Design Lead

Metalab; Remote; CAD 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading design consultancy in Canada is looking for a Design Lead to steer product design projects. In this role, you will guide teams, mentor designers, and foster strong client relationships, ensuring high-quality outcomes. Ideal candidates will have over 5 years of experience in product design, expertise in UI/UX principles, and a strong portfolio. This is an excellent opportunity to lead and shape innovative products in a collaborative environment.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of product design experience in a Lead role.
• Mastery of UI/UX principles and common design tools.
• Strong interaction design skills to guide the work.

Responsibilities

• Guide the design process throughout the project lifecycle.
• Drive client presentations and discussions.
• Mentor Product Designers and share tailored feedback.

Skills

UI/UX principles

Figma

Interaction design skills

Communication

Leadership

Tools

After Effects

Principle

Framer

Origami

Job description

We believe magic happens when thoughtful collaboration and unparalleled expertise come together to turn great ideas into great products. Design Leads at Metalab play a direct role in that magic. They steer projects in the right direction by leading the day-to-day work internally and managing clients' expectations, while also getting into the files themselves. It’s about high-quality output and outcomes.

As a Design Lead, you’ll have a vested interest in helping other designers find their groove. Given that our primary focus is product design, a deep understanding of what it takes to get digital products out the door is our first non-negotiable. Beyond that, you’ve established yourself as someone people look up to, and you don’t take that privilege lightly. You’ll still deal in pixels, but you’ll also play an integral role in a project’s success with clear direction, leadership, guidance, and encouragement. You believe that good ideas can come from anywhere, and you actively support your team in making sure everyone is heard.

What you’ll do

• Guide the design process throughout the entire project lifecycle
• Drive client presentations and discussions of your team’s work
• Respectfully decline the status quo and push both clients and colleagues outside their comfort zones
• Foster positive client relationships and directly influence client stakeholders
• Work with Project Delivery Managers and Client Partners to scope project requirements
• Help promote an inspiring and inclusive environment for the team
• Coach and mentor Product Designers to determine and work towards desired career growth paths, sharing tailored feedback and guidance, and monitoring overall fulfillment and happiness
• Work hand-in-hand with engineers and product team members to foster innovation and ensure feasibility and fidelity of implementation
• Promote a culture of autonomy balanced with proven ways of working

Requirements

• 5+ years of product design experience at a digital product agency or consultancy, ideally in a Lead role
• Demonstrated mastery of UI/UX principles, best practices, and common design tools (read: Figma)
• Adequate level of interaction design skills to guide the work (think After Effects, Principle, Framer, Origami)
• A portfolio that reflects your strengths in UX and visual design
• A natural inclination to take the lead and help everyone arrive at a deeper understanding and greater appreciation of the work
• Fluent in translating stakeholder goals, user research, and complex user flows into simple UIs
• Passionate about staying ahead of desktop and mobile best practices, developments, and trends in web, mobile, and iOS design
• Communication pro, with the ability to deliver compelling design rationales in both client and internal contexts
• Comfortable with ambiguity and client briefs that lead to more questions than answers
• Motivated by feedback, and by the opportunity to improve in your role, in the work, and in how you work together as a team

Equal opportunity employer

Research shows that women and other marginalized groups tend to only apply for a job when they meet every single criteria. Does this role sound like it was made for you, yet you don’t check every box? Reach out anyways! We’re an equal opportunity employer and are dedicated to fostering an inclusive and diverse environment for employees from all walks of life. We hire based on talent, and we’re proud of our global perspective.

Voluntary Demographics

At Metalab, we hire based on raw talent and authenticity, not race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or anything else.

We conduct this voluntary demographic questionnaire to identify opportunities to promote a more inclusive hiring process.

Your response, or choice to not respond, is entirely voluntary and will not affect or be linked to your application in any way. Should you choose to respond, your responses will be used in aggregate only and remain entirely anonymous.

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