Product/UX Designer - SC Cleared (Contract)

Whitespace; Belfast; Remote; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading design consultancy is seeking an SC-Cleared UX/Product Designer for a 4-month contract in Northern Ireland. The role focuses on critical defence projects, requiring 5+ years of product design experience and an active SC Security Clearance. Candidates will lead the design process for a decision-support application, collaborating closely with engineering and research teams. This position offers remote working options and requires a pragmatic mindset towards effective design solutions.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of hands-on product design experience in complex environments.
• Active UK Security Clearance (SC) or above is mandatory.
• Experience in regulated industries like Defence or Government is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Own the end-to-end design process for defence tools.
• Lead user experience design for a decision-support application.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver high-quality solutions.

Skills

User experience design

Interface design

Agile methodology

Design communications

Tools

Figma

Job description

The Contract & Role Summary

We are seeking an immediate hire for an SC-Cleared UX/Product Designer on a 4-month contract, operating outside IR35. This is a critical, hands‑on role focused on our UK defence projects, working within a close-knit, cross‑functional team of engineers and researchers.

Reporting directly to our Head of Product and Design, this contract is open to remote, UK‑based applicants, offering a competitive day rate commensurate with experience.

Contract Length: 4 months (with potential to extend)
Engagement: Outside IR35
Location: Remote, UK‑based or hybrid from our Belfast office
Clearance: Must hold an active SC (Security Check) clearance.

Key Responsibilities (SC-Cleared Product Designer)

You will take ownership of the end‑to‑end design process for critical defence tools, translating complex challenges into usable, valuable, and feasible solutions.

Design Ownership & Execution

• Lead the user experience and interface design for a defence decision‑support application on our Collective Operating System.
• Own the entire design lifecycle – from early discovery and user flows to final UI, prototypes, and iteration.
• Create clear, user‑centred design artefacts, including wireframes, flows, journey maps, and interactive prototypes.
• Run design validations (internal and user‑facing) and rapidly respond to feedback with a practical, iterative approach.

Collaboration & Stakeholder Influence

• Work closely with the multidisciplinary engineering and data teams, product, and researchers to deliver high‑quality solutions.
• Support early product framing by translating research, technical insight, and user feedback into a clear design direction.
• Partner with SME's, customer stakeholders and users, and the delivery lead to understand requirements.
• Present design decisions clearly to internal stakeholders – both technical and non‑technical.
• Be willing to travel to customer sites, if required.

Design Systems & Tools

• Work closely with the design system team and engineering to build and evolve components of our consistent design system, following an atomic design approach.
• Apply deep skills in modern design tools (Figma) and prototyping practices.

Required Experience and Attributes

• Clearance: Active UK Security Clearance (SC) or above is mandatory.
• Experience: 5+ years of hands‑on product design experience, ideally including complex enterprise or B2B environments.
• Domain Knowledge: Experience working in or around regulated industries, Defence, Government, or complex platforms is a strong advantage.

Skills

• Comfortable moving across multiple fidelity levels – from conceptual design and structure to detailed UI.
• Experience working in agile teams where you share ownership over product scope and delivery.
• A pragmatic mindset, prioritising effective solutions without compromising user outcomes.
• Strong design communication and stakeholder engagement skills.

Apply Now

If you are an SC-Cleared UX/Product Designer who excels at solving complex problems through thoughtful, validated design and are ready to make an immediate impact on critical defence projects, we want to hear from you.