Head of Product Design

Newsquest Media Group; Greater London; Remote; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A media organization in Greater London is looking for a Lead Product Designer to manage a team and enhance the user experience across their digital products. The role includes leading design initiatives, collaborating with cross-functional teams, and maintaining design standards. Ideal candidates will have extensive experience in UX/UI design, particularly using Figma, and a strong portfolio demonstrating their leadership in design processes. This role offers a competitive salary and flexible working options.

Benefits

Remote Working

Competitive salary

Contributory pension

Discounted gym membership

Mental health support

25 days’ paid holiday

Extra day off on your birthday

Cycle to Work scheme

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading product design in a digital environment.
• Strong portfolio showcasing design work and team leadership.
• Hands-on experience with front-end development concepts.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team of 5 designers across various platforms.
• Define and improve design quality and standards.
• Maintain and evolve the design system.

Skills

UX design

UI design

Responsive design

Figma

Team leadership

Communication

Attention to detail

Agile development

Media industry experience

Tools

Figma

Job description

Description

We’re Newsquest’s digital product team, working across a portfolio of regional news brands that collectively rank among the top 10 for UK news audience. Over 20 million people use our products every month. Our mission is to build products that serve these millions of readers and subscribers, whether through websites, apps, newsletters, or subscription platforms. We’re a cross-functional team of product managers, designers, developers, and analysts, collaborating closely with editorial, marketing, and commercial teams to deliver user‑centred, data‑informed experiences.

We’re hiring a Lead Product Designer to lead the design and UX function across our digital products. This role is hands‑on, managerial, mentoring and strategic, ideal for someone who enjoys solving real user problems, leading designers, and working closely with product and engineering to ship great experiences.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the design team : Manage and support a team of 5 designers working across web, mobile, email, and subscriptions.
• Improve design quality : Set standards for usability, accessibility, and consistency across our products.
• Own the design system : Maintain and evolve our Figma‑based component library and design guidelines.
• Collaborate cross‑functionally : Work closely with product managers, developers, editorial, and marketing to deliver user‑centred solutions.
• Balance speed and craft : Help the team make smart trade‑offs between polish and delivery.
• Support research and testing : Encourage user feedback, A / B testing, and data‑informed design decisions.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

An experienced leader / manager of product design in a digital environment who can clearly demonstrate :

• A strong, relevant portfolio and career history showing thoughtful design work and team leadership.
• Expert understanding of UX, UI, and responsive design principles.
• Expert‑level experience with Figma
• Demonstrable experience of formulating, designing and maintaining a complex design system.
• Solid understanding, preferably with hands‑on experience, of front‑end development and concepts.
• Excellent, confident, precise communicator who can explain design decisions clearly and build trust across teams.
• Prioritise attention to detail, with a sharp eye for layout, typography, and visual hierarchy.
• Comfort in agile teams, iterating fast and adapting to feedback without losing sight of the user.
• A proactive mindset, always looking to improve the experience and champion design thinking, requires a hands‑on leader.
• Proven experience in the media industry, ideally in publishing and a desire to help shape how local news thrives in a digital‑first world.

Benefits and D&I Statement

• Remote Working
• Competitive salary
• Contributory pension
• Perks and discounts with numerous retailers and organisations
• Opportunities for team building and training days
• 25 days’ paid holiday, plus statutory bank holidays
• An extra day off on your birthday
• Holiday purchase scheme
• Structured career progression, ongoing training, and personal performance reviews
• Discount vouchers
• Discounted gym membership
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Mental health support via Lifeworks
• Eye test vouchers, plus £50 towards the cost of new glasses
• Annual volunteer or charity day
• Staff referral scheme

Newsquest Media Group is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all community sections regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage / civil partnership status, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation. Our recruitment process will consist of various stages and activities. As part of our commitment to fairness to all applicants, we will take into account any adjustments that could help you.