UX Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: UX Designer

Company: Aflac Northern Ireland

Location: Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: UX/Product Design (AI Services)

Date Posted: 2026-08-20

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

Remote Status: Hybrid (2 days in office per week)

🚀 Role Summary

• Design and develop next-generation AI-powered products and user experiences, focusing on innovation and emerging technologies within the AI Services team.

• Collaborate closely with engineering and product teams to translate complex AI capabilities and technical constraints into intuitive, user-centric designs.

• Conduct rigorous user research, usability testing, and experimentation to validate concepts and ensure solutions address real customer needs and business objectives.

• Create high-fidelity prototypes and design artifacts to effectively communicate opportunities, influence stakeholder decisions, and support handover to delivery teams.

• Actively contribute to a culture of learning and experimentation by exploring new AI tools and platforms, sharing insights, and raising the team's overall capability.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is a specialized UX Designer position focused on AI-native experiences. It requires a blend of traditional UX craft with a strong technical curiosity and understanding of AI capabilities, moving beyond standard UX roles. The emphasis on "AI-native," "conversational," and "agentic" experiences suggests a focus on generative AI and conversational interfaces.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Conceptualize, design, and deliver user-centered AI-powered experiences, including user journeys and interaction flows, from initial ideation through to execution and ongoing optimization.

• Develop and test proof-of-concepts that explore novel technologies, advanced AI capabilities, and identify new business or customer opportunities.

• Engage in close collaboration with engineering teams to gain a deep understanding of AI capabilities, technical limitations, architectural considerations, and cost/performance implications.

• Execute comprehensive customer interviews, usability testing, and concept testing to validate the effectiveness of designs in solving genuine user problems and meeting business goals.

• Construct high-fidelity prototypes that clearly articulate design concepts, potential user experiences, and enable swift decision-making by stakeholders.

• Strategically leverage native device capabilities, such as voice, camera, biometrics, notifications, and on-device intelligence, to enrich and optimize user interactions.

• Present design concepts, prototypes, strategic recommendations, and key learnings with confidence and clarity to senior stakeholders and executive leadership.

• Produce detailed design artifacts and strategic documentation that facilitate a smooth and successful transition of concepts to development and delivery teams.

• Proactively research and evaluate new AI tools, platforms, and emerging capabilities, sharing knowledge and fostering skill development across the wider AI Services team.

• Lead and facilitate design-thinking workshops and collaborative sessions involving product, engineering, and business stakeholders to foster innovation and alignment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a hands-on role involving the entire design lifecycle for AI products. The emphasis on "proof-of-concepts," "experimentation," and "sharing learnings" points to an innovation-focused team environment. The requirement to "present concepts confidently to senior stakeholders" underscores the importance of communication and strategic influence.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• While no specific degree is mandated, a Bachelor's degree in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Design, Computer Science, or a related field is often preferred. Equivalent practical experience will also be strongly considered. Experience:

• A minimum of 5-10 years of progressive experience in UX Design, Product Design, or Experience Design roles, with a proven track record of delivering successful web and mobile products.

• Demonstrated experience in designing, validating, and optimizing digital solutions through customer research methodologies, usability testing, data analysis, and experimentation.

• Proven ability to define key success metrics for user experiences and leverage data-driven insights for continuous improvement.

• Hands-on experience building prototypes using modern design tools, AI platforms, or emerging technologies, with a strong capacity for rapid learning and application of new capabilities. Required Skills:

• UX Design & Craft: Exceptional ability in core UX principles, interaction design, user flows, and creating intuitive interfaces.

• AI-Native Design: Demonstrated understanding and application of AI-design conventions, and experience designing AI-powered or AI-native experiences.

• Prototyping: Proficiency in creating interactive prototypes using industry-standard tools (e.g., Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD) and potentially AI-specific prototyping platforms.

• User Research & Validation: Expertise in conducting customer interviews, usability testing, and concept validation to gather actionable insights.

• Technical Curiosity & Communication: Ability to engage in technical discussions with engineers, understand AI capabilities, architectural constraints, and articulate trade-offs effectively.

• Storytelling & Presentation: Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to present complex ideas, concepts, and findings compellingly to diverse audiences, including senior leadership.

• Data-Driven Optimization: Competence in defining, tracking, and analyzing metrics to inform design decisions and drive continuous product improvement.

• Autonomy & Initiative: A high degree of self-motivation and the ability to drive initiatives forward with minimal supervision.

Preferred Skills:

• Conversational/Agentic/Multimodal Design: Specific experience designing AI-native interfaces such as chatbots, virtual assistants, or experiences leveraging multiple modalities (voice, text, visual).

• Complex Domain Experience: Experience working within intricate business, operational, or regulatory environments, translating complex requirements into user-friendly solutions.

• Early-Stage Product Discovery: Proven ability to contribute to and lead product discovery and innovation initiatives from inception.

• AI Architecture & Orchestration: Familiarity with AI concepts such as prompting techniques, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), tool calling, or agent orchestration.

• Front-End Development/Coded Prototypes: Basic understanding or experience with front-end technologies (e.g., HTML, CSS, JavaScript) or building coded prototypes.

• Product Delivery Lifecycle: Experience guiding concepts from exploration through to delivery readiness, including creating strategic design artifacts and implementation guidance.

• Design Systems & Accessibility: Proficiency in working with established design systems and adhering to accessibility standards (e.g., WCAG).

• AI Technology Understanding: A genuine interest and foundational understanding of how Large Language Models (LLMs), agents, and other emerging AI technologies function, including their strengths, limitations, and ethical considerations.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Essential" requirements clearly indicate that a strong portfolio is paramount, specifically highlighting experience with AI-native designs. The "Desirable" skills suggest that candidates with direct experience in conversational AI, agentic systems, or a deeper understanding of AI architecture will have a significant advantage. The role explicitly states that candidates must be permanently based in Northern Ireland and possess the right to work there, with no sponsorship offered.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A robust portfolio showcasing a minimum of 5-10 years of UX/Product Design work, with a significant emphasis on AI-native experiences, prototypes, or AI-powered products.

• Clear evidence of your individual contribution to each project within the portfolio, detailing your role and responsibilities.

• Examples demonstrating high-quality design craft, including user flows, interaction design, and UI elements, specifically within an AI context.

• Case studies that illustrate your process of designing, validating, and optimizing solutions using customer research, usability testing, and data analysis.

• Prototypes demonstrating your ability to work with modern design tools and, ideally, AI tools or platforms, showcasing innovative AI-driven interactions.

• Evidence of your ability to define and measure success metrics for user experiences and how data informed iterative improvements. Process Documentation:

• Showcase examples of your approach to user research, including methods for conducting customer interviews, usability testing, and concept testing.

• Provide documentation or case studies that detail how you translated technical constraints, including AI capabilities and architectural considerations, into feasible user experiences.

• Include examples of how you have leveraged native device capabilities (e.g., voice, camera) in your design process.

• Demonstrate your ability to create high-fidelity prototypes and strategic design artifacts that effectively communicate complex ideas to stakeholders and support product delivery.

• Illustrate your process for exploring new technologies, particularly AI tools and platforms, and how you share learnings to improve team capability.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio requirement is central to this application. It needs to go beyond standard UX work to specifically highlight experience with AI-powered or AI-native designs. Candidates should prepare to articulate their design process, especially how they integrate AI capabilities, conduct user validation for AI products, and present complex technical concepts and their design implications.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• Based on industry benchmarks for experienced UX Designers (5-10 years) in Belfast, Northern Ireland, with a specialization in AI, the estimated salary range would be approximately £55,000 - £75,000 per annum. This range considers the specialized nature of AI design, the hybrid work model, and the cost of living in Belfast. Benefits:

• Comprehensive Health Insurance: Likely includes medical, dental, and vision coverage, potentially with options for enhanced plans.

• Pension Scheme: A competitive employer-contributed pension plan to support long-term financial security.

• Generous Annual Leave: Standard holiday allowance plus public holidays, with potential for increased leave based on tenure.

• Professional Development: Opportunities for training, attending AI and UX conferences, workshops, and obtaining relevant certifications.

• Hybrid Working Model: Flexibility to work from home and in the office, balancing personal needs with team collaboration.

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP): Confidential support services for personal and professional well-being.

• Life Assurance: Financial protection for employees' beneficiaries.

• Potential for Four-Day Work Week: Applications for a compressed work schedule will be considered, offering enhanced work-life balance.

Working Hours:

• Standard full-time hours are approximately 40 hours per week. While the role is hybrid, specific in-office days will be required (2 days per week). There's a possibility of considering a four-day work week arrangement based on business needs and team requirements.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary is estimated based on typical UK market rates for experienced UX designers in a major city, adjusted for the niche AI specialization and the company's likely compensation structure for such a role. Aflac is a large Fortune 500 company, suggesting a robust benefits package. The mention of considering four-day week applications suggests a progressive approach to work-life balance.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Financial Services (Insurance) with a strong focus on technology innovation and AI integration. Aflac is a Fortune 500 company, providing stability and resources, while Aflac Northern Ireland operates as a key technology and innovation hub.

Company Size: Aflac globally is a large enterprise. The AI Services team at Aflac Northern Ireland is likely a specialized, agile unit within a larger technology or innovation department, suggesting a blend of corporate structure with startup-like dynamism.

Founded: Aflac was founded in 1955. Aflac Northern Ireland was established more recently to leverage local tech talent and drive innovation, particularly in areas like AI.

Team Structure:

• The AI Services team operates at the intersection of design, product, and engineering, indicating a cross-functional and collaborative structure.

• It is responsible for exploring, testing, and shaping future AI-powered experiences, suggesting an innovation-focused team that may be lean and agile.

• The reporting structure likely places the UX Designer under a Design Lead, Head of AI Services, or Innovation Lead, with close collaboration with Product Managers and Engineering Leads.

• Cross-functional collaboration is a core tenet, with frequent interaction with engineers, product managers, business stakeholders, and potentially other design specialists. Methodology:

• Design Thinking: A core approach for problem-solving and innovation, used to understand user needs and develop creative solutions.

• Rapid Experimentation: The team actively tests new ideas, technologies, and AI capabilities through proof-of-concepts and prototypes.

• Customer-Centred Design: A fundamental principle ensuring that all designs are validated through user research and testing to meet genuine customer needs.

• Agile Development Principles: While not explicitly stated, the focus on rapid iteration, collaboration, and delivering tangible outcomes suggests an agile or hybrid agile methodology.

Company Website: https://aflacni.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: The AI Services team is positioned as an innovation incubator within a large, established financial services company. This offers a unique environment where experimental projects can potentially evolve into strategic products, providing significant impact potential for the designer. The culture likely values curiosity, technical exploration, and a user-first mindset.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned at a Mid-Senior to Senior level (5-10 years experience), indicating a need for experienced professionals who can work with a high degree of autonomy and influence. The "UX Designer" title within an "AI Services" team suggests a specialized path focusing on cutting-edge technology.

Reporting Structure: The UX Designer will report to a lead within the AI Services team, likely a Design Lead, Head of AI Services, or Innovation Manager. They will work closely with Product Managers and Engineering Leads, fostering a collaborative, matrixed environment typical of innovation labs.

Operations Impact: The impact is significant, as this role directly shapes the future of AI-powered customer and business experiences for Aflac. Successful projects could lead to new product lines, improved operational efficiency through AI, and enhanced customer engagement, directly influencing the company's competitive edge and revenue streams.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization in AI Design: Deepen expertise in designing for advanced AI technologies, becoming a subject matter expert in a rapidly growing field.

• Leadership Potential: Opportunities to lead design initiatives within the AI Services team, mentor junior designers, and potentially grow into a Design Lead or Manager role for AI products.

• Product Ownership: Chance to be a founding designer on entirely new AI-powered products, potentially transitioning into product management or strategy roles for these initiatives.

• Cross-functional Skill Development: Gain extensive experience working with engineering and data science teams, understanding AI architecture, and contributing to strategic decision-making.

• Innovation Contribution: Play a key role in driving innovation within a Fortune 500 company, potentially influencing strategic direction for AI adoption.

📝 Enhancement Note: The career path here is less about traditional hierarchical progression and more about deepening specialization and expanding influence within an innovation context. The ability to move from experimental concepts to strategic product design offers a unique growth trajectory for ambitious designers.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: A hybrid work model is in place, requiring 2 days per week in the Belfast office. This suggests a modern office environment designed to facilitate collaboration, innovation, and team interaction, while also providing the flexibility of remote work.

Office Location(s): The primary office location is Belfast, Northern Ireland, with a specific address likely provided upon application or during the interview process (e.g., BT1 3FE). This location offers access to a growing tech talent pool.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Spaces: The office will likely feature dedicated areas for brainstorming, workshops, and team meetings, fostering the cross-functional collaboration essential for the AI Services team.

• Technology & Tools: Access to necessary hardware, software, and potentially specialized AI development tools to support design and prototyping activities.

• Team Interaction: Opportunities for spontaneous discussions, knowledge sharing sessions, and building team cohesion through in-person interactions on office days.

• Focus on Innovation: The environment is geared towards exploration and experimentation, encouraging a proactive approach to learning and problem-solving.

Work Schedule: The standard work schedule is full-time (approx. 40 hours/week), with flexibility offered through the hybrid model and the consideration of a four-day work week. This schedule is designed to accommodate deep work sessions for design and development, alongside collaborative team activities.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model is a key aspect, balancing the need for in-person collaboration and team building with the flexibility expected in modern tech roles. The Belfast location suggests a vibrant tech hub environment.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your CV and portfolio to assess basic qualifications and alignment with the role's requirements, particularly AI design experience.

• Hiring Manager Interview: A discussion focused on your experience, motivations, understanding of AI design, and cultural fit. This may include behavioral questions.

• Portfolio Review & Design Challenge: A dedicated session where you present your portfolio, discussing specific projects in detail, focusing on your process, contributions, and learnings, especially related to AI. You may also be given a small design challenge or case study to solve, potentially involving AI concepts.

• Team/Stakeholder Interviews: Meetings with engineers, product managers, and other team members to assess collaboration skills, technical communication, and how you approach problem-solving within a team context.

• Final Interview/Offer: A concluding discussion with senior leadership to confirm alignment and discuss terms of employment.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Highlight AI-Native Work: Prioritize projects that specifically showcase your experience with AI-powered features, conversational interfaces, or AI-driven user journeys. If direct AI product experience is limited, highlight projects where you explored emerging tech or complex systems.

• Demonstrate Process: Clearly articulate your design process for each project, from problem definition and user research to ideation, prototyping, testing, and iteration, emphasizing how you incorporated AI considerations.

• Quantify Impact: Where possible, use metrics (e.g., user satisfaction improvements, task completion rates, efficiency gains) to demonstrate the success and impact of your designs.

• Showcase Technical Collaboration: Include examples or discuss how you've collaborated with engineers, understanding technical constraints and translating them into design solutions.

• Prepare for Questions: Anticipate questions about AI ethics, data privacy in AI design, the limitations of current AI, and how you stay updated with AI advancements.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand AI Concepts: Refresh your knowledge on LLMs, prompting, agentic behavior, and multimodal AI. Be prepared to discuss these concepts in relation to user experience.

• Focus on User Problems: Even with AI, the core is solving user problems. Ensure your approach to any challenge centers on identifying and addressing a genuine user need.

• Structure Your Thinking: For any problem-solving exercise, clearly outline your assumptions, research approach, ideation methods, and validation strategy.

• Communicate Clearly: Practice articulating your thought process concisely and effectively, especially when presenting potential solutions or design rationale.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is designed to thoroughly assess both design craft and specialized AI understanding. The portfolio is critical, and candidates must be prepared to discuss AI-specific design challenges and their problem-solving approach within this context.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, InVision.

• AI Prototyping/Experimentation: Tools for rapid prototyping of AI interactions, potentially including AI platforms, custom scripts, or specialized AI design tools (specifics would depend on the team's current stack).

• User Research & Testing: UserTesting.com, Maze, Lookback, or similar platforms for remote usability testing and feedback collection.

• Collaboration & Project Management: Jira, Confluence, Asana, Trello, Slack.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Web/App Analytics: Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, Mixpanel, Amplitude (for understanding user behavior and performance metrics).

• Data Visualization: Tableau, Power BI, Looker (for creating dashboards and reporting on key metrics).

CRM & Automation:

• While not a direct focus for UX, understanding how designs integrate with CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce) and automation workflows is beneficial for context.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role requires proficiency in standard UX design and prototyping tools. Crucially, it also demands a willingness and ability to learn and work with emerging AI-specific tools and platforms that the AI Services team is actively exploring. Familiarity with data analytics tools is important for performance measurement.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Curiosity & Continuous Learning: A strong emphasis on exploring new technologies, especially AI, and a commitment to ongoing professional development.

• Customer Centricity: A deep-seated dedication to understanding and solving real user problems through well-crafted, intuitive experiences.

• Collaboration & Teamwork: A belief in the power of cross-functional teams, open communication, and shared problem-solving.

• Innovation & Experimentation: A culture that encourages taking calculated risks, testing new ideas, and learning from both successes and failures.

• Impact & Ownership: A drive to create meaningful business and customer value, taking ownership of projects from conception to delivery.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: Seamless collaboration between design, engineering, and product management is fundamental. Designers are expected to be active participants in technical discussions.

• Open Feedback Culture: A willingness to give and receive constructive feedback on designs and ideas to foster continuous improvement.

• Knowledge Sharing: Proactive sharing of insights, learnings from experiments, and best practices, particularly regarding AI technologies and design approaches.

• Agile & Iterative: Embracing an iterative approach to design and development, with flexibility to adapt based on new learnings and feedback.

📝 Enhancement Note: The team culture is described as being at the "intersection of design, product and engineering," emphasizing strong collaboration. The values of curiosity, innovation, and customer focus are key for success in this forward-thinking AI team.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Rapidly Evolving AI Landscape: Keeping pace with the constant advancements in AI technology and understanding how to translate these into practical, user-friendly experiences.

• Designing for Ambiguity: Working with emerging technologies where best practices are still being defined, requiring comfort with uncertainty and iterative exploration.

• Balancing Innovation with Business Needs: Ensuring experimental projects align with Aflac's strategic goals and can potentially be scaled into viable products.

• Technical Constraints of AI: Designing experiences that are not only innovative but also technically feasible, cost-effective, and performant within AI system limitations.

• Ethical Considerations in AI: Navigating the ethical implications of AI, such as bias, privacy, and transparency, within design decisions.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deep Dive into AI Design: Becoming a specialist in designing for LLMs, conversational agents, and other cutting-edge AI applications.

• Exposure to Advanced Technologies: Hands-on experience with emerging AI tools, platforms, and architectural concepts.

• Strategic Product Influence: Opportunity to shape the direction of new AI-powered products and contribute to Aflac's innovation strategy.

• Mentorship: Potential to be mentored by experienced leaders in AI and product development, or to mentor junior team members as the team grows.

• Industry Engagement: Opportunities to attend relevant AI and UX conferences, workshops, and potentially contribute to industry discussions.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role presents a significant opportunity for growth in a high-demand specialization. The challenges are inherent to working at the forefront of AI technology, but they are also the source of immense learning and development potential.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you designed an AI-powered experience or explored an emerging technology. What was your process, what challenges did you face, and what were the outcomes?" (Focus on showcasing your AI curiosity, process, and ability to handle ambiguity.)

• "How would you approach designing a conversational AI interface for [specific Aflac service, e.g., filing a claim]? What key user needs would you prioritize, and what AI capabilities would you leverage?" (Demonstrate your understanding of conversational design principles and AI application.)

• "Imagine you've identified a promising AI capability but face significant technical or cost constraints. How would you work with engineering to find a feasible solution, and how would you communicate trade-offs to stakeholders?" (Highlight your technical communication, problem-solving, and stakeholder management skills.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Aflac and our AI Services team specifically? How do you see your skills contributing to our mission?" (Research Aflac's values, recent AI initiatives, and articulate your alignment.)

• "How do you stay current with the rapidly evolving AI landscape, and how do you apply those learnings to your design work?" (Showcase your proactiveness in learning and your ability to translate new knowledge into practical application.)

• "Describe your ideal collaborative environment. How do you work with engineers and product managers to achieve shared goals?" (Emphasize your cross-functional collaboration style and ability to work in an agile, iterative manner.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Tell a Story: For each project, frame it as a narrative: the problem, your approach, the solution, and the impact.

• Focus on AI Relevance: Clearly articulate the role of AI in your projects, even if it was experimental or conceptual. Explain your thought process behind incorporating AI.

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals, interactive prototypes, and clear explanations to convey your design decisions and their rationale.

• Highlight Your Contribution: Be specific about your role and the impact of your work within the team.

• Prepare for Deep Dives: Be ready to answer detailed questions about your design choices, research findings, and technical considerations.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating a blend of strong UX fundamentals and specialized knowledge/interest in AI. Candidates should be prepared to discuss their process, technical collaboration, and how they handle the unique challenges of designing with AI.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this UX Designer position:

• Submit your application through the Aflac Northern Ireland careers portal via the provided link.

• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your resume and portfolio to prominently feature your most relevant UX/Product Design experience, with a strong emphasis on any AI-related projects, prototypes, or explorations. Ensure your portfolio clearly demonstrates your design process and impact.

• Resume Optimization: Integrate keywords from the job description such as "AI-powered experiences," "prototyping," "user research," "technical communication," and "AI-native design." Quantify achievements wherever possible.

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process, showcasing your AI understanding, and preparing specific examples for behavioral and situational interview questions. Rehearse presenting your portfolio, focusing on clarity and impact.

• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with Aflac's mission, values, and any public information regarding their AI initiatives. Understand the company culture and how the AI Services team fits into the broader organization.

⚠️ 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.