Product Design Lead

National University of Singapore (NUS IT); Singapore; On-site; SGD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Family Care Leave

Additional Childcare Leave

2 Wellbeing days

Up to 3 sick days with no medical cert

Job summary

National University of Singapore’s NUS IT is seeking a Product Design Lead to own the end-to-end user experience across its AI-enabled and traditional digital products. You will lead design as a cross-functional capability, shaping the design system and mentoring a team of Product Designers and UI/UX Designers across multiple projects.

Reporting to the Head of Enterprise Services, you will drive user research, prototyping, and visual/interactions design while aligning with branding,

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Design, Computer Science, Information Systems, Psychology, Communications, or equivalent experience.
• 8 to 12+ years of experience in product design, UX/UI design, or related field.
• Strong portfolio showing end-to-end design across complex digital products.
• Extensive experience in user research, usability testing, interaction and visual design.
• Solid understanding of commercial AI product landscape and user experience.
• Experience designing AI-enabled products and AI interaction patterns.
• Experience establishing or evolving design systems across multiple products.
• Proven track record working with Product Managers and engineers in cross-functional teams.
• Experience leading and developing designers and establishing design standards.
• Nice to have: advanced degree in related disciplines and formal UX/design leadership training.
• Nice to have: experience maturing a Product Design practice and content design exposure.

Responsibilities

• Own the end-to-end user experience across NUS IT's AI-enabled and traditional applications.
• Lead user journeys, flows, prototyping, visual and interaction design across the portfolio.
• Design AI experiences including conversational interfaces and human-in-the-loop patterns.
• Own and evolve the NUS IT Design System and drive its adoption.
• Ensure consistent design system application with design and engineering teams.
• Translate user research and feedback into product improvements.
• Establish feedback loops between users, PMs, and engineering teams.
• Mentor and develop Product Designers and UI/UX Designers across initiatives.
• Set design practices, standards, tools, and ways of working across products.
• Develop career pathways for designers across product design, research, and AI design.

Skills

UX/UI design

Product design

User research

Design leadership

Design systems

Education

Bachelor's degree in Design or related field

Master's degree in HCI or related (nice to have)

Tools

Figma

Prototyping tools

AI design tooling

Job description

NUS IT is the information technology division of the National University of Singapore, responsible for delivering secure, high-performance digital solutions that support education, research, and enterprise operations. The division is actively building AI-enabled products and services alongside traditional digital applications, with a focus on scalable, impactful solutions for the university community.

The role

The Product Design Lead owns the end-to-end user experience across NUS IT's portfolio of digital products and services. Reporting directly to the Head of Enterprise Services, you lead Product Design as a cross-functional capability, providing design direction across product teams and developing Product Designers and UI/UX Designers who support different NUS IT teams. You also own and evolve the NUS IT Design System.

What you would do

• Own the end-to-end user experience across NUS IT's digital products, covering both AI-enabled and traditional applications, from concept through delivery.
• Lead user journeys, flows, prototyping, visual design, and interaction design across the portfolio.
• Design AI experiences including conversational interfaces, human-in-the-loop interactions, and other emerging interaction patterns.
• Own and continuously evolve the NUS IT Design System, keeping it aligned with branding, accessibility standards, and industry practices, and driving its adoption across products.
• Govern consistent application of the Design System, working with designers and engineers to address gaps and maintain quality.
• Build understanding of user needs through research, usability testing, and product feedback, and translate insights into product improvements.
• Establish feedback loops between users, Product Managers, and engineering teams to keep development grounded in user needs.
• Lead, mentor, and develop Product Designers and UI/UX Designers, providing design direction across product initiatives.
• Establish design practices, standards, tools, and ways of working across AI and traditional digital products.
• Develop career pathways for designers, growing their capabilities across product design, user research, interaction design, and AI experience design.

What they are looking for

• Bachelor's degree in Design, Computer Science, Information Systems, Psychology, Communications, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• 8 to 12 or more years of experience in product design, UX/UI design, interaction design, or a related field.
• Strong portfolio demonstrating end-to-end product design experience across complex digital products and services.
• Strong experience in user research, usability testing, interaction design, prototyping, and visual design.
• Good understanding of the commercial AI product landscape, including features, capabilities, and user experience of leading AI products and platforms.
• Experience designing AI-enabled products and familiarity with emerging AI interaction patterns.
• Experience establishing or evolving design systems and reusable design patterns across multiple products.
• Experience working closely with Product Managers and engineers in cross-functional product teams.
• Experience leading and developing designers and establishing strong design practices and standards.
• Nice to have: Master's degree or equivalent in Human-Computer Interaction, Interaction Design, or a related discipline.
• Nice to have: relevant professional certifications or formal training in UX, product design, or design leadership.
• Nice to have: experience building or maturing a Product Design practice, including capability development and career pathways.
• Nice to have: experience with content design, information architecture, or digital content strategy.
• Nice to have: familiarity with responsible AI design principles, including transparency, user control, trust, and human oversight.
• Nice to have: experience working in higher education, public sector, or similarly complex stakeholder environments.

Working arrangements

The role is based at the Kent Ridge Campus of the National University of Singapore.

Pay and benefits

• Family Care Leave of 2 days
• Additional Childcare Leave beyond statutory benefits
• 2 Wellbeing days
• Up to 3 sick days with no medical certificate required
• Progressive annual leave starting at 21 days (including National Service)
• Flexible medical coverage up to SGD 10,000 for the employee and dependents