UX/Service Designer in Abingdon

Overview

Would you like to help enrich the lives of learners around the world?

At RM, we’ve been pioneers of education technology since 1973. We provide technology and resources to the education sector, supporting over 10 million students worldwide. We work with over 28,000 schools, nurseries, and education trusts in 115 countries to deliver customer‑centric solutions that improve education outcomes. Our portfolio covers general qualification, professional qualification, and higher education sectors. RM Group operates through three businesses: Technology (Managed Services, Software and Infrastructure for Schools), Assessment (Software and Services), and TTS (Educational Resources). Within the assessment market we are experts in providing solutions for online exam testing, marking, and the management and analysis of educational data. For more information, visit www.rm.com/assessment.

We are looking for a seasoned UX Designer who has end‑to‑end UX skills in the product development lifecycle, and the versatility and adaptability to meet the needs of different business areas. You understand the principles of continuous discovery and product iteration, are comfortable with ambiguity, and have a strong bias for action. You actively seek out opportunities to conduct user research and gather data at all stages of the design process. You are known for your initiative, pragmatic approach to design, and expertise in balancing user needs with business objectives. You think strategically about driving business impact, and have a track record of delivering successful products that delight users and move key metrics.

You will execute hands‑on design for one of our large, core products used by global leaders in the education sector. You will advocate for and work to the design strategy, and design customer journeys that link across our digital assessment portfolio. You will collaborate with product managers, engineers, support teams, and account teams to support them across all stages of the design process. You will report directly to the Head of Design and work closely with them to implement the design strategy. This is an exciting opportunity for someone looking to be part of an ambitious, purpose‑led company looking to transform learning and assessment.

Portfolio Context

You will be responsible for the end‑to‑end user experience of a core product that is central to our Assessment portfolio. This is a high‑impact role where you will drive key product initiatives, build credibility for design, and collaborate closely with cross‑functional partners. You will present design strategies and recommendations, and advocate for the user’s perspective. Your work will directly influence the product direction and help shape the overall design culture.

Responsibilities

Responsibilities include conducting user research, shaping the product vision and roadmap, designing intuitive interfaces, and validating solutions with users. You will build strong relationships with product management, engineering, and other stakeholders to ensure the successful delivery of impactful features as well as larger, end‑to‑end assessment propositions. Excellent communication and collaboration skills are a must, as you will be working closely with diverse partners, including offshore engineering and delivery teams, to ensure successful implementation.

• Lead the UX strategy and roadmap for a core product in our Assessment portfolio.
• Define and map the end‑to‑end user experience across the platform for 1‑2 core user groups.
• Lead the design and prototyping of ideas and solutions, always focusing on user needs.
• Regularly sync with offshore development teams to get early feedback, align on feasibility, conduct design reviews, and ensure the user‑centricity of final implementations.
• Plan and conduct user research and evaluation activities, turning raw research data into insights.
• Work directly with customers and users to understand their needs and translate them into tangible solutions.
• Collaborate with development and product teams to turn prototypes into working products.
• Facilitate and lead workshops.
• Produce design assets such as user journeys, workflows, personas, wireframes, and prototypes.
• Engage with senior leaders to understand the business value of your product, inform your design, and advocate for the value of great user experience.
• Be an active member of the design community, sharing best practices and tools with the team and wider business.

Experience

You have proven experience working as a UX designer or product designer within cross‑functional teams, taking a user‑centric approach to design and collaborating effectively to build high‑quality software products or services.

• UX/Product design excellence.
• Laser focus on user centricity – enjoy working directly with customers and users.
• Generalist end‑to‑end UX skills.
• UI skills are a baseline; experience converting business needs into research objectives and designs.
• Strategic design skills; uncover and define business value of your design.
• Proven ability to apply design frameworks such as the Design Council double diamond.
• Proficient in Figma or similar tools, and experienced in design systems.
• Champion for accessibility.
• Ownership of design and lead on projects with high autonomy.
• Advocate for design in product roadmaps amid competing priorities.
• Adapt design approach to different project contexts.
• Apply UX metrics to gauge product goals and objectives.
• Excellent communication, storytelling, and negotiation skills.
• Experience presenting work to various levels within an organisation.
• Craft quality designs to communicate ideas, concepts, and solutions.
• Seek, receive, and act on feedback.
• Collaborative, strategic approach; engage internal stakeholders, teams, and customers.
• Attend monthly workshops for in‑person collaboration.

Skills

While we’re looking for a generalist UX/product designer with strategic design skills, it would be advantageous if you’re T‑shaped and have expertise in one or more of the following: service design, content design, visual design, creating design systems.

This Is The Role For You If

• You have previous experience as the sole designer or lead designer in a product team, and have experience setting the design direction for a product or team.
• You have significant experience executing on design work in a matrixed, in‑house environment, ideally within a SaaS platform.
• You’re looking for a broad remit, can navigate ambiguity, and love shaping your own delivery plan in line with business priorities.
• You are a proactive communicator and problem solver, known for both technical and power skills.
• You are pragmatic and willing to compromise or adapt designs to meet business needs.
• Understanding how one product works is not enough; you want to understand the broader system context.
• You know that good UI is based on good UX, and you excel at both.
• You prefer working on longer‑term projects with cumulative impact, and know product legacy systems are always in the mix.
• You view design as a collaborative, cross‑functional effort and enjoy gaining deep expertise in new domains.
• You advocate for discovery activities to ensure product design and development is informed by data and user insights.
• You’re willing to challenge assumptions and push back against stakeholders when needed.
• You’re excited about continuous learning and adapting your skills to new challenges.

What’s in it for you?

At RM we have My Work Blend @RM which provides office‑based colleagues with multi‑location and hybrid working options. As well as your office base, you can spend a proportion of your time working at other locations that suit your role and life, including home, other offices, customer sites, distribution centres or on the move. We encourage you to discuss arrangements for this role with your potential line manager during the recruitment process.

As well as a competitive salary and our core benefits package (private medical healthcare, life assurance, and a Group Personal Pension Plan with higher contribution levels available), some roles are also eligible for a performance‑related bonus. There are lots of voluntary benefits too (additional annual leave, dental plan, health assessment, cycle‑to‑work scheme, referral bonus).

To better reflect the society that we serve, we’re committed to building a diverse workforce and creating an inclusive and welcoming environment for all. Should you require additional support with your application or through the interview process, please contact us at recruitment@rm.com.

Unfortunately, we are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role.