About Curzon Street Ventures
Curzon Street Ventures is the UK's first place-based venture studio systematically creating high-growth, investment-ready startups in the West Midlands. Currently, the region receives just £75 in venture capital per capita (vs £995 in London). We're directly addressing this £2.54B annual funding gap by building companies rather than waiting for them to emerge.
We don't support existing startups; instead, we proactively identify high-value problems, validate solutions with real customers, and assemble elite founding teams.
Our Sector Focus
We're building ventures across five strategic sectors where global market shifts, enabling technologies, and regional advantages converge:
* Advanced Manufacturing: Manufacturing is undergoing its most significant transformation since the Industrial Revolution, driven by supply chain fragility and urgent need for reshoring critical production capabilities. The convergence of AI, robotics, digital twins, and advanced materials is enabling intelligent, automated production that competes on speed and quality rather than labour costs.
* Low Carbon + Environmental: Every major corporation faces mounting regulatory and commercial pressure to decarbonise operations, yet current solutions are either prohibitively expensive or simply don't exist for many industrial processes. The intersection of AI, IoT sensors, and materials science are enabling breakthrough approaches to carbon accounting, energy optimisation, and circular economy business models.
* Health + Life Sciences: Healthcare systems worldwide are breaking under pressure from ageing populations and rising chronic disease rates, whilst patients increasingly demand personalised, digital-first care experiences. AI-driven diagnostics, remote monitoring, and digital therapeutics are transforming care delivery from a reactive to a predictive approach.
* Professional + Financial Services: Financial services and professional industries face fundamental disruption as AI automates traditional processes whilst regulatory complexity increases globally. The convergence of AI, blockchain, and open banking is enabling new business models that are faster, cheaper, and more accessible than traditional approaches.
* Transport + Logistics: Global supply chains are under unprecedented strain from e-commerce growth, sustainability requirements, and efficiency demands, creating massive opportunities for technology solutions that optimise complex logistics networks. AI-driven route optimisation, electrification, and automation are enabling new approaches to warehousing, delivery, and supply chain management.
Your Role as Design Lead
As our founding Design Lead, you'll transform market opportunities into compelling product experiences across our venture portfolio. You'll lead the product design process from initial concept through MVP launch, working across 4 ventures annually while establishing design standards and processes that scale with our growing portfolio.
Key Responsibilities:
* Lead end-to-end product design process from market research insights through user testing and iteration, translating complex business requirements into intuitive user experiences
* Develop comprehensive user experience strategies for each venture including user journey mapping, information architecture, and interaction design
* Create rapid prototypes and wireframes to test product concepts with target customers, iterating based on user feedback and market validation
* Design and execute user testing programmes including usability studies, A/B tests, and customer feedback sessions to validate product-market fit
* Collaborate closely with our Technology Lead to ensure design feasibility and optimal user experience within technical constraints
* Establish design systems and component libraries that enable consistent experiences across our venture portfolio
* Lead product discovery workshops with founders, stakeholders, and customers to align on product vision and requirements
* Create compelling product demonstrations and investor materials that effectively communicate product value and user experience
* Support go-to-market efforts through design of marketing materials, product positioning, and customer onboarding experiences
* Mentor founders on design thinking methodologies and customer-centric product development approaches
* Build relationships with design and product communities in the West Midlands to support talent pipeline and ecosystem development
* Adapt design approaches across diverse sectors, from enterprise software to consumer applications to industrial interfaces
What we're looking for:
* Product Design Experience: 5-10 years in product design, UX/UI design, or service design with portfolio demonstrating successful product launches across multiple industries
* End-to-End Skills: Proven experience taking products from initial concept through market launch, including user research, prototyping, testing, and iteration
* User-Centric Approach: Deep understanding of user-centered design principles with experience conducting user research, usability testing, and translating insights into design decisions
* Technical Collaboration: Strong working relationship with engineering teams, understanding technical constraints and ability to design within feasibility boundaries
* Design Tools Mastery: Expert proficiency in industry-standard design tools (Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite) and prototyping platforms
* Cross-Sector Adaptability: Ability to quickly understand different business contexts and user needs across multiple B2B applications
* Systematic Thinking: Experience building design systems, component libraries, and scalable design processes
* Communication Skills: Exceptional presentation and stakeholder management skills with ability to articulate design decisions to technical and non-technical audiences
* Business Acumen: Understanding of business models and commercial constraints with ability to balance user needs with business objectives
* Startup Experience: Previous experience in early-stage companies or consultancies/agencies with comfort managing uncertainty and changing requirements
* Collaborative Leadership: Ability to work effectively across disciplines and influence without direct authority
* Portfolio Quality: Strong portfolio demonstrating design thinking process, problem-solving approach, and measurable impact on business outcomes
Why Join CSV
This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build the startup engine for an entire region and define your career as a pioneer in the venture studio movement.
Tangible Benefits:
* Equity in ALL spinout ventures via ESOP
* Private health insurance (comprehensive coverage)
* 5% pension contributions from day one
* 28 days annual leave plus bank holidays
* Competitive salary with annual reviews
Additional Perks:
* Professional development budget for training and conferences
* Work with world-class corporations from around the globe
* Access to cutting-edge technologies across multiple sectors
* Clear career progression as you scale from 4 to 80+ ventures
* Be part of founding team of UK's first place-based venture studio