Design Principal ( 1 year FTC ) in London

ustwo is looking for a Design Principal to join our London studio on a one-year fixed-term contract starting April 2026. We are a global design studio committed to creating measurable positive impact for the organisations we work with and the audiences we design for. Known for crafting digital experiences people value and return to, we work across the full product lifecycle; from vision and discovery through to validating propositions and launching products and services that deliver value for both users and businesses.

As a Design Principal, you’ll partner closely with our design leadership to shape and deliver a differentiated design service that creates meaningful impact for clients and the studio. You bring sound judgement about when to be hands-on in the work and when to enable others to succeed through clear direction, delegation and coaching. You’ll play a key role in developing our designers through role modelling, feedback and support, providing vision and guidance across projects from discovery through to delivery.

You’ll work collaboratively with designers, strategists, developers and delivery coaches to define, build and iterate solutions for a wide range of clients and partners. Alongside project work, you’ll collaborate with senior members of the design team to evolve our practices, processes and strategic approach, strengthening both our design craft and studio culture.

We’ll look to you to build deep, trusted client partnerships and to lead with an inclusive, thoughtful and inspiring style. You’re comfortable adapting your approach to support different individuals and teams, while maintaining high standards and a strong sense of care and accountability.

This role will be based in the London studio in Shoreditch at 154-158 Shoreditch High Street E1 6HU. We currently have a hybrid policy in which you are required to be in the studio twice a week, on our universal day on Tuesdays and either Wednesdays or Thursdays. We are keen for you to be involved in studio culture so the more you can get involved in opportunities for in-person social interaction; the better!

The role

• Comfortable, confident and competent at managing and directing individuals and teams.
• Inspire & support our designers to uncover opportunities for them to develop their careers and grow within ustwo.
• Identify skills & personnel required to meet project outcomes, preempting future needs or challenges before they arise.
• Raise the bar for design at ustwo, inspire the team and experiment with new tools and practices influencing both the work we deliver and how we deliver it.
• Provides practical tools and hands-on support to make sure that the teams you work with are equipped to do their very best work.

Projects

• A brilliant and accomplished designer with proven experience delivering real-world products and services across discovery and delivery.
• Confident taking leaps and getting tangible early, visualising and prototyping concepts fast to communicate ideas.
• Brings a wide strategic perspective, challenges team and client thinking, synthesizes multiple inputs, and aligns everyone on a clear way forward.
• Collaborate with other discipline leads to ensure projects are delivered on time and outcomes are met, adapting as we uncover new learning and move through ambiguity.
• Comfortable with experimentation and clear understanding when to experiment and where to use defined solutions.
• Has a product mindset and is able to make pragmatic trade-offs while holding a bigger strategic goal in mind.

Studio

• Adept at growing client relationships and actively contributing to business development; helping identify and convert new opportunities and represent the company in pitches.
• Support planning and scoping of new project proposals and ways of working across disciplines.
• Lead community initiatives within Design, nurturing a thriving, self-driving community as well as being a key external voice for ustwo where applicable.
• Deputise for our Head of design and be a human voice for design, representing all perspectives in your decision-making.

Job Requirements

• Expert in your practice. You’re an expert practitioner in user-centered design, design research, usability principles, techniques and Agile/Lean methodologies. You have applied this knowledge across many different business contexts. You inspire others by keeping up with the latest trends in design, product and technology.
• Highly Collaborative. Able to lead multidisciplinary teams of designers, developers and product managers using Agile and Lean principles. You have experience of working across multiple projects.
• Take great pleasure, and have success, in developing others. You are attuned to the varying needs of each team member.
• Build strong client relationships. You are confident at managing senior stakeholders and navigating them through the design process and commercial decisions.
• Develop exemplary Design processes. You are able to define and improve Design methodologies, tools and processes.
• Think holistically about the big picture when designing a product, while being detail oriented and delivery focused.
• An inspiring communicator. Capable of conveying ideas, storytelling and breaking down concepts clearly to a diverse range of stakeholders (verbally and written).
• Encourage idea sharing. Whether that be yours/others thoughts, ideas and work in-progress.
• Growth mindset. You seek out opportunities to learn, advocating good feedback with those who you work with.
• Resilient. You can handle pressure and have experience of working in a dynamic and fast-moving environment.
• Adaptable. You thrive in ambiguity and are comfortable switching contexts and able to apply design practice across a range of industries and different deliverables and goals. Sometimes working across a few projects to being immersed on one project, prioritising your time effectively.
• Able to travel, from time to time.
• Agency experience. You are excited about an agency environment, culture, pace and diversity of clients.

Job Benefits

The salary for this full-time Design Principal role is £90,000 - £105,000k. The actual salary amount will depend on the candidate's experience, skillset and market knowledge. We benchmark our salaries regularly against competitive market data, so these ranges are subject to change.

Our full benefits package is available to all permanent and fixed term contract employment. We will also be able to share a benefits deck to showcase local benefits.

Interested but think your experience doesn’t perfectly align with this job description? That’s ok. Research shows underrepresented groups in particular are less inclined to apply for jobs where they don’t meet 100% of the requirements listed. We’d still love to hear from you if you feel passionate about this role!

We are committed to creating an inclusive environment for our colleagues, clients, community, and the users of our products. We don’t have all the answers but we’re on a journey, and we are learning together.