Product Design Director

Job Closing Date:
Monday 23/03/pm

JOB DETAIL:
Product Design Director

JOB BAND: SL

CONTRACT TYPE:
Permanent, Full-time

DEPARTMENT:
Technology, Systems & Delivery

LOCATION:

Salford, London, Glasgow, Birmingham, Cardiff, Newcastle – Hybrid

The BBC is seeking a visionary Director of Product Design to serve as a cornerstone of our digital transformation. Reporting to the Director of Product & Design, you will join a high-impact leadership circle, collaborating closely with the Directors of Product Management (Platforms & Experiences) and the wider BBC Executive team.

As a premier Design Leader, you will steer the design strategy and capabilities that power the BBC’s audience‑facing digital ecosystem. Your mission is to embed a world‑class product design culture within a complex global organization, promoting customer‑centric principles that align public service values with measurable, data‑driven outcomes. You will lead an internal community of experts to deliver seamless, accessible, and deeply engaging experiences for every audience member.

• Unrivaled Scope:
  Oversee a multidisciplinary Product Design team that shapes the aesthetic and functional DNA of the BBC’s entire digital portfolio.
• Strategic Impact:
  Define how millions of users interact with the BBC, steering design efforts that harmonize creative ambition with organizational goals.
• Leadership & Legacy:
  Transition the organization toward internal design excellence, reducing agency reliance and building a sustainable, high‑performing design culture.

Strategic Leadership & Delivery

• Lead a unified Product Design Strategy across the BBC’s digital portfolio, working within a Product Trio to guide discovery through delivery.
• Drive rapid prototyping and iterative testing so decisions are grounded in user insight, technical feasibility and strategic value.
  Establish a cohesive Design Framework to ensure visual and functional excellence, backed by high standards and continuous skill development.

Operational Excellence & Capability

• Build a world‑class internal design capability through strong Design Ops, recruitment and mentorship.
• Define Design Performance Metrics (e.g., satisfaction, task success, accessibility) to demonstrate design’s impact on audience engagement.
• Represent the BBC’s design vision at Senior Leadership forums
  , shaping executive decisions and reinforcing design as a driver of business value.
• Stay ahead of emerging technologies (AI, automation, voice UI), assessing their potential to transform user experiences and workflows.
• Cultivate a culture of psychological safety, experimentation and ethical, inclusive design, driven by data‑informed decisions.

Commercial Acumen: Ability to link design outcomes to financial models and audience ROI, clearly justifying large‑scale digital product investment.

Technical Mastery: Expert knowledge of design systems, service design, interaction design, and global accessibility standards (WCAG).

Strategic Navigation: Proven capability to drive outcomes and maintain clarity in highly dynamic, interconnected and complex organizations.

Analytical Rigor: Skilled in applying design metrics and deep user research to guide high‑stakes product decisions.

Impactful Portfolio: Demonstrated success leading UX and Product Design across large, complex digital ecosystems.

Leadership Excellence: Experience leading multidisciplinary teams and building inclusive, high‑performing cultures that attract top‑tier talent.

Executive Influence: Strong stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence decisions at Board and Executive levels.

Modern Methodology: Deep expertise in Agile product development and contemporary Design Operations.

If you can bring some of these skills and experience, along with transferable strengths, we’d love to hear from you and encourage you to apply.

Being a leader at the BBC means putting the organisation’s interest, goals and values first, ahead of individual team or function needs. The characteristics of an enterprise leader are:
Focuses on outcomes over activity, adapts quickly, and simplifies…