Head of Sports Product Design

Location(s):  Madrid (Spain), Zagreb (Croatia) or Bucharest (Romania)

Reports to:

VP, Product Design

Visa Sponsorship:  Location dependant

About the role
We’re seeking an inspiring  Head of Sports Product Design  to lead our forward-thinking design team s strategic role combines vision, hands‑on creativity, and leadership to shape the end‑to‑end customer experience across our sports betting platforms. You will translate company goals and customer needs into compelling design strategies that differentiate our products, foster user engagement, and extend our market reach.

In this role, you will:

Define and communicate a compelling design vision:  Translate complex user needs and business strategies into a clear, impactful design roadmap that guides the entire product suite.

Lead and mentor a talented team:  Manage, inspire, and challenge designers to deliver their best work, cultivating a high‑performance, innovative design culture.

Drive design excellence:  Champion usability, accessibility standards, and consistent quality through established design systems, ensuring a seamless and inclusive experience.

Collaborate strategically:  Partner with Product, Engineering, and Research leads, confidently challenging assumptions, advocating for the user, and aligning cross‑functional and cross vertical teams around shared objectives.

Stay hands‑on and involved:  Bring your expertise to the table—whether sketching wireframes, developing prototypes, or reviewing high‑fidelity designs—to ensure quality and innovation at every stage.

Requirements

Leadership experience:  12+ years of proven success managing and developing product design teams, particularly in regulated or complex environments such as sports betting, gaming, and/or other sectors such as entertainment or e‑commerce.

Mastery of design craft:  Demonstrable portfolio showcasing UX, UI, interaction, and visual design impact, along with tangible results that improved user engagement and business metrics.

Strategic and tactical agility:  Ability to think big‑picture while managing daily deliverables—balancing long‑term innovation with immediate product needs.

Exceptional communication skills:  Influence and build trust with senior stakeholders, articulate design decisions clearly, and foster collaborative relationships across teams and regions.

Hands‑on expertise:  Deep familiarity with modern tools like Figma, Full Story, Marvin, User Testing, also including working with design systems, accessibility principles, user research and inclusive design practices.

Global perspective:  Experience designing for diverse markets, understanding regional behaviours, and regulatory landscapes.

Data‑driven approach:  Comfort navigating analytics platforms, leveraging insights to inform design strategies, and continuously optimise user experiences.

Industry knowledge:  Familiarity with sports betting features, regulations, and user behaviours, enabling the creation of compliant yet engaging experiences.

Key responsibilities
Strategic Leadership & Vision

Develop and own the design strategy and roadmap for sports betting products, ensuring alignment with overarching business goals.

Translate insights into innovative solutions that enhance user engagement and differentiate our products in a competitive market.

Design Execution & Innovation

Lead the creation of intuitive interfaces, innovative features, and seamless user journeys—employing design thinking and iterative testing.

Collaborate closely with product teams to implement solutions that simplify betting, personalise user experiences, and support acquisition & retention goals.

Team Management & Development

Build, mentor, and motivate a high-caliber design team; foster a culture of continuous learning, experimentation, and excellence.

Encourage collaboration, diversity of thought, and professional growth among team members.

Design Quality & User Engagement

Establish and uphold best practices, standards, and principles for all design outputs.

Use analytics, user research, and direct feedback to refine interfaces, elevate usability, and improve key metrics like retention and satisfaction.

Stay at the forefront of industry trends, integrating emerging methodologies to keep our offerings innovative and relevant.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Partner with Product, Engineering, Marketing, and Research teams, challenging assumptions and advocating for user‑centric solutions.

Promote integrated workflows, ensuring seamless execution from concept to delivery.

Incorporate Data & Personalisation

Lead initiatives that embed AI, machine learning, and data‑driven insights into the design process, creating highly personalised betting experiences.

Drive ecosystem thinking by considering behaviours across sports, gaming, and social interactions, guiding broader user journey conversations.

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