Head of UX

Head of UX and Design

London (Hybrid)

£100,000 per annum + Bonus and Benefits

About the opportunity

We are working with a well-established consultancy that partners with a mix of major private and public sector clients across a broad range of sectors. This is a senior leadership hire within the design and experience function, bringing together customer experience, user research and UX/UI design, supported by data and technology, to design human-centred solutions that connect customer needs with business outcomes.

The role

As Head of UX, you will lead and evolve a high-performing UX, user research and service design capability, while shaping experience-led work across digital and service ecosystems. You will make sure the practice delivers high-quality, evidence-based work across user experience, end-to-end journey design and service innovation, driving client value and supporting the firm's growth ambitions.

The role is client-facing and selectively billable, contributing to revenue mainly through presales, paid discovery, mobilisation and senior advisory work. You will operate across strategy, sales and delivery, bridging disciplines so opportunities are both compelling and operationally viable.

What you'll be doing

Leadership and practice development: Lead and evolve the UX, user research and service design practice, setting standards for quality, methodology and ways of working. Define and embed end-to-end service design principles, including journey orchestration, service blueprinting and alignment across front and back-stage experiences. Coach, develop and manage senior practitioners, and oversee recruitment and capability planning.

Client engagement and delivery excellence: Act as a senior client advisor and escalation point for UX and digital experience work. Lead or support complex delivery, provide quality assurance, and facilitate senior workshops and presentations.

Presales, growth and transformation conversion: Play a key role in presales and early-stage shaping of opportunities, defining value propositions, delivery models, scope, estimates and risks. Work alongside sales and transformation leaders to qualify opportunities, shape proposals, validate written tender submissions with the bids team, and support mobilisation.

Cross-functional collaboration: Work with colleagues in technology, data and strategy to design integrated services spanning systems, processes and user experiences. Support large transformation programmes through advisory input, discovery, mobilisation planning and light-touch assurance after launch.

Thought leadership and proposition development: Contribute to internal and external thought leadership, develop points of view and repeatable frameworks, and help shape propositions that strengthen market differentiation.

What you'll bring

Senior leadership experience in UX, user research, service design or digital experience within a consultancy or complex organisation, with a track record leading service design and end-to-end journey design including service blueprinting. You'll have led multidisciplinary teams and managed senior practitioners, with a strong hands-on background in user-centred design, accessibility and research methodologies. Experience overseeing complex client delivery, commercial accountability (scoping, estimation, utilisation, risk and margin), and presales or public-sector bid experience are all important, alongside strong stakeholder management and excellent communication and facilitation skills.

Exposure to regulated, enterprise or public-sector environments, experience shaping service design propositions or operating model transformation, integrating qualitative insight with data or technology platforms, thought leadership experience, and familiarity with emerging trends including AI-assisted design and research would all be an advantage.

What's on offer

A senior leadership role with genuine scope to shape a practice and influence how the business wins and delivers its work, within a collaborative, ambitious team. The package includes clear, merit-based career progression, dedicated time for innovation and training, a personal development plan, a mix of internal and externally run training, hybrid working (currently up to three days a week in the office), and a comprehensive benefits package including pension and health and wellbeing schemes plus flexible benefits.

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