UX Accessibility Specialist - FTC

JD Sports- Head Office, Warwick House, Bury, Bury, United Kingdom Req

Established in 1981 with a single store in the Northwest of England, the JD Group is a leading omni-channel retailer of Sports Fashion, Outdoors and Gyms with our colleagues working in stores across several retail fascias in many markets around the world.

JD Sports Fashion Plc was listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1996 and has been a FTSE100 publicly quoted company since 2019 and continues to grow in the UK and internationally.

We want to be the leading global omnichannel retailer in the sports and outdoor industry. To be a part of this successful company and help us to achieve this you will have the desire to ingrain our strategic goals of being a people-led, innovative and customer-focused organisation which provides operational excellence whilst identifying new areas of growth as part of our day to day objectives.

Role Overview

We're looking for a passionate and experienced UX Accessibility Specialist to join our growing Product Design and Research team on an initial 6-month fixed-term contract, with a strong likelihood of transitioning into a permanent position.

This is a pivotal first hire for Accessibility within our UK team. While you'll be the first in this role locally, you'll be supported by a global network of accessibility experts, sharing best practices, frameworks, and methodologies to help you succeed. You'll focus exclusively on the JD Sports brand (excluding sub-brands and fascias for now), ensuring accessibility is embedded across all digital touchpoints - including web, mobile apps, and in-store kiosks.

This is a unique opportunity to shape the role and influence the future of accessibility at JD Sports and work within an existing, thriving Product Design and Research team.

Why This Role Matters

Accessibility is more than a compliance requirement - it's a core part of our commitment to inclusive design as our Product Design and Research team grows in size and influence within the organisation. Your work will ensure our digital experiences & design systems are usable and welcoming for everyone, now and in the future.

What You'll Do

• Establish Accessibility Standards - Define and evolve accessibility best practices for JD Sports' digital experiences, ensuring they are inclusive by design.
• Collaborate Globally - Partner with global accessibility peers to refine and implement scalable frameworks that align with international standards.
• Champion Inclusive Design Culture - Raise awareness and embed accessibility thinking within the Product Design and Research team-and across the wider JD Sports Group.
• Drive EAA Compliance - Lead the development of our approach to the European Accessibility Act (EAA), ensuring we can deploy a cohesive strategy to achieve long-term compliance.
• Build a Scalable Strategy - Help shape and implement a baseline accessibility strategy that supports global compliance and inclusive design across our omnichannel ecosystem and internal Design systems.

Core Responsibilities

• Accessibility Audits & Testing - Conduct comprehensive audits and develop actionable improvement plans using tools such as WAVE, Figma plugins, vision simulators, screen readers (NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver, TalkBack), and WCAG 2.1/2.2 as the foundational compliance framework.
• Strategic Accessibility Planning - Collaborate with global peers to roll out a scalable accessibility strategy tailored to JD Sports' digital landscape.
• Advocacy & Culture Building - Identify opportunities to promote accessibility awareness and embed inclusive design thinking across teams and disciplines.
• Product Design Collaboration - Work closely with UX/UI designers to ensure accessibility is considered from the earliest stages of design and help evolve our design system to be inclusive by default.

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in UX, accessibility, or inclusive design roles
• Proficiency with accessibility testing tools and assistive technologies
• Familiarity with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript from an accessibility perspective
• Strong communication and documentation skills

Preferred Qualifications

• IAAP certifications (e.g., CPACC, WAS, or CPWA)
• Bachelor's degree in a relevant digital media or design field
• Experience working in Agile environments
• Knowledge of accessibility in mobile and native applications
• Experience in e-commerce or omnichannel retail environments

Skills & Experience

• Strong understanding of the European Accessibility Act (EAA) and WCAG 2.1/2.2
• Experience conducting audits with tools like WAVE and Lighthouse
• Familiarity with EN standards and assistive technologies
• Strong collaboration skills across design, development, and product teams
• Awareness of global accessibility laws and compliance risks

We know our colleagues work tirelessly to make JD Sports the success it is today and in turn, we offer them some amazing benefits including staff Discount On JD Group and other brands within the organisation and personal development opportunities to learn and develop at work.