What do we look for:
We are seeking an experienced Design Director, Product (UI/UX) to lead product design delivery across multiple client engagements in Dubai. This role will own design direction, client communication, and team leadership while ensuring high-quality execution across concurrent projects. The ideal candidate brings a strong track record in travel, insurance, or fintech, with Arabic language capability preferred and a sense of urgency to join a fast-paced environment.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead end-to-end product design strategy and execution across multiple active projects.
- Manage client communication, present design rationale, and align stakeholders on priorities and delivery.
- Direct and mentor a global UI/UX design team, ensuring strong craft, consistency, and timely output.
- Oversee design quality across discovery, wireframing, prototyping, testing, and handoff.
- Balance multiple project timelines, budgets, and delivery expectations simultaneously.
- Collaborate with product managers, engineers, researchers, and business stakeholders.
- Translate business goals and user needs into practical, elegant product experiences.
- Maintain design standards, processes, and governance across client work.
- Contribute to pitching, scoping, and shaping new opportunities where needed.
- Ensure smooth delivery in a fast-moving, deadline-driven environment.
Required Qualifications:
- 8+ years of experience in product design, UI/UX, or digital experience design.
- Proven experience leading design teams and client-facing delivery.
- Strong portfolio demonstrating product thinking, systems thinking, and high-quality execution.
- Experience managing multiple projects at once in an agency, consultancy, or product environment.
- Strong communication and presentation skills.
- Ability to work in a hybrid setup in Dubai.
- Immediate availability or short notice preferred.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Prior experience in travel, insurance, or fintech products.
- Arabic speaker preferred.
- Experience working with regional clients in the GCC or MENA market.
- Familiarity with enterprise, platform, or multi-stakeholder environments.
- Experience in design systems, service design, or design operations.
- Ability to support sales conversations, proposal development, or design pitches.
What Success Looks Like:
- Clients feel confident in your leadership and communication.
- Projects are delivered on time with strong design quality.
- The team is supported, aligned, and productive across multiple workstreams.
- Design output is strategically aligned with business goals.
- Stakeholders see clear value from design in every engagement.
Core Parameters:
- Employment type: Full-time.
- Notice period: Immediate joiner or maximum 30 days.
- Industry exposure: Preference for B2C digital products, marketplace, or regulated industries.
- Leadership scope: Experience managing senior designers and cross-functional teams.
- Portfolio requirement: Must include case studies showing leadership and business impact.
- Travel expectation: Occasional client meetings or regional travel.
- Language requirement: English required, Arabic preferred.
- Tool familiarity: Figma, FigJam, Miro, design systems, and prototyping tools.
- Stakeholder environment: Experience with C-level or senior client stakeholders.
- Decision-making: Ability to work under ambiguity and make tradeoff decisions quickly.
Benefits:
- Salary: Negotiable + Commission (Variable)
- Two weekly holidays
- Full subsidized lunch and snack facilities
- Yearly salary review
- Two festival bonuses
- Professional development opportunities (courses, tools, certifications)
- A creative, design-first, and collaborative work environment
- Team hangouts and sports activities (Table Tennis, Foosball, indoor games)
- Health insurance benefit after completion of 1 year
- Long Service Benefit
