NATS is the UK’s leading air navigation service provider, handling over 2.4 million flights each year. We provide air traffic control services from two control centres and at airports around the UK. We also provide a wide range of commercial products and solutions internationally. Our people are at the heart of our purpose to advance aviation and keep the skies safe.

Salary: £55,107.59 - £73,476.78

Closing Date: Monday 15th June 2026

Purpose Of The Role

Reporting to the Head of User Experience within the Human Factors team, this role will predominantly work on providing UX research and design to projects. The post holder will work closely with project stakeholders, cross-functional project teams and end users (e.g. air traffic controllers, assistants and planners, sim staff) to define user needs, ideate creative solutions, design prototypes and evaluate against appropriate metrics, positively impacting UX, increasing user acceptance, efficiency and safety.

Accountabilities

Lead UX research and design projects as part of cross-functional teams including Air Traffic Control (ATC) leads, human factors, business analysts, data & analytics, engineers, validation and project management
Plan and conduct robust user research via qualitative and quantitative methods in complex, technical ATC environments to understand users, define needs and measure improvements. Turn research into actionable insights and define project outcomes and metrics for UX to deliver
Facilitate creative ideation to generate solutions, that are aligned to business and project objectives, and prioritise which to take into prototyping
Design detailed prototypes in differing levels of fidelity (e.g. sketches, wireframes, Figma) and test iteratively with end users to assess effectiveness
Deliver final solutions to internal and external development teams to standards set by the Head of UX and regulatory requirements

Ensure accessibility and usability standards are met across all solutions, promoting inclusive design principles

Create and maintain design systems across a range of digital platforms, ensuring consistency for users

Plan and manage UX engagement within projects, managing time and priorities effectively, reporting progress to team members and the Head of UX

Engage and influence stakeholders, clearly communicating UX progress, outcomes, and business value delivered

Identify opportunities for UX engagement, growth and process improvements across the business, contributing to the development and delivery of the UX strategy

Champion UX best practices and design thinking across the organisation, supporting the Head of UX in embedding user-centred methodologies into processes and culture

Qualifications, Professional Knowledge & Skills

A strong portfolio demonstrating significant work experience in UX (research and UI design/prototyping), ideally in complex, technical, safety-critical environments. Air traffic control / aviation experience is desirable, but not essential
Preferably educated to a relevant degree level (UX, Design, HCI etc)
An excellent understanding of UX / Design Thinking processes and their practical application
Proven ability to work autonomously and influence change with stakeholders and cross-discipline teams
Proven ability to lead UX projects and design measurably effective solutions to demanding time scales and user/stakeholder satisfaction
An awareness and understanding of commercial considerations in projects and the benefits that UX delivers
Experienced in running research and design workshops with diverse project teams
A passion for staying abreast of the latest UX trends, tools and technologies and establishing how they can improve our work
Experience of Human Factors is desirable, but not essential

They should also be able to demonstrate the following skills and knowledge:

Excellent time management, planning, organisational and facilitation skills leading to demonstrable ability to produce clear, concise and accurate information

Good networking skills, establishing key contacts around the organisation quickly, valuing them and using them effectively

Good communication skills, both written and oral and the ability to communicate effectively with middle to senior management adapting communication style as required

Good interpersonal, influencing, persuading and communication skills with attention to detail/accuracy

Ability to formulate and develop documentation quickly and effectively and present to Management in a clear and concise manner

Self-motivator, self-reliant and proactive, with the ability to make swift decisions

A team player, who is prepared to address problems proactively and to contribute to the development of a high-performance delivery organisation

Proactive approach to identifying and addressing business needs

Additional Wording

When applying for the role please submit a cover letter along with a portfolio of your work in relation to this role in the "Cover Letter" attachment option. Any applications without these attachements will be sifted out.

We are proud to offer a fantastic total reward package to help you thrive both personally and professionally - for more information on what NATS can offer you please visit - Why NATS? - NATS '

We have adopted agile working to provide greater flexibility and increased choice over working arrangements, with the opportunity for this role to work in our modern office facilities as well as remotely. We also welcome discussions on flexible and part-time working arrangements.

If you share our passion to advance aviation and keep the skies safe – we would like to hear from you whatever your age, sex, race, faith, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, visible or invisible disability. Individuals that bring different perspectives, skills, life experiences and backgrounds help us be at the forefront of our industry.

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