About the role

Senior UX/UI Designer shaping user experience for critical software at UK's engineering firm. Collaborating with teams to establish a scalable design system for mission-critical applications.

Responsibilities

Lead the design of end-to-end user experiences for secure, classified, and mission-critical applications and systems.
Frame and solve complex problems by combining user research, operational insight, domain knowledge, and stakeholder input.
Plan and conduct qualitative and quantitative research within constrained or classified environments, adapting methods to limited user access and sensitive data.
Synthesise research into clear, actionable insights that inform design direction and product strategy, and advocate for evidence-based decisions.
Produce and manage high-quality design outputs, including user journeys, personas, task flows, wireframes, prototypes, and polished UI, ready for implementation.
Ensure experiences are consistent, accessible, inclusive, and scalable through effective use and evolution of design systems, adhering to relevant accessibility regulations (e.g. EAA).
Work closely with product managers, engineers, and stakeholders to balance usability, security, performance, and compliance throughout delivery.
Communicate design rationale clearly, facilitate workshops and reviews, and mentor designers while contributing to shared standards and best practices.

Significant experience as a UX Designer, Product Designer, or UX/UI Designer delivering complex digital products.
A proven track record of operating within a senior role.
Demonstrated ownership of end-to-end design work, from discovery through implementation.
Strong portfolio showing problem framing, interaction design, UI craft, and research-informed decision making.
Experience conducting or supporting user research and usability evaluation in constrained or complex environments.
Solid understanding of human-centred design principles, usability, and accessibility standards.
Experience working with or contributing to design systems.
Proficiency with modern design and prototyping tools (e.g. Figma or equivalent).
Ability to work effectively in secure, regulated, or restricted environments.
Highly Desirable experience: Experience conducting and analysing user research via a range of industry recognised methods.
Experience designing for defence, aerospace, government, critical infrastructure, or similarly regulated domains.
Experience working on long-lifecycle systems with complex technical dependencies.
Ability to influence product and design decisions in high-stakes, ambiguity-heavy contexts.
Experience mentoring designers or leading design efforts across multiple teams.

We are committed to building a flexible, inclusive, and enabling company. Our aim is to create a diverse team of talented people with unique skills, experience, and backgrounds, so please apply and come as you are!
We also recognise the importance of flexible working and support this wherever we can. We typically operate a flexible, hybrid-working model, with an average 3 days in the office each week (dependent on the role). We welcome the opportunity to discuss flexibility, part-time working requirements and/or workplace adjustments with all our applicants.
Rowden is a Disability Confident Committed company, and we actively encourage people with disabilities and health conditions to apply for our roles. Please let us know your requirements early on so that we can make sure you have everything you need up front to help make the recruitment process and experience as easy as possible.
Finally, if you feel that you don’t meet all the criteria included above but have transferable skills and relevant experience, we’d still love to hear from you!