Product Designer, National Energy Analysis Centre

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Product Designer, National Energy Analysis Centre

Company: CSIRO

Location: Newcastle, NSW, AU; Hobart, TAS, AU; Melbourne, VIC, AU; Canberra, ACT, AU

Job Type: Full-time, Specified Term (3 Years)

Category: Product Design / UX/UI Design

Date Posted: 2026-06-05T00:00:00

Experience Level: 5-10 Years

Remote Status: Hybrid (Office locations available in Canberra, Hobart, Melbourne, Newcastle, or any major CSIRO Energy site)

🚀 Role Summary

• Design user experiences and interfaces for the National Energy Analysis Centre's (NEAC) digital products, focusing on citizen science participation and premium tools for energy transition stakeholders.

• Develop and maintain NEAC's design system, ensuring visual consistency, accessibility (WCAG standards), and adherence to brand guidelines across all digital assets.

• Translate complex analytical science and energy system data into intuitive, navigable, and compelling user interfaces for both technical and non-technical audiences.

• Drive the full design lifecycle, from initial concept exploration and prototyping to creating production-ready UI specifications for engineering teams.

• Collaborate closely with researchers, product managers, engineers, and external clients to deliver impactful design solutions that communicate complex scientific information effectively.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is specifically focused on Product Design within a scientific research and infrastructure context, emphasizing the translation of complex data and scientific concepts into user-friendly digital products. While not a traditional "Revenue Operations" or "Sales Operations" role, the emphasis on stakeholder collaboration, product delivery, and user engagement aligns with the operational aspects of bringing a digital product to life and ensuring its adoption and effectiveness. The "design is a form of science communication" aspect highlights a unique operational challenge of bridging technical expertise with user understanding.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design high-quality, visually compelling, and accessible user interfaces for NEAC's digital products, ensuring compliance with WCAG standards.

• Develop, manage, and evolve NEAC's comprehensive design system, including component libraries, style guides, interaction patterns, and brand standards.

• Create design artifacts across the entire product lifecycle: concept exploration, wireframing, interactive prototyping, and detailed UI specifications for development.

• Simplify complex analytical workflows, data visualizations, and energy system information into intuitive and user-friendly experiences.

• Plan and execute user research and usability testing with diverse stakeholders (households, businesses, government, industry partners), translating insights into actionable design improvements.

• Collaborate effectively with engineers, researchers, product managers, and clients to ensure seamless design implementation and product delivery.

• Design promotional materials, website content, and business development demonstrations that effectively communicate NEAC's value proposition and scientific capabilities.

• Own the visual language and graphic design elements that represent NEAC to external audiences.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of UX/UI design, design systems management, and science communication, all critical for the successful operational deployment and adoption of NEAC's digital infrastructure. The emphasis on translating complex data into intuitive interfaces is a core operational challenge for scientific organizations developing digital tools.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While a specific degree is not explicitly stated, a strong educational foundation in Design (e.g., Graphic Design, Interaction Design, Product Design, Human-Computer Interaction) or a related field is implied by the role's focus.

Experience: A minimum of 5-10 years of relevant professional experience is indicated by the AI-derived experience level, with a focus on designing complex, data-rich digital products.

Required Skills:

• A strong commercial portfolio demonstrating original visual craft and the ability to design complex interfaces.

• Mastery of Figma for modern design workflows, from concept to developer collaboration.

• Proven experience with information-dense, data-rich products, translating complex analytical outputs into clear, navigable interfaces.

• Demonstrated capability in user research and usability testing, including translating stakeholder needs into design solutions.

• Clear, confident communication skills for presenting design decisions to engineers, researchers, and clients across government and industry.

• Understanding and application of WCAG accessibility standards.

• Proficiency in designing for various digital platforms and touchpoints. Preferred Skills:

• Familiarity with front-end development technologies such as React, HTML, and CSS.

• Experience in science communication or designing for scientific/research organizations.

• Knowledge of energy transition challenges and systems science.

• Experience in developing and managing design systems.

• Visual storytelling and graphic design expertise for marketing and business development collateral.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a "commercial portfolio demonstrating original visual craft" and "mastery of Figma" alongside experience with "information-dense, data-rich products" points to a need for a designer who can execute sophisticated visual design while deeply understanding the user's interaction with complex information. The explicit mention of Figma is a key technical requirement.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A strong commercial portfolio is essential, showcasing original visual craft and the ability to handle genuine complexity in interface design, not just assembled components.

• The portfolio should demonstrate experience in designing for information-dense, data-rich products where translating complex analytical outputs into clear, navigable interfaces was a primary challenge.

• Examples of user research, usability testing, and how these insights informed design decisions should be evident.

• The portfolio should highlight the candidate's ability to communicate design decisions effectively to diverse stakeholders, including engineers and clients.

• Showcase proficiency in Figma and modern design workflows from concept to developer handoff. Process Documentation:

• While not explicitly detailed as a deliverable, the role requires a deep understanding of the full product design lifecycle, from ideation and user research to prototyping and final UI specifications.

• Experience in developing and maintaining design systems demonstrates a systematic approach to design, ensuring consistency and scalability.

• The ability to simplify complex workflows and data visualizations implies a structured approach to information architecture and user flow design.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio is critically important for this role, serving as the primary evidence of a candidate's ability to meet the core requirements. It needs to showcase not just aesthetic skill but also a rigorous UX process applied to complex, data-driven challenges. This is a key differentiator for operations-minded candidates who can demonstrate structured problem-solving through design.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: AU$118,000 – AU$127,000 per annum (pro-rata for part-time) plus 15.4% superannuation.

Benefits:

• 15.4% Superannuation contribution.

• Flexible work arrangements (discussed during recruitment).

• A range of leave entitlements.

• Career development opportunities.

• Opportunity to contribute to solving Australia's energy transition challenges.

• Work with world-class researchers, engineers, and innovators.

Working Hours: Full-time (40 hours per week), with specified term of 3 years.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is competitive for a senior Product Designer role in Australia. The benefits package emphasizes work-life balance and professional growth, which are attractive to experienced professionals. The 3-year fixed term provides an opportunity for deep engagement on a significant project.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Scientific Research and Development, Energy Sector, Technology Infrastructure. CSIRO is Australia's national science agency, focused on solving major challenges through science and technology.

Company Size: CSIRO is a large, established organization with a significant national and international presence.

Founded: CSIRO was founded in 1926, indicating a long history of scientific innovation and contribution to Australia.

Team Structure:

• The role is within the National Energy Analysis Centre (NEAC), a CSIRO-led initiative.

• NEAC is described as a "next-generation digital research infrastructure."

• The team includes researchers, engineers, innovators, product managers, and clients from government and private industry.

• The designer will collaborate with these diverse groups, acting as a key communicator of complex scientific information through design. Methodology:

• NEAC employs a "systems-science approach," combining technical data with human behavior insights.

• The work involves sophisticated modeling, real-world data networks (Living Lab), and physical infrastructure integration.

• Design is viewed as a form of "science communication," emphasizing clarity, usability, and impact.

• Focus on data-driven decision-making and user-centered design principles.

Company Website: http://www.csiro.au

📝 Enhancement Note: CSIRO's culture emphasizes innovation, collaboration, and solving national challenges. The NEAC team operates at the intersection of cutting-edge research, digital infrastructure, and real-world application, requiring designers to be adaptable, communicative, and scientifically curious. The emphasis on "science communication" through design is a unique cultural element.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a senior-level Product Designer role, focused on specialized digital product development within a scientific research context. It's not a direct operations management role but requires operational excellence in design execution and stakeholder management.

Reporting Structure: The Product Designer will collaborate with researchers, product managers, and engineers. The specific reporting line is not detailed but implies a matrixed structure within the NEAC initiative.

Operations Impact: The role's impact is significant as it directly shapes the user experience of tools and platforms that inform Australia's energy transition. Effective design will drive participation in citizen science and enable critical decision-making for government, research, and commercial partners. The success of NEAC's digital offerings relies heavily on the operational effectiveness of its design.

Growth Opportunities:

• Deep engagement in a high-impact, multi-year project addressing critical national challenges (energy transition).

• Opportunity to work with world-class experts in science, research, and engineering.

• Development of specialized skills in designing for complex data, scientific communication, and large-scale digital infrastructure.

• Potential to contribute to the establishment and evolution of a significant national research asset.

• Exposure to a wide range of stakeholders from government, industry, and the public.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title is "Product Designer," the role demands operational rigor in managing the design process from concept to implementation, collaborating across diverse teams, and ensuring the usability and impact of complex scientific digital tools. Growth lies in deepening expertise in this specialized domain and contributing to a project of national significance.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid model, with designated office locations in Canberra, Hobart, Melbourne, and Newcastle, or other major CSIRO Energy sites. This suggests a blend of collaborative office work and remote flexibility.

Office Location(s): Canberra (ACT), Hobart (TAS), Melbourne (VIC), Newcastle (NSW), and potentially other major CSIRO Energy sites.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative environment involving researchers, engineers, product managers, and external clients.

• Access to CSIRO facilities for testing and simulation may be a factor.

• The role requires balancing individual design work with intensive collaboration and stakeholder engagement.

• The design team is likely integrated within the broader NEAC initiative, fostering a dynamic and interdisciplinary workspace.

Work Schedule: Full-time (40 hours per week) over a 3-year specified term. Flexible work arrangements are supported and can be discussed during the recruitment process, aligning with CSIRO's broader flexible work policies.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid nature of the role and the availability of multiple office locations offer flexibility. The collaborative aspect is key, requiring strong communication and interpersonal skills to navigate interactions with a diverse group of scientific and technical professionals.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Application: Submit CV with a link to a portfolio.

• Portfolio Review: Crucial stage where the quality of visual craft, UX process, and experience with complex data products will be assessed.

• Interviews: Likely to involve discussions about portfolio projects, design thinking, problem-solving approaches, user research methodologies, and collaboration skills. Expect questions about how you've handled complexity and communicated design decisions.

• Potential for Design Challenge: A practical design exercise or case study presentation may be part of the process to assess real-time design thinking and communication.

• Final Round: May involve meeting with key stakeholders, researchers, and leadership to assess cultural fit and strategic alignment.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Showcase Complexity: Highlight projects where you translated complex data or analytical workflows into intuitive interfaces. Emphasize the "original visual craft" and "genuine complexity" CSIRO seeks.

• Figma Proficiency: Clearly demonstrate your Figma workflow, from ideation to developer handoff, and how you leverage its features.

• User Research Integration: Include case studies that detail your user research process, usability testing, and how you incorporated feedback to iterate on designs.

• Communication Examples: Showcase how you presented design decisions and collaborated with engineers and stakeholders.

• Visual Storytelling: Include examples of how you used design to communicate complex ideas or present NEAC's value proposition.

• Accessibility: If applicable, demonstrate your understanding and application of WCAG standards.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand NEAC's Mission: Research the National Energy Analysis Centre, its goals (energy transition, net zero), and its components (Living Lab, Systems Science Toolbox).

• Data Visualization Principles: Be prepared to discuss how you approach designing effective data visualizations for scientific and technical information.

• Science Communication: Think about how design can serve as a communication tool for complex scientific concepts.

• Stakeholder Empathy: Prepare to discuss how you would approach understanding and designing for diverse user groups, from households to government policymakers.

📝 Enhancement Note: The application process heavily emphasizes the portfolio. Candidates must curate their portfolio to directly address the "commercial portfolio demonstrating original visual craft and the ability to handle genuine complexity" requirement. This is where operations candidates can demonstrate their structured approach to problem-solving and impact.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Explicitly stated as a mastery requirement for modern design workflows, from early concepts through to developer collaboration.

• Prototyping Tools: Implied by the need for interactive prototypes (likely within Figma or similar tools).

• Design System Tools: Experience in developing and maintaining design systems is essential.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not a primary focus for the designer, an understanding of how data is visualized and used is critical. Experience with data visualization principles is required. CRM & Automation:

• Not directly mentioned for this role. Other Potential Tools:

• User Research & Testing Platforms: Tools for conducting and analyzing user research and usability testing.

• Front-end Development Context: Familiarity with React, HTML/CSS is beneficial for collaboration with engineers, though not a primary skill requirement.

📝 Enhancement Note: Figma is the critical tool requirement. Demonstrating proficiency and a sophisticated workflow within Figma is paramount. While not a direct operations tool, mastery of these design tools is essential for the operational delivery of the product's user interface and experience.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• People First: Emphasized through CSIRO's commitment to inclusion and belonging, and supporting flexible work arrangements.

• Further Together: Highlighted by the collaborative nature of the NEAC project, involving diverse teams and external stakeholders.

• Making it Real: Reflected in the focus on designing practical, production-ready interfaces and contributing to tangible solutions for the energy transition.

• Trusted: Implied by CSIRO's role as a national science agency and the importance of accurate, clear communication of scientific information.

Collaboration Style:

• Highly collaborative, working across disciplines (researchers, engineers, product managers, clients).

• Design is viewed as "science communication," requiring clear articulation of ideas and user needs.

• Emphasis on user-centered design, incorporating feedback from diverse stakeholders.

• Openness to discussing flexible work arrangements and fostering an inclusive environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: CSIRO's values of "People First," "Further Together," "Making it Real," and "Trusted" provide a framework for understanding the desired collaborative and impact-driven approach. For a designer, this means being a proactive, communicative, and reliable team member focused on delivering tangible, user-centric solutions.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Translating highly complex scientific data and analytical workflows into intuitive, user-friendly interfaces for diverse audiences.

• Balancing the demands of creating "original visual craft" with rigorous UX process and engineering implementation.

• Communicating effectively across a wide range of stakeholders with varying technical backgrounds and priorities.

• Maintaining design consistency and quality across a complex digital ecosystem (Living Lab, Toolbox, websites, etc.).

• Working within a fixed-term role, requiring focus and impact within a defined period. Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deep dive into the energy transition sector and its scientific underpinnings.

• Enhance skills in designing for complex data visualization and scientific communication.

• Grow expertise in building and managing robust design systems for large-scale projects.

• Develop advanced user research techniques for scientific and public engagement.

• Gain experience in cross-disciplinary collaboration within a leading national research organization.

• Potential for mentorship from experienced researchers and engineers.

📝 Enhancement Note: The primary challenge is the unique nature of translating complex scientific research into accessible digital products. Growth opportunities are tied to developing specialized expertise in this niche area and contributing to a project of national importance.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• Design Process & Complexity: "Describe a complex data-rich product you designed. How did you approach translating its analytical outputs into a clear, navigable interface? What was your specific contribution, and what were the key challenges?" (Focus on demonstrating visual craft and UX rigor.)

• Figma Workflow: "Walk us through your typical Figma workflow, from initial concept to developer handoff. How do you ensure consistency and collaboration with engineers using Figma?" (Prepare to show specific examples from your portfolio.)

• User Research & Stakeholder Management: "Tell us about a time you conducted user research or usability testing for a complex product. How did you identify user needs, and how did you translate those insights into design changes? How did you manage stakeholder expectations throughout this process?"

• Science Communication through Design: "How do you approach designing for audiences with varied technical expertise? Give an example of how you've used design to communicate complex scientific information effectively."

• Design System Philosophy: "What are your principles for building and maintaining a design system? How do you ensure it remains useful and evolves with product needs?"

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about CSIRO and the National Energy Analysis Centre's mission to address Australia's energy transition challenges?"

• "How do you see design contributing to science communication and driving real-world impact in a research organization like CSIRO?"

• "Describe your ideal collaborative environment when working with researchers, engineers, and product managers." Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your role, the process you followed (emphasizing research and iteration), the solutions you designed, and the impact or outcome.

• Highlight Complexity: Specifically call out projects that demonstrate your ability to handle "information-dense, data-rich products" and "genuine complexity."

• Showcase Figma Use: Demonstrate your Figma skills through interactive prototypes or detailed walkthroughs of your design process within the tool.

• Quantify Impact (if possible): While difficult for design roles, any metrics on user engagement, task completion rates, or stakeholder satisfaction related to your designs are valuable.

• Emphasize Communication: Be prepared to clearly articulate your design decisions and the rationale behind them.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating a blend of design artistry and operational rigor. Candidates need to show they can not only design beautifully but also apply a structured, user-centered process to solve complex problems and communicate effectively with technical and non-technical stakeholders.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Product Designer position:

• Submit your application online through the CSIRO jobs portal.

• Crucially, include a link to your professional portfolio in your CV. Ensure your portfolio is well-organized, showcases relevant projects, and directly addresses the requirements for visual craft, UX process, and experience with complex data products.

• Tailor your CV to highlight your experience with Figma, user research, design systems, and designing for data-rich environments. Use keywords from the job description.

• Prepare to discuss specific projects from your portfolio during interviews, focusing on your design process, problem-solving approach, and collaboration experiences.

• Research CSIRO and NEAC: Understand their mission, values, and the significance of the energy transition in Australia. This will help you articulate your motivation and alignment with the role.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and industry-standard assumptions tailored for operations-adjacent roles. All details, especially regarding specific interview processes and expectations, should be verified directly with the hiring organization through the provided contact person or the official position description.