UX Designer - 12 Month FTC

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: UX Designer - 12 Month Fixed-Term Contract

Company: Lloyds Banking Group

Location: Manchester, England, United Kingdom

Job Type: Full-Time, Temporary

Category: User Experience (UX) Design / Product Design

Date Posted: March 23, 2026

Experience Level: Mid-Senior Level (5-10 years)

Remote Status: Hybrid (2 days in office per week)

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive the end-to-end user experience design for digital products, ensuring cohesive and intuitive customer journeys.

• Leverage a central design system to efficiently create user interfaces, balancing content and UI elements.

• Translate user needs and business requirements into compelling design solutions, supported by robust user research.

• Advocate for and implement inclusive and accessible design principles to cater to a diverse user base.

• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including developers and researchers, to deliver high-quality, user-centric digital experiences.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is a 12-month fixed-term contract (FTC) within a large financial services organization, requiring a mid-to-senior level UX Designer. The emphasis on a central design system and hybrid working suggests a structured environment focused on efficiency and consistency. The specific mention of financial services and automotive as advantageous experience highlights the complexity and regulatory considerations often present in such industries.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Skillfully craft and iterate on the end-to-end user experience, mapping out customer journeys and touchpoints.

• Design user interfaces by creatively utilizing components from a central design system, optimizing content and UI element placement.

• Develop high-fidelity prototypes using industry-standard tools (e.g., Sketch, Figma, Adobe XD) to visualize and test design concepts.

• Conduct and interpret user research (quantitative and qualitative) to gather insights that inform design decisions and align stakeholders.

• Balance business objectives with user needs, diplomatically advocating for customer-centric solutions.

• Ensure designs adhere to technical constraints of various platforms while maximizing the end-user experience.

• Champion customer inclusion and accessibility, designing for users of diverse ages, backgrounds, and technical abilities.

• Collaborate effectively with product managers, developers, user researchers, and other stakeholders throughout the design lifecycle.

• Contribute to and extend existing design systems, proposing improvements for scalability and broader project benefit.

• Clearly articulate design rationale, decisions, and user insights to internal customers and development teams.

• Ensure designs are translated accurately into development specifications and are delivered to meet user needs.

• Connect design decisions to wider business goals, demonstrating how great design drives clarity, efficiency, user satisfaction, and commercial outcomes.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities clearly indicate a hands-on UX design role requiring end-to-end ownership from concept to delivery. The emphasis on interpreting research, balancing business/user needs, and advocating for customer inclusion suggests a strategic and user-focused approach. The requirement to contribute to design systems points to a mature design practice within the organization.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While not explicitly stated, a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Psychology, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience, is typically expected for this level of role.

Experience: Demonstrable experience within User Experience design, with a strong focus on visual and interaction design, is essential. A minimum of 5-10 years of relevant experience is implied by the salary range and responsibilities. Experience in full ownership of interaction design projects and seeing designs through to delivery is critical.

Required Skills:

• Proven experience in User Experience (UX) design.

• Strong proficiency in visual design and interaction design principles.

• Excellent prototyping and layout skills, with the ability to articulate them clearly.

• Experience using prototyping software such as Sketch, InVision, Figma, Axure, or Adobe XD.

• Ability to interpret quantitative and qualitative user research data to inform design decisions.

• Strong collaboration skills to work effectively within a multi-disciplinary team.

• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to present design rationale clearly.

• Deep understanding and advocacy of customer inclusivity and accessibility standards.

• Ability to connect design decisions to business goals and commercial outcomes.

• Experience working within a complex landscape, such as financial services.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience in shaping complex industries like financial services or automotive.

• Expertise in information architecture, task flows, and crafting elegant interaction patterns.

• Experience contributing to and developing design systems.

• Facilitation skills for workshops to drive alignment and idea generation.

• Experience mentoring junior designers or contributing to the wider design community.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirements are comprehensive, covering both technical design skills and softer skills like communication, collaboration, and strategic thinking. The emphasis on interpreting research and connecting design to business goals suggests the need for a designer who is not just an executor but a strategic partner. The preferred skills indicate areas where candidates can further differentiate themselves.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A strong portfolio showcasing end-to-end UX design projects, demonstrating your process from research to final delivery.

• Case studies that clearly articulate the problem, your role, the design process, key decisions, and the ultimate impact or outcome.

• Examples of how you have translated user research (both quantitative and qualitative) into actionable design solutions.

• Demonstrations of your ability to design for complex user journeys and intricate systems.

• Evidence of your proficiency in using and contributing to design systems, including examples of reusable components or patterns.

• Clear examples of your prototyping skills, showcasing interactive designs that effectively communicate user flows.

Process Documentation:

• Showcase your systematic approach to UX design, including how you initiate projects, conduct research, develop concepts, iterate on designs, and collaborate with development teams.

• Illustrate your methods for gathering and synthesizing user feedback and research data.

• Provide examples of how you manage design iterations and incorporate feedback from stakeholders and technical constraints.

• Detail your process for ensuring design specifications are clearly communicated and implemented accurately during development.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a UX design role, a robust portfolio is paramount. The emphasis on process, research interpretation, and design system contribution indicates that the hiring team will look for a structured, user-centric, and collaborative approach to design, rather than just visually appealing mockups. The ability to demonstrate impact and link design to business outcomes is crucial.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: £68,160 - £74,976 per annum.

Benefits:

• A generous pension contribution of up to 15%.

• An annual performance-related bonus.

• Share schemes, including free shares.

• Benefits that can be adapted to lifestyle needs, such as discounted shopping.

• 30 days of holiday, plus bank holidays.

• A range of wellbeing initiatives.

• Generous parental leave policies.

Working Hours: Full-time, with a hybrid working pattern requiring at least two days per week (or 40% of working time) in the Manchester office. The standard working hours are implied to align with a typical 40-hour work week.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range provided is specific and falls within the mid-to-senior level for UX Designers in the UK, particularly within large financial institutions. The comprehensive benefits package reflects that of a major employer, offering significant financial and lifestyle support. The hybrid working model is clearly defined.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Financial Services. Lloyds Banking Group is one of the UK's largest financial institutions, operating across retail banking, commercial banking, insurance, and wealth management. This context implies a highly regulated environment with a strong focus on customer trust, security, and compliance.

Company Size: Large enterprise. As a major banking group, Lloyds Banking Group employs a significant number of people, offering vast opportunities for career development and exposure to diverse projects and business units.

Founded: The group has a long history, with its origins tracing back to the early 19th century, evolving through mergers and acquisitions to its current structure. This heritage suggests a stable, established organization with a deep understanding of the financial landscape.

Team Structure:

• The UX design team is likely part of a larger digital product or technology department, potentially structured around specific business areas or customer journeys.

• Designers will work within cross-functional squads or teams, collaborating closely with product managers, engineers, user researchers, and business stakeholders.

• The team likely operates within an Agile framework, emphasizing iterative development and continuous feedback loops.

Methodology:

• Emphasis on Agile methodologies for product development and design.

• Data-driven decision-making, leveraging user research, analytics, and A/B testing.

• A strong focus on customer-centricity, ensuring user needs and business goals are aligned.

• Utilization of design systems to ensure consistency, efficiency, and scalability across digital products.

• Commitment to inclusive and accessible design practices.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Working at Lloyds Banking Group means operating within a large, established financial institution. This brings both stability and complexity. The focus on digital transformation and customer experience suggests a dynamic environment where UX design plays a critical role. The mention of a central design system and hybrid working indicates a modern approach to design operations.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned at a mid-to-senior level (5-10 years experience), indicating significant autonomy and responsibility. The UX Designer is expected to lead design efforts for specific features or products, influence strategic direction, and mentor others.

Reporting Structure: The UX Designer will likely report to a Lead UX Designer, Head of UX, or a Product Design Manager. They will work within cross-functional teams, collaborating with Product Owners/Managers and Engineering Leads.

Operations Impact: The UX Designer's work directly impacts customer satisfaction, engagement, and conversion rates across Lloyds Banking Group's digital platforms. By creating intuitive and accessible experiences, they contribute to increased customer loyalty, operational efficiency, and ultimately, business growth and profitability in the competitive financial services sector.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Specialization: Opportunity to deepen expertise in specific areas like interaction design, accessibility, user research interpretation, or design system development.

• Leadership Development: Potential to move into Lead UX Designer, Senior UX Designer, or Design Manager roles, taking on more strategic responsibilities and team leadership.

• Cross-Functional Exposure: Gain experience working across different banking products and services, understanding diverse user needs and business challenges.

• Design System Contribution: Play a key role in evolving and expanding the group's design system, increasing influence and visibility.

• Industry Expertise: Develop deep knowledge of design challenges and best practices within the heavily regulated financial services industry.

📝 Enhancement Note: This FTC role offers a substantial opportunity to gain experience within a leading financial institution. While it's a fixed-term contract, the level of responsibility and potential for impact suggests that high performers could be considered for future opportunities or extensions. The growth paths outlined are typical for experienced designers within large organizations.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid working model is standard. This involves a mix of remote work and in-office presence. The office serves as a hub for collaboration, team meetings, workshops, and focused work that benefits from in-person interaction.

Office Location(s): The primary location is Manchester, Westminster House. This indicates a physical workspace designed to support collaboration and team activities.

Workspace Context:

• The Manchester office will provide a professional environment conducive to design work, likely equipped with necessary technology and collaborative spaces.

• The hybrid model allows for flexibility, enabling designers to structure their week to optimize focus and collaboration.

• Opportunities for in-person collaboration with cross-functional team members will be available during office days.

• Access to user research facilities or support from dedicated user research teams will likely be available when working from the office or through remote collaboration tools.

Work Schedule: Full-time, with a hybrid arrangement. The expectation is a minimum of two days per week (40%) in the Manchester office. This schedule offers flexibility while ensuring regular team interaction and alignment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model is a key feature of the work environment, balancing the benefits of remote work with the advantages of in-office collaboration. The location in Manchester suggests a significant operational hub for Lloyds Banking Group.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Application & Screening: Review of CV and portfolio to assess experience and fit.

• Recruiter/HR Screen: A preliminary call to discuss experience, motivations, and alignment with the role and company.

• Hiring Manager Interview: In-depth discussion about your UX process, experience, and approach to design challenges. This may include a portfolio walkthrough.

• Design Challenge/Assessment: A practical exercise, potentially involving a case study presentation, a design critique, or a problem-solving task relevant to the role's responsibilities. This assesses your design thinking, problem-solving abilities, and communication skills.

• Team/Stakeholder Interviews: Meetings with potential colleagues (e.g., other designers, developers, product managers) to assess collaboration style and cultural fit.

• Final Interview/Offer: Potential final discussion with senior leadership before an offer is extended.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each project, clearly define the problem, your specific role and contributions, the design process followed, key decisions made (and why), and the measurable outcomes or impact.

• Highlight Process: Showcase your thinking – how you approach problems, conduct research, iterate on designs, and collaborate. Visual artifacts (sketches, wireframes, user flows) are important, but the story behind them is crucial.

• Demonstrate Impact: Quantify results whenever possible. Use metrics (e.g., conversion rate improvements, task completion times, user satisfaction scores) to show the business value of your design work.

• Showcase Design System Usage: Include examples of how you've leveraged existing design systems and, if applicable, how you've contributed to or improved them.

• Emphasize Inclusivity & Accessibility: Dedicate a section or specific examples to how you've incorporated accessibility principles and designed for diverse user needs.

• Tailor to the Role: Ensure your portfolio highlights experience relevant to financial services, complex systems, and hybrid/remote collaboration.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Business Context: Research Lloyds Banking Group, its brand, its customer base, and its current digital offerings.

• Anticipate UX Problems: Be prepared to discuss common UX challenges in financial services (e.g., security, trust, complex regulations, diverse user needs).

• Practice Articulation: Rehearse explaining your design process and decisions clearly and concisely, as if presenting to stakeholders with varying levels of design understanding.

• Focus on Problem-Solving: For any design challenge, focus on understanding the core problem, defining user needs, exploring multiple solutions, and justifying your chosen approach with rationale.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is thorough, as expected for a role at a large financial institution. The emphasis on a portfolio walkthrough and a potential design challenge highlights the importance of practical design skills and the ability to communicate design thinking effectively. Candidates should prepare to demonstrate a strong understanding of the UX process and its business impact.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Prototyping & Design: Sketch, InVision, Figma, Axure, Adobe XD. Proficiency in at least one, ideally multiple, is expected.

• Design Systems: Experience working with and contributing to established design systems. Understanding of component-based design.

• Collaboration Tools: Microsoft Teams, Slack, Jira, Confluence (or similar project management and documentation tools).

Analytics & Reporting:

• Familiarity with user analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics) and the ability to interpret data to inform design decisions.

CRM & Automation:

• While not a direct CRM role, understanding how UX design integrates with CRM and marketing automation platforms to create seamless customer journeys might be beneficial.

📝 Enhancement Note: The job description explicitly lists several key prototyping tools, indicating these are essential for the role. Experience with design systems is also a recurring theme. Familiarity with Agile project management tools like Jira is standard for collaborative environments.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Customer Focus: A deep commitment to understanding and serving customer needs, ensuring they are at the heart of all design decisions.

• Integrity & Trust: Upholding the highest ethical standards, crucial in the financial services industry, ensuring designs are transparent and reliable.

• Collaboration: A strong emphasis on teamwork, working effectively with diverse teams to achieve common goals.

• Innovation: Encouraging new ideas and approaches to solve complex problems and improve user experiences.

• Inclusivity & Accessibility: Championing designs that are usable and welcoming to everyone, regardless of background or ability.

• Efficiency: Striving for streamlined processes and effective solutions that deliver value to both customers and the business.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Designers are embedded within multi-disciplinary teams, working closely with product managers, developers, researchers, and business stakeholders on a daily basis.

• Agile & Iterative: Collaboration occurs within an Agile framework, involving regular feedback loops, sprint reviews, and continuous refinement of designs.

• Open Communication: A culture that encourages open dialogue, constructive feedback, and shared problem-solving.

• Design System as a Collaborative Hub: The design system serves as a shared language and resource, facilitating consistent collaboration and knowledge sharing among designers.

📝 Enhancement Note: Lloyds Banking Group emphasizes values like customer focus, integrity, and inclusivity, which are critical for a financial institution. The collaborative style within Agile teams is standard for digital product development and requires strong interpersonal and communication skills from the UX Designer.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Diverse Needs: Navigating the complex requirements of various stakeholders (customers, regulators, business units) and synthesizing them into cohesive designs.

• Technical Constraints: Working within the limitations of existing platforms and legacy systems while still pushing for innovative user experiences.

• Regulatory Environment: Designing within a highly regulated industry requires a deep understanding of compliance and security requirements.

• Scale and Complexity: Managing the design of large-scale, intricate systems that serve millions of users.

• FTC Nature: Adapting quickly to a new team and project within a fixed-term contract, and delivering significant impact within the 12-month period.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Industry-Specific Design: Gaining deep expertise in UX design challenges specific to financial services, including security, trust, and regulatory compliance.

• Design System Mastery: Becoming an expert in contributing to and leveraging large-scale design systems.

• Cross-Functional Acumen: Developing a broader understanding of product management, engineering processes, and business strategy within a major enterprise.

• Mentorship: Opportunities to learn from senior designers and potentially mentor more junior team members.

• Exposure to Digital Transformation: Contributing to the ongoing digital evolution of a major UK financial institution.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are typical for senior UX roles in large, regulated industries. The growth opportunities are substantial, offering a chance to develop specialized skills and gain valuable experience within a leading financial organization, even within a fixed-term contract.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a complex user journey you've designed. What were the key challenges, and how did you ensure a seamless experience?" (Focus on process, problem-solving, and outcome.)

• "How do you balance user needs with business requirements and technical constraints? Provide an example." (Demonstrate strategic thinking and negotiation skills.)

• "How do you approach designing for inclusivity and accessibility? Can you share a specific example from your portfolio?" (Highlight advocacy and practical application.)

• "Tell me about a time you had to advocate for a design decision that was met with resistance. How did you handle it?" (Assess communication, persuasion, and stakeholder management.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about working for Lloyds Banking Group, and specifically in the financial services sector?" (Research the company's mission, values, and recent initiatives.)

• "How do you see your UX design skills contributing to our goal of helping Britain prosper?" (Connect your work to the company's purpose.)

• "Describe your experience working in a hybrid or remote environment. How do you ensure effective collaboration?" (Align with the hybrid working model.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Start with the Story: Begin each case study by clearly stating the problem and your role, setting the context.

• Walk Through Your Process: Visually guide the interviewer through your steps: research, ideation, wireframing, prototyping, testing, and iteration.

• Justify Decisions: For each major design choice, explain the rationale behind it, referencing user insights, business goals, or design principles.

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals (mockups, flows, prototypes) effectively to illustrate your points.

• Quantify Impact: Conclude with the results of your work, using metrics to demonstrate success and business value.

• Be Prepared for Deep Dives: Anticipate questions about specific choices, challenges encountered, and alternative solutions considered.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating a well-rounded UX skill set, strong communication abilities, and an understanding of the financial services context. The portfolio presentation is a critical component, requiring candidates to articulate their process and impact clearly.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this UX Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on the Lloyds Banking Group careers portal.

• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight experience with financial services, complex systems, Agile methodologies, and specific UX tools mentioned (Sketch, Figma, etc.). Quantify achievements with metrics where possible.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 3-4 of your strongest UX case studies that best demonstrate your end-to-end process, problem-solving skills, collaboration, and impact, with a focus on complex user journeys and design system usage.

• Prepare Your Portfolio Walkthrough: Practice articulating the narrative of your case studies, focusing on your role, process, decisions, and outcomes. Be ready to answer in-depth questions about your work.

• Research Lloyds Banking Group: Understand their mission, values, recent news, and digital presence to articulate your interest and cultural fit during interviews.

• Practice Interview Questions: Prepare responses for common UX interview questions, focusing on strategy, collaboration, and problem-solving, with specific examples from your experience.

⚠️ 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.