User Experience Specialist

New Zealand Government; Wellington; On-site; NZD 116,000 - 142,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

KiwiSaver contributions up to 4%

Vision assistance

Flu vaccinations

Employee Assistance Programme

Job summary

Civil Aviation Authority in New Zealand is seeking an experienced UX Specialist to join the Business Transformation Programme on a fixed-term basis. You will shape future digital products and services to support the aviation sector, ensuring intuitive, accessible solutions across transformation initiatives.

You'll work with service designers, analysts, owners, subject matter experts and technology teams to embed user-centred thinking throughout the lifecycle.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in UX design within complex digital or public sector environments.
• Strong experience conducting user research, usability testing and validation.
• Ability to develop journeys, personas, wireframes and prototypes.
• Deep understanding of human-centred design principles.
• Ability translating insights into intuitive design solutions.
• Excellent collaboration with cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

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

Skills

UX design

User research

Wireframes

Prototyping

Accessibility

Stakeholder engagement

Job description

About the Role

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.

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

• 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?

• Matching KiwiSaver contributions up to 4%
• Vision assistance
• Flu vaccinations
• Employee Assistance Programme

Applications close: 7 September