Junior UX Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Junior UX Designer

Company: Tes

Location: Sheffield, Talbot Green, or London, United Kingdom

Job Type: Full-time, Permanent

Category: Product Design / User Experience (UX)

Date Posted: 2026-02-25

Experience Level: Junior (1-2 Years)

Remote Status: Hybrid (3 days in office per week)

🚀 Role Summary

• This role is ideal for a high-potential UX Designer looking to contribute significantly to rebuilding a company's design culture and modernizing legacy SaaS platforms within the EdTech sector.

• The position emphasizes hands-on involvement across the entire design lifecycle, from initial "why" to final "how," bridging business goals with user needs.

• The Junior UX Designer will be a key contributor to Design Operations, actively maintaining and improving the company's Design System and facilitating collaborative design sessions.

• This role offers a unique opportunity for rapid learning and growth, working alongside a global team of 15 seasoned Designers and Researchers on complex, real-world EdTech solutions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The raw job description positions this as a "Junior UX Designer" role with a stated experience of "1-2 Years of a UX/Product Design internship or role." The emphasis on "rebuilding our design culture from the ground up" and the opportunity to "help draw the lines themselves" suggests this is not a typical junior role where one simply follows established processes. Instead, it's positioned for a proactive individual eager to shape design practices. The inclusion of "strategic deliverables (service maps, logic flows)" alongside design deliverables indicates a broader scope than just UI execution.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Discovery & Delivery Execution:

  • Translate UX research findings into rapid prototypes and detailed wireframes.
  • Modernize legacy platforms to align with current accessibility standards and the company's design system.
  • Conduct usability tests on designed solutions to validate functionality before engineering handoff.

• Design Operations Support:

  • Actively utilize and contribute to the company's Design System, ensuring library organization, accurate auto-layout, and clear documentation.
  • Facilitate and support design workshops and collaboration sessions (e.g., FigJam), visualizing complex information for team clarity.
  • Ensure smooth design handoff to engineering teams by providing meticulously organized files, clear states, and consistent logic.

• Strategic Contribution:

  • Participate in defining the "why" behind design decisions, contributing to strategic deliverables such as service maps and logic flows.

  • Collaborate closely with Senior Designers, Researchers, and Global Design Leadership to drive design initiatives.

  • Actively contribute to the evolution of the company's design culture and practices.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities are categorized into "Executing Discovery & Delivery" and "Design Ops Support." This structure highlights a dual focus on direct design output and the operational aspects of maintaining design standards and facilitating team workflows. The mention of "strategic deliverables (service maps, logic flows)" alongside "rapid prototypes and wireframes" suggests expectations beyond basic UI design, requiring an understanding of user journeys and system logic.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While not explicitly stated, a Bachelor's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, or a related field is typically expected for UX roles. Equivalent practical experience will also be considered.

Experience:

• 1-2 years of experience in a UX/Product Design internship or professional role.

Required Skills:

• Figma Proficiency: Strong command of Figma, including advanced use of Auto-layout, Components, and Prototyping features.

• Wireframing & Prototyping: Ability to create clear and effective wireframes and interactive prototypes from research findings.

• Usability Testing: Experience in planning and conducting usability tests to validate design concepts.

• Design System Understanding: Familiarity with design systems, including component libraries, auto-layout principles, and documentation standards.

• Organization & Detail Orientation: Exceptional ability to maintain organized design files and a keen eye for detail.

• Collaboration & Communication: Proven ability to work effectively within a team, communicate design decisions clearly, and collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders.

• Learning Agility: A strong desire and aptitude for continuous learning and development, particularly in tackling complex design challenges.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience in modernizing legacy software platforms.

• Familiarity with workshop facilitation and collaborative ideation tools like FigJam.

• Exposure to creating strategic design deliverables such as service maps and logic flows.

• Understanding of accessibility standards in digital product design.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "What kind of person will succeed?" section directly translates into the required and preferred skills. The emphasis on "Hyper-Organised," "Hungry to Learn," "Figma Pro," and "Collaborative" are core attributes. The mention of "SaaS organisation and/or EdTech" experience as a "bonus" translates to a preferred qualification.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Case Studies: Showcase 2-3 detailed case studies demonstrating your design process from problem identification through to solution and iteration.

• Process Documentation: Clearly articulate your approach to user research, wireframing, prototyping, and usability testing within your case studies.

• Figma Work: Highlight examples of well-structured Figma files, showcasing your use of components, auto-layout, and prototyping capabilities.

• Problem-Solving: Demonstrate your ability to tackle complex design challenges, particularly those involving legacy systems or the application of design systems.

• Impact & Iteration: Where possible, show how your designs have led to measurable improvements or how you iterated based on feedback.

Process Documentation:

• Design Lifecycle: Illustrate your understanding of the end-to-end design lifecycle, from initial discovery and user research to final delivery and iteration.

• Design System Application: Provide examples of how you have applied or contributed to a design system, demonstrating an understanding of its principles and benefits.

• Collaboration Workflow: Showcase how you collaborate with researchers, product managers, and engineers, including your handoff process and communication methods.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the job description doesn't explicitly state portfolio requirements, a "Junior UX Designer" role with the described responsibilities necessitates a portfolio. The emphasis on "rapid prototypes," "wireframes," "usability tests," "Design System Stewardship," and "Handoff Excellence" directly informs what should be included. Candidates should be prepared to demonstrate their process and proficiency with tools like Figma.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: £30,000 - £40,000 per annum.

Benefits:

• 25 days of annual leave, increasing to 30 days.

• 5% pension contribution after probation period.

• Access to state-of-the-art offices.

• A wide range of benefits available through "My Benefits World."

• Free eye care cover.

• Life Assurance.

• Cycle to Work Scheme.

• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP).

• Quarterly Tes Socials.

• Access to an extensive Learning and Development menu.

Working Hours: Full-time, with a hybrid working pattern requiring 3 days per week in the office. The standard working week is likely 40 hours, based on typical industry standards.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary is explicitly stated as "Up to £40,000 per annum." The minimum value of £30,000 is inferred from the "Junior UX Designer" title and the "1-2 Years" experience requirement, aligning with typical entry-level design salaries in the UK. The benefits are listed comprehensively in the job description.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: EdTech (Education Technology)

Company Size: Tes is a global EdTech leader, indicated by its community of "more than 13 million educators" and relationships with "25,000 schools in over 100 countries." This suggests a large, established organization with a significant market presence.

Founded: Tes has been operating for "over 100 years," highlighting a long history and deep roots in the education sector.

Team Structure:

• The role is within the "Product" department.

• The candidate will join a "Global Team of 15 seasoned Designers and Researchers."

• This implies a relatively large and experienced design and research function, with opportunities for mentorship and collaboration.

Methodology:

• The company is undergoing "rapid change" and "rebuilding our design culture from the ground up," indicating a dynamic and evolving environment focused on modernization.

• There is an emphasis on bridging "business goals and user needs" across the entire design lifecycle.

• The team is actively involved in "Discovery & Delivery," with a focus on turning research into actionable designs and supporting the development of new products and modernization of existing ones.

• Design Operations support is integrated, with a focus on Design System Stewardship and facilitating collaborative processes.

Company Website: www.tes.com

📝 Enhancement Note: The company description highlights Tes's mission to "power schools and enable great teaching worldwide" through EdTech solutions. The culture is described as undergoing significant transformation, emphasizing a need for proactive individuals. The team values are explicitly mentioned: "love in person workshops, have regular creative design sessions in our offices, and like to keep things as fun as possible. We do everything with a smile... We back each other up and work as one big team."

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Junior UX Designer. This role is positioned as an entry to mid-level opportunity for individuals with foundational UX skills looking to develop expertise in a complex SaaS/EdTech environment.

Reporting Structure: The role reports into the Product department and will work closely with a "Global Team of 15 seasoned Designers and Researchers." This suggests reporting to a Design Manager or Lead within that team, with direct mentorship from senior members.

Operations Impact: The Junior UX Designer's work will directly impact the usability and effectiveness of Tes's EdTech solutions, influencing millions of educators and students worldwide. By modernizing platforms and supporting new product releases, the role contributes to the company's mission of empowering schools and enabling great teaching. The emphasis on "helping a company through a major transition period" means the impact is significant in shaping future product direction.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Development: Gain hands-on experience in modernizing legacy systems, applying design systems, and contributing to a evolving design culture. Direct mentorship from senior designers and researchers is a key advantage.

• Career Progression: Opportunity to grow from a junior role into a more senior UX Designer or specialize in areas like Design Operations or UX Research, given the company's focus on rebuilding and scaling its design function.

• Leadership Potential: The role encourages becoming a "product thinker," not just a "pixel pusher," suggesting a path toward greater strategic influence and potential leadership within the design team. The chance to "help draw the lines themselves" offers significant ownership and development.

📝 Enhancement Note: The description strongly emphasizes growth potential. Phrases like "high-potential practitioner," "hungry to learn," and "If you want to become a product thinker and not just a pixel pusher, let's talk!" highlight the company's investment in developing talent. The opportunity to "help draw the lines themselves" and contribute to a "major transition period" provides a unique growth trajectory not typically found in standard junior roles.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The company offers "state of the art offices" and emphasizes in-person workshops and creative design sessions. This suggests a modern, well-equipped workspace designed to foster collaboration.

Office Location(s): The role is available in Sheffield, Talbot Green, or London, United Kingdom. Candidates can choose their preferred location.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative: The environment is geared towards collaboration, with regular in-person workshops and design sessions. The team culture values mutual support and working as "one big team."

• Tools & Technology: The role requires proficiency in Figma and mentions tools like FigJam, indicating a modern digital design toolset. Access to design systems and potentially other collaboration platforms is expected.

• Team Interaction: Significant interaction with a global team of 15 designers and researchers, as well as cross-functional teams (engineering, product management).

Work Schedule: A hybrid model is in place, requiring 3 days per week in the office. This balances the benefits of in-person collaboration with the flexibility of remote work. Standard full-time hours are expected.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "in person workshops," "creative design sessions in our offices," and "state of the art offices" points to a work environment that values physical presence for collaboration and innovation, balanced by the hybrid model. The mention of "global exposure" suggests interaction with colleagues across different geographies.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process: Based on industry standards for UX roles and the description's emphasis on culture and skill, the process likely includes:

1. Initial Screening: A brief call with HR or a recruiter to assess basic qualifications and cultural fit.

2. Portfolio Review & Technical Interview: A session with hiring managers or senior designers to discuss your portfolio, design process, and problem-solving approach. This will likely include specific questions about your Figma skills and how you've applied them.

3. Design Challenge/Workshop: A practical exercise, potentially a take-home assignment or an in-session design activity, to evaluate your design thinking, problem-solving skills, and ability to work within constraints. This could involve modernizing a feature or designing a new component.

4. Cultural Fit Interview: Conversations with team members and leadership to assess alignment with Tes's values, collaborative style, and approach to design.

5. Final Interview: A wrap-up discussion with a senior leader to confirm fit and discuss the role in detail.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Showcase Your Process: Clearly articulate your thought process for each project. Explain the "why" behind your design decisions, not just the "what."

• Highlight Figma Skills: Demonstrate your mastery of Figma, including component usage, auto-layout, and interactive prototyping. Organize your files cleanly.

• Detail Your Contributions: For team projects, clearly define your specific role and contributions.

• Address Legacy & Design Systems: If possible, include a project that touches on modernizing existing systems or applying design system principles.

• Quantify Impact: If you have data or metrics showing the positive impact of your designs (e.g., improved usability, conversion rates), present them.

• Tailor to the Role: Emphasize projects that demonstrate your ability to bridge business goals with user needs and your hunger to learn and adapt in a changing environment.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Context: Be prepared for challenges that involve modernizing existing interfaces or applying design system principles within an EdTech context.

• Focus on Process: Demonstrate your structured approach to problem-solving, even under time constraints.

• Communicate Your Thinking: Clearly articulate your assumptions, design choices, and rationale.

• Embrace Feedback: Show an openness to feedback and iteration, reflecting the collaborative culture.

• Prepare Examples: Have examples of how you've handled ambiguity or "grey areas" in design.

📝 Enhancement Note: The job description emphasizes a "period of rapid change" and "rebuilding our design culture," suggesting the interview process will heavily assess adaptability, learning agility, and cultural fit. The mention of "strategic deliverables" and "modernising legacy platforms" indicates that candidates will be evaluated on their ability to think beyond basic UI and contribute to broader design strategy.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: The core design tool for wireframing, prototyping, and creating final UI assets. Proficiency in its advanced features like Auto-layout and Components is essential.

• FigJam: Likely used for collaborative ideation, brainstorming, and workshop facilitation.

• Design System: The company utilizes a Design System, requiring candidates to be users and potentially contributors to its organization and maintenance.

Analytics & Reporting: While not explicitly mentioned for this role, UX Designers typically interact with analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics, Mixpanel, Amplitude) and reporting dashboards to understand user behavior and measure the impact of design changes.

CRM & Automation: Not directly relevant to this UX design role.

📝 Enhancement Note: The job description explicitly mentions "Figma Pro: You have a solid grasp of Auto-layout, Components, and Prototyping" and "Facilitating Clarity: Support workshops and FigJam sessions." This clearly defines the primary tools and technologies expected for this role.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• User-Centricity: A core value is ensuring users have fun using the products, derived from the philosophy "if you don't have fun creating it, users won't have fun using it!"

• Collaboration: Strong emphasis on teamwork, mutual support ("back each other up"), and working as "one big team."

• Continuous Improvement: The company is actively "rebuilding our design culture" and modernizing legacy systems, indicating a value placed on evolution and improvement.

• Growth Mindset: A culture that encourages learning, tackling "grey areas," and developing strategic thinking beyond just execution.

• Fun & Positive Attitude: A desire to keep things "as fun as possible" and do "everything with a smile."

Collaboration Style:

• In-Person Emphasis: Values in-person workshops and creative design sessions in their offices.

• Cross-Functional: Works closely with UX Researchers, Product Managers, and Engineering teams.

• Mentorship Driven: Encourages pairing with senior team members to learn and grow.

• Supportive: Fosters an environment where team members support each other regardless of project separation.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Team Culture & Values" section is heavily informed by the "Role overview" and "What kind of person will succeed?" sections, which detail the team's ethos of fun, collaboration, mutual support, and continuous improvement within a dynamic rebuilding phase.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Rebuilding Design Culture: Contributing to and navigating a significant transformation of the company's design practices and culture.

• Modernizing Legacy Systems: Taking on the complexity of updating older, established platforms to meet modern standards while balancing new product development.

• Ambiguity & "Grey Areas": Thriving in a fast-moving, sometimes chaotic environment where clear paths may not always exist, requiring proactive problem-solving and learning.

• Balancing User Needs with Business Goals: Effectively translating diverse stakeholder requirements and business objectives into user-centered design solutions.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Hands-on Experience: Directly contributing to the modernization of legacy platforms and the development of new SaaS products in the EdTech space.

• Mentorship: Working closely with 15 seasoned Designers and Researchers provides ample opportunities for learning and skill development.

• Design System Impact: Gaining experience in shaping and maintaining a design system, a crucial skill in large organizations.

• Strategic Design Thinking: Developing skills beyond pixel-pushing to become a strategic "product thinker" through exposure to the entire design lifecycle.

• Industry Exposure: Gaining insights into how a global EdTech company operates and scales its design function.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Challenges" section is derived from the description of the company's current state ("period of rapid change," "sometimes chaotic," "rebuilding our design culture") and the nature of the work ("modernising legacy platforms"). Growth opportunities are directly pulled from the "Why join us now?" section, highlighting the unique developmental aspects of this role.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you approach turning UX research findings into actionable wireframes and prototypes for a complex legacy system?" (Focus on process, tools, and iteration)

• "Describe a time you had to work with a Design System. What was your role, and how did you ensure consistency?" (Assess understanding of Design Ops and system stewardship)

• "This role involves 'grey areas.' Can you give an example of a time you navigated ambiguity in a design project and what was the outcome?" (Evaluate problem-solving and learning agility)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Tes and the EdTech industry specifically?" (Assess motivation and industry alignment)

• "The team values collaboration and fun. How do you contribute to a positive and supportive team environment?" (Evaluate cultural fit and teamwork approach)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, clearly outline the problem, your role, the process you followed, your design decisions, and the outcome/learnings.

• Demonstrate Figma Mastery: Walk through your Figma files, highlighting your use of components, auto-layout, and interactive prototyping. Ensure files are well-organized.

• Focus on Process, Not Just Polish: Emphasize your problem-solving approach and how you adapted to challenges.

• Highlight Relevant Experience: Prioritize projects that showcase your ability to work on SaaS products, legacy systems, or with design systems.

• Be Ready for 'What Ifs': Anticipate questions about alternative design solutions or how you'd handle specific design challenges relevant to Tes's products.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation advice is tailored to the specific requirements and company context. The emphasis on "rebuilding our design culture," "modernising legacy platforms," and the "fun" aspect of the team culture informs the types of questions and portfolio examples that will be most relevant.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Junior UX Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on the Dayforce portal.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 of your strongest UX design case studies that best demonstrate your process, Figma skills, and ability to handle challenges relevant to this role (e.g., modernization, design systems). Ensure your Figma files are clean and well-organized.

• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight your 1-2 years of UX/Product Design experience, emphasizing any SaaS or EdTech background. Use keywords from the job description such as "Figma," "prototyping," "wireframing," "usability testing," "design system," and "collaboration." Quantify achievements where possible.

• Prepare Your Narrative: Practice walking through your portfolio projects, clearly explaining your thought process, design decisions, and the outcomes. Be ready to discuss your approach to collaboration and learning in a dynamic environment.

• Research Tes: Familiarize yourself with Tes's mission, products, and recent company news. Understand their position in the EdTech market and their focus on empowering educators.

⚠️ 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.