Head of User-Centred Design

We have an exciting opportunity for a Head of User-Centred Design to join our senior Digital Services team, part of the recently formed Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) Directorate in a key leadership role.

Our DDaT vision is that we want to be a catalyst for pensions innovation and regulatory effectiveness. Using digital, data, and technology to revolutionise pension regulation, making it more efficient, secure, transparent, and customer centred. You will have the ability to lead from the front, translate strategy into sustainable solutions, and inspire and empower a team of experts around a common goal.

Our Digital team is undergoing transformation turning our existing capabilities into a modern, and high-performing digital function with agility, user-centricity and innovation embedded throughout. As Head of User-Centred Design, you will inform and develop capabilities to empower the transformation of TPR into a data enabled regulator.

We are on a fast-paced journey, and in recent years TPR has gone through significant technological and business change, including having fully migrated to Microsoft Azure. As part of these new systems, we have an enterprise-scale Azure data platform and engineering capability.

We need a skilled and enthusiastic person to join the senior leadership team in the Digital Services Team. You will have the ability to help the organisation see the strategic direction and deliver against our digital strategy.

This is an exciting time to join our growing team and play a key role in our continuing journey of data-enabled design transformation, making data the key enabler in our mission to put the savers at the heart of everything we do., As Head of User-Centred Design this role, you will:

• Strategic direction: Set and clearly communicate the strategic direction of the User-Centred Design (UCD) function and provide intellectual and thought leadership whilst providing visible and strategic leadership. Act as the 'Voice of the Saver, Scheme and Employer' bringing insights in the design of TPR's services. Utilising your expertise across DDaT to make sure we deliver inclusive and accessible services.


• Leadership: Lead and develop our research and service design capability with a strong involvement in how we deliver services within the product, platform service framework at TPR. Enable and bring together multi-disciplinary teams of professionals, including content, interaction design, service design, user research and performance analysis to ensure a single, shared mission for user-centred design. Manage and build our UCD capability; accountable for ensuring the team develop the skills, experience, ability and knowledge needed across the professions, as well as fostering a culture of continuous development.


• Stakeholder management: Build collaboration across disciplines and teams to ensure our work is coordinated and integrated, as well as working with peers across TPR to ensure strategic alignment. Establish positive and productive relationships internally, across our Senior Leadership team and at board level, and externally with other arm's-length government bodies, pension schemes and the professional pensions industry.


• Development and delivery: Shape the UCD/Service Design and ways of working by embedding consistent and high-quality professional standards, developing design processes and outputs ensuring integration and consistency. Ensure effective and efficient development and delivery of the digital products in a user focused way, ensuring all technology and the services developed including pension schemes, are continually driving improvements and organisational efficiencies.


• Compliance and standards: Create a clear and consistent digital library or re-usable patterns and components in line with the Government service style and pattern guide which promotes re use where appropriate. Contribute to the Agile and Digital maturity of TPR and ensure all digital development and technology is consistent and meets Government Service Standards and TPR's code of practice. Lead and be accountable for digital assurance and service standard compliance at TPR that provides value to the organisation and saver.
  
  Exceptional leadership and team management skills to inspire and manage diverse, multidisciplinary teams, including designers, developers, and researchers with the ability to prioritise and manage multiple projects and deadlines effectively.


• A demonstrable track record of successful implementation of digital services that have improved user experience and engagement delivering inclusive and accessible services.


• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills to effectively convey the value of user-centred design across the organization and to external partners.


• Experience with conducting user research, usability testing, and analysing user feedback to inform design decisions.


• Expert level understanding of user-centred design principles and methodologies with proven experience in leading UCD initiatives from concept to deployment.


• Proficiency in design and prototyping tools with understanding of frontend development technologies and knowledge of digital technology trends and digital landscape.


Person specification


• Excellent communication and listening skills across all levels of business.


• People and performance management skills.


• Believe in being a visible and accessible role model.


• Committed to creating a positive, empowered and inclusive culture.


• Problem solving and analytical skills.


• Critical thinking.


• Creative and innovative approach.
  
  More than half the UK working population rely on The Pensions Regulator (TPR) to regulate their retirement savings. With a career at TPR, you'll be joining an organisation that will impact on millions of lives for decades to come.


Everyone at TPR plays an important role in helping to keep more than £2trn of savings safe. We're committed to bringing people into TPR who are ready to make a difference and put UK savers at the heart of what we do.

It is important to us that TPR remains a great place to work. We do all we can to help our people reach their full potential with learning, secondment, and development opportunities. We put our 900+ employees first, supporting flexible working and offer a diverse, lively, and inclusive environment. This includes our Disability Network, Family Network, LGBT+ Network (Proud), Minority Ethnic (ME) Network and Women's Network, which offer spaces to connect.

Our new corporate strategy outlines a bold and challenging vision of how pensions regulation should evolve to keep pace with a change in the scale and nature of the industry. We are at the start of that journey. Join us to find out what part you can play.

We operate a hybrid working model, with regular attendance in our Brighton office to connect with colleagues across the business.

As well as a salary between £84,011 and £107,348, we offer:

• Civil Service Pension arrangements, which are recognised as some of the best in the pensions world


• discretionary bonus arrangements


• access to performance related pay progression


• 25 days annual leave provision


• flexible working arrangements


• development opportunities


• enhanced parental leave arrangements


• a free employee assistance programme


• an excellent office location in Brighton