At a Glance
- Tasks: Shape and establish a design system for innovative digital products, including web and XR experiences.
- Company: Join AtkinsRéalis, a world-class engineering services and nuclear organisation.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive salaries, flexible working, and tailored benefits for your lifestyle.
- Other info: Collaborative culture with opportunities for professional growth and development.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by creating accessible and practical user experiences.
- Qualifications: Strong UI/UX design experience and familiarity with design systems and Figma.
The predicted salary is between 54000 - 66000 £ per year.
Nuclear EMEA Digital Products and Technology is building a shared design system across a growing portfolio of digital products, including web and XR experiences. As a Senior / Principal Product Designer, you'll play a key role in shaping and establishing this design system, taking it from discovery through to adoption across our products. You'll help create clear, reusable patterns that enable product designers to work efficiently and consistently, while giving them the flexibility to solve individual product needs.
You'll work closely with product designers, product managers, engineering leads and developers, bringing together design thinking, technical understanding and user insight to create experiences that are consistent, accessible and practical to implement. Your initial focus will be supporting the merger of two applications, providing an opportunity to put the design system into practice and establish foundations that can scale across the wider portfolio.
Your Role
As a Senior / Principal Product Designer, you'll provide design leadership while remaining close to the work, helping the team turn product strategy and user needs into clear and effective experiences. You'll:
- Shape, build and maintain the portfolio design system in Figma, including components, variables, usage guidance and accessibility considerations.
- Establish practical ways for product designers to contribute to, adopt and evolve the design system, creating consistency while supporting individual product needs.
- Define and maintain clear naming standards across Figma variables and frontend CSS, reviewing system-level changes to keep the overall design language coherent as products and teams grow.
- Partner with product designers and support the migration and adoption of the design system across products, beginning with the merged-product pilot and validating token and component implementation.
- Collaborate closely with product managers, engineering leads and developers to translate product strategy into clear, testable and implementable experiences.
- Lead discovery for priority initiatives, bringing together problem framing, journey mapping and design hypotheses to create a shared understanding of user needs and opportunities.
- Plan and facilitate usability testing, using insights and feedback to continually improve designs and user experiences.
- Champion inclusive and accessible design, ensuring components and patterns are designed to meet WCAG 2.2 AA requirements.
About You
You'll bring a combination of product design expertise, systems thinking and collaborative leadership, with the ability to see both the bigger picture and the detail required to create effective digital experiences. We're looking for someone who:
- Has strong product or UI/UX design experience for web-based applications, with the confidence to take design challenges from discovery through to implementation.
- Has experience creating, developing and scaling design systems and component libraries, with an understanding of how to encourage their adoption across products and teams.
- Is comfortable working in Figma, including components, variables, libraries and design system documentation.
- Enjoys understanding users and has experience planning and running usability testing, turning insights into meaningful design improvements.
- Brings strong UX capability across user flows, information architecture and interaction design.
- Has practical knowledge of HTML and CSS, enabling effective collaboration between design and engineering. Experience with a specific frontend framework isn't required.
- Builds collaborative relationships with product and engineering teams and can communicate design thinking, decisions and trade-offs clearly.
- Has a thoughtful approach to accessibility and inclusive design, considering these needs throughout the design process rather than as a final step.
- Experience with XR or spatial computing design, Microsoft HoloLens Mixed Reality Design Guidelines or similar spatial design principles would be valuable. Exposure to AI-assisted design workflows would also be beneficial.
As part of the application process, we'd like to see a portfolio with a case study that demonstrates your involvement in the conceptualisation, development and implementation of a design system. We're particularly interested in understanding how you think, collaborate and approach design challenges, as well as the outcomes you've helped create.
Rewards & benefits
Explore the rewards and benefits that help you thrive – at every stage of your life and your career. Enjoy competitive salaries, employee rewards and a brilliant range of benefits you can tailor to suit your own health, wellbeing, financial and lifestyle choices. Make the most of a myriad of opportunities for training and professional development to grow your skills and expertise. And combine our hybrid working culture and flexible holiday allowances to balance a great job and fulfilling personal life.
About AtkinsRéalis
We're AtkinsRéalis, a world-class engineering services and nuclear organization. We connect people, data and technology to transform the world's infrastructure and energy systems. Together, with our industry partners and clients, and our global team of consultants, designers, engineers and project managers, we can change the world. We're committed to leading our clients across our various end markets to engineer a better future for our planet and its people.
Additional information
This role may require security clearance and offers of employment will be dependent on obtaining the relevant level of clearance. If this is necessary, it will be discussed with you at interview. The vetting process is delivered by United Kingdom Security Vetting (UKSV) and may require candidates to provide proof of residency in the UK of 5 years or longer. If applying to this role please do not make reference to (in conversation) or include in your application or CV, details of any current or previously held security clearance.
We are committed to creating a culture where everyone feels that they belong - a place where we can all be ourselves, thrive and develop to be the best we can be. So, we offer a range of family friendly, inclusive employment policies, flexible working arrangements and employee resource groups to support all employees. As an Equal Opportunities Employer, we value applications from all backgrounds, cultures and ability. As a Disability Confident Leader, we are committed to offering an interview to all applicants who have a disability and meet the essential criteria. If you would like to be considered under this commitment, please let us know at the application stage.
Senior / Principal Product Designer in London employer: AtkinsRéalis Group
AtkinsRéalis is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work environment where ecologists can thrive while contributing to impactful projects that enhance biodiversity. With a strong focus on employee development, including tailored mentoring and professional training opportunities, our Cardiff and Bristol offices foster a collaborative culture that values innovation and inclusivity. Enjoy competitive salaries, flexible working arrangements, and a commitment to work-life balance, making it an ideal place for passionate ecologists to grow their careers.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior / Principal Product Designer in London
✨Show Off Your Portfolio
In the world of UX/UI design, your portfolio speaks volumes! Make sure it's packed with your best work and showcases your process, not just the final product. We want to see how you tackle design challenges, so consider adding case studies that reflect your thought process and user-centric approach.
✨Get Involved in Design Communities
Jump into local or online design meetups and workshops! Places like UXPA or local design events can be goldmines for networking and learning. Plus, mingling with fellow designers can introduce you to potential job openings that might not be listed elsewhere.
✨Tailor Your Applications
When you find a role that excites you, like the one at AtkinsRéalis Group for a Senior / Principal Product Designer, make your application count! Highlight specific projects and skills that directly relate to the job description. Hiring managers are looking for candidates who fit into their specific team, so show them you’re the one!
✨Leverage Social Media
Don't underestimate the power of social media in finding a UX/UI design job! Follow design leaders on platforms like Twitter or Instagram, share your work, and engage in conversations. It’s a great way to get noticed by recruiters and even catch wind of openings at companies like AtkinsRéalis Group before they go live!
We think you need these skills to ace Senior / Principal Product Designer in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Showcase Your Design Process:When you're applying for a UX/UI Design role like Senior / Principal Product Designer at AtkinsRéalis Group, make sure to include examples that clearly highlight your design process. We want to see not just the final product but also the journey that led you there—wireframes, user personas, and iterations demonstrate your thought process and user-centric approach!
Tailor Your Portfolio:A tailor-made portfolio is crucial for a full-time design role! Curate your best projects that align with the kind of work AtkinsRéalis Group does. We suggest including 3-5 case studies that showcase a variety of skills such as wireframing, prototyping, and user testing to really make your application pop.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Your cover letter should not just be a summary of your CV. Use it to express why you’re excited about UX/UI Design and what draws you specifically to AtkinsRéalis Group. Mention any relevant experience, tools you’re proficient in (like Sketch or Figma), and how you can contribute to their projects.
Highlight Collaboration Skills:In the world of UX/UI Design, teamwork is crucial. Make sure to highlight any past experiences where you worked in cross-functional teams. Illustrate how you communicated design decisions and listened to feedback, as this will resonate well with the culture at AtkinsRéalis Group.
How to prepare for a job interview at AtkinsRéalis Group
✨Show Off Your Portfolio
When you're gunning for a full-time UX/UI design role, your portfolio is your best friend! Make sure you've got a solid selection of your work, showcasing not just the final designs, but the process behind them—think wireframes, user flows, and any user research you've conducted. During the interview with AtkinsRéalis Group, be prepared to discuss your design decisions and how they solve specific user problems.
✨Prepare for Design Challenges
Expect to face some practical design tasks during your interview. AtkinsRéalis Group might ask you to tackle a quick design challenge or critique an existing interface. Brush up on your problem-solving skills and try to articulate your thought process as you work through these scenarios. Showing how you approach a design problem is just as important as the final output!
✨Know the Tools of the Trade
Familiarise yourself with the tools commonly used in the industry—figma, Adobe XD, or Sketch should be second nature to you. Be ready to discuss your preferred tools during the interview and how they've shaped your design process at previous positions. This knowledge could give you an edge at AtkinsRéalis Group!
✨Show Passion for User Experience
In a full-time UX/UI design role, having a genuine passion for improving user interactions can set you apart. Be prepared to share instances when you went above and beyond to ensure a great user experience in your previous projects. This will demonstrate that you’re not just a designer, but a user advocate, which is exactly what AtkinsRéalis Group is looking for.
