UX Designer (12 Month FTC)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: UX Designer (12 Month FTC)

Company: Lloyds Banking Group

Location: Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Job Type: Full-Time, Temporary

Category: User Experience (UX) Design / Product Design

Date Posted: 2026-04-16

Experience Level: Mid-Senior Level (5+ years implied)

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• This role focuses on end-to-end user experience (UX) design within a large financial institution, requiring collaboration with a full design team and ownership of design output.

• The UX Designer will be responsible for balancing business requirements with user needs, translating user research and usability testing into actionable design improvements.

• A key aspect involves leveraging and extending existing design systems to create cohesive and user-friendly interfaces across various platforms.

• The position emphasizes advocating for inclusive and accessible design principles to cater to a diverse customer base.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the job title is "UX Designer," the description heavily emphasizes "Interaction Design" and the ability to craft "end-to-end user experience," suggesting a role that bridges traditional UX research and detailed UI/interaction design. The "12 Month FTC" (Fixed-Term Contract) indicates a project-based or temporary need within the organization. The mention of "Agentic AI experience is highly beneficial" points towards a forward-looking approach to design within the company's digital transformation efforts.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Craft End-to-End User Journeys: Skillfully design comprehensive user experiences, integrating components from a central design system to achieve an optimal balance of content and UI elements.

• Prototyping and Visualization: Bring designs to life using prototyping software (e.g., Sketch, InVision, Figma, Axure, Adobe XD) to effectively communicate user flows and interface interactions.

• User-Centric Design Integration: Gather and interpret user research and usability testing findings to inform design decisions, ensuring alignment with customer needs while diplomatically managing business requirements.

• Platform Adaptability and Guidance: Adapt designs to technical constraints of different platforms while providing expert guidance on achieving the best possible end-user experience.

• Inclusive and Accessible Design Advocacy: Champion customer inclusion by designing accessible interfaces suitable for users of all ages, backgrounds, and technical abilities.

• Design System Contribution: Proactively use existing design systems and recommend improvements or extensions to benefit both specific projects and the broader design team.

• Collaboration and Communication: Work collaboratively with a full design team, product managers, and development teams, effectively presenting design work and rationale.

• Design to Delivery Oversight: Oversee the implementation of designs, communicating closely with developers to ensure specifications are met and the final product aligns with user needs and accessibility standards.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a hands-on design role with a strong emphasis on the full lifecycle of design, from research and conceptualization to detailed interaction design and delivery oversight. The expectation to "take full ownership of their design output" and "diplomatically push back" indicates a need for a confident and experienced designer who can influence stakeholders.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong portfolio and relevant experience will be paramount, demonstrating a deep understanding of UX principles and practices.

Experience: A minimum of 5 years of dedicated experience in User Experience (UX) Design or Interaction Design is required. Experience in Visual Design or a related field with a strong UX focus will also be considered.

Required Skills:

• User Experience (UX) Design: Proven ability to design intuitive and effective user experiences.

• Interaction Design: Deep understanding of how users interact with digital products and the ability to craft seamless interaction flows.

• Prototyping: Proficiency in creating interactive prototypes using industry-standard tools such as Sketch, InVision, Figma, Axure, or Adobe XD.

• Design Systems: Experience working with and contributing to established design systems, understanding their importance for consistency and efficiency.

• User Research Interpretation: Ability to interpret quantitative and qualitative research data to inform and validate design decisions.

• Communication & Presentation: Excellent skills in articulating design concepts, rationale, and feedback to internal stakeholders, including development teams and business partners.

• Problem-Solving: Ability to balance user needs with business objectives and technical constraints to deliver optimal solutions.

• Inclusive Design Principles: Strong understanding and application of accessibility standards and inclusive design practices.

Preferred Skills:

• Agentic AI Experience: Beneficial for roles exploring advanced AI-driven user experiences.

• Financial Services Experience: Familiarity with the complexities and regulatory landscape of the financial services industry is advantageous.

• Visual Design: A background or strong understanding of visual design principles can enhance UI output.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Proven ability to work effectively with diverse teams, including product managers, developers, and user researchers.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for "minimum 5 years experience" suggests a mid-to-senior level UX Designer. The emphasis on "full ownership" and "articulating clearly" points towards a need for strong communication and leadership within the design process, even in a fixed-term capacity. The preference for "Agentic AI experience" indicates an innovative approach to UX within Lloyds Banking Group.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• End-to-End Case Studies: Showcase 2-3 comprehensive case studies detailing your process from problem definition through to final design solution and its impact.

• Interaction Design Focus: Provide clear examples of complex user flows, interaction patterns, and micro-interactions you have designed.

• Design System Application: Demonstrate how you have utilized or contributed to design systems in your past projects.

• Research & Testing Integration: Include evidence of how user research and usability testing informed your design decisions and led to improvements.

• Problem-Solution Alignment: Clearly articulate the business problem or user need addressed by your designs and the resulting solution.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design: Illustrate your approach to mapping out user journeys and information architecture.

• Prototyping & Iteration: Detail your methods for creating interactive prototypes and iterating based on feedback.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Highlight processes for collaborating with developers, product managers, and researchers, including feedback loops and handoff procedures.

• Accessibility Implementation: Show examples of how you ensure designs meet accessibility standards throughout the design process.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a UX Designer role, a strong portfolio is non-negotiable. The emphasis on "end-to-end user experience" and "full ownership" means candidates should be prepared to walk through their entire design process for selected projects, demonstrating their thought process, problem-solving skills, and ability to deliver tangible results.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: £61,344 - £68,160 per annum

Benefits:

• Pension: Generous contribution of up to 15% from the company.

• Bonus: Annual performance-related bonus.

• Share Schemes: Includes free shares, offering ownership and investment opportunities.

• Lifestyle Discounts: Access to benefits that can be adapted to lifestyle, such as discounted shopping.

• Holiday Allowance: 30 days of annual leave, in addition to bank holidays.

• Wellbeing: A range of initiatives focused on employee wellbeing.

• Parental Leave: Generous policies supporting new parents.

• Flexible Working: Hybrid working options available.

Working Hours: Full Time (approximately 40 hours per week, as per standard full-time expectations).

• Work Style: Hybrid, requiring at least two days per week (40% of time) in the Edinburgh office.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is competitive for a UX Designer with 5+ years of experience in the UK, particularly in a financial services context. The comprehensive benefits package, including a strong pension and share schemes, reflects the company's commitment to employee value and long-term engagement, even for a fixed-term contract.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Financial Services. Lloyds Banking Group is one of the UK's largest financial institutions, offering a wide range of banking and financial services. This context means the UX work will likely involve complex products, regulatory considerations, and a large, diverse customer base.

Company Size: Large, multinational corporation. This scale implies established processes, a structured environment, and opportunities for collaboration across many departments.

Founded: The group has a long history, with roots tracing back to 1765. This heritage suggests a stable, established organization undergoing significant digital transformation.

Team Structure:

• Design Team Collaboration: The role explicitly mentions working collaboratively "alongside a full design team," indicating a structured design department with UX designers, potentially UI designers, researchers, and design system specialists.

• Cross-functional Integration: The UX Designer will need to work closely with product owners, business stakeholders, and development teams to ensure designs are aligned with business goals and technically feasible.

• Reporting: While not explicitly stated, a UX Designer typically reports into a Head of Design, Design Manager, or Product Lead.

Methodology:

• Agile and Hybrid Working: The company promotes flexible working and operates in a hybrid model, suggesting an agile or agile-adjacent development process where design teams work closely with product development sprints.

• Data-Driven Design: Emphasis on interpreting "quantitative and qualitative research" and user feedback indicates a data-informed approach to design decision-making.

• Design System Utilization: The focus on using and extending a central design system points to a standardized and efficient approach to UI development.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Lloyds Banking Group's "purpose to help Britain prosper" suggests a culture that values customer well-being and societal contribution. The emphasis on digital transformation implies an environment that is evolving, seeking innovative solutions, and integrating new technologies like Agentic AI.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Mid-to-Senior UX Designer. The role requires significant experience (5+ years) and the ability to take "full ownership" and "diplomatically push back," indicating a level of autonomy and influence.

Reporting Structure: Likely reports to a Design Lead or Product Manager, working within a larger design or digital product team. Collaboration will be key with development teams.

Operations Impact: The UX Designer's impact is directly tied to improving the customer experience across Lloyds Banking Group's digital platforms. This includes driving customer satisfaction, increasing engagement, simplifying complex financial tasks, and ensuring accessibility for all users, ultimately contributing to business objectives like customer retention and acquisition.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Opportunity to deepen expertise in specific areas like AI-driven UX, accessibility design, or complex financial product interfaces.

• Design System Evolution: Contribute to the growth and improvement of the company's design system, influencing design standards across the organization.

• Cross-functional Exposure: Gain experience working with various product teams and stakeholders within a large financial institution.

• Potential for Future Roles: A successful 12-month FTC could lead to further opportunities within the group, especially if the company continues its digital transformation initiatives.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a fixed-term contract, growth is often measured by the breadth of experience gained and the impact made on specific projects rather than linear career progression. This role offers significant exposure to enterprise-level UX challenges within a regulated industry.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is hybrid, requiring time spent in a corporate office environment. Lloyds Banking Group offices are typically modern, professional, and equipped with facilities to support collaboration.

Office Location(s): Edinburgh, Scotland. Specifically, Edinburgh Citymark, 150 Fountainbridge. This implies a central, accessible location within the city.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Spaces: Offices will likely feature meeting rooms, breakout areas, and open-plan spaces designed to facilitate teamwork and design critiques.

• Technology & Tools: Access to standard office technology, high-speed internet, and potentially specialized design software and hardware. The company likely provides necessary software licenses.

• Team Interaction: Regular opportunities for face-to-face collaboration with design colleagues, product managers, and developers, fostering a dynamic and interactive work environment.

Work Schedule: Full-time, with a hybrid model requiring 2 days per week in the office. This provides a structured work week with built-in flexibility for remote work.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model is designed to balance the benefits of in-person collaboration with the flexibility of remote work. For a UX Designer, the office days are crucial for ideation sessions, design reviews, and building team cohesion.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your CV and portfolio to assess relevant experience and skills.

• Portfolio Presentation: A key stage will likely involve presenting 1-2 of your best case studies to a panel of designers and/or product stakeholders. Be prepared to discuss your process, rationale, and outcomes.

• Skills-Based Interview: Questions focusing on your UX/Interaction Design methodologies, problem-solving abilities, and experience with specific tools and design systems.

• Behavioral Questions: Assessing your collaboration skills, ability to handle feedback, and fit with the company's values and culture, particularly around inclusive design and customer focus.

• Technical/Scenario-Based Questions: You might be given a hypothetical design challenge or asked to critique an existing interface.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select projects that best demonstrate your end-to-end UX process, interaction design skills, and experience with design systems. Prioritize quality over quantity.

• Tell a Story: For each case study, clearly outline: the problem, your role, your process (research, ideation, design, testing), key decisions, challenges, and the impact/outcomes.

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals, wireframes, prototypes, and user flows to illustrate your thinking.

• Highlight Collaboration: If possible, describe how you worked with others (developers, researchers, product managers) and how that collaboration influenced the outcome.

• Demonstrate Impact: Quantify results where possible (e.g., improved conversion rates, reduced task completion time, positive user feedback).

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Context: Research Lloyds Banking Group's services, target audience, and recent digital initiatives.

• Focus on Core UX Principles: Be ready to discuss user-centered design, accessibility, and the iterative design process.

• Practice Articulation: Rehearse explaining your design decisions clearly and concisely, anticipating questions about trade-offs and rationale.

• Prepare Questions: Have thoughtful questions ready about the team, their design process, challenges, and future projects.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "full ownership" and presenting work to "collaborators" suggests that the interview process will heavily scrutinize not just the final designs but the candidate's ability to articulate their thought process and justify their decisions effectively.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Prototyping & Design: Sketch, Figma, Adobe XD, Axure, InVision (candidates are expected to be proficient in at least one, with familiarity across several being beneficial).

• Collaboration Platforms: Tools like Jira, Confluence, Slack, Microsoft Teams are likely used for project management and team communication.

• Design System Tools: Specific tools for managing and accessing design system components (e.g., Abstract for Sketch, or built-in Figma features).

Analytics & Reporting:

• User Analytics: Experience with tools like Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, or specialized UX analytics platforms to interpret user behavior data.

• A/B Testing Tools: Familiarity with platforms for testing design variations.

CRM & Automation:

• While not directly a UX tool, understanding how CRM systems (like Salesforce) and automation platforms interface with customer-facing applications can be beneficial for context.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of multiple prototyping tools (Sketch/InVision/Figma/Axure/Adobe XD) indicates that the team is tool-agnostic or uses a mix, placing more importance on the designer's ability to adapt to the team's preferred stack. Proficiency in Figma or Sketch is often a strong baseline.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Customer Focus: A core value for Lloyds Banking Group, emphasizing understanding and serving the needs of 28 million customers. This translates to a design culture driven by user empathy.

• Inclusion & Diversity: A stated commitment to being a "leading UK business for diversity, equity and inclusion," meaning designs must be accessible and considerate of all users.

• Collaboration: The role requires working "collaboratively" with a "full design team" and other departments, fostering a team-oriented environment.

• Continuous Improvement: The emphasis on transforming "at pace" and seeking new ways to improve design systems suggests a culture that values innovation and iterative enhancement.

• Integrity & Responsibility: As a financial institution, ethical considerations and responsibility are paramount, influencing design decisions and user interactions.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Design is integrated into product development cycles, working closely with product managers, developers, and researchers.

• Feedback-Driven: An expectation to adapt designs based on feedback from user research, usability testing, and peer reviews.

• Knowledge Sharing: The mention of design systems implies a culture that values sharing best practices and reusable components to elevate the entire design team's output.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's stated values of "helping Britain prosper" and fostering inclusion are likely to be reflected in the team's daily work, encouraging designers to consider the broader impact of their work on society and diverse user groups.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Large-Scale Enterprise Design: Navigating the complexities of designing for a large financial institution with diverse user needs and stringent regulatory requirements.

• Balancing Stakeholder Needs: Effectively managing competing demands from business stakeholders, technical teams, and user research findings.

• Design System Evolution: Contributing to and working within an evolving design system requires adaptability and a proactive approach to identifying improvements.

• Fixed-Term Contract: Adapting quickly to a new team and project within a 12-month timeframe, with the need to deliver significant impact efficiently.

• Agentic AI Integration: If the role involves Agentic AI, understanding and designing for novel interaction paradigms will be a significant challenge.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Industry Best Practices: Gaining exposure to UX and interaction design within the financial services sector.

• Advanced Tooling: Deepening proficiency in leading design and prototyping tools.

• Design System Contribution: Opportunity to influence and evolve enterprise-level design systems.

• Cross-functional Expertise: Learning how design integrates into broader product development, business strategy, and technology roadmaps at a large corporation.

• Exposure to Emerging Tech: Potential to work with and learn about Agentic AI applications in UX.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are framed as opportunities for growth, encouraging candidates to see complexity not as a barrier but as a chance to develop advanced problem-solving skills and strategic design thinking.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to balance conflicting requirements from business stakeholders and user needs. How did you approach it, and what was the outcome?" (Focus on diplomacy, user advocacy, and data-driven decisions).

• "Walk us through a complex user journey you designed from concept to delivery. What were the key challenges, and how did you overcome them?" (Highlight your end-to-end process, problem-solving, and impact).

• "How do you ensure your designs are inclusive and accessible? Can you provide an example where you implemented accessibility best practices?" (Demonstrate your understanding of diverse user needs and commitment to inclusive design).

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about working for Lloyds Banking Group, specifically in the financial services sector?" (Research their purpose, recent digital initiatives, and values).

• "How do you approach working within a hybrid team environment?" (Discuss your strategies for effective collaboration and communication across different work modes).

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Select Relevant Projects: Choose case studies that best align with the responsibilities outlined (e.g., end-to-end journeys, design system use, balancing needs).

• Structure Your Narrative: For each project, clearly explain the problem, your role, your process (research, ideation, design, testing), key decisions, challenges, and the impact/results.

• Be Prepared for Deep Dives: Anticipate questions about your rationale for specific design choices, trade-offs made, and how you validated your solutions.

• Highlight Collaboration: Emphasize how you worked with others and contributed to team success.

• Showcase Your Tools: Briefly mention the tools you used and why they were appropriate for the task.

📝 Enhancement Note: Candidates should be prepared to demonstrate not only design skills but also strong communication, problem-solving, and stakeholder management abilities, reflecting the collaborative and complex nature of working within a large financial institution.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations position:

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

• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your portfolio to highlight projects demonstrating end-to-end UX design, interaction design, design system utilization, and user research integration. Focus on case studies that showcase your ability to balance user needs with business requirements.

• Resume Optimization: Ensure your CV clearly articulates your 5+ years of UX/Interaction Design experience, proficiency in relevant tools, and achievements in improving user experiences. Use keywords from the job description naturally.

• Interview Preparation: Practice presenting your portfolio case studies, focusing on clear articulation of your process, rationale, and impact. Prepare answers to common UX interview questions and behavioral scenarios.

• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with Lloyds Banking Group's mission, values (especially around customer focus and inclusion), recent digital transformations, and the financial services industry. Understand their hybrid working model and commitment to flexible working.

⚠️ 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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