Head of User Centred Design; UCD

Position: Head of User Centred Design (UCD)
*
* Job Title:

** Head of User Centred Design
** Band:
** 6
* * Salary:** £72,771 - £80,776
*
* Location:

** Liverpool/Newport/Norwich/Birmingham
*
* Terms:

** Permanent
*
* Hours:

** Full Time/ Compressed Hours
** Closing Date: 26/01/26
**** Job Summary
** As Head of Product, you will be crucial in leading CCS’s shift to being a product-led, customer-focused organisation. You will recruit, inspire and develop a team of Product Managers, set best practices, influence organisational priorities, and collaborate across CCS and wider government to deliver value.
** Directorate Overview
** The Digital & Data Services (DDS) directorate is at the heart of CCS's digital transformation journey, responsible for delivering modern, efficient, and user-centred digital services that support over £30bn of public sector procurement annually. We're building a world-class digital capability that will revolutionise how the public sector buys common goods and services.
** Team Summary
** You will be heading up an expanding User Centred Design team that, when fully resourced, will include service designers, user researchers, interaction designers and accessibility specialists. We are building a culture that values user-centricity, experimentation and agility where team members will work closely with Digital and Commercial colleagues.
** Key Accountabilities
*** Provide visionary leadership and clear direction to the UCD community, fostering best practices in user-centred product and service development, and championing inclusive, accessible design principles.
* Build strong partnerships with senior leaders and stakeholders to align UCD activities with organisational goals.
* Support, coach and mentor UCD colleagues at all levels, focusing on recruitment, development, performance management, and career progression
* Champion ongoing professional development and a culture of learning and innovation within digital teams, the wider organisation and government, collaborating with other communities and leadership to advocate for UCD standards and the keeping customers at the heart of what we do.
* Lead and guide team members, manage performance to ensure a high-performing team, and support staff development through regular feedback
* Lead on setting and raising standards for UCD across the organisation, establishing frameworks, policies, and performance metrics that drive consistent delivery of quality work that meet user needs and organisational outcomes.
** Essential Criteria (to be assessed at application stage):
*** Experience in influencing both design and organisational strategy and priorities
* Strong ability to coach, mentor, and manage UCD professionals, overseeing recruitment, development, performance, and career progression.
* Expertise in applying user-centred insights and promoting inclusive, accessible product design aligned with government digital standards and the  Service Standard.
* Skilled in building and maintaining collaborative relationships with senior leaders, stakeholders, and other communities to represent and advocate for UCD interests.
* Experience setting and raising standards for UCD within an organisation, including establishing frameworks to ensure quality and outcome-driven products and services.
** Success Profiles (to be assessed at interview):
** You will be assessed against the following
** Behaviours:
*** Leadership* Communicating and influencing
* Developing self and others

You will be assessed against the following
** Technical Skills (Some of the below technical skills will be tested via a presentation at interview)
*** Designing strategically
* Applying user centred insights
* Stakeholder relationship management
* Agile research practices(A link to the Civil Service Success Profiles Framework is provided below)
** Assessment
* * If you are shortlisted,  you will be asked to take part in an alternative leadership assessmen
** t**. These assessments will not result in a pass or fail decision. Rather, they are designed to support the panel's decision making and highlight areas for the panel to explore further  will also be required to complete a presentation within the final interview stage with more information to…