Head of User-Centred Design (Chicago)

Head of User-Centred Design

About the Company

Renowned provider of high-quality services in various sectors

Industry

Management Consulting

Type

Privately Held

About the Role

The Company is in need of an experienced Head of User-Centred Design (UCD) to take on a senior leadership role within a high-impact programme. The successful candidate will be responsible for leading the strategy, capability, and delivery of user-centred design, ensuring that digital and data-enabled services are tailored to the unique needs of users in secure and mission-critical environments. This role involves setting the vision, strategy, and standards for UCD, as well as building and leading a multidisciplinary design team that includes user research, service design, interaction design, and content design. The Head of UCD will also be tasked with advocating for the user, shaping design governance, and driving a culture of collaboration between design, engineering, product management, and service delivery teams.

Applicants for the Head of UCD position at the company should have extensive experience in leading UCD in large-scale, complex, or secure environments, with a proven track record of building and managing multidisciplinary design teams. Strong knowledge of GDS service standards and the digital delivery lifecycle, particularly within government or defence, is essential. The role requires the ability to integrate UCD with Agile and DevOps delivery models, excellent stakeholder engagement skills, and the ability to influence senior decision-makers. SC clearance is a must, and a background in defence or government digital services, as well as formal qualifications in UX, service design, or human factors, are desirable. The ideal candidate will be adept at mentoring and upskilling teams in human-centred design principles, accessibility, and inclusive design.

Travel Percent

Less than 10%

Functions

• Design
• Information Technology