Head of Design and Research

The Upside Travel Company Plc

Full-time - Senior

251-500 employees

Administrative and Support Services

About the position

The position at Upside involves leading and managing design and research teams to enhance the company's design principles and vision. The role requires collaboration with engineering and product teams to drive strategic initiatives, improve user experience, and foster a culture of quality and innovation. The successful candidate will be responsible for overseeing complex projects from inception to execution, ensuring that design practices align with the company's mission and values.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with engineering and product to enable key strategic initiatives.
• Manage a diverse team in establishing and maintaining Upside's Design Principles and Vision.
• Work with Research and Development leadership to improve and build the future of Upside.
• Incorporate systems thinking into Upside's Design System for modular and stand-alone product experiences.
• Create a culture of craft, quality, and execution by inspiring and leading product designers.
• Work closely with Product Management, Engineering, Marketing, and executive leadership to deliver innovative work.
• Own complex opportunities from inception to proposal, framing potential solutions and driving initiative direction.
• Hone Upside's research practice and deepen its integration into decision-making mechanisms.

Requirements

• 10+ years of professional design experience.
• 5+ years managing and leading design and research teams.
• Experience in customer-focused, high-impact projects.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills to influence stakeholders.
• Collaborative experience with Engineering, Product, and Marketing teams.
• Experience in leading, recruiting, and scaling design teams at startups and established companies.
• Experience in systematically growing product designer and researcher skills.
• Experience using UX to influence strategic decision-making and communicate concepts.
• Ability to translate ambiguous asks into clear user-centric approaches.
• Experience fostering divergent design thinking and shepherding radical ideas.
• Experience with organizational transformation and design education.

Nice-to-haves

• Experience in consultation of key team-level research and product strategy.
• Experience in fostering a culture for UX design practice.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage starting on Day 1.
• Equity (ISOs).
• 401(k) program.
• Family planning programs and generous paid parental leave.
• Physical fitness and wellness memberships.
• Emotional and mental health support programs.
• Unlimited PTO plus 10 federal holidays and an annual week-long Winter Break.
• Flexible work environment and support for home office setup.
• Lunch and parking reimbursement for in-office employees.
• Employee Resource Groups.
• Learning and Development opportunities.