Senior UX Designer

PLOS; United Kingdom; Remote; GBP 80,000 - 100,000

Job description

*This position is fully remote/home based. Applications will be accepted from candidates based in the UK.

*Please submit your portfolio with your application.

Role Summary

PLOS is a nonprofit organization on a mission to drive open science forward with measurable, meaningful change in research publishing, policy, and practice. We believe in a better future where science is open to all, for all.

We're seeking a Senior UX Designer who thrives on problem-solving and refining experiences through research, data, and testing, a product-focused thinker with a passion for understanding the "why" behind design decisions and their impact on customers and business. A highly self-motivated individual, who will make confident decisions and take ownership of projects from concept to implementation.

Responsibilities

• Take ownership in the areas you are working on from discovery to delivery, with a focus on putting the user first.
• Use prototyping to test and visualize hypotheses as a crucial part of experimenting and learning with the team and stakeholders.
• Work closely with Product Managers to define problems, scope, and hypotheses.
• Partner with engineers to ensure your designs are feasible and implemented with precision.
• Establish and maintain visual consistency across all touch points.
• Collaborate with engineers, drawing inspiration from their expertise to experiment and solve problems.
• Collaborate with the Head of UX & Design to establish the in-house design function.

Knowledge and Skills

• Proven ability as a Senior UX Designer.
• Evidence of working in an agile development environment alongside Product Managers, subject-matter experts, researchers, content designers, and developers to design and build new digital services.
• Proven industry experience in applying design knowledge—graphic design, interaction design, and service design—to real-world applications.
• Able to demonstrate experience and skills in:
  • designing user interfaces.
  • designing and fulfilling user needs.
  • designing and building a new digital service.
• Capable of demonstrating knowledge of graphic design, including web typography, progressive disclosure, hierarchy, color use, and the role of imagery and iconography.
• Experience in effectively collaborating with cross-disciplinary teams, ensuring design decisions are grounded in evidence-based user research and a thorough understanding of user journeys.
• Experience in simplifying complex data and information into clear and understandable forms for users.
• Evidence of working to WCAG 2.1/2.2 standards.
• Can demonstrate end-to-end "design ownership" across different phases of a relevant production process.
• Skilled in designing systems for use across multiple services and adept at identifying the simplest solution from a range of alternatives.
• Demonstrated ability to integrate standards into team projects.
• Show the importance of constraints, clearly communicating them to both design and non-design team members, and developing solutions that respect these limitations.
• Experience of acting independently and taking action when dealing with uncertain situations or optimizing opportunities.
• Experience in contributing to design systems, including patterns, components, and elements.
• Experience of using data visualizations to communicate quantitative information quickly.
• Experience of iterating design patterns.
• Proven ability to think strategically and take steps toward achieving strategic goals.

Qualifications

• Degree in design, human-computer interaction (HCI), or related field (or equivalent industry training/experience).

Physical Requirements and Work Environment

• This remote position requires the ability to work at a computer workstation for extended periods and maintain clear visual acuity when viewing computer screens.

The base salary range we’ve established for these positions is (UK) £58,000 - £80,000. PLOS also offers a comprehensive benefits package summarized below.

Benefits

UK:

• Private medical insurance.
• Life assurance.
• Income protection.
• Pension with up to 10% employer match.
• 25 days holidays, market competitive Maternity and Paternity leave.
• Birthday and three winter holidays days off.
• 2 days paid time off for volunteering per year.
• Fully remote work environment with stipend on joining for home office.