Job Closing Date: Monday 23/03/2026 11.59pm
JOB DETAILS
JOB DETAIL: Product Design Director
JOB BAND: SL
CONTRACT TYPE: Permanent, Full-time
DEPARTMENT: Technology, Systems & Delivery
LOCATION: Salford, London, Glasgow, Birmingham, Cardiff, Newcastle – Hybrid
PURPOSE OF THE ROLE
The BBC is seeking a visionary Director of Product Design to serve as a cornerstone of our digital transformation. Reporting to the Director of Product & Design, you will join a high-impact leadership circle, collaborating closely with the Directors of Product Management (Platforms & Experiences) and the wider BBC Executive team.
As a premier Design Leader, you will steer the design strategy and capabilities that power the BBC’s audience‑facing digital ecosystem. Your mission is to embed a world‑class product design culture within a complex global organization, promoting customer‑centric principles that align public service values with measurable, data‑driven outcomes. You will lead an internal community of experts to deliver seamless, accessible, and deeply engaging experiences for every audience member.
WHY JOIN THE TEAM?
* Unrivaled Scope: Oversee a multidisciplinary Product Design team that shapes the aesthetic and functional DNA of the BBC’s entire digital portfolio.
* Strategic Impact: Define how millions of users interact with the BBC, steering design efforts that harmonize creative ambition with organizational goals.
* Leadership & Legacy: Transition the organization toward internal design excellence, reducing agency reliance and building a sustainable, high‑performing design culture.
YOUR KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND IMPACT
Strategic Leadership & Delivery
* Lead a unified Product Design Strategy across the BBC’s digital portfolio, working within a Product Trio to guide discovery through delivery.
* Drive rapid prototyping and iterative testing so decisions are grounded in user insight, technical feasibility and strategic value.
Establish a cohesive Design Framework to ensure visual and functional excellence, backed by high standards and continuous skill development.
Operational Excellence & Capability
* Build a world‑class internal design capability through strong DesignOps, recruitment and mentorship.
* Define Design Performance Metrics (e.g., satisfaction, task success, accessibility) to demonstrate design’s impact on audience engagement.
* Represent the BBC’s design vision at Senior Leadership forums, shaping executive decisions and reinforcing design as a driver of business value.
* Stay ahead of emerging technologies (AI, automation, voice UI), assessing their potential to transform user experiences and workflows.
* Cultivate a culture of psychological safety, experimentation and ethical, inclusive design, driven by data‑informed decisions.
YOUR SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE
Commercial Acumen: Ability to link design outcomes to financial models and audience ROI, clearly justifying large‑scale digital product investment.
Technical Mastery: Expert knowledge of design systems, service design, interaction design, and global accessibility standards (WCAG).
Strategic Navigation: Proven capability to drive outcomes and maintain clarity in highly dynamic, interconnected and complex organizations.
Analytical Rigor: Skilled in applying design metrics and deep user research to guide high‑stakes product decisions.
Impactful Portfolio: Demonstrated success leading UX and Product Design across large, complex digital ecosystems.
Leadership Excellence: Experience leading multidisciplinary teams and building inclusive, high‑performing cultures that attract top‑tier talent.
Executive Influence: Strong stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence decisions at Board and Executive levels.
Modern Methodology: Deep expertise in Agile product development and contemporary Design Operations.
If you can bring some of these skills and experience, along with transferable strengths, we’d love to hear from you and encourage you to apply.
Being a leader at the BBC means putting the organisation’s interest, goals and values first, ahead of individual team or function needs. The characteristics of an enterprise leader are: Focuses on outcomes over activity, adapts quickly, and simplifies complexity. They balance short‑term actions with long‑term impact, take full accountability for actions and decision‑making, and prioritise capability development to create teams fit for the future.
Disclaimer
This job description is a written statement of the essential characteristics of the job, with its principal accountabilities, incorporating a note of the skills, knowledge and experience required for a satisfactory level of performance. This is not intended to be a complete, detailed account of all aspects of the duties involved.
Please note: If you were to be offered this role, the BBC will conduct Employment screening checks which include Reference checks; Eligibility to work checks; and if applicable to the role, Safeguarding and Adverse media/Social media checks. Any offer made is conditional on these checks being satisfactory.
The BBC is committed to redeploying employees seeking suitable alternative employment within the BBC and they will be given priority consideration ahead of other applicants. Priority consideration means for those employees seeking redeployment their application will be considered alongside anyone else at risk of redundancy, prior to any individuals being considered who are not at risk.
Information at a Glance
This is your BBC
At the BBC you can create and innovate in an inclusive environment while contributing to some of the world’s best loved content, and the BBC’s mission to inform, educate and entertain.
Life at BBC
Here you will benefit from:
* Fair pay and flexible benefits including a competitive salary package, a flexible 35‑hour working week, 25 days annual leave with the option to buy an extra 5 days, a defined pensionscheme and discounted dental, health care and gym.
* Excellent career and professional development.
* Support in your working life, including flexible working which you can discuss with us at any point during the application, selection or offer.
* A values‑based organisation where the way we do things is important as what we do.
Benefits may vary if you are joining on an FTC basis or on an orchestra conditions contract.
Learn more about life at the BBC and our values in our candidate pack.
Candidate pack
You belong
We have a working environment where we value and respect every individual’s unique contribution, so all our employees feel that they can belong, thrive and achieve their full potential.
We want to attract the broadest range of talented people to join us. The more diverse our workforce, the better able we are to respond to and reflect our audiences in all their diversity.
We welcome applications from individuals, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio‑economic background, religion and/or belief.
Find out more about diversity, inclusion and belonging in our strategy below.
Disability confident
We are a disability confident employer. If you need to discuss adjustments or access requirements for the interview process, or to carry out this role, please contact us via email and we’d be happy to discuss: reasonable.adjustments@bbc.co.uk
BBC Group and Public Services, Broadcasting House, Portland Place, London, United Kingdom, W1A 1AA. BBC Studios Distribution Limited, company no: 01420028, registered address: 1 Television Centre, 101 Wood Lane, London, United Kingdom W12 7FA.
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