UX/UI Designer (FTC) in Manchester

At IWM, our mission is to help people understand conflict and its impact on our lives today. Our digital work plays a major role in delivering that mission, reaching millions of users each year. You'll join a collaborative, user-focused Digital Engagement team who are passionate about creating accessible, meaningful and high-quality digital experiences. We value curiosity, evidence-led thinking and working together to deliver the best outcomes for our audiences.

Why This Role Matters

This is a pivotal role at a key moment for IWM. We are launching a refreshed vision, purpose and rebrand, and you will lead how this is translated into our digital products, especially a major redevelopment of iwm.org.uk. Working closely with an external design agency, you will guide web design from IWM's side and help shape a new, robust design system. Your work will directly influence how audiences understand conflict, engage with our content, and access our sites, services and collections.

What You'll Be Doing: Responsibilities

• Lead UX and UI design across IWM's websites, with a primary focus on the redevelopment of iwm.org.uk.
• Work with an external design agency to develop and embed a new design system, and ensure it is consistently applied across all digital journeys.
• Create wireframes, prototypes and high-fidelity designs that are accessible, on-brand and grounded in user needs.
• Collaborate with Product Managers, Developers, and brand and content colleagues to deliver high quality, user centred experiences.
• Contribute to user research, usability testing and evidence-based prioritisation.
• Clearly communicate design decisions, trade-offs and insights to a wide range of stakeholders.
• Champion inclusive, user centred design practice across the organisation and support capability building within the Digital Engagement team.
• Build strong, collaborative relationships across Digital Engagement, brand, content and development teams.
• Work effectively with the external agency to support the creation and rollout of a new design system.
• Lead UX/UI input into key stages of the iwm.org.uk redevelopment.
• Deliver clear design documentation, prototypes and components that can be easily implemented by developers.
• Improve the accessibility, clarity and consistency of digital journeys.
• Help embed user centred and evidence led practices across digital workstreams.

Qualifications

• Experience designing for large websites or digital products within a multidisciplinary team.
• Strong understanding of UX principles, journey mapping, heuristics and user centred design methods.
• Ability to design accessible, visually coherent interfaces that align with brand standards.
• Experience working with or implementing digital design systems, ideally alongside external agencies.
• Good knowledge of accessibility and usability standards such as WCAG.
• Proficiency in Figma and experience creating wireframes, prototypes and UI components.
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to make practical decisions within constraints.
• Confident communication skills and the ability to explain design decisions using research and evidence.

How You’ll Work

You’ll work closely with colleagues in Digital Engagement, brand and content teams, Developers, Product Managers and external design partners. Collaboration and clear communication are central to this role, and you’ll play a key part in helping teams move towards user centred, evidence led decision making across digital projects.

Benefits

• Annual Leave: You’ll have 25 days of annual leave, with public holidays on top. After 3 years, this increases to 27 days and after 5 years, you’ll get 30 days.
• Company Group Pension Plan: Our commitment to your financial well-being includes competitive employer contributions to your pension starting at 7% to a maximum of 12%.
• Enhanced Maternity and Paternity Benefits: Celebrate life's milestones with confidence, knowing that our policies support growing families.
• IWM4me: Tailor your benefits to your unique needs through IWM4me. Access health, protection, and lifestyle benefits at corporate rates, ensuring your holistic well-being.
• Free Sanitary Products: We prioritise your comfort by providing free sanitary products across all our sites.
• Retail Discounts: 25% off IWM Cafes, 20% discount in on-site shops, Benefits hub offering retail discounts to several high street shops (via our EAP provider) and MyActive discounts for health and wellbeing retail discounts (via IWM4me).
• Free Entry to IWM Air Shows: Witness the thrill of vintage aircraft at our air shows.
• Free Entry to Partner Museums & Galleries: Immerse yourself in art, history, and culture through our reciprocal arrangements with other institutions.
• In-House Training Programmes: Fuel your intellectual curiosity and professional growth through our comprehensive training initiatives.
• Season Ticket Loan Scheme: Simplify your daily commute with our interest-free loan program.
• Cycle 2 Work & Cycle Hire: Promote well-being and environmental consciousness by cycling to work.
• Eye Tests: Money back up to £80 for an eye test and a new pair of glasses.
• Employee Assistance Programme: Access confidential support for personal or work-related challenges.
• Benenden Healthcare & Dental Insurance: Prioritise your health with access to quality healthcare services (subject to terms and conditions).
• Civil Service Sports Club Membership: Opportunity to join and enjoy additional discounts and perks as part of a vibrant community.
• Staff Events and Networks: Join fellow colleagues in social gatherings and events, fostering camaraderie and shared experiences.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions. This role is subject to: A basic check, which shows unspent convictions and conditional cautions.

Equal Opportunities and Flexible Working

IWM is committed to a policy of Equal Opportunities. We miss out when people feel IWM isn’t for them, and are committed to removing and reducing barriers to make IWM open to everyone. Our Access and Inclusion strategy has been developed to promote openness, equal opportunities to access, inclusivity and encourage diversity in everything that we do, from employment practices, the services we provide to our visitors to the facilities we make available to public. At IWM we seek to address the need for greater diversity within our workforce as well as the wider museum and heritage sector. In all our practices we embrace diversity and promote equality of opportunity and we welcome applications from suitable candidates of all backgrounds. We value and respect difference and are committed to building an inclusive culture by creating an environment where you can balance a successful career with your commitments and interests outside of work. We believe that you will do your best at work if you have a work/life balance. Some roles lend themselves to flexible options more than others, so if this is important to you please raise this with your recruitment contact, as we are open to discussing agile working opportunities during the hiring process.