At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead and elevate our design team while staying hands-on with exciting projects.
- Company: Join a rapidly growing start-up focused on improving patient healthcare.
- Benefits: Flexible working, equity options, enhanced leave, and a monthly wellbeing bonus.
- Other info: Enjoy a dynamic work culture with excellent growth opportunities and quarterly socials.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in healthcare design while shaping the future of AI integration.
- Qualifications: Experience in regulated environments and strong UX instincts backed by data.
The predicted salary is between 80000 - 120000 £ per year.
The role: We're looking for an experienced Director of Design to help take our small design team to the next level of maturity at an exciting stage of business growth. Partnering closely with the Director of Product, this is a high-impact leadership role with a genuine hands-on element. You'll be the voice of the user across the organisation, while still rolling up your sleeves and contributing to day-to-day design work. If you're an experienced designer ready to step into a senior leadership role without wanting to leave behind the craft, this could be a great move. A key part of this role is creating the conditions for great design to happen - carving out time for best practices, advocating for the right level of design rigour, and ensuring design is always an enabler and never a bottleneck.
What you'll do:
- Define and lead our design practice - build the processes, rituals, and standards that set the team up for success as we scale.
- Be the voice of the user - ensure user needs are represented in every significant product and business decision, from early discovery through to delivery.
- Make research stick - establish how we learn from users, and make sure those insights are visible, accessible, and shaping what we build.
- Own the design system - keep it healthy, consistent, and evolving alongside the product, with an eye on AI-readiness and long-term scalability.
- Shape our approach to AI - lead the way in integrating AI tools into the design workflow, and help the team build confidence and good habits around them.
- Bring data into the design process - champion the use of quantitative and qualitative data together, helping the team make evidence-led decisions.
- Stay in the craft - contribute directly to designing complex clinical and patient-facing features, staying close to the work and leading by example.
- Own the vision: Lay out to the business and our users how the platform will evolve as we execute on our product roadmap.
What we're looking for:
- A track record of designing in high-stakes, regulated, or clinical environments where consistency, clarity, and safety are non-negotiable.
- Technically fluent - able to hold a credible conversation with engineers, understand constraints, and design pragmatically in an environment where the cost of rework is high.
- Sharp UX instincts backed by evidence - you use data, research, and clinical context to identify opportunities and make a compelling case for the right decisions.
- You stay close to where AI is heading - experimenting with new tools, understanding what they make possible, and bringing that knowledge into how we design and build.
- A confident communicator who can articulate design rationale to clinical, product, and engineering stakeholders alike - and influence decisions without always having the loudest voice in the room.
- Strong instincts for process, quality, and what makes design teams function well at pace.
Benefits:
- Work from home or at our office in 131 Finsbury Pavement - Industrious.
- Equity options available and pension contributions.
- Flexible working times.
- Work abroad for up to 90 days per year.
- Enhanced parental leave.
- 25 days annual leave (on top of bank holidays).
- Take your birthday off and another significant day off of your choice.
- Treat your friends or family to a meal each quarter (up to £75).
- A monthly wellbeing bonus (£50 per month for gym membership/wellbeing activities) or private medical insurance.
- Quarterly team socials.
- An annual learning budget to support your growth.
- Delivering social impact through improved patient healthcare.
- Working at a well-funded and rapidly growing start-up, solving a global problem in a new way.
Director of Product Design employer: Isla
Contact Detail:
Isla Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Director of Product Design
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to folks in your industry on LinkedIn or at design meetups. A personal connection can often get you a foot in the door faster than a CV.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your work! Create a portfolio that not only highlights your best designs but also tells the story behind them. Make sure it’s easy to navigate and visually appealing—just like your designs!
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for interviews by practising common design questions and scenarios. Think about how you’d advocate for user needs and integrate AI into your workflow—these are hot topics right now!
✨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, we love seeing candidates who take that extra step!
We think you need these skills to ace Director of Product Design
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion for Design: When you're writing your application, let your love for design shine through! Share specific examples of your past work that highlight your hands-on experience and how you've made a difference in previous roles. We want to see your enthusiasm for the craft!
Be User-Centric: Remember, you'll be the voice of the user! Make sure to emphasise how you've incorporated user feedback into your design process in the past. We’re looking for someone who truly understands the importance of user needs in every decision.
Highlight Your Leadership Skills: This role is all about leading a team, so don’t shy away from showcasing your leadership experience. Talk about how you've built processes or mentored others in your previous roles. We want to know how you can help us take our design practice to the next level!
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website! It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures it gets into the right hands. Plus, it shows us you’re keen on joining our team at StudySmarter!
How to prepare for a job interview at Isla
✨Know Your Design Principles
Before the interview, brush up on your design principles and methodologies. Be ready to discuss how you've applied these in high-stakes environments, especially in clinical settings. This will show that you understand the importance of consistency and safety in design.
✨Showcase Your Hands-On Experience
Prepare to share specific examples of your hands-on design work. Highlight projects where you contributed directly to complex features, demonstrating your ability to stay close to the craft while leading a team. This balance is crucial for the role.
✨Bring Data to the Table
Be ready to discuss how you've used both qualitative and quantitative data to inform your design decisions. Share examples of how you've made evidence-led choices and how this has positively impacted user experience and product outcomes.
✨Communicate with Confidence
Practice articulating your design rationale clearly and confidently. You’ll need to influence various stakeholders, so prepare to explain your thought process and decisions in a way that resonates with clinical, product, and engineering teams.