Senior UX Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior UX Designer

Company: AIA

Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia & Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Job Type: Full time (Contractor)

Category: User Experience (UX) Design / Digital Product Design

Date Posted: 2026-09-06

Experience Level: 5-10 years

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead and define end-to-end experience strategy for complex digital products and customer journeys, balancing customer needs, commercial objectives, and regulatory requirements.

• Provide senior-level UX and UI design leadership, ensuring high standards of quality, usability, accessibility, and visual coherence across all digital touchpoints.

• Drive system thinking and champion the adoption of the Group Design System to ensure consistent, scalable, and accessible experiences across markets and channels.

• Partner closely with CX, Digital Product, Technology, and senior stakeholders to influence experience roadmaps, prioritize backlogs, and guide strategic trade-offs based on customer value and business impact.

• Utilize user research, data, and performance metrics to inform design decisions, reduce experience risk, and continuously improve design practice maturity and efficiency.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is a nine-month contingent contract focused on leveraging AI and automation to enhance digital product delivery and operational efficiency within AIA Australia. The emphasis on "Future Fit" and "Enterprise Digital objectives" indicates a strategic, forward-looking approach to design within a large, established financial services organization.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Define and execute comprehensive experience strategies for complex customer journeys and digital portfolios, translating business objectives into cohesive, future-focused design frameworks.

• Provide hands-on UX and UI design leadership, ensuring the quality, usability, accessibility, and visual consistency of digital products and services.

• Resolve complex design challenges, establish clear experience guardrails, and maintain high standards of execution through direct design contributions.

• Influence cross-functional priorities and foster collaboration among CX, Digital Product, Technology, and senior leadership to shape experience roadmaps and guide decision-making.

• Champion system thinking, embed and govern the Group Design System, and drive accessibility maturity beyond compliance requirements.

• Identify and promote the use of reusable design patterns to ensure scalable and consistent experiences across various markets and channels.

• Drive evidence-led outcomes by using insights, validation data, and performance measures to improve customer and business results.

• Uplift the Design Practice through coaching, mentorship, and continuous improvement of design standards and operational workflows.

• Leverage AI and automation tools to simplify processes, reduce complexity, and enhance the ease with which customers access services.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of strategic leadership, hands-on design execution, and a strong focus on operational efficiency through AI and automation. The role requires influencing stakeholders and embedding design best practices within an Agile framework.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Tertiary qualification (or equivalent formal education) in design, psychology, business, technology, or IT, with a strong foundation in human-centered digital disciplines.

Experience: Extensive experience (5-10 years) in UX, UI, and user research within complex digital product or service environments.

Required Skills:

• Expertise in experience strategy and end-to-end design, including defining, governing, and evolving customer journeys across multiple touchpoints and channels.

• Strong hands-on design capability across web, responsive, and mobile platforms, with exceptional attention to usability, accessibility, consistency, and visual quality.

• Proven ability to integrate user research, data, and insights into experience direction and design decisions.

• Skill in translating complex problems into clear, scalable solutions using established design systems.

• Solid experience working in Agile environments, collaborating closely with CX, Digital Product, and Technology teams.

• Experience working with AI automation to improve processes and meet customer needs. Preferred Skills:

• Experience in regulated or complex industry domains (e.g., financial services, insurance).

• Demonstrated ability to champion and embed design governance and accessibility maturity.

• Proficiency in systems thinking and identifying reusable design patterns.

• Experience in coaching, mentoring, and uplifting design practice standards.

• Familiarity with prototyping tools and user testing methodologies.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for experience with AI automation is a key differentiator for this role, emphasizing AIA's strategic focus on leveraging technology for operational efficiency and customer service enhancement. The "5-10 years" AI-derived experience level is consistent with a "Senior" role.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase end-to-end design process for complex digital products or services, demonstrating strategic thinking from problem definition to solution implementation.

• Include examples of customer journey mapping, user flow diagrams, wireframes, interactive prototypes, and high-fidelity UI designs.

• Present case studies that highlight the integration of user research, data analysis, and performance metrics to inform design decisions and measure impact.

• Demonstrate experience with design systems, showcasing how they were applied, extended, or contributed to, ensuring consistency and scalability.

• Provide evidence of work on accessibility standards and how inclusive design principles were applied.

• Include examples of AI automation integration or process simplification initiatives within digital products. Process Documentation:

• Document the stages of the design process, from discovery and research to ideation, prototyping, testing, and final delivery.

• Illustrate how user feedback and data analytics were used to iterate and refine designs throughout the project lifecycle.

• Detail the approach to collaborating with cross-functional teams (Product, Engineering, Business) to ensure alignment and successful implementation.

• Showcase methods for ensuring design quality, consistency, and adherence to brand guidelines and accessibility standards.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Senior UX Designer role, the portfolio should clearly articulate strategic thinking, problem-solving methodologies, and quantifiable outcomes. Emphasis on AI integration and process efficiency will be crucial.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on industry benchmarks for Senior UX Designers in Melbourne and Sydney, Australia, with 5-10 years of experience in a hybrid environment within the financial services sector, a competitive salary range for this 9-month contract would typically be AUD $130,000 - $170,000 per annum (pro-rata). This estimate accounts for the senior level, specialized skills in AI integration, and the contract duration, considering the cost of living and market demand in these major Australian cities.

Benefits:

• Access to comprehensive training and development programs to enhance current skills and explore new areas.

• Opportunities for career development and advancement through internal mobility.

• Additional leave days per year to support personal well-being and work-life balance.

• Participation in engaging health and wellbeing initiatives designed to support employees.

• Flexible working arrangement: 3 days in the office and 2 days working from home.

• Opportunity to work for a leading life insurance group making a tangible difference in millions of Australians' lives.

Working Hours: Standard full-time hours, estimated at 40 hours per week, with a hybrid work arrangement allowing for flexibility.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary is estimated based on typical market rates for senior-level UX design contractors in major Australian cities, considering the specified experience level and industry. The contract nature of the role is factored into the annualised range.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Financial Services (Life Insurance)

Company Size: AIA Group is a large, pan-Asian life insurance group, with AIA Australia serving over 3.5 million Australians. This implies a significant corporate structure with established processes and a large employee base.

Founded: AIA Group was founded in 1919. AIA Australia operates as a major entity within this global group.

Team Structure:

• The Senior UX Designer will likely be part of a broader Digital or Experience Design team, potentially embedded within specific project teams or product squads.

• Collaboration will be key, involving close partnerships with Digital Product Managers, CX specialists, Technology/Engineering teams, Business Analysts, and senior stakeholders.

• The role requires influencing priorities and guiding decisions across various departments, indicating a matrixed or highly collaborative organizational structure. Methodology:

• Data-Driven Design: Emphasis on using insights, validation, and performance measures to inform design decisions and demonstrate impact.

• Human-Centered Design: Core to the UX discipline, focusing on understanding and meeting customer needs.

• Agile Development: Working within Agile environments necessitates iterative design, rapid prototyping, and close collaboration with development teams.

• Systems Thinking: Understanding how individual components interact within a larger system to create cohesive and scalable experiences.

• AI & Automation Integration: A strategic focus on leveraging these technologies to simplify processes and improve efficiency.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: AIA's culture is driven by its purpose to help people live Healthier, Longer, Better Lives, which influences its approach to customer service and employee well-being. The "Life Insurance Company of the Year" award suggests a commitment to excellence and customer focus.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Senior UX Designer. This role operates at a senior individual contributor level, responsible for strategic direction, complex problem-solving, and mentoring junior designers. It requires significant autonomy and the ability to influence design outcomes across substantial digital portfolios.

Reporting Structure: The role likely reports to a Head of UX, Design Lead, or a Digital Product Director. The Senior UX Designer will collaborate with various functional leaders (CX, Digital Product, Technology) and report progress and strategic recommendations to senior management.

Operations Impact: The Senior UX Designer's work directly impacts the customer experience across AIA's digital platforms, influencing customer acquisition, retention, service utilization, and overall satisfaction. By driving efficiency through AI and automation, the role contributes to operational cost savings and enables the business to scale effectively, supporting AIA's mission of helping Australians live healthier, longer, better lives.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Specialization: Deepen expertise in AI-driven design, accessibility, or specific areas of experience strategy.

• Leadership Development: Potential to move into a Lead UX Designer, UX Manager, or Design Strategist role, managing teams and larger initiatives.

• Cross-Functional Exposure: Gain broader understanding of business operations, product management, and technology architecture within a large financial institution.

• Industry Expertise: Develop specialized knowledge in the insurance and financial services sector, a valuable asset for future roles.

• Project Leadership: Lead significant digital transformation projects, demonstrating strategic impact and influencing organizational change.

📝 Enhancement Note: While this is a contract role, the "Senior" designation and the nature of the responsibilities indicate opportunities for significant professional development and potential for future permanent roles or high-profile contract engagements within AIA or the broader industry.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid work model, requiring 3 days per week in the office and allowing 2 days of remote work. This suggests a collaborative office environment designed to foster teamwork and innovation, complemented by the flexibility of remote work.

Office Location(s): Melbourne (509 St Kilda Rd) and Sydney, Australia. This dual-location possibility suggests that candidates may be considered for either hub, or that the role might involve occasional travel or collaboration across these sites.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Spaces: Offices are likely equipped with meeting rooms, breakout areas, and potentially design studios to facilitate team collaboration, workshops, and brainstorming sessions.

• Technology & Tools: Access to standard office technology, high-speed internet, and potentially specialized design software and hardware. The emphasis on AI automation might mean access to relevant tools or platforms.

• Team Interaction: Ample opportunities for in-person interaction with design colleagues, product managers, engineers, and business stakeholders, fostering a strong sense of team and shared purpose.

Work Schedule: The role is full-time, with an estimated 40 hours per week. The hybrid model offers flexibility in structuring the work week, allowing for focused individual work at home and collaborative activities in the office.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model is a standard offering in many corporate environments post-pandemic, balancing the benefits of in-person collaboration with employee flexibility. Candidates should clarify expectations regarding specific office days and team presence.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your resume and portfolio to assess experience, skills, and alignment with the role requirements.

• First Interview: Typically with a hiring manager or senior member of the design/product team to discuss experience, motivations, and high-level fit. This stage will likely probe your strategic thinking and leadership capabilities.

• Design Challenge/Case Study Presentation: You may be asked to present a past project from your portfolio, detailing your process, challenges, solutions, and outcomes. Alternatively, a specific design challenge related to AIA's business context might be given.

• Stakeholder Interviews: Interviews with cross-functional partners (e.g., Product, Technology, Business) to assess collaboration style, communication skills, and ability to influence.

• Final Interview: May involve senior leadership to discuss cultural fit, strategic alignment, and overall suitability for the role and contract duration.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 2-3 of your most relevant projects that demonstrate end-to-end UX/UI design, strategic thinking, and impact, particularly those involving complex journeys or AI/automation.

• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your role, the process followed, key decisions made (and why), challenges overcome, and measurable outcomes (e.g., increased conversion, reduced task time, improved satisfaction).

• Highlight AI/Automation: Explicitly showcase any projects where you've incorporated AI or automation to improve user experience or operational efficiency.

• Showcase Design Systems & Accessibility: Demonstrate your understanding and application of design systems and accessibility best practices.

• Prepare for Questions: Be ready to discuss your design rationale, your approach to collaboration, and how you handle trade-offs and feedback.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Business: Research AIA, its purpose, its customer base, and its strategic priorities (e.g., "Future Fit," digital transformation, AI integration).

• Focus on Process: For any design challenge, emphasize your structured approach, user-centered methodology, and how you would gather insights and iterate.

• Communicate Clearly: Practice articulating your thought process and design decisions concisely and persuasively, both verbally and visually.

• Time Management: If given a timed challenge, plan your approach to ensure you cover all key aspects within the allocated time.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on AI automation and operational efficiency suggests that interviewers will be keen to understand how candidates can contribute to these specific strategic goals, beyond standard UX/UI competencies.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• UX/UI Design Software: Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD (or similar industry-standard tools for wireframing, prototyping, and visual design).

• Prototyping Tools: InVision, Marvel, Axure (for interactive prototypes).

• User Research Platforms: UserTesting.com, Maze, Qualtrics, SurveyMonkey (for conducting and analyzing user research).

• Collaboration Tools: Jira, Confluence, Trello (for Agile project management and documentation).

• Design Systems Management: Tools or platforms for accessing and contributing to design systems.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Web Analytics: Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics (for understanding user behavior on digital platforms).

• Data Visualization: Tableau, Power BI (for creating dashboards and reports to communicate insights).

• A/B Testing Tools: Optimizely, VWO (for testing design variations and measuring impact).

CRM & Automation:

• CRM Systems: Salesforce (or similar, for understanding customer data context).

• Automation Platforms: Familiarity with workflow automation principles, potentially including AI-driven automation tools relevant to digital product delivery or customer service processes.

• Integration Tools: Understanding of how digital products integrate with backend systems and third-party services.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in modern design tools like Figma is highly expected. Familiarity with analytics platforms and an understanding of how design impacts business metrics are crucial. Specific experience with AI tools or platforms that leverage AI for design or process automation would be a significant advantage.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Customer-Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and serving customer needs, aligning with AIA's purpose of helping people live Healthier, Longer, Better Lives.

• Excellence & Quality: Striving for high standards in design execution, usability, accessibility, and overall user experience, as evidenced by awards like "Life Insurance Company of the Year."

• Innovation & Improvement: A proactive approach to embracing new technologies like AI and automation to drive efficiency and enhance service delivery.

• Collaboration & Partnership: Working effectively across diverse teams (CX, Digital Product, Technology, Business) to achieve shared goals.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Using insights and performance metrics to guide strategy and validate design choices.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: Expectation to work closely with various departments, acting as a bridge between user needs and business/technical realities.

• Iterative Feedback Loops: Embracing an Agile mindset where continuous feedback from stakeholders and users is integral to the design process.

• Knowledge Sharing: Encouraging the sharing of best practices, design patterns, and learnings within the design team and across the organization.

• Proactive Communication: Maintaining transparent and consistent communication regarding design progress, challenges, and recommendations.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's purpose and recent awards indicate a strong focus on customer well-being and operational excellence. A candidate who aligns with these values and demonstrates a collaborative, proactive approach will be well-suited.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Stakeholder Needs: Navigating competing priorities and requirements from various business units, technology teams, and regulatory bodies.

• Driving Adoption of New Technologies: Championing the integration of AI and automation in design processes and digital products, requiring education and buy-in.

• Maintaining Consistency Across Complex Systems: Ensuring a cohesive and scalable user experience across a broad portfolio of digital products and channels.

• Elevating Design Maturity: Continuously improving design practices and demonstrating the value of UX/UI design to broader business outcomes.

• Contract Duration: Working within a defined nine-month contract period requires efficient delivery and immediate impact.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• AI & Automation in UX: Gaining hands-on experience with how AI can be leveraged to enhance user experiences and streamline design workflows.

• Financial Services Domain Expertise: Deepening knowledge of the insurance industry, its regulatory landscape, and customer needs.

• Strategic Design Leadership: Developing skills in influencing senior stakeholders and shaping enterprise-level digital strategies.

• Design System Evolution: Contributing to and leveraging a mature group-wide design system.

• Agile Transformation: Further refining skills in Agile methodologies and cross-functional team collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are typical of senior roles in large, established organizations undergoing digital transformation. The growth opportunities are significant for a candidate looking to expand their expertise in strategic design, AI, and the financial services sector.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you set and led an experience strategy for a complex digital product or journey. What was your approach, and what were the outcomes?" (Focus on translating enterprise strategy, balancing needs, and your role in defining direction).

• "How do you ensure the quality, usability, and accessibility of UX/UI outcomes, especially when resolving complex design problems?" (Highlight your craft leadership, problem-solving techniques, and commitment to standards).

• "Walk me through a situation where you influenced priorities and collaboration across different departments (e.g., CX, Product, Technology) to shape a product roadmap or backlog." (Demonstrate your stakeholder management and influencing skills).

• "How have you used AI or automation in your design process or within a digital product to simplify processes or improve customer outcomes?" (Be ready with specific examples and quantifiable results). Company & Culture Questions:

• "Based on your research, what do you believe are AIA's key strategic priorities regarding digital transformation and customer experience?" (Show you understand their "Future Fit" vision and purpose).

• "How do you approach embedding and governing a Design System, and what are your strategies for driving accessibility maturity beyond compliance?" (Assess your understanding of scalable design and inclusive practices).

• "Describe your experience working in Agile environments. How do you partner with Product and Technology teams to deliver cohesive omnichannel experiences?" (Evaluate your collaboration and Agile methodology experience). Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure: Begin with an executive summary of the project, followed by the problem statement, your specific role and contributions, the design process (research, ideation, testing, iteration), key design decisions, challenges faced and overcome, and finally, the measurable impact and learnings.

• Visuals: Use clear, well-annotated visuals (user flows, wireframes, mockups, prototypes) to illustrate your process and solutions.

• Quantify Impact: Wherever possible, present data and metrics that demonstrate the success of your design solutions (e.g., conversion rate increases, task completion times reduced, user satisfaction scores improved).

• Connect to AIA: Frame your projects in a way that highlights how your skills and experience can address AIA's stated goals, particularly around AI, automation, and customer experience in the insurance sector.

• Enthusiasm for AI: Clearly articulate your passion and capability in leveraging AI and automation for design and process improvement.

📝 Enhancement Note: Prepare to discuss your experience with AI automation in detail, as it's a specific focus for this role. Be ready to articulate how your design decisions contribute to business outcomes and operational efficiency.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations position:

• Submit your application through the provided Workday link: https://aia.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com/External/job/Melbourne-AU-AIA-Australia/Senior-UX-Designer_JR-69834-1

• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight experience relevant to complex digital product design, experience strategy, AI automation, Agile methodologies, and stakeholder management, using keywords from the job description. Quantify achievements where possible.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 strong case studies that showcase your end-to-end design process, strategic thinking, and impact, with a particular emphasis on any AI/automation integration or process efficiency improvements. Ensure it's easily accessible online.

• Prepare Your Presentation: Practice walking through your portfolio projects, focusing on storytelling, design rationale, and quantifiable outcomes. Be ready to articulate your expertise in AI and automation for design.

• Research AIA: Understand AIA's mission, values, recent achievements (like the ANZIIF award), and strategic focus on "Future Fit" and digital transformation. This will help you tailor your responses and demonstrate genuine interest.

⚠️ 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.