Department:
Product
Location:
Horsham
Description
You're someone who's eager to shape both your own growth and the culture of an organisation undergoing transformation. You're looking for a place where your interests can span across functions, and where your job title is just the beginning not the boundary of your impact.
As Head of Experience Design, you'll lead the creation of seamless, user-focused experiences across all digital customer touchpoints - desktop, tablet, and mobile. Partnering closely with our Product team, you'll define the strategy for user research and experience enhancements, while working with senior leadership to shape the long-term vision for our digital products.
You'll regularly engage with senior stakeholders across local offices, technology, and marketing teams, as well as directly with customers. Some travel may be required to gather insights and feedback firsthand.
In this role, you'll support multiple projects from a design and UX perspective, collaborating daily with agile teams operating within SAFe principles. You'll champion a collaborative, iterative, and user-centric approach to design and development, helping to evolve our Agile practices.
As the UX lead on projects, you'll manage day-to-day design activities, drive continuous improvement, and ensure alignment across teams. You'll also have access to in-house research, design leadership, a talented design team, and a robust library of design patterns and assets to support your work.
What you'll do
* Shape Strategy:
Develop and execute a comprehensive user experience strategy that aligns with our broader business objectives and drives real impact.
* Lead Research:
Spearhead high-level research initiatives, collaborating with senior stakeholders to define the product roadmap and ensure user-focused design direction.
* Champion the User:
Advocate for a user-centred approach by integrating both qualitative and quantitative research to uncover customer needs and drive innovation.
* Drive Insight:
Plan and conduct research in partnership with the Product team, supporting both immediate and long-term product enhancements. Create a scalable research strategy aligned with our agile delivery cycles.
* Own the Design:
Take ownership of UX and design for new features, ensuring that requirements are clear and development-ready. Work closely with developers during sprints to ensure that user experience is brought to life exactly as envisioned.
* Deliver Multiple Projects:
Support and oversee several projects simultaneously, keeping everything on track with business priorities and tight delivery timelines.
* Uphold Quality:
Set and maintain high standards for user experience, using OKRs, user feedback, and best practices to drive continuous improvement. Evolve our design systems, pattern libraries, and research repositories.
* Be the Go-To Expert:
Act as a key UX resource for agile teams, providing guidance on best practices in digital design and accessibility. Consistently represent the voice of the customer with actionable data and insights.
* Lead & Inspire:
Mentor, manage, and grow our design and research team, fostering an environment of learning and innovation. Lead recruitment efforts for new UX talent and support hiring across the Product team.
* Engage & Influence:
Build strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders, gathering feedback to inform design decisions. Promote UX vision and strategic objectives across the organisation with workshops, presentations, and collaborative projects.
* Stay Ahead:
Maintain a formal UX roadmap aligned with company strategy. Conduct competitive reviews and benchmarking to ensure we're always ahead of the curve.
The knowledge, experience and qualifications you need
* Significant experience in service design, user experience, or product design, with a proven record of championing user-centred approaches at a senior level within digital product development.
* Hands-on expertise crafting digital experiences across all customer touchpoints, including web, mobile, and tablet.
* A strategic and innovative mindset, with the ability to use data and insights to inform design decisions and drive continuous improvement.
* A genuine passion for delivering exceptional customer experiences, and a belief in the impact of user-centric design on business success.
* Demonstrated success in leading strategic projects and cross-functional teams, effectively managing priorities and aligning stakeholders.
* Strong skills in design tools such as Figma, and experience creating journey maps, UX patterns, and style guides. A solid grasp of UI principles is essential.
* Familiarity with Design Thinking methodologies and experience in Agile delivery environments.
* A relevant degree in Design, HCI, Behavioural Science, or equivalent practical experience.
* Industry-specific experience is an advantage, though not essential.
The base
You'll be based at the Benchmark Head Office, within our Broadlands Business Campus near Horsham in West Sussex but will need to be present across our other offices, including the main Schroders headquarters in London. It has high standards and international reputation, without being in the city: a big, countryside campus means life will feel a little different.
We support our offices by using cutting edge software and hardware and our spacious campus facilities mean there's a great working environment for the team. With an on-site restaurant, coffee shop and gym, our campus has much to offer. And commuters can relax on our dedicated regular shuttle bus to and from Horsham's main line train station.
We're looking for the best, whoever they are
We know that diverse perspectives and an inclusive culture where all can succeed lead to better decisions and stronger outcomes for the company its clients and its employees. That's why inclusion and diversity are strategic priorities for us. We're proud to be an equal opportunities employer. You're welcome at Benchmark regardless of your age, disability, gender identity or expression, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, or socio-economic background. We're building a workplace where everyone feels respected, valued, and empowered to thrive.