Collinson is the global, privately-owned company dedicated to helping the world to travel with ease and confidence. The group offers a unique blend of industry and sector specialists who together provide market-leading airport experiences, loyalty and customer engagement, and insurance solutions for over 400 million consumers. Collinson is the operator of Priority Pass, the world’s original and leading airport experiences programme. Travellers can access a network of 1,500 lounges and travel experiences, including dining, retail, sleep and spa, in over 650 airports in 148 countries, helping to elevate the journey into something special. We work with the world’s leading payment networks, over 1,400 banks, 90 airlines and 20 hotel groups worldwide. We have been bringing innovation to the market since inception – from launching the first independent global VIP lounge access Programme, Priority Pass to being the first to sell direct travel insurance in the UK through Columbus Direct and creating the first loyalty agency of its kind in the travel sector with ICLP. Today we still invest heavily in innovation to ensure that we continue to deliver superior customer experiences. Key clients include Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Cathay Pacific, British Airways, LATAM, Flying Blue, Accor, EasyJet, HSBC, Chase, HDFC. Our mission is focused on doing good beyond profit, which for us means we seek out opportunities for our people to share in our success and that we give back to the communities and people within which we work. Never short of ambition, the success of our business is delivered through the diverse and talented team of over 1,800 global colleagues. Purpose of the job A leadership role, The Head of Design is responsible for leading the design strategy and execution across all digital assets, ensuring alignment with business objectives and product goals. This role encompasses overseeing the creation and maintenance of the design system, managing a team of designers, and fostering a culture of innovation and excellence. The Head of Design will work closely with the SVP of Products and Innovation, as well as cross-functional teams, to deliver high-quality, user-centric designs that drive business growth. Key Responsibilities Strategic Design Leadership: • Develop and implement the overall design strategy for the company, ensuring alignment with business objectives and product goals. • Lead the creation and maintenance of a comprehensive design system, ensuring consistency and scalability across all digital assets. Team Management and Development: • Manage and mentor a team of designers, fostering a collaborative and innovative design culture. • Recruit, train, and develop design talent, ensuring the team possesses the necessary skills and knowledge to deliver high-quality design work. Cross-Functional Collaboration: • Work closely with product managers, engineers, and other stakeholders to ensure the design aligns with product requirements and user needs • Facilitate design workshops and brainstorming sessions to drive innovative design solutions. Design Execution and Oversight: • Oversee the design process from concept to execution, ensuring high standards of design quality and user experience. • Review and approve design work, providing constructive feedback and guidance to ensure the best possible outcomes. User Research and Testing: • Conduct and oversee user research and usability testing to gather insights and validate design decisions. • Use data and user feedback to iterate and improve design solutions continuously. Innovation and Continuous Improvement: • Stay updated with the latest design trends, tools, and technologies, integrating them into the design process where appropriate. • Champion a culture of continuous improvement, encouraging the team to experiment and push the boundaries of design. Stakeholder Engagement: • Present design concepts and progress to senior leadership and other stakeholders, effectively communicating the value and impact of design. • Collaborate with the SVP of Products and Innovation to align design initiatives with broader business and innovation strategies. Design System Management: • Create, maintain, and scale the company's design system, ensuring consistency across all products and platforms. • Educate and support other teams in using the design system effectively. Knowledge, skills and experience required Knowledge: • Design Principles: Deep understanding of fundamental design principles, including typography, colour theory, layout, and user-centred design and digital interaction. • User Experience (UX) Design: Expertise in UX design methodologies and best practices, including user research, wireframing, prototyping, and usability testing. • User Interface (UI) Design: Proficiency in UI design, including creating visually appealing and functional accessible interfaces for web and mobile applications. • Design Systems: Extensive knowledge of design systems, including creating, maintaining, and scaling design systems across multiple products and platforms. • Digital Product Design: Familiarity with digital product design, including responsive design, interaction design, and the latest design trends and technologies. • Industry Standards: In-depth knowledge of industry standards, accessibility guidelines, and regulatory requirements related to digital design. Skills: • Creative Vision: Strong creative vision and the ability to translate business goals into innovative design solutions. • Leadership: Proven leadership skills with the ability to manage and inspire a diverse team of designers. • Collaboration: Excellent collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively with product managers, engineers, and other stakeholders. • Communication: Exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal, to articulate design concepts and decisions to various stakeholders. • Technical Proficiency: Proficiency in design tools such as Figma, Miro and other relevant software. • Problem-Solving: Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to address complex design challenges and find effective solutions. • Project Management: Effective project management skills, including the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and meet deadlines. • Analytical Skills: Ability to use data and user feedback to inform design decisions and improve the user experience. Experience: • Design Leadership: Extensive experience in design leadership roles, preferably within a product-focused environment. • Digital Design: Proven track record in digital design, including designing for web, mobile, and other digital platforms. • Design Systems: Experience in creating and managing design systems that are used across multiple products and platforms. • User Research: Experience in conducting and utilising user research to inform design decisions and improve user experiences. • Cross-Functional Collaboration: Demonstrated experience working collaboratively with product managers, engineers, and other stakeholders to deliver high-quality products. • Portfolio: A strong portfolio showcasing a range of design projects, including examples of UX/UI design, design systems, and digital product design. • Mentorship: Experience in mentoring and developing junior designers, fostering a culture of growth and innovation. Additional Qualifications: • Education: Bachelor's degree in Design, Graphic Design, Interaction Design, or a related field; a Master's degree is preferred. • Certifications: Relevant certifications in UX/UI design, design systems, or project management can be a plus. • Industry Awareness: Continuous awareness of emerging design trends, tools, and technologies, and the ability to integrate them into the design process. Collinson is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes differences in all their forms including: colour, race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, neurodivergence, family status, age, individuals with disabilities and people from all backgrounds, cultures and experiences as we strongly believe this contributes to our on-going success. We are focused on continually evolving our purpose driven, high performing culture, providing an environment where our people have the opportunity to achieve their full potential and do interesting and meaningful work. Our company values are: Act smarter, Do the right thing, One team and Be insight led. These help guide everything we do internally in terms of how we think, act and interact, right through to how we deliver value to our customers and clients. In your application, please feel free to note which pronouns you use (For example - she/her/hers, he/him/his, they/them/theirs, etc). If you need any extra support throughout the interview process, then please email us at ukrecruitmentcollinsongroup.com We also have our very own Beacons (Domestic Abuse Advisors) supporting within each of our global offices. Our Beacons will be your point of contact if you or someone you know needs support.