Head of Design Details - Exterior

Head of Design Details - Exterior Ref #59588

Date posted

Wednesday, October 7, 2026

Country United Kingdom Location Bicester Business  area

Design Department Design Position  level3 - Head of (L
-20)
Working time

Full Time Contract type

Permanent

Working pattern9am - 6pm Monday to Friday What to Expect The Head of Exterior Components holds company-wide accountability for the strategic direction, creative development and delivery of exterior details and components across the McLaren product portfolio, establishing these elements as a critical expression of McLaren’s evolving luxury-performance brand.

The role defines how exterior details — including illumination, wheels, aerodynamic features, functional hardware, exterior graphics, sensors and emerging technologies — contribute to the identity, sophistication, emotion and perceived quality of every McLaren product.

As McLaren evolves from an authentic performance machine brand into a broader global luxury-performance brand, the role establishes the standards, creative principles and design strategies required to ensure exterior details elevate product execution, craftsmanship and perceived value across multiple vehicle segments and architectures.

The role provides creative leadership from early brand and product strategy through concept development, design maturation and production delivery, ensuring that exterior components are not treated as isolated technical elements, but as an integrated and recognisable part of the McLaren design language.

The Head of Exterior Components acts as the senior authority for exterior detail strategy, setting the creative ambition, governance, quality thresholds, technical direction and supplier model required to deliver distinctive, emotionally compelling and technically credible solutions across the growing portfolio.

The role works closely with Exterior Design, Interior Design, Advanced Design, Engineering, Product Development, CMF, Brand, Marketing, Procurement and suppliers to ensure detail design is consistently aligned to McLaren’s brand values, product positioning and commercial objectives.

What You'll Do Exterior Detail Strategy & Brand Standards Define and continuously evolve the strategic role of exterior components within the McLaren design language and brand identity.

Establish clear design principles and standards for exterior details across all vehicle programmes and product segments.

Define the hierarchy, character and visual signature of key exterior components, ensuring they create recognisable and differentiated McLaren products.

Establish the creative direction for key areas including:

Illumination and lighting signatures   o Wheels and wheel architecture   o Aerodynamic and functional exterior elements   o Exterior graphics and badging   o Sensors, cameras and technology integration   o Functional hardware and access points   o Exhaust and thermal elements   o Emerging exterior technologies and interfaces

Ensure exterior components contribute to a coherent and sophisticated overall product proposition rather than becoming disconnected technical or styling features.

Establish the quality and craftsmanship expectations required to support McLaren’s positioning as a global luxury-performance brand.

What You'll Bring Business Knowledge:
* Significant senior leadership experience in exterior automotive design, component design or a closely related premium/luxury design environment.
* Demonstrable success establishing design strategies and standards across multiple vehicle programmes or product categories.
* Deep understanding of how exterior details contribute to brand identity, product differentiation, perceived quality and commercial value.
* Proven experience taking complex design features from early…