Elections Product Designer, Data Visualisation

The Financial Times’ award-winning Visual & Data Journalism Team is looking for a designer to help in our efforts to take our coverage of elections to the next level in 2024.

With the US presidential election, a UK general election and a European Parliament election happening in the same year, the events of 2024 will shape global politics for the foreseeable future. 

The successful candidate will be at the heart of designing the Financial Times’  coverage of these events, which are likely to be among the most heavily viewed pages across our digital platforms in the coming year. Our aim is to improve upon our previous products for displaying opinion polling (see our previous work on US, UK and EU elections) and electoral results (of  US, UK and EU elections). 

Key Responsibilities

Your main responsibility will be to design our  presentations of opinion polling and live election results across several platforms for at least three major elections.  You may also have the opportunity to work on the graphical elements of the daily news coverage of elections and to collaborate with our  visual storytelling team to come up with innovative designs for bespoke stories about these elections.

You will report to our Data Editor and work closely with our Head of Editorial UX,  along with an existing team of data journalists, developers and designers. You will also work closely with product managers and designers in our Product & Technology department.

You will:

• Create clear, concise and well-documented digital designs
• Design projects from conception and wireframes to accessible high-fidelity designs
• Work closely with peers in our research and design departments to align with the FT’s product design system
• Conduct, observe, and analyse usability testing sessions
• Confidently explain design concepts and ideas to team members, as well as reporters and editors

Essential attributes

Please apply with a CV and cover letter that links to items in your portfolio that  provide evidence of:

• Training and experience as a product, information, UI or UX designer
• A track record of producing visual and interactive design work turned into code by an interdisciplinary team
• Stong understanding of responsive web design and mobile UI, especially in the way it  relates to the presentation of complex interactive dashboards of live-updating data
• Knowledge of colour theory, including the ability to create harmonious and accessible colour palettes and combinations.
• Excellent command of Figma, as well as proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite.

Desirable attributes

While not essential, please highlight in your covering letter if you have any of the following:

• Previous work in a newsroom, opinion polling agency, political campaign, government department or similar fast-paced environment producing high-profile work with a paramount emphasis on accuracy.
• Experience presenting polling, electoral or demographic data
• An understanding of data visualisation or thematic cartography
• An understanding of HTML, CSS and Git-based version control
• Experience creating or improving reusable component-based design systems.
• Knowledge of accessibility: creating designs that are accessible to individuals with disabilities, considering colour contrast, text legibility, and screen reader compatibility.
• Knowledge of prototyping and accessibility testing
• Resourcefulness, self-motivation and strong communication skills
• In-depth understanding of design trends, emerging UI patterns, and visualisation and storytelling techniques (especially related to elections)

Please submit your application by end of the day, Thursday 26th October 2023

This is a full-time one-year, fixed-term contract beginning no earlier than December 1 2023.

We are not in a position to sponsor visas for this role, so you will need to have the existing right to work in the UK for the duration of the contract.

Due to the subject matter, occasional night-time (and weekend) work may be unavoidable but is always pre-planned. Time off for recovery and in lieu is always given.

Benefits

Our benefits vary depending on location, but we are committed to providing best in class perks across all our offices as well as an inclusive environment to develop your career. Examples of our benefits include; generous annual leave allowances, flexible working (including working from home), medical cover, enhanced maternity & paternity packages, subsidised gym memberships and Giving Back opportunities. Full details of our benefits can be found here.

How we work

Our hybrid setup means staff are expected to come into the office 3 days a week.

Our office is located across the street from St. Paul's Cathedral and is easily accessible from all corners of London. There are the main train terminals such as Liverpool Street, Moorgate, Blackfriars, City Thameslink or Waterloo all situated within walking distance or there are several tube stations within a few mins walk such as Mansion House (District or Circle line), St. Paul's (Central line), Bank (Central or Waterloo & City line) or Barbican (Central, Hammersmith & City or Metropolitan lines).

Our commitment to diversity and inclusion in the workplace

The FT is committed to providing an inclusive working environment for all. We are an equal opportunities employer who seeks to recruit and appoint the best talent regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio-economic background, religion and/or belief. We believe that a supportive workplace is one where employees feel they can be themselves at work and have the flexibility they need to meet their personal needs. 

Please let us know if you require any adjustments as part of the application process or to enable you to attend an interview. If you would like to discuss your requirements, or have any questions, please contact a member of our HR team who will be happy to help. 

About the Financial Times

The FT has an uncompromising mission: delivering independent, quality information, news and services to individuals and companies around the globe. It’s the cornerstone of our reputation and the heart of our ambitions for the future. But for our people, the FT offers so much more than what we do. FT people come from all kinds of backgrounds and work across a huge range of disciplines and locations, and find an empowering, warm and welcoming culture that values curiosity and rewards smart, ambitious thinking. Those who are willing to unite around our mission and live our values will find plenty to challenge, inspire and interest them. Like the audiences we serve, no two FT people are the same; but together we help our audience be better informed and understand the world around them. It’s a job that’s never mattered more, and a career that can take you anywhere you want to go.

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