Experience Design Director

AKQA Inc; Dubai; On-site; AED 200,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading digital experience firm based in Dubai is seeking an Experience Design Director to lead teams in creating outstanding digital products. Candidates should possess extensive UX design experience, particularly in the MENA region, and have strong leadership abilities. This position encourages innovation and mentorship within a collaborative environment.

Qualifications

• Strong knowledge of current UX and UI experience design trends.
• Extensive experience in user experience and usability for blue-chip clients.
• Experience working in MENA, particularly UAE and KSA.

Responsibilities

• Lead teams to design and deliver outstanding digital products.
• Set creative direction for projects using systems thinking.
• Mentor and develop UI and experience designers.

Skills

UX experience design

Leadership and team management

Collaboration

Storytelling techniques

AI-enhanced experiences

Tools

UCD tools

Content management systems

e-commerce platforms

Job description

Experience Design Director

The Experience team at AKQA is at the forefront of new thinking and techniques. Responsible for developing innovative customer experiences across various channels and devices, the team utilizes research, ideation, and design with minimal direction.

As an Experience Design Director at AKQA, you will lead the regional experience approach while managing the wider experience team. You will be responsible for creating innovative customer experiences across multiple channels and devices. Working autonomously and collaboratively, you will guide team members in partnership with other disciplines. You will also develop ideas on how to deliver work aligned with AKQA standards and serve as the key experience champion and client liaison, sharing ideas and managing expectations throughout the UX design process.

Based in Dubai, AKQA offers our staff the opportunity to produce meaningful work for a global audience. Our environment fosters a meritocratic culture that encourages ownership.

ROLE REQUIREMENTS

• Lead teams to conceptualize, design, and deliver outstanding digital products, activations, and ecosystems.
• Set the creative direction for experience-led projects, employing systems thinking and design craft.
• Translate business opportunities into compelling experience strategies and prototypes that excite clients and advance projects.
• Collaborate with Strategy, Visual Design, Copy, Tech, and Accounts to ensure consistent creative intent across all touchpoints.
• Develop narratives and storytelling techniques to effectively present and sell design work to clients.
• Mentor and develop experience and UI designers, fostering a team culture rooted in experimentation, rigor, and ambition.
• Champion innovation through AI-enhanced experiences, adaptive design systems, and data-driven interfaces.

QUALITIES AND CHARACTERISTICS

• Strong knowledge of current trends in UX and UI experience design globally.
• Experience working in the MENA region, specifically UAE and KSA.
• Extensive experience in information architecture, content strategy, user experience, and usability for blue-chip clients.
• Proven line management and team development experience.
• Familiarity with standard IA and UCD tools and processes.
• Solid understanding of innovative technologies, especially AI.
• Experience with content management systems and e-commerce platforms.
• Proficiency in cross-platform design.

Please include your portfolio or work samples in your application.