At a Glance
- Tasks: Create user-friendly designs and conduct research to enhance digital experiences.
- Company: Join NOCN Group, a charity focused on impactful skills solutions.
- Benefits: Enjoy 38 days of leave, flexible working, and professional development opportunities.
- Other info: Hybrid work model with a focus on accessibility and inclusive design.
- Why this job: Make a difference in user experience while working with innovative tools and a supportive team.
- Qualifications: Degree or experience in design, strong UX skills, and familiarity with Figma.
The predicted salary is between 54000 - 66000 £ per year.
NOCN Group is an international charity which delivers future-fit skills solutions with social impact for colleges, training providers, employers and individuals. To find out more, visit our website.
- Overview of the role
- We are seeking a motivated and professional
- UX Designer to join our
Digital Services team.
Please note that while this role is classed as remote, there will be an element of office-based work in Sheffield once a week/a few times a month.
Reporting to the Group Director - Digital, you will play a key role in delivering high-quality services aligned with NOCN’s strategic objectives.
Key Responsibilities
- Plan and run discovery and evaluative research — interviews, usability testing, surveys and contextual enquiry — throughout the product lifecycle.
- Apply design thinking to frame the right problems: turning research into actionable insight, personas, journey maps and clearly prioritised opportunities before jumping to solutions.
- Facilitate the team’s thinking — workshops, sketching, service mapping — so the whole team designs with users, not just the designer.
- Design wireframes, prototypes and interaction flows in Figma at pace, so ideas can be tested with real users within days.
- Use AI tooling to accelerate research synthesis, ideation and even the shaping of UX plans — applying human judgement to the outputs.
- Work in continuous discovery with developers and data colleagues to move seamlessly from validated design into working software.
- Champion accessibility (WCAG) and inclusive, user-centred design across everything we build.
- Establish and grow a shared design language and reusable pattern library as our design maturity develops.
- Help set the direction for design and research at NOCN and raise the bar for how the whole team works with users.
About You
- Level 2 in Literacy and Numeracy.
- Degree in a Design, HCI, Psychology, social science or related discipline OR equivalent practical experience — we care about what you have built, not how your learned it.
- Evidence of continuous professional development in UX research, interaction design, accessibility, AI tooling or related disciplines.
- Experience of operating within an Agile / Scrum, discovery-led environment.
- Proven experience planning and running user research and translating findings into design decisions on products that shipped.
- Strong design thinking — able to frame the right problem before designing a solution, and to explain the reasoning behind design decisions.
- Solid interaction and visual design craft, with a portfolio of prototypes and delivered services — enough to communicate and validate ideas clearly (this is not a pure visual-UI role).
- Track record of producing and validating prototypes at speed to test ideas with real users.
- Confident with modern design and prototyping tools (Figma).
- Practical knowledge of accessibility standards (WCAG) and inclusive design.
- Able to facilitate workshops and bring stakeholders along — sharing research, building shared understanding and driving decisions.
- Exceptional use of AI tools to support research, ideation and prototyping — or clear evidence of being a fast learner with a strong desire to work this way.
- For the full job description, click here
Why Join NOCN Group?
- Company values
- Responsive
- Supportive
- Honest
- Ethical
- Sustainable
- Respectful
- Innovative
- What we can offer you
- We offer 38 days of annual leave this includes 8 bank holidays and 3 closure days between Christmas and New Year
- We can offer hybrid working
- 35-hour working week
- We can offer flexible working for a better work-life balance
- Buy/Sell Annual leave
- Flexible bank holidays for religious holidays
- Pension scheme
- Wellbeing support
- Training and development opportunities
- Free parking at both offices
- Life assurance
- Modern office spaces
- Enhanced family leave
- Optional tax-free childcare schemes
- Dress down Fridays
Please note
Due to the high volume of applications, we can only provide feedback at the interview stage.
As a proud member of both Disability Confident and Inclusive Employers standard, we celebrate and recognise the benefits of equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging.
As such, we welcome and encourage applicants from all backgrounds, and should you require any reasonable adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process, please let us know and we will do our best to accommodate.
UX Designer in Sheffield employer: NOCN Group
NOCN is an exceptional employer, dedicated to fostering a supportive and inclusive work environment for its employees. With a strong commitment to professional development and a focus on quality assurance in the education sector, NOCN offers flexible working arrangements and opportunities for growth within a progressive organisation. Located in South London and Kent, employees benefit from being part of a leading national Awarding Organisation that values diversity and encourages collaboration across various sectors.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land UX Designer in Sheffield
✨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 NOCN Group for a UX 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 NOCN Group before they go live!
We think you need these skills to ace UX Designer in Sheffield
Some tips for your application 🫡
Showcase Your Design Process:When you're applying for a UX/UI Design role like UX Designer at NOCN 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 NOCN 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 NOCN 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 NOCN Group.
How to prepare for a job interview at NOCN 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 NOCN 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. NOCN 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 NOCN 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 NOCN Group is looking for.
