Senior Accessibility Specialist in Manchester

We’re Civica, and we create software that helps deliver critical services for citizens all around the world. From local government to education, health, and care, over 5,000 public bodies across the globe use our software to provide essential services to over 100 million citizens. Our aspiration is to be a GovTech champion everywhere we work, supporting the needs of citizens and those who serve them every day.

Join Civica’s User Experience team and play a key role in shaping products that make a real difference. As a Senior Accessibility Expert, you’ll collaborate closely with cross‑functional teams to embed accessibility into every stage of the development life cycle. Your expertise will ensure our design system and digital products are inclusive, compliant, and user‑friendly. In this role, you’ll champion best practices, advise designers, developers and product managers, and lead initiatives that promote accessibility across Civica.

What you will do to be successful in this role:

• Conduct comprehensive accessibility audits for public sector software and digital services.
• Write legally compliant and detailed accessibility assessment reports with actionable recommendations.
• Advise product managers, designers and developers on WCAG 2.2, ARIA and inclusive design best practices.
• Use assistive technologies (NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver) and tools (axe, WAVE) for compliance checks.
• Deliver training and guidance to teams on accessibility standards.
• Collaborate in agile environments to ensure accessibility is integrated into the product lifecycle.
• Produce clear reports and recommendations for stakeholders.
• Champion accessibility across Civica, running the Accessibility Working Group, engaging with customers, and running an accessibility user group.
• Advise on the accessibility of Civica’s Design System, Firefly.
• Help the business plan for changes in accessibility requirements and compliance.

Requirements:

• 7+ years of experience in digital accessibility or inclusive design roles.
• Expert knowledge of WCAG 2.2 and ARIA specifications.
• Hands‑on experience with assistive technologies and accessibility testing tools.
• Strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Ability to influence design and development decisions in an agile delivery model.
• Proactive, self‑starter capable of driving projects forward with energy.
• Comfortable dealing with ambiguity.
• Strong communication skills across technical to commercial levels.
• Familiarity with UK public sector accessibility requirements, GDS standards, and awareness of requirements in the USA, Canada, India, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore.
• Experience mentoring or leading accessibility initiatives across large organisations.

We Want You to Bring Your Whole Self to Work. There is no such thing as the perfect candidate, so if you think you have what it takes but don’t necessarily meet every single point on the list above, please still get in touch. We’d love to have a chat and see if you could be a great fit.

Why You’ll Love Working with Us: As a company, we’re passionate about what we do and the citizens we serve. If you, too, want to champion the use of technology in public services to improve outcomes for citizens and public sector organisations, then Civica is the right place for you. We will help you unlock the best version of yourself, achieve career growth, and make a real difference to people and communities. We know that when our people are happy, they work better and have greater job satisfaction.

Benefits:

• 25 Days Annual Leave + bank holidays – plus the option to buy up to 10 extra days.
• Days of Difference – Up to 3 extra days off for volunteering.
• Pension Contributions – 5 % employer match to support your future.
• Income Protection – Up to 75 % salary cover for long‑term illness.
• Life Assurance – 4 × salary tax‑free lump sum.
• Critical Illness Cover – £25,000 lump sum (extendable to dependents).
• Private Medical Insurance – Fast access to private healthcare.
• Health Cash Plan – Claim back physio, therapies & more.
• Dental Insurance – Cover for routine & emergency care.
• Affinity Groups – Join employee‑led communities.
• Bounty Bonus – Refer a friend & get rewarded.

About Diversity & Inclusion: We are an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, age, or any other legally protected characteristic. Our recruitment process is designed to ensure fairness and transparency, so every candidate has an equal chance to contribute to our mission. If you need any adjustments or accommodations to participate in our recruitment process, please let us know. We are here to support you.