Senior UX Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior UX Designer

Company: Tes

Location: Sheffield, England, United Kingdom (Hybrid) / Talbot Green, Wales, United Kingdom (Hybrid) / London, England, United Kingdom (Hybrid)

Job Type: Full-time, Permanent

Category: Product Design / UX Operations

Date Posted: April 17, 2026

Experience Level: 5-10 Years

Remote Status: Hybrid (3 days in office)

🚀 Role Summary

• This Senior UX Designer role is pivotal in driving a significant organizational transformation within Tes, focusing on strategic business design and system logic rather than just screen design.

• You will act as a practitioner-first leader, deeply involved in the entire design lifecycle, from initial concept ("why") to final implementation ("how"), bridging business goals with user needs.

• The position requires hands-on expertise in design tools like Figma, creating wireframes, and building prototypes that demonstrate complex functionality, while also mentoring junior designers.

• A key aspect of this role involves defining and improving design processes, including the global "Definition of Ready," and contributing to the governance and scalability of a new design system.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title is "Senior UX Designer," the description emphasizes a strong need for strategic thinking, process definition, and leadership within the design function, suggesting this role has elements of a Design Operations or Lead UX Designer profile, particularly given the "organizational transformation" context. The emphasis on "designing systems of logic" and "defining the manual" points to a need for a candidate who can architect and optimize design processes and frameworks.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Mastery of Craft & Hands-on Delivery: Own the design output for assigned streams, creating detailed wireframes, interactive prototypes using Figma, and demonstrating complex functionality to support cross-functional teams.

• Leading by Example & Mentorship: Set high standards for design quality, including component design, auto layout, and file organization. Mentor and guide more junior members of the Global UX Team to elevate overall design capabilities.

• Strategic Discovery Leadership: Define and lead discovery strategies, translating vague business objectives into validated, de-risked product directions through user research and analysis.

• Information Architecture & Flow Design: Develop and refine complex user flows and information architecture, ensuring logical guardrails are established before high-fidelity design commences, in partnership with researchers and other designers.

• Stakeholder Diplomacy & Collaboration: Act as a peer to Product Managers, navigating fast-paced delivery cycles, using data and logical reasoning to maintain scope focus, and fostering strong cross-functional relationships.

• Design Ops & Process Definition: Contribute to defining global design processes, such as the "Definition of Ready," and ensure alignment across UK and Australia teams. Help govern the scalability of the new design system, focusing on tokens, logic, and documentation.

• Design System Governance: Manage and scale the company's new design system, ensuring consistency, efficiency, and adherence to best practices in component usage, tokens, and documentation.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of individual contribution ("hands-on delivery") and strategic leadership ("defining discovery strategy," "defining processes"). The focus on "designing systems of logic" and "governance" indicates that candidates should be prepared to discuss their experience in process improvement and system architecture within design.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: [Not specified, but a degree in Design, HCI, Computer Science, or a related field is often preferred for senior roles.]

Experience: 5+ years of experience in UX/Product Design roles. Experience in a SaaS organization, particularly during a transformation period, or within the EdTech sector is highly advantageous.

Required Skills:

• UX/Product Design Expertise: Proven track record of delivering high-quality UX and product designs across the full lifecycle.

• Figma Proficiency: Advanced proficiency in Figma for wireframing, prototyping, component creation, and auto layout.

• Information Architecture (IA): Deep understanding and practical application of IA principles to map complex, multi-state ecosystems.

• Prototyping & Wireframing: Ability to create detailed wireframes and functional prototypes to communicate design concepts and user flows.

• Design System Management: Experience in contributing to or managing design systems, including understanding of tokens, components, and documentation.

• Discovery & Research: Ability to lead or significantly contribute to user research and discovery phases, translating insights into design strategies.

• Strategic Thinking: Capacity to connect design solutions to business goals, KPIs, and ROI.

• Mentorship Capabilities: Experience guiding and mentoring junior designers.

Preferred Skills:

• SaaS Product Design: Prior experience designing for Software-as-a-Service platforms.

• EdTech Experience: Familiarity with the education technology landscape and its specific user needs.

• Organizational Transformation: Experience working within companies undergoing significant structural or strategic change.

• Service Mapping & Logic Flows: Proficiency in creating service maps and defining logical flows for complex systems.

• Agile Methodologies: Experience working within Agile development environments.

• Stakeholder Management: Proven ability to effectively communicate and negotiate with product, engineering, and business stakeholders.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "5+ years" is a baseline; the emphasis on "organizational transformation" and "strategic business design" suggests that candidates with 7-10 years of experience or those who have led significant design initiatives in similar contexts will be highly competitive. The mention of "5% pension after probation" and "25 days annual leave rising to 30" suggests a UK-centric role, aligning with the listed locations.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Comprehensive Case Studies: Showcase 3-5 detailed case studies demonstrating your end-to-end design process, from problem definition and discovery to solution delivery and impact.

• Strategic Deliverables: Include examples of strategic outputs such as service maps, logic flows, and information architecture diagrams that illustrate your ability to design systems of logic.

• Figma Proficiency Showcase: Highlight your proficiency in Figma through examples of complex prototypes, well-organized component libraries, and effective use of auto layout.

• Impact & ROI Demonstration: Clearly articulate the business impact and ROI of your design solutions, referencing KPIs and business outcomes achieved.

Process Documentation:

• Process Improvement Examples: Detail instances where you have contributed to defining, refining, or implementing design processes, such as the "Definition of Ready" or design system governance.

• Design System Contribution: Showcase your understanding of design system principles, including contributions to component libraries, token management, and documentation standards.

• Cross-functional Collaboration Workflows: Illustrate how you have collaborated with Product Managers, Researchers, and Engineers, including examples of bridging gaps and navigating delivery phases.

• Mentorship Contributions: Provide evidence of how you have mentored junior designers, setting new standards for design quality and practice.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the role's emphasis on "defining the manual" and "Design Ops & Governance," candidates should be prepared to present not just the output of their work (designs) but also the process and systems they have influenced or built. A portfolio that clearly articulates how they've improved design workflows, standardized practices, or scaled design systems will be highly valued.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: £55,000 - £65,000 per annum. This range is based on the provided data and aligns with senior-level UX/Product Design roles in the UK tech sector, considering the specified locations and experience level.

Benefits:

• Generous Leave: 25 days of annual leave, increasing to 30 days with tenure.

• Pension Scheme: 5% pension contribution after probation period.

• Modern Offices: Access to state-of-the-art office spaces in Sheffield, Talbot Green, or London.

• Comprehensive Benefits Platform: Access to a wide range of benefits through "My Benefits World."

• Health & Wellness: Free eye care cover and an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP).

• Life Assurance: Standard life assurance coverage.

• Commuting Support: Cycle to Work Scheme available.

• Social & Development: Quarterly Tes Socials and access to an extensive Learning and Development menu.

Working Hours: Standard full-time hours (approximately 40 hours per week), with a hybrid work arrangement requiring 3 days per week in the office.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is derived from the input data, which specifies "£55,000" to "£65,000" per annum, correcting the initial "HOUR" unit from the raw data to "YEAR" based on common industry practice for this role and salary level in the UK. The benefits listed are directly extracted from the provided text and are comprehensive for a senior role in the UK tech industry.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: EdTech (Education Technology) - Tes operates at the intersection of education and technology, providing digital solutions to schools worldwide. This industry context implies a mission-driven environment focused on improving educational outcomes and supporting educators.

Company Size: [Not explicitly stated, but with a Global UX Team of 15 designers and researchers, and operations in over 100 countries, Tes is likely a mid-to-large sized global organization.]

Founded: Over 100 years ago, indicating a long-standing presence and deep understanding of the education sector, now evolving with modern EdTech solutions.

Team Structure:

• Global UX Team: You will be part of a Global UX Team of 15 seasoned Designers and Researchers, indicating a significant investment in user experience.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: The role requires close partnership with Product Managers and Engineers, working within cross-functional teams to deliver product features.

• Decentralized Design Leadership: While there's a Design Leadership structure, the emphasis on "practitioner first" and "lead by doing" suggests an environment where senior individual contributors have substantial influence.

Methodology:

• User-Centric Transformation: The company is undergoing an "organizational transformation" with a focus on bridging business goals and user needs through design.

• Hands-on & Collaborative: The team values in-person workshops, creative design sessions, and a fun, supportive working environment.

• Process-Oriented Development: Emphasis on defining strategic deliverables (service maps, logic flows) and improving design processes (Definition of Ready, design system governance).

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

📝 Enhancement Note: The description emphasizes a company in the midst of transformation, which means the culture may be dynamic and evolving. The "chaotic" phase mentioned suggests a need for candidates comfortable with ambiguity and proactive in shaping processes and strategy. The "practitioner first" approach combined with strategic oversight indicates a culture that values both deep expertise and forward-thinking leadership.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Senior-level individual contributor role with significant strategic influence. It's positioned for someone who excels in design execution but also wants to shape design strategy, processes, and systems, acting as a mentor and setting new standards. It's a step towards potential Design Leadership or specialized Senior/Principal UX roles focused on architecture and operations.

Reporting Structure: While not explicitly detailed, the role reports into Design Leadership and works closely with Product Managers. The "practitioner first" approach and "high autonomy" suggest a reporting line that empowers senior individuals to drive their work independently, with regular check-ins and strategic alignment with leadership.

Operations Impact: The Senior UX Designer will have a direct impact on how Tes designs its products, influencing the user experience for millions of educators and students globally. By bridging business goals with user needs and driving strategic design initiatives, the role contributes to the company's mission of powering schools and enabling great teaching, ultimately affecting user adoption, satisfaction, and business outcomes (KPIs, ROI).

Growth Opportunities:

• Strategic Design Leadership: Opportunity to significantly influence the company's design strategy and direction during a critical transformation phase.

• Process & System Architecture: Shape and define core design operations processes and contribute to the scalability and governance of a new design system.

• Mentorship & Team Development: Grow leadership skills by mentoring junior designers and setting new benchmarks for design quality and practice.

• Specialization: Develop deep expertise in areas like complex IA, strategic discovery, and design system governance.

• Career Advancement: Potential to move into Principal UX Designer, Lead UX Designer, or Design Operations Manager roles within Tes.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role is explicitly positioned as an opportunity to "take the next step in your design journey" and "support Design leadership at a strategic level." This indicates a clear growth path for individuals who can demonstrate strategic impact and leadership beyond pure design execution. The mention of "moving away from the tools and into management" implies that while this role is practitioner-focused, it's a stepping stone for those aspiring to leadership or management roles.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid model, requiring 3 days per week in the office. This suggests a blend of focused individual work at home and collaborative, in-person interaction in modern office spaces.

Office Location(s): Candidates can be based in Sheffield, Talbot Green, or London. This offers flexibility in geographical choice within the UK.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Hubs: The offices are described as "state of the art" and are designed to support "in person workshops" and "creative design sessions," fostering team collaboration and innovation.

• Tooling and Technology: While not explicitly detailed, the emphasis on Figma and design systems implies access to modern design software and infrastructure.

• Team Interaction: The hybrid model facilitates regular interaction with the Global UX Team, researchers, product managers, and other stakeholders, fostering a strong sense of team and shared purpose.

Work Schedule: Full-time, permanent position with a hybrid arrangement. Standard working hours are expected, with potential for flexibility given the nature of design work and the company's emphasis on autonomy. The hybrid schedule requires specific days in the office, facilitating structured collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "state of the art offices" and "hybrid, includes 3 days each week in the office" points to a modern work environment designed to balance flexibility with the benefits of in-person collaboration, which is particularly highlighted for workshops and creative sessions.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Review of CV and portfolio to assess experience, skills, and alignment with the role's requirements.

• Design Challenge/Case Study Presentation: Expect to present one or more detailed case studies from your portfolio, showcasing your strategic thinking, design process, and problem-solving abilities. This may involve a practical design exercise.

• Stakeholder/Team Interviews: Interviews with Design Leadership, Product Managers, and potentially other UX/Research team members to evaluate your technical skills, strategic approach, collaboration style, and cultural fit.

• Final Interview: Potentially with senior leadership to discuss strategic vision and overall fit.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Strategic Focus: Prioritize case studies that demonstrate your ability to design "systems of logic," solve complex IA challenges, and connect design to business outcomes (KPIs, ROI).

• Process Documentation: Clearly articulate your design process, highlighting how you define discovery strategies, balance stakeholder needs, and contribute to design operations and governance.

• Figma & System Examples: Showcase your proficiency in Figma, including complex prototypes, well-organized design systems, and effective use of auto layout.

• Mentorship Evidence: Include examples or discuss how you have mentored junior designers.

• Transformation Context: If applicable, highlight experience working within companies undergoing significant change or transformation.

Challenge Preparation:

• Strategic Problem Solving: Be prepared to tackle problems that require designing systems and logic, not just interfaces. Think about information architecture, user flows, and how different parts of a system interact.

• Process Improvement Thinking: Consider how you would approach defining the "Definition of Ready" or improving design system governance.

• Stakeholder Navigation: Prepare to discuss how you manage conflicting priorities and use data and logic to influence stakeholders in a fast-paced environment.

• Company Mission Alignment: Understand Tes's mission in EdTech and how your design approach can contribute to empowering educators and schools.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process will likely heavily scrutinize the candidate's ability to "design systems of logic" and contribute to "Design Ops & Governance." Candidates should prepare to articulate their experience in process definition, system thinking, and strategic influence, using their portfolio as evidence.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: This is explicitly mentioned as a core tool for wireframing, prototyping, and component creation. Advanced proficiency is expected.

• Prototyping Tools: Beyond Figma, other prototyping tools might be leveraged for specific needs, though Figma is the primary stated tool.

• Design System Tools: Familiarity with tools and methodologies for managing design tokens, components, and documentation within a design system.

Analytics & Reporting:

• User Research Platforms: While not specified, experience with tools for conducting user interviews, usability testing, and gathering qualitative data is implied by the "discovery strategy" and "research" responsibilities.

• Data Analysis Tools: The role requires understanding KPIs and ROI, suggesting familiarity with tools that can help track and report on product performance and user behavior, though specific tools are not listed.

CRM & Automation:

• Product Management Tools: Collaboration with Product Managers suggests familiarity with tools like Jira, Confluence, or similar platforms used for project management and documentation.

• Internal Communication Tools: Proficiency with tools like Slack or Microsoft Teams is standard for hybrid and cross-functional team collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The core technology focus is clearly on Figma and design system management. While other tools are implicit (research, analytics, project management), candidates should highlight their expertise in Figma and their understanding of design system architecture and governance.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Mission-Driven: A strong commitment to "powering schools and enabling great teaching worldwide" is fundamental.

• User-Centricity: A deep focus on understanding and meeting user needs, ensuring that "if you don't have fun creating it, users won't have fun using it!"

• Collaboration & Support: The team values backing each other up, working as "one big team," and fostering a fun, supportive environment.

• Strategic Impact & Autonomy: Valuing individuals who can drive strategic initiatives and operate with "high autonomy," taking ownership of their work.

• Process Improvement & Efficiency: A desire to define and refine processes, improve design systems, and drive efficiency through logical design.

• Pragmatism: Balancing ideal design solutions with business momentum, knowing when to "ship a 'Version 1'."

Collaboration Style:

• In-Person Workshops & Sessions: A preference for collaborative, hands-on sessions in the office to foster creativity and alignment.

• Peer-to-Peer Mentorship: Senior designers are expected to mentor and support junior team members, fostering a culture of continuous learning and skill development.

• Cross-functional Partnership: Working closely and collaboratively with Product Managers, Researchers, and Engineers as peers.

• Open Communication: Encouraging transparency and mutual support within the team, even when working on separate streams of work.

📝 Enhancement Note: The culture appears to be a blend of high-achieving, mission-focused EdTech professionals with a strong emphasis on collaboration, fun, and individual autonomy, especially for senior members. The "chaotic" transformation phase implies a culture that rewards proactivity and adaptability.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Navigating Transformation: Working within a company that is "in the middle of an organisational transformation" can present ambiguity and evolving priorities. Candidates must be adaptable and proactive.

• Balancing Strategic & Tactical: The role demands both hands-on design execution and strategic leadership, requiring the ability to switch contexts effectively.

• Defining New Processes: Contributing to defining global design processes and design system governance means building frameworks where they may not yet exist or are nascent.

• Stakeholder Alignment: As a "peer to Product colleagues," navigating fast-paced delivery and using "data and logic to keep the scope focused" can be challenging.

• Mentorship Escalation: Acting as a "point of escalation for more junior members" requires patience, strong communication, and problem-solving skills.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Strategic Design Influence: Opportunity to shape the future of product design at a global EdTech company during a key growth phase.

• Process Architecture: Gain experience in defining and implementing core Design Operations principles and frameworks.

• Design System Maturity: Contribute to the growth and scalability of a new, global design system.

• Leadership Development: Develop leadership capabilities through mentorship and by setting design standards.

• Industry Exposure: Work within the EdTech sector, a growing and impactful industry.

📝 Enhancement Note: The primary challenge is navigating the "chaotic" transformation phase. Candidates who thrive in environments where they can define processes and shape strategy will find significant growth opportunities here. The role is framed as an opportunity to "look back in a years’ time and say ‘I helped shaped how this company designs products’."

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to design a complex system of logic or information architecture. What was your approach, and what were the key challenges?" (Focus on IA, system design, and problem-solving)

• "How would you define a 'Definition of Ready' for design deliverables within a fast-paced, transforming organization like Tes?" (Focus on process definition, collaboration, and pragmatic delivery)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you about Tes's mission in EdTech, and how does your design philosophy align with it?" (Focus on company mission and personal values)

• "How do you approach mentoring junior designers and setting new standards for design quality?" (Focus on leadership, mentorship, and raising the bar)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, clearly outline the problem, your role, the process you followed, the solutions you designed, and the impact achieved. Emphasize strategic deliverables like service maps and logic flows.

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals of your Figma work (wireframes, prototypes, design system components) and explain your rationale clearly.

• Highlight Process & Systems: Dedicate time to discussing how you approached discovery, IA, and any contributions to design processes or systems. Demonstrate your understanding of Design Ops.

• Quantify Impact: Wherever possible, use metrics (KPIs, ROI) to demonstrate the success of your designs. Be prepared to discuss how you measured impact.

• Engage and Discuss: Be ready for interactive discussions, questions about your decisions, and potential follow-up challenges.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparation should heavily focus on demonstrating strategic thinking, process definition capabilities, and an understanding of how to operate within a dynamic, transforming organization. Candidates should be ready to discuss their experience with design systems and how they've influenced design quality and efficiency.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior UX Designer position:

• Submit Your Application: Utilize the provided application link through the Dayforce candidate portal.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 3-5 of your most impactful case studies. Prioritize those that showcase your strategic thinking, experience with complex IA and logic flows, proficiency in Figma, and any contributions to design systems or process improvement. Ensure it highlights your ability to drive business outcomes.

• Tailor Your CV: Update your resume to emphasize your 5+ years of UX/Product Design experience, specifically highlighting any SaaS, EdTech, or organizational transformation experience. Use keywords from the job description like "Information Architecture," "Design Systems," "Figma," "Discovery Strategy," and "Design Ops."

• Prepare Your Presentation: Practice walking through your portfolio case studies, focusing on your strategic approach, problem-solving skills, and the impact of your work. Be ready to discuss your experience in mentoring and defining design processes.

• Research Tes: Familiarize yourself with Tes's mission, products, and the EdTech industry. Understand their current transformation phase and how your skills can contribute to their goals.

⚠️ 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.

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