Lead UX Designer

The Global Creative Team at EF Education First is looking for a Lead UX Designer to join our Zurich based team. In this role, you'll lead the UX strategy and governance of our design system, which powers digital experiences across EF's global businesses.

You'll be at the center of ensuring our Figma libraries and Site Builder tool deliver exceptional, accessible, and consistent user experiences worldwide — while exploring how emerging technologies and AI can shape the future of our design workflows and digital products.

EF’s brand world‑wide is owned by the Global Creative Team. Practically this means that we conceive, design and implement every conceivable medium and ensure it is deployed in every conceivable media all around the globe. We are innovators, designers, and craftsmen. We are a team full of ideas living in the center of a global business that both needs and wants what we make.

We have it all — UX, Art Direction, Motion Design, Videography, Sound Design, Copywriting, and Engineering of all types. No day is ever the same and everything we do contributes to helping to Open the World Through Education.

Lead UX Designer

• Lead design system efforts in conjunction with the Product Owner, Digital Creative Director and Technology Director to ensure UX excellence across EF's businesses
• Define and drive the UX strategy for the design system, establishing standards, patterns, and best practices
• Enforce accessibility and usability standards (WCAG compliance) across all components

• Engage in hands‑on work (all members of the Global Creative Team share this responsibility) wireframes, user flows, and interaction patterns for new components and features
• Lead the design of complex, production‑ready components meeting high usability and accessibility standards
• Collaborate with Designers and Engineers on Figma architecture, design tokens, and technical implementation, including for our Site Builder
• Create and maintain UX documentation (usage guidelines, pattern libraries, interaction standards)

• Think strategically about the future of websites, digital experiences, and how AI is transforming our industry
• Explore and integrate AI tools to optimize and merge design and development workflows
• Champion process optimization and efficiency improvements

• Conduct interviews and research with teams using the design system to understand needs and pain points
• Lead usability testing initiatives and analyze data to measure impact and identify improvements
• Navigate complex stakeholder landscapes across multiple EF businesses
• Advocate for and defend UX decisions with data‑driven arguments and research insights
• Engage stakeholders through workshops and co‑creation sessions

• 7+ years of UX design experience
• Proven track record in complex, multi‑stakeholder design system environments
• Expert‑level Figma proficiency including design tokens, variables, and component architecture
• Strong understanding of front‑end technologies (HTML, CSS, React)
• Extensive accessibility knowledge (WCAG 2.1 AA minimum) and inclusive design practices
• Advanced wire framing and interaction design skills with systematic thinking
• Proven ability in user research, usability testing, and working with data to inform decisions
• Exceptional stakeholder management and ability to articulate and defend UX decisions
• Curiosity and experience with AI tools and emerging technologies
• Passionate with process optimization and the future of digital experiences

• A clear conscience — that here, in contrast to most opportunities out there, your creative work is making the world a better place
• The chance to work with an amazing team of designers, engineers, academics, and product people
• The chance to work on global‑scale problems
• Exposure to countless unusual creative problems and mediums
• A beautiful office in Selnau, Zurich

• Free on‑site gym with fitness and wellness classes
• High‑end equipment (Mac Book Pro etc)
• Annual tuition reimbursement for career development
• Discounts on a wide range of local restaurants, shops, hotel stays and EF products
• Regular social activities with a provided budget
• Discounted passes to local destinations and tourist hot spots such as Mt. Titlis or Kunsthaus Zurich
• On‑site subsidized crèche / day‑care
• Travel opportunities