Head of Design

Proton; Greater London; On-site; GBP 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Office in London

Flexible working

Learning & development

Health & retirement benefits

In-person collaboration across offices

Job summary

Proton, a privacy-focused tech company, seeks a VP of Design to own the design function across product design and brand/marketing. You will partner with the CEO and senior leaders to shape strategy, build a high-performing design organisation, and make design a core differentiator for Proton on a global scale.

You will recruit and mentor designers, shape strategy, and drive design excellence across product launches, campaigns, and brand initiatives, ensuring a privacy-first, user-centered

Qualifications

• 15+ years of experience in design leadership roles at global tech companies or agencies.
• Proven track record building and scaling design organisations with cross-functional reach.
• Experience overseeing product (UX/UI, service design) and brand/marketing design.
• Ability to define and execute design strategy that drives business impact (growth, engagement).
• Excellent stakeholder management at executive level and across product, marketing, engineering and operations.
• Strong user-centered design mindset with end-to-end work showcased in a robust portfolio.
• Experience designing for global audiences with cultural sensitivity and brand consistency.
• Expertise in building and scaling design systems, processes, and operations in fast-growing environments.
• Excellent leadership and people development skills; fostering craftsmanship and innovation.
• Comfortable in a dynamic, mission-driven, diverse, global team.
• Fluent in English; additional languages a plus.

Responsibilities

• Define and execute the strategic design vision for Proton across product and brand globally.
• Lead, grow, and structure a world-class design organisation with cross-functional teams.
• Partner with CEO, VP Marketing and Heads of Product to embed design into roadmaps and launches.
• Oversee end-to-end design processes for major product lines and campaigns.
• Ensure Proton brand identity is strong, scalable, and consistent across touchpoints.
• Drive design systems, tools, and processes for efficiency and quality.
• Advocate for privacy-first design principles in all work.
• Measure design impact through UX metrics, brand perception, and campaigns.
• Represent design externally via conferences and partnerships.

Skills

Design leadership

Cross-functional leadership

Stakeholder management

User-centered design

Portfolio evidence

Public speaking

English fluency

Job description

Join Proton and build a better internet where privacy is the default.

Proton was founded in 2014 by scientists from CERN on a simple truth: privacy is a fundamental human right.

Since then, we've built the world's largest encrypted email service (Proton Mail) and expanded into Proton VPN, Proton Drive, Proton Pass, and Proton Calendar—tools used by millions globally to protect their freedom, fight censorship, and keep their data safe.

In some situations, Proton has literally helped save lives.

We are profitable, independent (no VC control), and selectively hire from the top 1% of applicants. Our 700+ team members across 50+ countries come from leading organizations and elite academic backgrounds. We move fast, keep hierarchy light, and prioritize impact over optics. If you want to do meaningful work with exceptionally high-caliber people, this is it.

The Role

As VP Design, you will own and lead the design function across both Product Design (user experience, interface, service design) and Brand / Marketing Design (visual identity, campaign creative, brand experience). You’ll partner closely with the CEO, VP Marketing and Heads of Product, helping shape strategy, drive design excellence, and ensure that design becomes a core differentiator for Proton. You will build, mentor and scale a high-performing, multi-disciplinary design organisation, embedding design thinking across the company.

What you will do

• Define and execute the strategic vision for design at Proton, bridging product and brand to deliver a unified and differentiated experience globally.
• Lead, develop and grow a world-class design organisation: recruiting designers and researchers structuring teams across product and brand, setting performance metrics, fostering a culture of creativity, craft and user-centricity.
• Partner with the CEO, VP Marketing and Heads of Product to ensure design is embedded into strategic roadmaps, product launches, marketing campaigns and brand initiatives.
• Oversee the end-to-end design process for all major product lines and brand campaigns: user research, UX/UI, service design, prototyping, testing, visual design, motion, interactive experiences.
• Ensure that the Proton brand identity is strong, consistent, scalable and flexible across all touchpoints: digital, mobile, web, marketing, physical, events.
• Drive design systems, tools and processes across product & brand to deliver efficiency, quality, consistency and scale.
• Advocate for users and privacy-first design principles in everything we build and brand.
• Monitor and measure design impact: user experience metrics, brand perception, conversion, retention, campaign effectiveness; iterate and optimise accordingly.
• Represent design externally: speak on design at conferences, build Proton’s design reputation, collaborate with creative agencies and partners worldwide.

What We’re Looking For

• A minimum of 15+ years of experience in design leadership roles (product, brand and/or marketing) at a global technology company or agency.
• Proven track record of building, scaling and operating design organisations with cross-functional reach.
• Strong experience overseeing both product (UX/UI, service design) and brand/marketing design (visual identity, campaign creative) — not one or the other only.
• Demonstrated ability to define and execute design strategy that drives business impact (growth, engagement, retention, brand equity).
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, with the ability to work at executive level and influence across product, marketing, engineering and operations.
• Deep user-centered design mindset; strong portfolio showing end-to-end work (research -> strategy -> UX -> UI -> brand visuals).
• Skilled in designing for global audiences, with sensitivity to cultural differences and brand consistency across markets.
• Expertise in building and scaling design systems, establishing best practices and operational processes in fast-growing environments.
• Excellent leadership and people development skills: mentoring senior designers, creating high-performing teams, promoting a culture of craftsmanship and innovation.
• Comfortable working in a dynamic, high-growth company with a mission-driven ethos and a global, diverse team.
• Strong communicator with polished presentation and storytelling skills; fluent in English (other languages a plus).

What We Offer

• Work that Matters: Millions of people trust Proton with their privacy. We answer only to our users — not advertisers, not investors with conflicting agendas, not governments.
• A Great Team: Diverse, collaborative, and tight-knit, with people from MIT, Harvard, Stanford, Caltech, Cambridge, ETH, and more.
• Technology: The right hardware and software to do your best work.
• Learning & Development: We invest in your growth. Proton is one of the fastest ways to accelerate your career — real challenges, real ownership, from day one.
• Employee Benefits: Strong health coverage, solid retirement options, generous leave, and wellness support.
• Stock Options: From day one, you have a real stake in what we’re building. When Proton wins, you win.
• In-Person Collaboration: Offices across Geneva, Zurich, Barcelona, London, and more. You’ll spend most of your time collaborating face-to-face.
• Food: Lunch and snacks on us every day in the office.
• Transport: We cover public transport, bike allowances, or parking — whichever works for you.
• Flexible Working: You own your schedule. Outcomes matter more than clock-in times.

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

At Proton, we believe diversity drives innovation and strengthens our mission to provide privacy as a default for all. We are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where all individuals—regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, physical ability, or socio-economic background—feel valued and empowered. If you need any extra support or reasonable adjustments during the hiring process, please let your talent partner know.

Candidate Privacy Notice

When you apply for a position at Proton Technologies AG, your information is stored in Greenhouse in accordance with its Service Privacy Policy. This information is used to evaluate your suitability for the posted position and may be retained for future roles. If we no longer have a legitimate business need to process your information, we will either delete or anonymise it. For questions about your data, contact: [e-mail]

Proton does not accept unsolicited CVs from any sources other than directly from candidates.