User Experience Specialist

Civil Aviation Authority New Zealand

Wellington

On-site

NZD 116,000 - 142,000

Full time

2 days ago

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Benefits offered by this job

KiwiSaver contributions up to 4%

Vision assistance

Employee Assistance Programme

Job summary

The Civil Aviation Authority New Zealand in Wellington is seeking an experienced User Experience (UX) Specialist to join our Business Transformation Programme on a fixed-term basis. You will influence the design of future digital products and services that support the aviation sector and CAA’s teams, ensuring intuitive, accessible, and effective solutions.

You will work with service designers, business analysts, owners, and tech teams to embed user-centred thinking across the lifecycle, from

Qualifications

Significant experience in User Experience (UX) design within complex digital, public sector, transformation, or customer-focused environments.
Strong experience conducting user research, interviews, usability testing, and user validation activities.
Proven ability to develop user journeys, personas, wireframes, prototypes, and other UX artefacts.
A deep understanding of human-centred design principles and user-centred design methodologies.
Experience translating user insights and business requirements into intuitive and effective design solutions.
Strong stakeholder engagement and collaboration skills, with the ability to work across business and technology teams.
Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities.
Knowledge of accessibility best practices and inclusive design principles.
A commitment to continuous improvement, user advocacy, and delivering high-quality customer experiences.

Responsibilities

Lead UX design activities across programme initiatives and digital products.
Conduct user research, interviews, usability testing, and user validation activities with internal and external users.
Develop user journeys, personas, wireframes, prototypes, and design recommendations.
Ensure solutions meet user needs while optimising usability, accessibility, value, and operational effectiveness.
Collaborate with Service Designers, Business Analysts, business owners, and delivery teams to translate user insights into practical solutions.
Advocate for customer-centred and employee-centred design approaches across the programme.
Identify and address user experience risks throughout the design and delivery lifecycle.
Establish UX standards, principles, and best practices.
Measure and evaluate user experience outcomes and continuously improve designs based on feedback and insights.

Skills

UX design

User research

Wireframes

Prototypes

Personas

Job description

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Civil Aviation Authority New Zealand – Wellington, North Island

The Civil Aviation Authority and the Aviation Security Service offer distinctively different career opportunities and embrace diverse talent. All jobs at the Authority contribute to ensuring safe and secure skies to help New Zealand fly.

The Civil Aviation Authority is the regulatory arm of our organisation and the Aviation Security Service is the nationwide provider for aviation security.

Create accessible digital experiences for the aviation sector.
Champion human-centred design across major transformation.
Shape future regulatory services through user-centred design.

About the Role

We’re looking for an experienced User Experience (UX) Specialist to join our Business Transformation Programme on a fixed-term basis.

This is a unique opportunity to influence the design of future digital products and services that support both the aviation sector and CAA’s operational teams. Working across multiple transformation initiatives, you'll ensure solutions are intuitive, accessible, effective, and aligned with the needs of the people who use them.

You'll work closely with Service Designers, Business Analysts, business owners, subject matter experts, technology teams, and sector participants to embed user-centred thinking throughout the design and delivery lifecycle.

From user research and journey mapping to prototyping and usability testing, you’ll play a critical role in ensuring that transformation outcomes deliver genuine value for customers, staff, and stakeholders.

About the Business Transformation Programme

This is your opportunity to get in at the start.

We are building a team to deliver a significant transformation that will shape the future of the organisation and the aviation sector. With strong executive support and a clear mandate for change, this is an opportunity to work on genuine transformation — not simply improve existing processes or deliver business as usual.

These roles are initially offered on a one-year fixed-term basis while the business case progresses through approval. We recognise that means taking a degree of risk. But for the right person, it is also a chance to get involved at the point where the programme is being shaped, make a meaningful contribution and work on a transformation that is genuinely important.

If you are motivated by complex change and want to help build something significant, this is the time to get involved.

Key Responsibilities

Lead UX design activities across programme initiatives and digital products.
Conduct user research, interviews, usability testing, and user validation activities with internal and external users.
Develop user journeys, personas, wireframes, prototypes, and design recommendations.
Ensure solutions meet user needs while optimising usability, accessibility, value, and operational effectiveness.
Collaborate with Service Designers, Business Analysts, business owners, and delivery teams to translate user insights into practical solutions.
Advocate for customer-centred and employee-centred design approaches across the programme.
Identify and address user experience risks throughout the design and delivery lifecycle.
Establish UX standards, principles, and best practices.
Measure and evaluate user experience outcomes and continuously improve designs based on feedback and insights.

The salary band for this role is $115,536 - $141,751. Starting salaries are based on knowledge, skills and experience the successful candidate brings to the role, as well as internal relativities.

For more information on the role please view the position description.

What You'll Bring

If you're passionate about creating exceptional user experiences and enjoy working at the intersection of people, process, and technology, this is an exciting opportunity to shape services that have a meaningful impact.

To succeed in this role you'll demonstrate:

Significant experience in User Experience (UX) design within complex digital, public sector, transformation, or customer-focused environments.
Strong experience conducting user research, interviews, usability testing, and user validation activities.
Proven ability to develop user journeys, personas, wireframes, prototypes, and other UX artefacts.
A deep understanding of human-centred design principles and user-centred design methodologies.
Experience translating user insights and business requirements into intuitive and effective design solutions.
Strong stakeholder engagement and collaboration skills, with the ability to work across business and technology teams.
Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities.
Knowledge of accessibility best practices and inclusive design principles.
A commitment to continuous improvement, user advocacy, and delivering high-quality customer experiences.

About Us

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is New Zealand’s aviation safety and security regulator. We play a critical role in protecting the travelling public, supporting the aviation sector, and strengthening New Zealand’s international reputation.

Our vision is simple and powerful: A safe and secure aviation system – so people are safe, and feel safe when they fly.

Our values - Professionalism, Respect, Integrity, Transparency, and Collaboration - guide everything we do. We’re committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and supportive environment where everyone feels respected, safe, and valued. Our people are central to our success.

Why Join Us?