Design Lead

Rareloop; Southampton; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading digital product studio in Southampton is seeking an experienced Design Lead to drive the design process from discovery to delivery. The ideal candidate will oversee a talented team, ensuring impactful user-centric experiences through creativity and strategic thinking. Responsibilities include managing design projects, mentoring designers, and collaborating with various team members. This position offers a flexible working model, promoting a great work/life balance along with comprehensive benefits including a contributory pension and private medical insurance.

Benefits

25 days holiday

Sick pay package

Flexible working hours

Flexible working location

Contributory Pension

Continuing Personal Development

Free coffee and soft drinks

Regular free lunches

Private Medical Insurance

Central Southampton office location with free parking

Qualifications

• 5 years commercial design experience.
• Strong portfolio showcasing product design process.
• Experience leading Discovery workshops.

Responsibilities

• Design beautiful interfaces and intuitive experiences.
• Lead Discovery workshops to help clients identify problems.
• Manage and mentor the design team.

Skills

Creative problem solving

Critical thinking

Attention to detail

Excellent communication

Ability to multitask

Ownership of outcomes

Team collaboration

Confident presentation

Tools

Figma

Job description

We’re looking for an experienced and visionary Design Lead to shape the future of our digital product delivery. The ideal candidate is a hands‑on leader who can drive the end‑to‑end design process, from discovery and strategy to execution and delivery, while mentoring a talented team of product designers. This role requires a strong strategic mind, deep expertise in UX / UI design, and a passion for creating impactful, user‑centric experiences.

About Rareloop

Rareloop is a well established, B Corp certified, award winning Digital Product Studio based in Southampton. We help ambitious businesses and charities to design and build best of breed websites, apps and bespoke web software. We use human‑centred design, automation and AI to solve real problems for organisations, helping them to cut costs and accelerate growth.

Roles and responsibilities

• Digital Product Design: Designing beautiful interfaces (UI) and intuitive experiences (UX)
• Leading Discovery workshops: Helping clients understand their underlying problems and creating viable solutions in the form of wireframes, diagrams and interactive prototypes
• Collaboration: Liaising with project managers, developers and other team members to deliver complex digital projects.
• Managing and mentoring the design team: Directly manage, mentor, and coach a team of Product Designers, fostering a culture of continuous learning, growth, and high performance.
• Process & Methodology: Define, refine, and enforce best practices for the entire design process, including research, wireframing, prototyping, user testing, and final visual design (UX / UI).
• Quality control: Ensuring visual accuracy and that design intents are followed through into development.
• Marketing and brand assets: Work with the Marketing Manager to provide visual asset support to Rareloop’s own marketing efforts.

Requirements

Person specification

• Creative problem solver with a passion for using technology to solve problems
• Strong critical thinking skills
• High attention to detail
• Excellent communication skills, capable of translating complex ideas to non‑technical stakeholders
• Ability to multitask
• Organised and thorough, taking ownership of outcomes
• Desire for constant improvement
• Ability to work well independently and as part of a team
• Confident presenter
• Someone who thrives in an SME with a flat structure and empowered team members
• Commuting distance from Southampton for meetings / workshops
• Must have the right to work in the UK

Required experience

• 5 years commercial design experience working in similar roles
• Strong portfolio showcasing product design process and outcomes
• Agency or consultancy experience
• Demonstrated ability to lead Discovery workshops
• Demonstrated experience working on non‑trivial projects
• Expertise in UX principles, interaction design, and accessibility
• Aligns with our values

Desirable experience

• Line management experience
• Deep Figma knowledge
• Design system experience
• Broader visual design experience

If you’re excited by this role but don’t feel you meet every requirement then we’d still encourage you to apply. We’re looking for a passionate individual who aligns with our values and can grow with the business.

Benefits

• 25 days holiday
• Sick pay package
• Flexible working hours
• Flexible working location (Southampton or remote)
• A great work / life balance
• Contributory Pension (after 3 months)
• An opportunity to develop & grow your skills within an expert team
• Continuing Personal Development (CPD)
• Yearly training budget
• Free coffee / tea and soft drinks
• Regular free lunches to celebrate team wins
• Group Life Assurance
• Private Medical Insurance*
• Dental cover*
• Optical cover*
• Central Southampton office location with free parking
• after successful completion of probation

How to apply

We would like to understand who you are, why you’re interested in this role and how your experience matches what we’re looking for so don’t be afraid to include some personality in your application.

We reserve the right to reject without response any application that appears to have been generated with AI.

There is no deadline for applicants, we’re keen to hire the right person and willing to take our time to find them.

No recruiters / agencies please! We know where you are if we needyou.