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- Tasks: Lead a talented design team to create innovative digital experiences for Bupa's customers.
- Company: Join Bupa, a health insurer focused on making a positive impact on people's lives.
- Benefits: Enjoy 25 days holiday, enhanced pension, life insurance, and flexible working options.
- Why this job: Shape the future of health design while mentoring a passionate team in a supportive environment.
- Qualifications: Strong background in product design and experience managing large design teams.
- Other info: Embrace diversity and be part of a company that values your unique perspective.
The predicted salary is between 68000 - 102000 £ per year.
Location: Bupa Place M50 3SP or Angel Court EC2R 7HJ — hybrid, office 2 days per week
Term: Fixed Term Contract – 12 months
Hours: Full time 37.5 hours per week
Salary: up to £85K depending on experience + Management Bonus 10%
We’re ideally looking for our Design Principal to start in April 2026. We consider all types of flexibility wherever possible, including locations, hours and working patterns.
The role involves belonging to a passionate and talented multi-disciplinary experience design team, made up of user researchers, product designers, content designers and design operations, focused on creating the best digital experiences for Bupa's customers in the UK.
You will be responsible for leading the direction and improving the quality of customer-centric experiences from concept to launch across multiple product squads. This includes:
- Growing healthy partnerships with a team of product owners, senior stakeholders and scrum masters.
- Involvement in the strategy to drive the product's direction, creating seamless and connected products and services.
- Establishing and enhancing product design as a vital strategic partner to help our organisation grow.
- Contributing to Design Leadership cohort to optimise and improve the performance of our Experience Design team.
- Line managing a group of Product Designers and providing mentorship and support to facilitate development, encourage growth and foster a culture of care and candour.
How You’ll Help Us Make Health Happen:
- Defining and articulating the product and design strategy and vision for my Bupa across multiple squads.
- Providing strategic direction and guidance on approach and timescales, blending hands-on support and leadership.
- Building relationships and collaborating with teams including marketing, product, proposition, technology and delivery.
- Advocating and evangelising the principles, standards and processes of product design and development.
- Responsible for the timely delivery of projects aligning with business goals and UX metrics.
- Setting, tracking and measuring UX metrics for your squads and regularly communicating the impact and value of design.
- Supporting post-campaign reviews to optimise and improve existing and future work.
- Managing and refining roadmaps and prioritising backlogs across squads.
Design Leadership and People Management:
- Mentoring, coaching and inspiring other members of the experience design team.
- Driving operational enhancements within the design function.
- Collaborating closely with product and technology and design leadership to shape and execute Bupa's overarching strategy and vision.
- Advocating for the adoption of the organisation's Design System, ‘Anatomy' and contributing to the community.
You should have:
- A strong background in end-to-end product design with a track record of tackling complex problems.
- Proven experience in managing, leading and nurturing large product/UX design teams.
- Coaching skills and ability to rally around a team to encourage positive behaviours.
- Effective one-on-one mentorship and creation of progression plans for team members.
- Strong communication skills and experience communicating future design directions with stakeholders.
- Visionary storytelling to visually inspire and influence.
- A collaborative approach with Designers, Engineers and Product Managers.
- Stakeholder management skills with experience engaging broad stakeholder groups.
- Strong engineering literacy with experience working with engineers.
- A growth mindset; eager to learn and develop skills while maintaining a positive culture.
- Passion and knowledge of how AI and AI tools can drive improvements across design disciplines.
- Thought leadership in design processes, able to influence and drive change.
Benefits:
- 25 days holiday pro rata, increasing through length of service, with option to buy or sell.
- An enhanced pension plan and life insurance.
- A huge range of other benefits and online discounts.
Why Bupa?
We’re a health insurer and provider. With no shareholders, our customers are our focus. Our people are all driven by the same purpose - helping people live longer, healthier, happier lives and making a better world. We encourage all of our people to “Be you at Bupa”, and we champion diversity.
Bupa is a Level 2 Disability Confident Employer. This means we aim to offer an interview/assessment to every disabled applicant who meets the minimum criteria for the role.
Design Principal employer: Richmond Villages
Contact Detail:
Richmond Villages Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Design Principal
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the design field and let them know you're on the lookout for opportunities. A friendly chat can lead to referrals or insider info about openings that aren't even advertised yet.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your portfolio! When you get the chance to meet potential employers, bring your best work along. Make sure it highlights your design process and the impact of your projects—this is your time to shine!
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for interviews by researching the company culture and values. Tailor your responses to show how your experience aligns with their mission. Remember, they want to see how you can contribute to their team!
✨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 are proactive about their job search!
We think you need these skills to ace Design Principal
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter for the Design Principal role. Highlight your experience in leading design teams and managing complex projects, as this will show us you’re the right fit for our passionate team.
Showcase Your Leadership Skills: We want to see how you've mentored and inspired others in your previous roles. Share specific examples of how you've fostered a positive team culture and driven operational enhancements in design.
Communicate Clearly: Your written application should reflect strong communication skills. Use clear and concise language to convey your vision for design and how you can contribute to Bupa’s mission of making health happen.
Apply Through Our Website: Don’t forget to submit your application through our website! This ensures we receive all your details correctly and helps us keep track of your application in our system.
How to prepare for a job interview at Richmond Villages
✨Know Your Design Principles
Before the interview, brush up on your understanding of human-centred design approaches. Be ready to discuss how you've tackled complex problems in your previous roles and delivered simple, effective solutions. This will show that you can lead the direction of customer-centric experiences.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
Prepare examples of how you've managed and nurtured design teams in the past. Highlight your coaching skills and how you've inspired positive behaviours within your team. This is crucial as the role involves mentoring and supporting a group of Product Designers.
✨Communicate Effectively
Practice articulating your design vision and strategy clearly. You’ll need to engage with various stakeholders, so being able to communicate future design directions and inspire action is key. Use storytelling techniques to make your points compelling.
✨Demonstrate Collaboration
Be ready to discuss your collaborative approach with Designers, Engineers, and Product Managers. Share specific instances where you’ve valued feedback and brainstormed ideas to achieve common goals. This will show that you can work well within a multi-disciplinary team.
