Lead Design Role

Project Freelance; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Project Freelance in London seeks an experienced Lead Designer to provide strategic leadership across a multidisciplinary team, driving user-centred digital products and services. You will shape design strategy, mentor designers, and champion human-centred design principles throughout the product lifecycle.

You will collaborate with stakeholders, product teams, and technical colleagues to deliver high-quality, accessible user experiences and establish design governance and standards across

Qualifications

• Senior design leader with experience guiding cross-disciplinary teams.
• Proven ability to define design strategy and governance.
• Strong advocate of human-centered design throughout product lifecycles.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage multidisciplinary design teams, fostering a collaborative and high-performing culture.
• Mentor, coach, and support designers to develop their skills and advance their professional growth.
• Define and implement design governance frameworks to ensure consistency, quality, and adherence to standards.
• Establish and maintain design standards, best practices, and design system principles across projects.
• Develop and communicate a clear design vision and strategy aligned with organisational objectives.
• Create and manage design roadmaps, ensuring priorities are aligned with business and user needs.
• Champion human-centred design methodologies throughout the end-to-end product development lifecycle.
• Plan and conduct user research activities to gather insights and validate design decisions.
• Facilitate user interviews, stakeholder workshops, and discovery sessions to understand requirements and opportunities.
• Lead usability testing initiatives, analysing findings and translating insights into actionable improvements.
• Collaborate with product managers, developers, researchers, and senior stakeholders to deliver impactful user experiences.
• Promote evidence-based design decision-making through research, data, and user feedback.

Skills

Multidisciplinary design leadership

UX / Service Design

Design governance & standards

Human-centered design

User research

Roadmaps & governance

Stakeholder management

Mentoring designers

Job description

Job title: Lead Design Role

Location: London (Hybrid)

Contract: 12 Months

Overview

We are seeking an experienced Lead Designer to provide strategic design leadership across a multidisciplinary team, delivering user-centred digital products and services. This role will be responsible for driving design excellence, establishing best practices, and ensuring the delivery of high-quality, accessible, and intuitive user experiences.

Working closely with stakeholders, product teams, and technical colleagues, the successful candidate will shape design strategy, mentor designers, and champion human-centred design principles throughout the product lifecycle.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and manage multidisciplinary design teams, fostering a collaborative and high-performing culture.


• Mentor, coach, and support designers to develop their skills and advance their professional growth.


• Define and implement design governance frameworks to ensure consistency, quality, and adherence to standards.


• Establish and maintain design standards, best practices, and design system principles across projects.


• Develop and communicate a clear design vision and strategy aligned with organisational objectives.


• Create and manage design roadmaps, ensuring priorities are aligned with business and user needs.


• Champion human-centred design methodologies throughout the end-to-end product development lifecycle.


• Plan and conduct user research activities to gather insights and validate design decisions.


• Facilitate user interviews, stakeholder workshops, and discovery sessions to understand requirements and opportunities.


• Lead usability testing initiatives, analysing findings and translating insights into actionable improvements.


• Collaborate with product managers, developers, researchers, and senior stakeholders to deliver impactful user experiences.


• Promote evidence-based design decision-making through research, data, and user feedback.

Essential Skills & Experience

• Proven experience leading multidisciplinary design teams within complex environments.


• Strong background in UX, Service Design, Product Design, or related disciplines.


• Experience developing and implementing design strategies, governance frameworks, and design standards.


• Demonstrated expertise in human-centred design and user-centred methodologies.


• Strong user research capabilities, including user interviews, workshops, and usability testing.


• Experience managing design roadmaps and influencing product direction.


• Excellent stakeholder management, communication, and facilitation skills.


• Ability to mentor and develop design professionals at varying levels of experience.

Desirable Experience

• Experience working within large-scale digital transformation programmes.


• Knowledge of accessibility standards and inclusive design practices.


• Experience working in Agile and multidisciplinary delivery environments.

This is an excellent opportunity for a senior design professional to lead design initiatives, influence strategic decision-making, and drive the delivery of exceptional user-centred experiences within a complex organisation.

LA International is an award-winning partner of choice for many of the world's most influential companies and government organisations. Holding Enhanced Government Security Accreditation, we are recognised as the European market leader in the delivery of Security Cleared talent to organisations that demand the very highest levels of security, compliance and assurance.

A multiple award-winning organisation, having secured the prestigious Queens Award for Enterprise: International Trade over consecutive years.

We are committed to fostering an inclusive, equitable and accessible workplace where everyone feels valued and supported.

We welcome applications from all individuals, regardless of background or identity, and we encourage candidates who may not meet every listed requirement to still apply.

If you require any adjustments or support during the recruitment process, please let us know and we will work with you to ensure a fair and accessible experience.

Please Note: If a high volume of applications is received, only candidates shortlisted will be contacted.