, learnings, and insights across the design team and with other departments to foster continuous improvement and skill development.
• Agile Partnership: Designers work as integral partners within agile teams, actively participating in ceremonies and contributing to sprint planning, reviews, and retrospectives.

📝 Enhancement Note: The team culture and values are described through an operations lens, highlighting how these principles directly support efficient workflows, customer satisfaction, and continuous improvement within the digital product development lifecycle.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing User Needs with Business Constraints: Navigating the complexities of financial regulations, security requirements, and business objectives while ensuring an optimal user experience.
• Design System Evolution: Contributing to and maintaining a comprehensive design system that scales across a large organization with diverse product needs.
• Hybrid Work Management: Effectively collaborating and maintaining team cohesion and productivity within a hybrid work model, ensuring seamless communication and workflow across distributed team members.
• Large-Scale Impact: Designing for millions of customers requires a rigorous approach to usability, accessibility, and performance to ensure a consistent and positive experience across the platform.
• Legacy Systems Integration: Potentially working with or around legacy systems, requiring creative solutions to integrate modern UX/UI into existing technological infrastructures.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Financial Services Specialization: Deepen expertise in UX/UI design specifically for the banking and mortgage sector, understanding its unique user needs and regulatory landscape.
• Design Leadership: Develop skills in leading design initiatives, mentoring junior designers, and contributing to the strategic direction of the UX/UI function.
• Agile & Lean Methodologies: Further refine skills in agile development, Lean UX, and other modern product development frameworks.
• Industry Conferences & Training: Access to external training, workshops, and conferences to stay abreast of the latest trends in UX/UI design, digital transformation, and financial technology.
• Cross-Departmental Exposure: Opportunities to gain insights into other areas of the business, such as product management, marketing, and compliance, broadening your understanding of the overall operations.

📝 Enhancement Note: Challenges are framed to reflect the operational realities of a large financial institution, and growth opportunities are linked to developing specialized operational design expertise and leadership skills.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• Product Strategy: "How would you approach designing a new feature for our mortgage application process to improve conversion rates and reduce drop-offs? What data would you look for, and what would be your key design considerations?"
  • Preparation: Research common pain points in mortgage applications. Think about user journey mapping, key stages, and potential friction points. Consider how to leverage data (analytics, user interviews) to identify areas for improvement.
• Design System Impact: "Describe your experience with design systems. How have you contributed to one, and how do you ensure consistency when using existing components?"
  • Preparation: Be ready to discuss your philosophy on design systems, your contributions to specific components or guidelines, and how you handle situations where existing components might not perfectly fit a new requirement.
• Collaboration & Influence: "Tell me about a time you had to influence stakeholders or team members to adopt your design solution. What was the situation, and how did you approach it?"
  • Preparation: Prepare a STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) answer that highlights your communication, persuasion, and negotiation skills, emphasizing how you built consensus and delivered a successful outcome.

Company & Culture Questions:

• Lloyds Banking Group's Purpose: "How does your approach to UX/UI design align with Lloyds Banking Group's purpose to 'help Britain prosper'?"
  • Preparation: Research the company's values, mission, and recent initiatives. Connect your design philosophy to customer well-being, financial inclusion, and accessible digital services.
• Agile Environment: "How do you adapt your design process within an agile framework? How do you manage feedback and iterations in sprint cycles?"
  • Preparation: Discuss your understanding of agile principles and how you integrate design into sprints. Highlight your flexibility and ability to respond to changing requirements.
• Hybrid Working: "What are your strategies for effective collaboration and communication when working in a hybrid environment?"
  • Preparation: Be ready to share specific tools and techniques you use to stay connected and productive with your team, whether in-office or remote.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure: Organize your presentation logically: Introduction (problem/goal), Your Role, Process (research, ideation, design, testing), Solution (key UIs, prototypes), Outcomes (metrics, learnings), and Key Takeaways.
• Visuals: Use high-quality visuals of your work. Show the evolution from early concepts to final designs.
• Narrative: Focus on telling a compelling story for each case study, explaining the 'why' behind your decisions and the impact of your work.
• Conciseness: Be mindful of time. Practice your presentation to ensure it's engaging and informative without being overly long.
• Interaction: Be prepared to answer specific questions about your design choices, trade-offs, and challenges encountered.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview preparation advice is tailored to a senior operations-focused design role, emphasizing strategic thinking, data utilization, stakeholder management, and demonstrating impact within a hybrid, agile environment.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations-focused UX/UI design position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on the Lloyds Banking Group careers portal.
• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your portfolio to highlight your most relevant UX/UI design projects, focusing on complex platforms, financial services (if applicable), and end-to-end product design. Ensure case studies clearly articulate your process, decision-making, and measurable outcomes.
• Resume Optimization: Update your resume to emphasize skills and experiences directly related to product design, design systems, agile methodologies, user research, and proficiency with tools like Figma. Quantify your achievements with specific metrics where possible.
• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process, discussing your portfolio with confidence, and preparing for potential design challenges. Research Lloyds Banking Group's mission, values, and recent work in digital transformation.
• Company Research: Gain a deeper understanding of the Homes/Mortgages platform's current state and potential areas for UX/UI improvement by exploring the Lloyds Banking Group website and relevant industry news.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.