Director of Product Design and User Research

About us

Here at the FT, gold-standard journalism is just the beginning. 500-people strong, our Product and Tech team keeps us ahead by delivering cutting-edge products to over one million digital subscribers every day. Our plans for growth rely on a diverse, dedicated and dynamic group of product, tech, delivery and data specialists - everyone’s welcome in this friendly, forward-thinking team. And with entrepreneurial spirit, intelligence and opportunity at every turn, there’s no limits to where your FT career will take you.

Our commitment to diversity and inclusion

We’re an equal opportunity employer and prize diversity and inclusion as a strength. We believe that a supportive workplace is one where employees have a voice and feel they can be themselves at work. We continually remove barriers for all groups, especially underrepresented groups. We offer flexible working, and are open to part-time and job sharing too.

The role

We have an opportunity for an experienced Director of Product Design and User Research to lead design and research, and our team of 40 user researchers, product designers, content designers, service designers and managers. The role is hybrid with a team in two cities. It involves visiting the London office one to two days a week, and quarterly visits to our office in Sofia.

The FT has a growing portfolio of products, which includes tools for professional users, online and in-person events, a number of specialist publications, the FT Edit and the FT itself. Product Design teams also work on custom internal products, notably Spark, the CMS platform used by our newsroom and our design system, Origami.

We have ambitious plans to grow our audience and diversify the products we offer. It’s a great moment for a design leader to join and help us set direction, set standards and set our team up for more success. 

What you’ll do:

• Partner with Product Directors to ensure the entire P&T organisation sets clear goals,  learn fast, develops smart hypotheses, tests risky assumptions and breaks down complex problems into small steps
• Lead the creation of exciting, compelling visions for various products, encouraging bigger-picture thinking across the portfolio
• Be accountable for the delivering of premium, distinct, relevant experiences across our suite. Own, improve and scale our design system
• Fill the organisation with user insights, ensuring the customer is at the forefront of decision-making at all levels
• Partner with Brand, Marketing and Editorial design leaders to create clear, coherent experiences across all online and offline touchpoints
• Hire, develop and retain a strong design and research team
• Raise the bar of product design and research craft
• Be a visible and trusted leader, as a member of the senior leadership team of Product and the Product and Technology department

Apply if:

• You have led design and research functions of at least 30 people, working across a broad portfolio
• You have a track record of getting things done, and of leading change
• You’ve directly managed managers and/or directors, and are passionate about developing people and supporting them to be part of diverse, inclusive and high-performing teams
• You have an empathetic leadership style and you build strong relationships based on trust and credibility
• You’re customer and metrics-obsessed and understand how product changes might impact our goals

What’s in it for you? Our Benefits are:

• 25 days of leave, increasing to 30 after two years. We also offer additional flexi-days at 30% pay.
• Pension scheme: the FT will double your contribution up to 18% total
• Free gym membership via GymPass, or subsidised access to Nuffield Health
• Enhanced maternity & paternity packages
• Other schemes include: childcare vouchers, give as you earn, cycle to work, travel loans, healthcare, dental, life assurance
• Full details of our benefits can be found here.

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