At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead design strategy and elevate product quality for innovative media technology.
- Company: Join Backlight, a global leader in media technology shaping creative content production.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, flexible work environment, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Dynamic team culture with high ownership and fast-paced growth opportunities.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on the future of creative tools and workflows.
- Qualifications: Senior design leadership experience in B2B SaaS and strong collaboration skills.
The predicted salary is between 80000 - 100000 £ per year.
Are you a senior design leader who loves complex systems and wants to stay close to the craft whilst reporting to supportive, empathetic leaders? This is for you.
About Backlight
Backlight is a global media technology company shaping the future of how creative teams produce, manage, and distribute content. Through its portfolio of products—including Iconik, Ftrack, Celtx, Zype, and Wildmoka—Backlight empowers creators, studios, and broadcasters such as NBC and BBC to bring stories to life from concept to screen. Backlight has brought together some of the most respected creative tools in the industry into one ecosystem serving the full media lifecycle.
The Opportunity
We are hiring a Head of Design to lead design across a core part of Backlight’s product portfolio and help shape the next phase of growth. This is a hands-on player-coach role.
You Will:
- Shape the Product & Platform strategy, as a core contributor to the Product and Technology leadership team
- Set the design vision and raise the quality bar
- Partner deeply with Product and Engineering
- Scale a small senior team responsibly
- Stay close enough to the work to influence key flows and experience decisions
Team & Environment
Current team: 2 highly experienced designers (Stockholm-based), with plans to grow. Engineering presence: strong development team in Sophia Antipolis (France). Culture: high output, high ownership, fast-moving.
We are looking for someone who thrives in environments where they must:
- Make decisions with imperfect information
- Bring structure without slowing momentum
- Translate complexity into clarity
This is not a heavily layered design organisation. It is a tight, high-trust group that needs leadership to scale.
What You’ll Do:
Design Leadership & Strategy- Define and evolve the design direction for Iconik and Wildmoka
- Align design execution with product strategy and engineering capability
- Shape how Iconik and Wildmoka expands into new customer segments and use cases
- Drive cross-functional collaboration across “tribes” as the organisation grows
- Maintain a high craft bar in complex B2B workflows
- Simplify powerful systems without dumbing them down
- Contribute directly to critical UX, interaction, and structural design work
- Coach and develop a small, senior design team
- Introduce scalable rituals, prioritisation clarity, and feedback loops
- Partner closely with Senior Leadership across Backlight to ensure high-quality implementation
What We’re Looking For:
Essential- Senior product design leadership experience in B2B SaaS environments
- Experience working on complex, systems-driven products (workflow tools, systems of record, platforms)
- Ability to operate as a player-coach
- Comfort leading in scrappy, under-documented, high-ambiguity environments
- Comfortable working in a modern, iterative product environment (prototyping, testing, continuous refinement)
- Strong cross-functional collaboration with Product and Engineering
- Exposure to high-craft, opinionated tools (e.g. Linear, Attio, etc.)
- Familiarity with video, media, or creative workflows (industry experience not required, but affinity helps)
- Experience scaling small teams through inflection points
Location & Travel
Preferred locations: Stockholm, Sophia Antipolis / Nice / Cannes, London. Travel expectations depend on base location but may include periodic travel between Stockholm and the South of France.
Head of Design employer: Good Maven
Backlight is an exceptional employer that fosters a high-output, high-ownership culture, perfect for creative leaders who thrive in fast-paced environments. With a focus on employee growth and collaboration, the Head of Design will have the opportunity to shape innovative products while working closely with a talented team in vibrant locations like Stockholm and the South of France. The company values hands-on leadership and offers a supportive atmosphere where design excellence is celebrated and nurtured.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Design
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to folks in your industry, especially those at Backlight or similar companies. A friendly chat can open doors and give you insights that might just land you an interview.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your work! Create a portfolio that highlights your best design projects, especially those that demonstrate your ability to simplify complex systems. Make sure it’s easy to navigate and visually appealing—just like the designs you create!
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for interviews by understanding Backlight’s products inside out. Familiarise yourself with Iconik and Wildmoka, and think about how you can contribute to their design strategy. This will show you’re genuinely interested and ready to hit the ground running.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, it shows you’re keen on joining the team at Backlight!
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Design
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion for Design:When writing your application, let your love for design shine through! Share specific examples of projects you've worked on that demonstrate your ability to simplify complex systems and elevate user experience. We want to see your enthusiasm for the craft!
Tailor Your Application:Make sure to customise your application to align with our job description. Highlight your experience in B2B SaaS environments and how you've successfully led design teams. This helps us see how you fit into our vision at Backlight.
Be Authentic:We appreciate authenticity! Don’t be afraid to show your personality in your written application. Share your design philosophy and how you approach challenges. This gives us a glimpse of who you are beyond your skills.
Apply Through Our Website:For the best chance of getting noticed, make sure to apply through our website. It’s the easiest way for us to keep track of your application and ensures it reaches the right people. We can’t wait to hear from you!
How to prepare for a job interview at Good Maven
✨Know Your Design Philosophy
Before the interview, take some time to reflect on your design philosophy and how it aligns with Backlight's vision. Be ready to discuss specific examples of how you've shaped product strategy in previous roles, especially in B2B SaaS environments.
✨Showcase Your Hands-On Experience
As this role is a player-coach position, prepare to share stories that highlight your hands-on design work. Bring along a portfolio that demonstrates your ability to simplify complex systems while maintaining high craft standards.
✨Emphasise Cross-Functional Collaboration
Backlight values collaboration across teams. Be prepared to discuss how you've successfully partnered with product and engineering teams in the past. Highlight any specific projects where your collaboration led to improved outcomes.
✨Prepare for Ambiguity
Given the fast-moving and sometimes scrappy nature of the role, think about times when you've thrived in ambiguous situations. Share how you made decisions with imperfect information and brought structure to chaotic environments.
