- +2
- +2
- Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom
About
Reference number
415677
Salary
£51,854 - £55,717
Successful candidates will be offered the minimum of the pay scale and in some circumstances salary negotiations will be dependent on the demonstration of skills and experience. All our roles come with an excellent benefits package, including the generous Civil Service Pension Scheme. Further salary increases depend entirely upon the outcome of our annual pay negotiation with central government. If you are a current Civil Servant transferring to us, your salary will be discussed in line with our pay policies.
A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
GBP
Job grade
Senior Executive Officer
Band E(IT)
Contract type
Permanent
Business area
CH - Digital Services
Type of role
Digital
Working pattern
Flexible working, Full-time, Part-time
Number of jobs available
1
Contents
Location
About the job
Benefits
Things you need to know
Apply and further information
Location
Cardiff, Wales, CF14 3UZ
About the job
Job summary
Are you an experienced Service Designer looking for a new opportunity?
Do you enjoy working closely with stakeholders to identify the most user centred solution?
Then we have the role for you!
Companies House has a well-established User Centred Design team within our DDaT directorate which includes a team of interaction designers, content designers, user researchers and performance analysts. Our services are critical for the UK economy and as an organisation we are committed to making them as user friendly and inclusive as possible. We are looking for an experienced Service Designer to join the team who will lead on mapping our service flows and working with stakeholders to identify the most user centred solutions.
The User-Centred Design (UCD) team sits within the Product Design Directorate, alongside the Product Management and Business Analysis teams. The UCD team is a community of 6 teams. There are: Service Design, Interaction Design, Content Design, Accessibility, User Research, and Performance Analytics. Each team supports each other to review insights from our performance analytics and user research to understand user needs and co-design user-centred services.
Our core values are empathy, collaboration and making working together fun!
Our strategic objective is to innovate and ensure the organisation delivers services that work for everyone.
Watch this video to find out more about working in Digital at Companies House
At Companies House, hybrid working is about achieving an effective balance between working in the office and home. We are currently attending the Cardiff office a minimum of one day a week. We're able to consider both full-time and part-time hours for this role (part-time would be a minimum of 33 hours over 4 or 5 days).
Companies House offers a flexible and welcoming culture that promotes a healthy work life balance as well as a proactive approach to wellbeing that allows us to be our best at work. We recognise that people are the key to our success so offer a fantastic benefits package including flexible working with no core hours, 30 days annual leave, 8 bank holidays and 1 privilege day as well as enrolment into the Civil Service Pension scheme with a contribution rate averaging 28%.
Find out more about what a great place Companies House is to work
Please note - Companies House cannot offer Visa sponsorship to candidates through this campaign. Please see the 'Things you need to know' section below.
Job description
As our digital ambition is to move towards a service led organisation, we are currently in the process of mapping out the end-to-end user experience to move towards a simple and intuitive design that meets the needs of all our users and delivers the objectives of the Economic Crime Act.
As a service designer, youll be an advocate of user needs and the GOV.UK Service Standard. This role will be critical in mapping the "as is" user experience, highlighting user pain points and exploring how we can solve the whole problem for users.
By bringing together key stakeholders, youll aim to ensure that there is a common understanding of our service design challenges for both digital and non-digital user journeys and engage with product, technical, policy, and communications teams to explore different solutions.
You will:
act as an advocate of user needs and service design, and influence the delivery of services to ensure that these user needs are met
work with a multi-disciplinary team, including service managers, product managers, content designers, interaction designers, user researchers, performance analysts, and technical, policy and operational colleagues
have responsibility for service design across complex services, ensuring services solve the whole problem for users and meet both user needs and policy intent
lead on the development of design concepts for services, making best use of common component design patterns from across government, and iterating based on research, analytics and user feedback
provide expertise to the team on accessibility requirements and inclusive design
help identify high level needs and epics to influence the product roadmap and how the backlog is prioritised
map the experience of users and highlight areas where it can be improved
explore ways of simplifying complex end-to-end processes for digital and non-digital journeys
identify design challenges and explore ways of solving them using best practise across government
understand and work within constraints to deliver the most user-friendly solution to users
promote the value of service design across the organisation
Person specification
We are looking for the following experience and skills which will be assessed at sift and interview.
The successful candidate will be someone who has:
experience of working in an agile environment with multidisciplinary teams
experience of using different methods of telling the user stories
experience of having difficult conversations with stakeholders and trying to influence their decision making based on user needs
expert knowledge of the discipline of service design including mapping user experience and writing personas for multiple audiences
experience of leading and developing others and growing a community of practice
experience of designing services for a wide range of users including novice users and users with assisted digital and accessibility needs
ability to understand technical limitations and work within constraints to deliver the most user-friendly solution to users
ability to influence stakeholders and promote the value of user-centred design
knowledge of the GOV.UK Service standard, GDS Design System, and the milestones of each delivery phase according to the Service Manual, or equivalent
an awareness of the GOV.UK Design system and the GOV.UK Style guide
familiarity with GOV.UK accessibility regulations and inclusive design
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
Communicating and Influencing
Developing Self and Others
Managing a Quality Service
Delivering at Pace
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
Experience of mapping user needs and designing services to meet these (presentation)
Expert knowledge of the discipline of service design
Ability to influence stakeholders and promote the value of user-centred design
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £51,854, Companies House contributes £15,022 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
We believe that our success is driven by the well-being and satisfaction of our team members at all levels of the organisation. At Companies House were committed to providing a comprehensive benefits package that goes beyond the ordinary, ensuring your career journey with us is not only fulfilling, but also rewarding. We pride ourselves on offering a quality work-life balance with our employee wellbeing being central to our working practices.
Head to Our benefits - Working for us - Recruitment (companieshouse.gov.uk) to find out more about the fantastic benefits package we have at Companies House.
We celebrate diversity...
As an equal opportunity employer, we celebrate diversity, being committed to ensuring were representative of the citizens we serve and creating an inclusive environment. Everyone in Companies House brings something different, and so will you. To fulfil our commitment to recruiting and attracting diverse talent we welcome applications from underrepresented groups. We also welcome applications from Welsh speakers.
We are proud to be a disability confident leader. Our recruitment process is fully inclusive and we can make adjustments as needed through our process. These could include having an interview buddy, extra time at interviews/assessments and receiving interview questions in advance, to name a few.
If you require any reasonable adjustments at application stage, or if you'd like to discuss any person-centred adjustments, please contact us by emailing recruitmentCH@companieshouse.gov.uk.
Read our 'Applying under the Disability Confidence Scheme (DCS)' guide to find out how to successfully complete an application under the Disability Confidence Scheme (DCS).
Where will you be working?
You will be aligned to our Cardiff office, where you will be expected to attend on a regular basis. We are currently using a hybrid approach to the way we work which provides opportunities for you to be adaptable in the way you work so that you can achieve a healthy balance between your work and home life. The degree of choice you have will depend on your role and your day-to-day work activities. Your manager will agree regular patterns of attendance with you, however you may be required to make yourself available to attend the office more frequently when required to meet business needs.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles , and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths, Experience and Technical skills.
In your application form wed like you to:
Tell us about your employment history, including key responsibilities and achievements.
Wed like you to write a personal statement of 750 words. We'd encourage you to use the full word count and to make it clear as you're giving us examples and evidence of the different elements of the essential minimum criteria. In your personal statement, we'd like you to write about your:
experience of working in an agile environment with multidisciplinary teams
experience of using different methods of telling the user stories
experience of having difficult conversations with stakeholders and trying to influence their decision making based on user needs
Were committed to being diverse and inclusive, so please make your application anonymous by removing all identifying personal information (such as your name and age) from your personal statement.
What will the process look like?
Sift
Once the advert has closed we will sift applications - this involves reading through them all, please bear with us as this can take some time.
We may raise the score required if we receive a high number of applications.
At sift we may choose to take through the highest performing candidates to the next stage. If, after the final stage is completed and roles are unfilled, we will proceed to invite lower scoring candidates to interview.
At sift candidates will be assessed against experience and alongside your work history the panel will score your application against the following criteria:
experience of working in an agile environment with multidisciplinary teams
experience of using different methods of telling the user stories
experience of having difficult conversations with stakeholders and trying to influence their decision making based on user needs
Interview
Successful candidates from sift will be invited to attend an interview, which will be conducted using Microsoft Teams.
We use a blended interview technique, allowing us to find out more about you.
We use the Success Profile framework and at interview we will use Success Profiles assessing the Experience, Behaviours and Technical Skills listed in the advert, and Strengths.
There will be an activity as part of the interview - this will be a presentation which will assess the following Technical skill: Mapping of user needs and designing services to meet them. The details for this activity will be sent to candidates who are invited to interview after they have booked their interview slot.
A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made for the same or similar roles.
If after interview you are not found appointable at the advertised grade you may be offered the lower grade role if you are considered to meet the skills, experience and behaviours for the lower level. The benchmark for appointing to the lower grade is set at the start of each campaign. All offers will be made in merit order.
Key Dates (dates are indicative only and could be subject to change)
Closing date: 20th July 2025
Sifting: w/c 21st July 2025
Interviews: w/c 28th July 2025
Our recruitment process is underpinned by the principle of recruitment based on fair and open competition with decisions made on the basis of merit, as outlined in the Civil Service Commissioners Recruitment Principles.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
We understand that you might use AI and other resources for your application; however, please ensure all information you provide is factually accurate, truthful, and original and doesnt include ideas or work that isnt your own. This is so that your application is authentically and credibly your own. Your application may be rejected if evidence of plagiarism or reliance on AI is detected. Examples include presenting the ideas and experience of others, or generated by artificial intelligence (AI), as your own. If you are invited to interview, please be aware the use of AI tools is prohibited (including recording or note taking) and any suspected use may result in the termination of your interview and subsequent withdrawal from the campaign.
More information on the ways you should and shouldnt use AI can be found here.
Sponsorship
Companies House cannot offer Visa sponsorship to candidates through this campaign. Companies House holds a Visa sponsorship licence but this can only be used for certain roles and this campaign does not qualify. Should you apply for this role and require sponsorship, your application may be rejected, and any provisional offers of employment withdrawn.
Nationality statement
Candidates will be subject to UK immigration requirements as well as Civil Service nationality rules. If you're applying for a role requiring security clearance, please be aware that foreign or dual nationality is not an automatic bar. However certain posts may have restrictions which could affect those who do not have sole British nationality or who have personal connections with certain countries outside the UK.
As part of our recruitment process, it is essential for all candidates to independently verify their eligibility to work in the UK before applying. This includes a thorough check of your right to work to ensure compliance with UK employment laws, being mindful of the recent changes to going rates detailed on GOV.UK.
Please ensure you have the necessary documentation and permissions in place. Our team is dedicated to fostering a diverse and inclusive workforce and encourages applicants from all backgrounds to apply. However, it is the candidate's responsibility to ensure they meet the UK's legal requirements to work.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.
Nationality requirements
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
UK nationals
nationals of the Republic of Ireland
nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
Further information on nationality requirements
Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles .
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.
Diversity and Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy .
Apply and further information
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative.
The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
Name : Teodora Arnold
Email : tarnold@companieshouse.gov.uk
Recruitment team
Email : recruitmentch@companieshouse.gov.uk
Further information
We welcome applications in Welsh / Rydym yn croesawi ceisiadau yn y Gymraeg. Selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit, on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commissions Recruitment Principles. In accordance with the Civil Service Commissioners Recruitment Principles, our recruitment and selection processes are underpinned by the requirement of appointment on the basis of merit by fair and open competition. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should contact infopoint@companieshouse.gov.uk in the first instance. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive you can contact the Civil Service Commission .
info@csc.gov.uk
Civil Service Commission, Room G/8, 1 Horse Guards Road SW1A 2HQ
Nice-to-have skills
- Agile
- Accessibility
Work experience
- Product Designer
- UX Designer
Languages
- English