Overview
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CoSTAR National R&D Lab - Designer (User Experience)
Story Futures Strategic Business Unit
The Role
We are seeking an experienced and creative User Experience Designer to join our CoSTAR Applied Research and Innovation (Prototyping) team - someone who can help the team bring early ideas to life quickly and keep user needs and journeys at the center of all that we do and build. You will be part of a creative, inclusive and dynamic environment, working with the CoSTAR research teams across all the partners of the National Lab as well as with industry collaborators working at locations in Surrey (Royal Holloway campus) and also our flagship studio in Pinewood. The team will be developing applications in areas such as AI & Machine Learning; games & 3D development; immersive experiences such as augmented and virtual reality; advanced production technologies such as Virtual Production, Extended Reality; Immersive and Live entertainment. In this hands-on position, you will be comfortable working collaboratively using agile methods as part of a multidisciplinary innovation team focused on developing a range of pilots, prototypes and software capabilities. You will get the chance to work with a range of Creative Technologists, software engineers, research producers, as well as to collaborate with external companies. You will be part of a busy and dynamic environment and may be asked to contribute to other research & development activities across the partner institutions of the CoSTAR National Lab.
Details
* Location: Egham
* Salary: £41,374 to £48,639 per annum - including London Allowance
* Post Type: Full Time
* Hours per Week: 35
* Weeks per Year: 52
* Closing Date: 23.59 hours BST on Sunday 24 May 2026
* Reference: 0426-122
Responsibilities / What you will be doing
* Working with StoryFutures and CoSTAR staff and partners to design and develop pilots and prototypes in areas related to emerging creative technologies.
* Developing applications in areas such as AI & Machine Learning; games & 3D development; immersive experiences such as augmented and virtual reality; advanced production technologies such as Virtual Production, Extended Reality; Immersive and Live entertainment.
* Working as part of a multidisciplinary innovation team to ensure high quality design is delivered in line with project goals and delivery cycles.
* Collaborating with software engineers, content creators, creative technologists, research producers, academic and industry experts, and external companies.
* Contributing to other research & development activities across the partner institutions of the CoSTAR National Lab as required.
Qualifications / You Should Apply If
* You enjoy working in a fast-moving, agile environment, both independently and in teams.
* You have significant experience as a user experience designer in application development, with a genuine passion for new and emerging creative technologies and a commitment to work in a focused and professional manner.
* You have a solid understanding of user experience development principles, including user research and usability testing; prototyping, wireframing, user flows & mock-ups; application development, and experience in two or more of the following areas: 3D modelling and animation (Blender, Maya or equivalent); game development (Unity or Unreal); visual design (Adobe Creative Suite, Figma, Sketch) or software languages (C#, JavaScript).
Additional Information
This post is initially based in Egham, Surrey, but with the expectation of significant working time at the National Lab located within the region and some national travel expected.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion is a priority for CoSTAR. We actively welcome applicants from all backgrounds and are especially keen to recruit people from groups currently under-represented in creative technology including women, non-binary and disabled people and ethnic minority/global majority candidates. We also aim to remove barriers to our recruitment process and invite applicants to contact us on recruitment@rhul.ac.uk if you require any reasonable adjustments or support with your application. For an informal discussion about the post, please contact miles.bernie@rhul.ac.uk. To view further details of this post and to apply please visit https://jobs.royalholloway.ac.uk. Please quote the reference: 0426-122. Closing Date: 23:59, 24 May 2026. Interviews: In person interviews will take place between 1 - 12 June 2026. Further details: Job Description & Person Specification. Apply Online. The university has adopted hybrid working for some roles therefore some remote working may be possible for this role. Royal Holloway is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI), and encourages applications from all people regardless of age, disability, gender, marital status, parental status, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation, or trans status or history. More information on our structures and initiatives around EDI, including information on staff diversity networks, can be found on our Equality and Diversity Intranet page.
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