Principal Product Designer (Ref: 197754)

Summary

About the job:

Title: Principal Product Designer / UX Architect

Location: Hybrid

Role: Long-term Contract

No sponsorship available. No agency support.

Our client is a leading consumer organisation undergoing continued digital and technology transformation, with a strong focus on creating best-in-class customer experiences across its digital and omnichannel ecosystem.

The business is looking for a Senior UX individual who can operate at a strategic level, helping shape complex product initiatives while acting as the bridge between UX, Product, Engineering and Business stakeholders.

Job Description:

This Principal UX Designer will play a key role in defining the strategic UX direction for complex, high-impact initiatives. You will operate more as a UX Architect / strategic product designer, focusing on information architecture, customer journeys, user flows and design direction rather than being primarily responsible for high-fidelity UI design.

The role requires someone who has progressed from hands-on UX design into a senior strategic position and can independently own complex projects, challenge assumptions and influence product direction across the organisation.

You will work closely with Product, Engineering, Business, UXR and Design teams, ensuring customer needs remain at the centre of decisions while balancing business objectives and technical feasibility.

Key Responsibilities:

• Own the strategic UX direction for complex, high-impact product initiatives.
• Develop and influence information architecture, user flows, customer journeys and UX strategy.
• Partner closely with Product, Engineering, Business and UXR to define requirements and shape solutions.
• Act as a bridge between strategy and execution, providing clear UX and design direction to the wider design team.
• Review and provide feedback on designers' work, ensuring solutions align with customer and business requirements.
• Create user flows and low-fidelity wireframes where required, without being primarily responsible for high-fidelity UI execution.
• Challenge Product, Business and Engineering decisions where necessary to ensure the customer experience remains central.
• Present and articulate UX strategy, design decisions and recommendations to senior and executive stakeholders.
• Take ownership of complex projects and help establish the strategic direction for the next 6–12 months.
• Mentor and guide designers through feedback and strategic direction without having direct people-management responsibility.

Requirements:

• Proven experience at Principal UX Designer, Lead Product Designer, UX Architect or equivalent strategic level.
• Strong background in UX design, information architecture, user flows and strategic product design.
• Experience leading complex, enterprise-scale product initiatives from a UX strategy perspective.
• Strong cross-functional experience working with Product, Engineering, Business and UXR teams.
• Demonstrable ability to influence stakeholders and challenge decisions based on customer needs and UX principles.
• Strong portfolio demonstrating design thinking, problem-solving, strategic decision-making and the rationale behind solutions.
• Experience providing design direction, critique and mentorship to other UX/Product Designers.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with confidence presenting to VP/SVP and senior business stakeholders.
• Highly curious, collaborative and solutions-oriented, with the ability to listen, ask the right questions and absorb complex organisational context.
• Able to hit the ground running and operate independently with limited onboarding.
• Experience within large enterprise retail, eCommerce or omnichannel environments is highly desirable but not essential.

Please reach out to charley.may@forsythbarnes.com if you think you could be a fit for the role.

No sponsorship available. No agency support.

Job Description

About the job:

Title: Principal Product Designer / UX Architect

Location: Hybrid

Role: Long-term Contract

No sponsorship available. No agency support.

Our client is a leading consumer organisation undergoing continued digital and technology transformation, with a strong focus on creating best-in-class customer experiences across its digital and omnichannel ecosystem.

The business is looking for a Senior UX individual who can operate at a strategic level, helping shape complex product initiatives while acting as the bridge between UX, Product, Engineering and Business stakeholders.

Job Description:

This Principal UX Designer will play a key role in defining the strategic UX direction for complex, high-impact initiatives. You will operate more as a UX Architect / strategic product designer, focusing on information architecture, customer journeys, user flows and design direction rather than being primarily responsible for high-fidelity UI design.

The role requires someone who has progressed from hands-on UX design into a senior strategic position and can independently own complex projects, challenge assumptions and influence product direction across the organisation.

You will work closely with Product, Engineering, Business, UXR and Design teams, ensuring customer needs remain at the centre of decisions while balancing business objectives and technical feasibility.

Key Responsibilities:

• Own the strategic UX direction for complex, high-impact product initiatives.
• Develop and influence information architecture, user flows, customer journeys and UX strategy.
• Partner closely with Product, Engineering, Business and UXR to define requirements and shape solutions.
• Act as a bridge between strategy and execution, providing clear UX and design direction to the wider design team.
• Review and provide feedback on designers' work, ensuring solutions align with customer and business requirements.
• Create user flows and low-fidelity wireframes where required, without being primarily responsible for high-fidelity UI execution.
• Challenge Product, Business and Engineering decisions where necessary to ensure the customer experience remains central.
• Present and articulate UX strategy, design decisions and recommendations to senior and executive stakeholders.
• Take ownership of complex projects and help establish the strategic direction for the next 6–12 months.
• Mentor and guide designers through feedback and strategic direction without having direct people-management responsibility.

Requirements:

• Proven experience at Principal UX Designer, Lead Product Designer, UX Architect or equivalent strategic level.
• Strong background in UX design, information architecture, user flows and strategic product design.
• Experience leading complex, enterprise-scale product initiatives from a UX strategy perspective.
• Strong cross-functional experience working with Product, Engineering, Business and UXR teams.
• Demonstrable ability to influence stakeholders and challenge decisions based on customer needs and UX principles.
• Strong portfolio demonstrating design thinking, problem-solving, strategic decision-making and the rationale behind solutions.
• Experience providing design direction, critique and mentorship to other UX/Product Designers.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with confidence presenting to VP/SVP and senior business stakeholders.
• Highly curious, collaborative and solutions-oriented, with the ability to listen, ask the right questions and absorb complex organisational context.
• Able to hit the ground running and operate independently with limited onboarding.
• Experience within large enterprise retail, eCommerce or omnichannel environments is highly desirable but not essential.

Please reach out to charley.may@forsythbarnes.com if you think you could be a fit for the role.

No sponsorship available. No agency support.