Lead/Principal Designer – Government Productivity Engineering

About GPE at GovTech  

The Government Productivity Engineering (GPE) Group combines user-centric productivity tools with dependable, high-performance technology to create comprehensive solutions. Their mission is to enhance national public services by improving infrastructure and equipping public officers with resources that support digital transformation. Through these efforts, GPE aims to raise productivity, making government operations across all agencies more flexible and transparent. 

Utilising secure digital platforms, GPE helps public officers work more efficiently and provide better service. The group's initiatives foster productive workplace environments and drive technological progress within the public sector. 

What you will do as a Lead/Principal Designer, GPE  

You work to influence and lead design direction at the highest level in the organisation. You work with program leadership and cross-functionally with peers to help achieve GPE’s mission.  

As a Lead/Principal Designer, you will  

• Work with senior leaders, program leaders, and product teams to ensure the continuous and valuable presence of design across product phases, from discovery through delivery, and into measurement and iteration.  

• Advocate for the user at all stages of development, while aligning design solutions with organisational metrics and strategy.  

• Work with teams as needed to reframe system complexity into usable, inclusive and coherent experiences that align with policy, tech and operational realities.  

• Interface with your peers in engineering and product to integrate design with technical architecture, systems and existing compliance/legal framework.  

• Work with programs and teams to consult on using end-to-end design work for complex, ambiguous and high impact programs.  

• Frame user experience at a service or system level, so that teams and programs can design for connected touchpoints and real-world constraints.  

• Be the practice lead in your domain of expertise. Set the standards in design processes, methodology and outputs, constantly push to improve the quality and standards of the work within your domain and program.  

• Evangelise and lead in systems thinking, design-led thinking and strategic thinking at the top level of the organisation.  

• Expand the sphere of influence of design across GPE and WoG.  

• Track and manage design KPIs and OKRs across the programs under your purview. Take the necessary steps to ensure alignment across all designers within the programs.  

• Proactively share and expand the knowledge of design and designers in.  

• Train, teach and mentor more junior designers.  

• Be the resident expert in your domain.  

• Actively be on the lookout for new design tools, methods and processes to improve designer engagement and output.  

• Diploma, bachelor’s degree or higher in industrial design, interaction design, Human Computer Interaction (HCI), visual arts or similar.  

• 12 - 15 years experience working in design across multiple industries, 6 of which in a position of influence or leadership.  

• Experience working in cross-functional delivery teams.  

• Excellent skills in design tools such as Figma, Sketch, Adobe CC or similar.  

• Expert in design methodology and a keen eye for detail.  

• Deep understanding of methods to elicit insights from users.  

• Deep understanding of the way people engage with digital systems.  

• Strategic thinker and a proven ability to drive strategic initiatives in your work.  

• Track record of leading cross-functional discovery and shaping product direction based on insight and iteration.  

• Proven ability to work seamlessly with senior leaders.  

• Strong evidence of partnership with fellow functional leaders and/or stakeholders in driving products towards common goals.  

• Excellent communication and storytelling skills, with the ability to present findings clearly and persuasively.  

• Strong analytical thinking with attention to detail and ability to handle ambiguity.  

• Strong empathy for users and a desire to advocate for their needs.  

• Take the lead to learn, adapt and grow in the UX field.  

You’ll thrive here if you  

• Enjoy making sense of complex, ambiguous challenges.  

• Translate technical concepts into clear, human language.  

• Focus on outcomes and long-term value, not just deliverables.  

• Influence through trust, clarity, and collaboration.  

• Love working at the problem-definition stage.  

What We Offer:  

• Collaborative and creative work environment.  

• Competitive salary and benefits package, including opportunities for professional growth and development.  

• Work environment that is fully supportive of personal/professional development.