Senior UX Designer

NEC Software Solutions is hiring a Senior UX Designer to lead the user experience strategy for a mission-critical software platform used by emergency services and public safety organisations across the United Kingdom.

This role combines UX leadership, hands-on product design, user research and design systems, with a focus on complex operational environments where usability, speed and accuracy are essential.

You'll shape the design direction of a control room software programme supporting incident management, emergency resource coordination and operational decision-making.

Working across multiple Scrum teams, you'll establish a shared UX vision, mentor designers and ensure that research, accessibility and user needs inform product development.

The position offers remote or hybrid working depending on location. Candidates must be eligible for UK Security Clearance and have an existing right to work and travel within the UK.

About NEC Software Solutions

NEC Software Solutions is part of NEC Corporation, a global technology company delivering digital services and software to public and private organisations.

With more than 3,000 employees, NEC Software Solutions develops technology used across healthcare, emergency services, policing, transport, housing and government.

Its software supports essential public services, including ambulance dispatch, emergency response, financial assistance and healthcare delivery.

For designers, this creates an opportunity to work on products where clear interfaces and efficient workflows can make a meaningful difference in high-pressure, real-world situations.

What you'll be working on

You'll lead UX strategy and design delivery for NEC's public safety control room software programme.

The platform supports professionals who need to manage incidents, coordinate resources and make operational decisions quickly and accurately.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Defining the UX strategy and design direction for the programme.

• Creating and maintaining a UX roadmap aligned with product priorities.

• Coordinating design activities across multiple Scrum teams.

• Designing complex workflows, user journeys and interactions.

• Producing wireframes, interactive prototypes and implementation-ready designs.

• Leading and supporting other UX and Product Designers.

• Planning and conducting user research and usability testing.

• Translating research findings into design improvements.

• Developing reusable components and design patterns.

• Improving design system adoption and consistency.

• Facilitating workshops with stakeholders and multidisciplinary teams.

• Collaborating with engineers to maintain design quality during implementation.

• Championing accessibility and inclusive design.

You'll balance immediate delivery requirements with longer-term improvements to the overall product experience.

UX strategy & design leadership

A central part of this position involves establishing a clear direction for UX across a complex software programme.

You'll help multiple delivery teams work towards a consistent experience while managing competing priorities, technical dependencies and operational requirements.

This includes:

• Developing a structured UX roadmap.

• Identifying upcoming design requirements.

• Prioritising design work across different teams.

• Anticipating risks and dependencies.

• Establishing design principles and quality standards.

• Reviewing design work and providing constructive feedback.

• Supporting other designers through mentoring and critique.

• Improving design processes and collaboration.

NEC is looking for someone who can provide strategic leadership without stepping away from hands-on design.

You'll remain directly involved in solving complex UX problems and delivering high-quality product experiences.

Designing mission-critical software

The software you'll work on supports emergency services and public safety professionals operating in demanding environments.

These users often need to process large amounts of information, coordinate multiple activities and make decisions under time pressure.

Design challenges may involve:

• Complex incident management workflows.

• Information-dense interfaces.

• Multiple user roles and permissions.

• Interconnected operational systems.

• Multi-screen experiences.

• Time-sensitive actions and decisions.

• Clear information hierarchy.

• Consistent interaction patterns.

• Error prevention and recovery.

You'll need to understand how different workflows connect and ensure that users can navigate the system efficiently.

The goal is to reduce unnecessary complexity while preserving the functionality required for demanding operational tasks.

Hands-on UX & interaction design

Although this is a leadership position, NEC expects the successful candidate to remain actively involved in design delivery.

You'll create and refine user experiences throughout the product development lifecycle.

Your work will include:

• Mapping user journeys and operational workflows.

• Developing wireframes and interaction models.

• Creating functional prototypes.

• Designing detailed interface layouts.

• Evaluating alternative solutions.

• Documenting design decisions.

• Preparing designs for engineering implementation.

• Reviewing usability and accessibility.

• Maintaining consistency across interconnected experiences.

You'll work closely with engineering teams to understand technical constraints and make informed design trade-offs.

Strong practical UX skills are essential, particularly when working with complex enterprise applications.

User research & evidence-based design

NEC places significant emphasis on using research and evidence to guide product decisions.

You'll independently plan and conduct research activities while collaborating with specialist researchers when appropriate.

Your responsibilities may include:

• Identifying research objectives.

• Planning user interviews and usability studies.

• Observing operational workflows.

• Evaluating existing product experiences.

• Testing proposed solutions.

• Synthesising qualitative and quantitative findings.

• Presenting research insights to stakeholders.

• Translating findings into product recommendations.

You'll use evidence to challenge assumptions, reduce design risk and influence roadmap priorities.

The company wants designers who can clearly explain not only what they recommend, but why a particular approach better supports users and operational requirements.

Design systems & scalable UX

You'll help establish and maintain a consistent user experience across the programme.

This involves working with existing design systems and contributing to reusable patterns that support multiple teams.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Defining reusable UI components.

• Maintaining interaction consistency.

• Establishing shared design standards.

• Supporting component-based design.

• Improving documentation.

• Encouraging design system adoption.

• Reviewing design quality across teams.

Experience working with Material UI is specifically required.

Familiarity with other established systems, including Material Design and Apple's Human Interface Guidelines, would also be valuable.

You'll need to understand when to reuse established patterns and when new components or interactions are justified.

Accessibility & inclusive design

Accessibility is an essential consideration for software used in public services.

You'll advocate for accessible and inclusive experiences throughout the design and development process.

This includes considering:

• Clear information hierarchy.

• Accessible navigation.

• Consistent interaction patterns.

• Readability and visual clarity.

• Keyboard and alternative input interactions.

• Error prevention and recovery.

• Usability across different user needs.

• Compliance with relevant accessibility requirements.

You'll also work within environments where regulatory, policy and operational constraints influence product decisions.

Collaboration across multidisciplinary teams

You'll work with customers, product stakeholders, designers, researchers, engineers and delivery teams.

As the senior designer on the programme, you'll help align these groups around a shared understanding of user needs.

This includes facilitating workshops, presenting design recommendations and resolving competing priorities.

You'll also provide constructive challenges when requirements conflict with research findings or usability principles.

The ability to communicate clearly with both technical and non-technical audiences will be particularly important.

What they're looking for

NEC is seeking an experienced UX professional who combines strategic thinking with strong practical design skills.

The essential requirements include:

• Significant experience designing complex enterprise or operational software.

• A portfolio demonstrating measurable design outcomes.

• Experience leading, mentoring or supporting UX and Product Designers.

• Ability to coordinate design activities across multiple teams.

• Experience developing and maintaining UX roadmaps.

• Strong hands-on UX and interaction design skills.

• Experience creating wireframes, prototypes and production-ready designs.

• Ability to plan and conduct user research.

• Strong stakeholder management and workshop facilitation skills.

• Experience working in multidisciplinary Agile environments.

• Understanding of accessibility and inclusive design.

• Experience designing within regulated or compliance-driven environments.

• Experience developing and maintaining design systems.

• Knowledge of Material UI and reusable component patterns.

• Ability to balance user needs, technical feasibility and business objectives.

UK Security Clearance eligibility is mandatory.

Candidates must also demonstrate an existing right to work and travel within the United Kingdom.

Additional experience that could help

The following experience would strengthen your application:

• Public safety or emergency services software.

• Police, fire or ambulance systems.

• Justice or government technology.

• Complex case management platforms.

• Multi-screen operational applications.

• Products involving multiple user roles and interconnected workflows.

• Material Design or Human Interface Guidelines.

• AI-powered design and research tools.

• AI-assisted prototyping.

• Designing AI-enabled product experiences.

Previous experience in emergency services or public safety is desirable but not mandatory.

AI-powered design & emerging technologies

NEC also values designers who understand how AI can support modern product development.

Experience using AI-powered research, design or prototyping tools is considered advantageous.

The company is particularly interested in candidates who can apply these technologies thoughtfully while maintaining design quality and user-centred decision-making.

Experience designing AI-enabled interfaces may also be beneficial, especially when determining where automation can improve workflows and where conventional interaction patterns remain more appropriate.

Strengthen your AI product design skills

NEC highlights AI-powered design workflows and AI-enabled product experiences among its desirable qualifications.

For experienced designers who want to expand their capabilities in this area, Designlab's AI Product Design Certification offers hands-on training focused on integrating AI into product design and prototyping.

The programme can be particularly relevant for designers interested in understanding how AI can support research, accelerate experimentation and shape new digital product experiences.

It complements traditional UX expertise rather than replacing the research, accessibility and systems-thinking skills required for this position.

Explore the AI Product Design Certification

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Benefits

NEC Software Solutions advertises a benefits package that includes:

• Private medical insurance funded by NEC for employees.

• Option to add family members to medical coverage at an additional cost.

• 25 days of annual leave, with the option to buy or sell days (full-time equivalent).

• Life assurance worth four times basic salary.

• Optional additional life assurance coverage.

• Group pension scheme with employer contributions of up to 8.5%.

• Flexible employee benefits.

• Free access to LinkedIn Learning.

• More than 15,000 professional development courses.

Note: The vacancy is labelled as a contract role, while the benefits described in the advertisement appear to be NEC's general employee package. Candidates should confirm which benefits apply to their specific contract arrangement.

Location & working arrangement

This position is available on a remote or hybrid basis within the United Kingdom, depending on the candidate's location.

You'll work within NEC's Public Safety team while also participating in the wider NEC Digital Studio Product Design practice.

This provides opportunities to collaborate with UX designers, interaction designers, service designers and user researchers across the organisation.

The role requires:

• Eligibility for UK Security Clearance.

• An existing legal right to work and travel within the UK.

• Satisfactory vetting and reference checks.

• Occupational health checks.

• A possible Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, depending on the role's requirements.