Principal Designer (AI)

Location: United Kingdom, within reasonable travelling distance of hirify.global offices in Leeds, Glasgow, Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, London or Bristol; requires flexibility to work at a hirify.global office or client site at least 2 days per week. Relocation support of up to £8,000 is available.

Company

hirify.global is an AI-enabled digital consultancy combining data-informed evidence, human-centred design and software engineering to deliver bespoke digital services for public and private sector clients.

What you will do

• Lead user-centred design across complex and strategically important client engagements, programmes and accounts.
• Advise executive and senior client stakeholders using data, insight and design methodologies to shape long-term service strategies.
• Lead multidisciplinary teams in designing accessible services that meet user needs and follow GDS and other relevant standards.
• Lead internal design-profession workstreams, evolve design practices and strengthen the design proposition as the market develops with AI.
• Recruit, lead and mentor Senior and Lead design practitioners while building team capability and a culture of continuous learning.
• Support business growth through pre-sales, proposition development, bids, thought leadership and industry engagement.

Requirements

• Extensive Principal-level design experience across complex delivery environments and a range of clients.
• Experience working within and leading multidisciplinary teams using user-centred design throughout the product or service lifecycle.
• Confidence operating in technical environments and translating complex concepts into clear design direction with measurable outcomes.
• Expert consultancy and leadership skills, including exploring problem spaces with clients and determining the appropriate way forward.
• Experience operating in complex organisations and adapting to new environments and ambiguous requirements.
• Ability to manage multiple workstreams and dependencies while maintaining clarity of design direction.
• Proven ability to lead and mentor designers, build team capability and support long-term growth.
• Working knowledge of the GDS Digital Standard and GDS assessment preparation, or extensive experience delivering design projects in the private sector.
• Practical experience implementing AI tools and workflows to improve outcomes for users, clients and hirify.global, plus experience providing continuous professional thought leadership.

Culture & Benefits

• Collaborative, agile and inclusive environment focused on human-centred design, innovation and continuous improvement.
• Contributory pension scheme with 6% employer and 2% employee contributions.
• 25 days of annual leave plus UK public holidays.
• Critical illness cover, life assurance and death-in-service cover.
• Perkbox discounts, volunteer days, cycle-to-work scheme, electric vehicle salary-sacrifice scheme and season ticket loans.
• Flexible benefits including private health and dental cover, additional pension contributions, extra holidays, wellbeing and charity contributions, and tree planting.