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 Operations

Date Posted: May 28, 2026

Experience Level: Mid-Senior (5-10 years)

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• This role focuses on crafting end-to-end user experiences by creatively utilizing components from a central design system, balancing content and UI elements.

• The UX Designer will bring designs to life using prototyping software, ensuring cohesive and intuitive customer journeys.

• A key aspect of this position involves gathering user research and rationale to align stakeholders, diplomatically advocating for customer needs against business requirements.

• The role demands adaptability to technical constraints while guiding the creation of optimal end-user experiences and championing inclusive and accessible design principles for a diverse user base.

📝 Enhancement Note: While this role is for a UX Designer, the emphasis on process, system utilization (design systems), stakeholder alignment, and delivering to technical specifications aligns it with a "UX Design Operations" function. The fixed-term contract (FTC) indicates a project-based need, common in operations for specific initiatives or system enhancements.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• End-to-End User Experience Crafting: Skillfully design comprehensive user journeys, from initial concept through to detailed wireframes and interactive prototypes, ensuring a cohesive and intuitive flow.

• Design System Utilization & Extension: Creatively employ components from a central design system, identifying the optimal balance of content and UI elements. Proactively recommend improvements or extensions to the design system to benefit the project and other designers.

• Prototyping & Visualization: Bring designs to life using industry-standard prototyping software (e.g., Sketch, InVision, Figma, Axure, Adobe XD) to create interactive models for testing and stakeholder review.

• User Needs Advocacy & Stakeholder Alignment: Gather and interpret quantitative and qualitative user research, translating insights into actionable design decisions. Diplomatically present and defend design choices to stakeholders, balancing business requirements with genuine user needs.

• Technical Constraint Adaptation & Guidance: Understand and work within the technical limitations of various platforms, providing guidance to development teams to achieve the best possible end-user experience.

• Inclusive & Accessible Design Champion: Advocate for and implement inclusive and accessible design principles, ensuring products are usable by customers of all ages, backgrounds, and technical abilities.

• Design Delivery & Developer Collaboration: See designs through to successful delivery by collaborating closely with developers, ensuring designs are implemented accurately according to specifications and user needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of strategic design thinking and tactical execution, common in operations roles that bridge product development and user-centricity. The emphasis on "crafting," "balancing," and "advocating" suggests a need for experienced professionals who can manage complex design challenges within a structured environment.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

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

Experience: A minimum of 5 years of dedicated experience in User Experience (UX) Design or Interaction Design is required. This should include a proven track record of managing design projects from conception to delivery.

Required Skills:

• User Experience (UX) Design: Deep understanding of UX principles, methodologies, and best practices.

• Interaction Design: Proven ability to design intuitive and effective user interactions.

• Prototyping Software Proficiency: Expertise in at least one of the following: Sketch, InVision, Figma, Axure, or Adobe XD.

• Design System Familiarity: Experience working with and contributing to established design systems.

• User Research Interpretation: Ability to interpret and apply insights from quantitative and qualitative user research and usability testing.

• Stakeholder Management & Communication: Strong ability to present design concepts, articulate rationale, and gain buy-in from internal customers and development teams.

• Accessibility & Inclusive Design Principles: Knowledge and practical application of WCAG guidelines and inclusive design practices.

• Problem-Solving: Capacity to identify user needs and business requirements and translate them into effective design solutions.

Preferred Skills:

• Financial Services Experience: Familiarity with the complex landscape and specific user needs within the financial services industry.

• Visual Design Skills: A background or strong understanding of visual design principles.

• Agile/Scrum Methodology: Experience working within agile development environments.

• Component-Based Design: Experience designing with reusable UI components.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for 5+ years of experience and specific tool proficiency, coupled with the need to interpret research and manage stakeholders, indicates a mid-to-senior level UX Designer. The preference for financial services experience suggests the company values domain-specific knowledge for faster integration and understanding of complex user journeys.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• End-to-End Case Studies: Showcase 2-3 comprehensive case studies demonstrating your ability to take a project from initial concept through to final delivery, detailing problem identification, user research, design process, iterations, and final outcomes.

• Prototyping Examples: Include interactive prototypes (links or embedded demos) that clearly illustrate user flows, interaction patterns, and UI design.

• Design System Application: Demonstrate how you've utilized existing design systems and, if applicable, how you've contributed to or improved them.

• User Research Integration: Clearly articulate how user research (qualitative and quantitative) informed your design decisions and led to measurable improvements.

• Accessibility & Inclusivity: Highlight specific examples where you've incorporated accessibility and inclusive design principles into your work.

Process Documentation:

• User Journey Mapping: Provide examples of user journey maps you've created to understand and optimize the customer experience.

• Wireframing & Flow Diagrams: Showcase examples of wireframes and flow diagrams that illustrate complex user interactions and system logic.

• Usability Testing Reports: If available, provide anonymized summaries of usability testing findings and how they led to design iterations.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a UX design role, particularly within a large financial institution, a robust portfolio is critical. It serves as the primary evidence of practical skills, process understanding, and ability to deliver user-centric solutions within defined constraints. The emphasis on design systems and research interpretation is key for operations alignment.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

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

Benefits:

• Pension Contribution: A generous pension contribution of up to 15%.

• Performance Bonus: An annual performance-related bonus to reward achievements.

• Share Schemes: Opportunities to participate in share schemes, including free shares.

• Lifestyle Benefits: A range of benefits that can be adapted to individual lifestyles, such as discounted shopping.

• Annual Leave: 30 days of holiday, with bank holidays in addition.

• Wellbeing Initiatives: Access to various wellbeing programs and resources.

• Parental Leave: Generous parental leave policies.

Working Hours: 35 hours per week, full-time. This role operates on a hybrid working pattern, requiring at least two days per week (or 40% of working time) to be spent at one of the company's office sites.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is competitive for a mid-senior UX Designer in Edinburgh. The inclusion of a performance bonus, share schemes, and a substantial holiday allowance are attractive benefits. The explicit mention of hybrid working and specific office days is crucial for operations professionals to understand the work-life balance expectations.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Financial Services. Lloyds Banking Group is one of the UK's largest financial services groups, offering a wide range of banking and financial services. This context means a strong emphasis on security, compliance, customer trust, and regulatory adherence in all operations.

Company Size: Large enterprise (Lloyds Banking Group is a major employer with tens of thousands of employees globally). This size implies structured processes, established design systems, and a significant impact on millions of customers.

Founded: The group has a long history, with its roots tracing back to 1695. This legacy suggests a culture that values tradition and stability while adapting to modern digital demands.

Team Structure:

• Design Team Collaboration: The UX Designer will work collaboratively within a full design team, implying a supportive environment with shared expertise and peer review.

• Cross-functional Integration: The role involves close collaboration with development teams and user research teams, highlighting a cross-functional approach to product development.

• Stakeholder Engagement: Regular interaction with various stakeholders across different departments is expected, requiring strong communication and negotiation skills.

Methodology:

• Agile & Iterative Design: The mention of hybrid working and collaboration with development teams suggests an agile or iterative approach to design and product delivery.

• Data-Driven Decisions: The emphasis on user research, usability testing, and quantitative/qualitative data indicates a strong reliance on data to inform design decisions.

• Design System Centricity: The core responsibility of utilizing and improving a design system points to a standardized, efficient, and scalable design process.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: The culture at a large financial institution like Lloyds Banking Group is often characterized by a focus on customer trust, regulatory compliance, and efficiency. For operations roles, this translates to a need for meticulous work, adherence to process, and a strong understanding of how design impacts both customer experience and business operations.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a mid-to-senior level UX Designer role (5-10 years experience). It signifies a professional capable of independent work, taking ownership of design output, and influencing design direction within their projects. It's a contributor role with significant responsibility for specific design deliverables.

Reporting Structure: The UX Designer will report into a Design Lead or Manager, working alongside other designers and collaborating closely with Product Owners, Developers, and User Researchers. The structure is likely matrixed, with reporting lines for project work and functional management.

Operations Impact: The UX Designer's impact is crucial for enhancing customer satisfaction, improving conversion rates, reducing support costs through intuitive interfaces, and ensuring brand consistency and trust across digital platforms. Their work directly influences the usability and accessibility of financial products, impacting millions of customers.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in specific areas of UX, such as user research, interaction design, or accessibility.

• Leadership: Progress to a Senior UX Designer or Design Lead role, mentoring junior designers and taking on more complex projects or strategic design initiatives.

• Cross-functional Development: Gain exposure to product management, development, and business strategy through close collaboration, potentially leading to roles in product design management or GTM operations.

• Design System Evolution: Become a key contributor or lead in the evolution and governance of the company's design system.

📝 Enhancement Note: While this is a fixed-term contract, the experience gained at a company like Lloyds Banking Group is highly valuable. The structured environment and focus on established processes (like design systems) provide a solid foundation for future career growth in operations or specialized design roles. The company's commitment to diversity and inclusion also offers opportunities for personal and professional development.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid working model. This means a blend of remote work and in-office presence. The office in Edinburgh (New Uberior House Head Office) will serve as a primary hub for collaboration and team interaction.

Office Location(s): Edinburgh, United Kingdom. This location likely offers modern office facilities designed to support collaborative work.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Spaces: Expect office environments equipped with meeting rooms, breakout areas, and potentially design studios to facilitate teamwork and brainstorming.

• Technology & Tools: Access to standard office technology, high-speed internet, and potentially specialized hardware for design work. The company's commitment to design systems implies robust digital tools and platforms.

• Team Interaction: The hybrid model encourages in-person interaction for key meetings, workshops, and team-building activities, fostering a sense of community and facilitating effective design critiques and knowledge sharing.

Work Schedule: The standard working hours are 35 hours per week, full-time. The hybrid model allows for some flexibility in how these hours are structured, with at least 40% of time expected in the office. This structure is designed to balance productivity with employee well-being and collaborative needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model is a significant factor for operations professionals. It requires self-discipline for remote work and effective time management to maximize in-office days for collaboration and stakeholder engagement. Understanding the company's approach to hybrid work and office culture is key to success.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Likely a review of your CV and portfolio by a recruiter or hiring manager to assess basic qualifications and experience.

• Portfolio Presentation & Technical Interview: A more in-depth session where you present selected case studies from your portfolio, discussing your process, decision-making, and impact. This will often be followed by technical questions about UX principles, tools, and problem-solving.

• Stakeholder/Team Interviews: Interviews with potential colleagues (other designers, developers, product managers) to assess cultural fit, collaboration style, and ability to work within a team.

• Final Interview: Potentially with a senior leader or department head to discuss overall fit, strategic thinking, and long-term potential.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 2-3 projects that best showcase your end-to-end UX process, design system utilization, and ability to handle complex requirements. Prioritize projects with clear problem statements, well-documented processes, and measurable outcomes.

• Tell a Story: Structure each case study as a narrative. Clearly articulate the problem, your role, the challenges, the research conducted, your design process (including iterations), the solutions, and the results. Quantify impact where possible (e.g., "improved conversion by X%", "reduced task completion time by Y seconds").

• Highlight Operations Relevance: Emphasize how your design process contributes to efficiency, scalability, and stakeholder alignment – aspects critical in operations. Showcase your ability to work within established systems and guidelines.

• Prepare for Questions: Anticipate questions about your design choices, how you handle feedback, your experience with design systems, and how you approach accessibility and inclusivity. Be ready to discuss your preferred tools and why.

Challenge Preparation:

• Design Problem Solving: Be prepared for a hypothetical design challenge, either take-home or live. Focus on your process: how you'd approach understanding the problem, what questions you'd ask, how you'd gather information, and how you'd begin to ideate and prototype.

• Communication & Rationale: Practice articulating your thought process clearly and concisely. For operations-focused roles, demonstrating the ability to justify decisions based on user needs, business goals, and technical feasibility is paramount.

• Company Context: Research Lloyds Banking Group's current digital offerings, their mission, and their approach to customer service and technology. Understand the challenges and opportunities within the financial services sector.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process for a UX Designer at a large financial institution will be rigorous. A strong portfolio that demonstrates a clear, repeatable process and the ability to translate complex requirements into user-friendly designs is essential. The emphasis on stakeholder management and technical considerations is particularly important for this role's operational context.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Prototyping & Design: Sketch, InVision, Figma, Axure, Adobe XD (Proficiency in at least one is required).

• Design System Management: Familiarity with how design systems are structured, maintained, and utilized within a team.

• Collaboration Tools: Microsoft Teams, Slack, Jira, Confluence (common in large organizations for project management and communication).

Analytics & Reporting:

• Web Analytics: Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics (for understanding user behavior on live products).

• User Research Platforms: Tools for conducting surveys, interviews, and usability testing (e.g., UserTesting.com, Qualtrics, Maze).

CRM & Automation:

• While not directly a CRM role, understanding how UX design impacts CRM systems and customer data management is beneficial. Familiarity with how design choices affect user engagement within customer-facing applications is key.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of prototyping software is crucial. For operations, understanding how these tools integrate into a broader workflow, how design assets are managed, and how they facilitate collaboration with development teams is key. Familiarity with agile project management tools like Jira is also a strong indicator of operational integration.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Customer Focus: A deep commitment to understanding and serving customer needs, ensuring all designs are user-centric and solve real problems.

• Integrity & Trust: Upholding the highest standards of ethical conduct, particularly important in the financial services industry, ensuring designs are transparent and trustworthy.

• Collaboration & Teamwork: Working effectively within design, development, and research teams, fostering a supportive and communicative environment.

• Innovation & Adaptability: Embracing new technologies and methodologies to continuously improve user experiences and adapt to evolving customer expectations and business needs.

• Efficiency & Excellence: Striving for high-quality design output that is efficient to implement and maintain, often by leveraging and contributing to design systems.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Partnership: A proactive and collaborative approach to working with developers, product managers, researchers, and business stakeholders to ensure alignment and successful product delivery.

• Open Communication: Encouraging open dialogue, constructive feedback, and transparent sharing of ideas and challenges.

• Design Critiques: Participating actively in design critique sessions to refine work and learn from peers.

• Data-Informed Discussions: Basing design discussions and decisions on user research, analytics, and testing results.

📝 Enhancement Note: The values of integrity, trust, and customer focus are paramount in financial services operations. For a UX Designer, this means ensuring that designs are not only aesthetically pleasing and functional but also secure, compliant, and build confidence with users. The collaborative style emphasizes the operations aspect of integrating design into broader product development lifecycles.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Diverse Needs: Effectively balancing the needs of various stakeholders (customers, business, technical teams) while adhering to brand guidelines and regulatory requirements.

• Navigating Complex Systems: Working within the constraints of a large, established organization with complex legacy systems and processes.

• Driving Design Adoption: Ensuring designs are implemented accurately by development teams and that new design processes or system updates are adopted smoothly.

• Staying Current: Keeping pace with rapid advancements in UX design tools, methodologies, and user expectations within the digital landscape.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Financial Services Expertise: Gaining deep knowledge of the financial services sector, its unique user needs, and regulatory landscape.

• Design System Mastery: Becoming an expert in the company's design system, potentially leading its evolution or contributing to its governance.

• Cross-Disciplinary Skills: Developing a broader understanding of product management, business strategy, and software development lifecycles.

• Leadership & Mentorship: Opportunities to mentor junior designers or take on leadership responsibilities for specific projects or features.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are typical for operations-oriented roles within large enterprises. The growth opportunities highlight the potential for specialization and broader operational understanding, making this FTC a valuable stepping stone for career development in design or related GTM/operations fields.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• Scenario-Based Design: "Describe a time you had to balance conflicting stakeholder requirements. How did you approach it, and what was the outcome?" (Focus on your process, communication, and ability to advocate for the user.)

• Design System Utilization: "How do you approach working with a design system? What are the benefits and drawbacks, and how would you contribute to improving one?" (Demonstrate understanding of scalability, consistency, and efficiency.)

• Problem-Solving Approach: "Walk me through how you would design a feature to help users manage their budgets more effectively within our mobile banking app." (Focus on your methodology: research, ideation, prototyping, testing.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• Lloyds Banking Group Context: "What interests you about working for Lloyds Banking Group, and how do you see your UX skills contributing to our mission of helping Britain prosper?" (Research the company's purpose and values.)

• Hybrid Work Philosophy: "How do you manage your productivity and collaboration in a hybrid work environment?" (Showcase your self-discipline and proactive communication.)

• Inclusivity in Design: "How do you ensure your designs are inclusive and accessible for a diverse user base?" (Provide specific examples of your practices and understanding of standards.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Focus on Process, Not Just Pixels: While visual appeal matters, emphasize your thought process, problem-solving, and how you arrived at your solutions.

• Quantify Impact: Use data and metrics to demonstrate the success of your designs where possible.

• Be Ready for Deep Dives: Prepare to discuss specific design choices, the rationale behind them, and the trade-offs you made.

• Demonstrate Collaboration: Highlight how you worked with others (developers, researchers, stakeholders) to achieve project goals.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation for this role should focus on demonstrating a structured, user-centered design process that can operate effectively within a large, regulated organization. Highlighting experience with design systems and stakeholder management will be key to showcasing operational readiness.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations-aligned UX Designer position:

• Submit Your Application: Complete the online application form via the provided link.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 of your strongest UX design case studies that best represent your end-to-end process, design system experience, and ability to handle complex requirements. Ensure each case study clearly outlines the problem, your role, your process, and the outcomes.

• Optimize Your Resume: Tailor your CV to highlight your 5+ years of UX/Interaction Design experience, specific tool proficiencies (Figma, Sketch, etc.), experience with user research, and any relevant financial services background. Use keywords from the job description.

• Prepare for Interview Challenges: Practice articulating your design process and problem-solving approach. Be ready to discuss how you would handle specific design challenges relevant to banking and finance.

• Research Lloyds Banking Group: Familiarize yourself with the company's mission, values, current digital products, and their approach to customer service and hybrid working. Understand the broader context of the financial services industry.

⚠️ 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.