Head of UX, Service Design and Digital Experience Strategy (Associate Director)
The Head of UX and Service Design is a senior leadership role responsible for building and evolving a high-performing UX, User Research and Service Design capability, shaping experience-led transformation across digital and service ecosystems. The role leads client engagements, contributes to presales and growth, collaborates cross functionally, and drives thought leadership and strategic transformation.
Responsibilities
- Lead and evolve a high performing UX, User Research and Service Design practice, setting standards, defining end to end service design principles, coaching senior practitioners, and managing capability development and future skills planning.
- Act as a senior client advisor and escalation point for UX and digital experience work, ensuring insight led, outcome focused delivery across discovery, research, strategy and design.
- Play a key role in presales and early stage shaping of opportunities, defining value propositions, delivery models, scope, estimates, and risks, and protecting margins through delivery success.
- Collaborate with Technology, Data and Strategy colleagues to design integrated services spanning systems, processes and user experiences, ensuring alignment between customer journeys and operational delivery.
- Contribute to internal and external thought leadership, develop repeatable frameworks, and help shape propositions that strengthen market differentiation and client impact.
- Act as a key contributor to large complex transformation opportunities, reframing client asks into clear, outcome led programmes and qualifying opportunities to ensure they are winnable, deliverable and margin protective.
Minimum skills and experience
- Senior leadership experience in UX, User Research, Service Design or Digital Experience within a consultancy or complex organisation.
- Experience leading or delivering service design and end to end journey design, including service blueprinting or cross channel experience definition.
- Proven experience leading multidisciplinary teams and managing senior practitioners.
- Strong hands on background and advocacy in user centred design, accessibility and research methodologies.
- Experience overseeing complex client delivery with accountability for quality and outcomes.
- Demonstrable commercial experience, including scoping, estimation, utilisation, risk management and margin awareness.
- Experience supporting or leading presales, written public sector bids and senior client pitches.
- Strong stakeholder management skills with senior client leaders.
- Experience working across strategy, delivery and sales functions.
- Excellent communication, facilitation and decision making skills.
Preferred skills and experience
- Exposure to regulated, enterprise or public sector environments.
- Background working in multidisciplinary environments.
- Experience shaping service design propositions or operating model transformation.
- Experience integrating qualitative insight with data, analytics or technology platforms.
- Thought leadership experience (frameworks, POVs, speaking, publishing).
- Knowledge of accessibility, inclusive design and ethical research practices.
- Familiarity with emerging trends including AI assisted design and research.
Benefits
We have a range of benefits on offer to support you. This includes pension plans, health and wellness policies, and a selection of flexible benefits to meet personal needs.