Head of Design
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In a nutshell
BrightLocal is the local SEO platform trusted by agencies and multi-location brands to track, manage and grow their visibility. We're partway through a significant product modernisation , re-platforming onto a modern stack, building AI-driven recommendations into the product, and reshaping the SaaS experience around what customers are trying to achieve, grounded in research and evidence.
Design is central to that shift, and we're hiring our first Head of Design to lead it.
What you'll own
Foremost, this is a leadership role. You’ll set the design vision across the whole product portfolio, lead the SaaS product design team and own the Design System as we redesign our platform. Reporting to the CPTO, you'll work closely with product, engineering, marketing, and brand - bridging these teams in ways that haven't been possible before.
Our SaaS product design team is in place, but needs a leader. You'll step into that role: setting direction, coaching and growing the designers, and owning delivery of the platform redesign.
You will:
Lead the redesign of the SaaS platform so it’s structured around user needs and jobs-to-be-done as well as business goals.
Employ user research to identify pain points and opportunities.
Set the design vision and standards for the platform, and establish the rituals, critique and review processes that keep quality high and the team improving.
Direct the team's approach to onboarding journeys, holding the bar on time-to-value.
Lead the on-going evolution of the Design System
Owning the experience, end to end
A major UX redesign of the SaaS platform is already underway. This is the most significant design initiative at BrightLocal and a core part of this role. You will also be responsible for a number of other user experiences, in partnership with the Product and Engineering teams You'll own the developer experience (DX), shaping how engineers integrate with our platform; the agent and automation UX, defining how customers stay in control as AI takes on more of the work; our notifications framework; and the internal tooling used by our Citation Builder teams.
Evolving how we design
You'll develop our design processes to make optimal use of AI - including code prototyping with Storybook - increasing velocity while protecting the integrity of the design system and vision. Central to this is embedding user research and evidence into how decisions are made and how success is measured.
Leadership and Team Management
You'll embody and champion our beliefs every day, acting as a role model to everyone in the business. That means building and leading a high-performing team through great 1-1s, honest feedback, and genuine investment in people's growth - while keeping them focused and moving against roadmaps and objectives. You'll act swiftly and supportively when people are struggling, help evolve the team's capabilities around AI through hiring and upskilling, and partner closely with People & Culture to make sure everyone feels supported and set up to succeed.
You’ll need to have
A deep background in product and UX design experience in SaaS, with a portfolio that spans multiple surfaces and demonstrates real commercial impact.
A proven track record of building and leading design teams - setting the standard, coaching others, and creating the conditions for people to do the best work of their careers. This is not an IC role.
Experience in and passion for AI, in the design process, and a track record of shipping AI-powered product features.
Strong information architecture instincts, with experience reorganising complex products around what customers are actually trying to achieve.
Evidence of design moving the needle - whether that's onboarding, conversion, retention, or operational efficiency, you can point to the work and the outcome.
Hands-on experience with user research,
A history of strong cross-functional collaboration, particularly with Product, Engineering, and Marketing.
What We Offer (The important details)
Salary: Dependent on experience
Performance-based bonus: Up to 20% of base salary (10% company performance + 10% team performance).
Hybrid Working: 2 days a week in our Brighton office
Holiday: 25 days holiday + bank holidays + your birthday off
Duvet days: 3 duvet days per year
Healthcare: Vitality Healthcare
Learning & Development: £1,000 annual personal learning budget
Growth units: Global long term incentive plan*
Environment: A friendly, supportive team with a strong, people-first culture
*Participation is subject to eligibility and plan rules, and any payout is not guaranteed.
Our commitment to inclusion
At BrightLocal, we believe the best ideas come from diverse perspectives.
We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer, and we are committed to building a team where everyone feels welcome, supported, and able to do their best work. When people feel they belong, great things happen.
We strongly encourage applications from women and underrepresented groups in our industry. If this role excites you, but you don’t meet every single requirement, we’d still love to hear from you. Research shows that some people are less likely to apply unless they meet 100% of the criteria. Your experience, perspective, and potential matter more than ticking every box.
We are open to flexible working arrangements and are happy to make reasonable adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process. If you need anything to feel comfortable and confident applying, just let us know. We are here to help.