We believe in the power of ingenuity to build a positive human future in a technology-driven world.

As strategies, technologies and innovation collide, we create opportunity from complexity.

Our diverse teams of experts combine innovative thinking and breakthrough use of technologies to progress further, faster. Our clients adapt and transform, and together we achieve enduring results.

An innovation and transformation consultancy, we are over 3,200 specialists in consumer, defence and security, energy and utilities, financial services, government, health and life sciences, manufacturing, and transport. Our people are strategists, innovators, designers, consultants, digital experts, scientists, engineers and technologists. We operate globally from offices across the UK, US, Europe, and the Nordics.

Bringing Ingenuity to Life.

The role  

Lead Designers act as a visionary, leading the evolution of design best practice and ensuring creative excellence in every aspect of our work. You will support the CDO, with shared responsibility for the welfare, development and performance of the design team. 

You will work across a variety of clients and sectors, leading challenging and innovative programmes of work and complex design engagements. You will develop strong, long-term strategic relationships with clients and colleagues, deepening their understanding of digital design practice. 

You will scope, formulate and articulate design strategy and processes. You will lead all design aspects of our work, ensuring it is robust, progressive and commercially strong. 

Digital Design at PA 

We are a vibrant service and product design community of experts, with deep specialist practitioner skills across all parts of the design spectrum – covering research, design strategy and service design, UX/UI and IA, through to content, prototyping and movement. 

We display a generalist attitude; an understanding of the whole design process, and can easily navigate, communicate and practice the full spectrum. 

We are passionate about the possibilities for innovation between Strategy, Design and Front End. We're embedded in mixed discipline teams, are militantly collaborative and believe in continual learning and supportive peer review. 

What you’ll do 

• Formulate and lead design strategy and processes 

• Present and justify design solutions to clients at a strategic level 

• Build and manage strong relationships with internal teams and clients 

• Clearly communicate design direction to others, oversee and guide the work of your team, but be ‘in’ the work yourself with rolled up sleeves 

• Direct and produce artefacts across the full design spectrum as required 

• Have a strong focus on quality and timely delivery of a complex suite of work across multiple clients 

• Challenge inappropriate ideas and solutions and push for innovation 

• Be a committed member of the community, directing and supporting design initiatives 

• Line manage other designers: develop coaching and training plans, organise/run performance appraisals, support promotion cases 

• Provide design input to bids and new business proposals 

• Help scope projects for bids and sold work 

• Assist with recruitment and onboarding of new designers 

What you’ll bring 

As Lead Designer you have extensive experience in solving complex digital ecosystem problems. An outstanding and highly skilled hybrid design practitioner, you can confidently navigate all parts of the design spectrum and demonstrate deep expertise in UX and UI. You have knowledge of a wide range of tools and techniques - and know when to use them. 

Design leadership skills – You: 

• lead by example; building strong client and colleague relationships through delivery of high impact work – demonstrating the value of being led by design 

• analyse a wide range of data to reframe problems, uncover opportunities and form hypotheses; distilling complexity into clear strategic design direction 

• are a militant collaborator; creating the conditions for the team to do their best work by working openly and transparently 

• set and manage clear expectations about quality and speed of team output 

• assess new design techniques and integrating them into our practice 

• are an approachable design authority; guiding client teams on governance and best practise 

• accurately scope, estimate effort and define design activities for large complex programmes of work 

• cast blended teams that compliment and challenge each other 

• have experience line managing people, understanding skills, interests and developing their careers (we provide training and support where needed) 

Exceptional practitioner skills – You: 

• plan and facilitate a range of research activities to uncover user needs 

• analyse a wide range of data to reframe problems, articulate opportunities and form hypotheses 

• plan and facilitating design thinking, vision and innovation workshop activities, and co-creation sessions; both in person and using online tools 

• sketch target customer experiences, journeys and interfaces 

• create low and high fidelity design artefacts for validation/testing/delivery as required (eg. service blueprints, experience maps, user journeys, wireframes, prototypes, detailed UI design) and coach others to do the same. 

• use design, prototyping and collaboration software (eg. Figma, Sketch, Invision, Zeplin, Storybook, Axure, Adobe XD, Miro, Mural, or any others you can introduce us to) 

• interpret and follow design guidelines; creating or evolving digital design systems for complex eco-systems 

Robust communication skills – You: 

• have excellent verbal and written communication skills 

• use a range of presentation techniques that are human, impactful, accessible and captivating 

• instigate full and frank conversations, employing sensitivity and robustness 

• challenge using different critique techniques, offer praise when deserved; actively seek feedback on own output and management approach 

Benefits at PA:

• Private medical insurance
• Travel allowance
• 25 days annual leave with the opportunity to buy 5 additional days
• Company pension scheme
• Annual performance-based bonus
• Life and Income protection insurance
• Tax efficient benefits (cycle to work, give as you earn)
• Additional optional benefits (Dental, critical illness, spouse/partner life assurance)

PA is committed to building an inclusive and supportive culture where diversity thrives, and all of our people can excel. We believe that greater diversity stimulates innovation, enabling us to fulfil our purpose of ‘Bringing Ingenuity to Life’, supporting the growth of our people, and delivering more enduring results for our clients.

We only recruit, promote and reward our people based on their contribution, without regard to gender, race, disability, religion, nationality, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age or marital status.

We welcome international applications, but we are unable to offer sponsorship for work permits, so you will need to have the full right to live and work in the UK. Unfortunately, your application will be automatically rejected if you do not have these rights.