Head of Design

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Head of Design

Company: Haleon

Location: London, England, United Kingdom

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Design Leadership / Digital Transformation

Date Posted: 2026-08-17

Experience Level: 10+ years

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the vision, strategy, and evolution of Haleon's enterprise-wide Design function within the Commercial Digital Services Value Pool, driving significant commercial benefit through experience-led innovation.

• Establish and scale a Design Centre of Excellence, defining standards, governance, methodologies, tooling, and best practices to ensure design excellence across the organization.

• Shape portfolio priorities and investment decisions by leveraging customer insights, market intelligence, and a deep understanding of experience-led design principles.

• Act as a senior Design advisor to executive leadership teams across Commercial, Marketing, and Digital & Technology, fostering alignment around shared customer experience outcomes.

• Drive organizational transformation by embedding experience-led thinking and customer-centricity into strategic decision-making processes, impacting over £250m in commercial benefit.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a critical leadership function within Haleon's Digital & Technology division, specifically focused on accelerating commercial growth. The emphasis on "Commercial Digital Services transformation portfolio" and "enterprise scale" indicates a strategic, high-impact role responsible for significant business outcomes, not just a traditional design execution role. The target of £250m in commercial benefit over 3-5 years underscores the business-critical nature of this design leadership position.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Define and execute a multi-year design strategy and operating model for Haleon's commercial organization, aligning with overarching business objectives and growth outcomes.

• Develop and lead a Design Centre of Excellence (CoE), establishing robust governance frameworks, enterprise-wide design standards, operational models, and comprehensive capability development plans.

• Influence portfolio prioritization and investment decisions by integrating customer insights, market intelligence, and a forward-thinking, experience-led design perspective.

• Proactively identify future opportunities for innovation and growth through continuous horizon scanning, evaluation of emerging technologies, and deep understanding of evolving customer needs and market trends.

• Serve as the principal Design advisor to senior leadership within Commercial, Marketing, and Digital & Technology functions, providing strategic guidance and advocating for design-led solutions.

• Foster alignment and collaboration across Product, Technology, Data, and Commercial functions to ensure cohesive and impactful customer experience outcomes are achieved globally.

• Drive organizational and behavioral change initiatives through effective leadership and advocacy for experience-led innovation and customer-centric operating models.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities clearly indicate a strategic and transformative leadership role. The emphasis on "shaping portfolio priorities," "influencing investment decisions," and "acting as a senior Design advisor" points to a high level of strategic input and executive engagement, far beyond typical design team management. The establishment of a Design CoE with governance, standards, and capability frameworks highlights a focus on scalability and operationalizing design at an enterprise level.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While not explicitly stated, a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Business, or a related field is typically expected for leadership roles of this caliber.

Experience: A minimum of 10+ years of progressive experience in design leadership, with a significant portion focused on enterprise-scale functions within large, complex multinational organizations. Proven track record in defining and executing multi-year design strategies aligned with business objectives and driving measurable commercial outcomes.

Required Skills:

• Enterprise Design Leadership: Demonstrated success leading design functions at an enterprise scale, with a proven ability to shape strategy and drive organizational transformation.

• Design Strategy Development & Execution: Proven ability to define and implement multi-year design strategies that align with business objectives and deliver tangible growth outcomes.

• Design Centre of Excellence (CoE) Establishment: Experience in establishing or leading Design CoEs, including defining governance, standards, operating models, and capability frameworks.

• Commercial Acumen: Strong understanding of commercial operations, with experience supporting sales, marketing, CRM, customer engagement, and commercial transformation initiatives.

• Executive Stakeholder Influence: Proven ability to influence and advise executive stakeholders, shaping strategic decisions through evidence-based design leadership and compelling communication.

• Organizational & Behavioral Change Management: Experience leading significant organizational and behavioral change within complex transformation programs, fostering adoption of new methodologies and mindsets.

• Customer Insight & Market Intelligence: Ability to translate customer insights and market intelligence into actionable design strategies and portfolio recommendations.

• Systems Thinking: Capacity to understand and design for complex systems, including user journeys, customer lifecycles, and interconnected business processes.

Preferred Skills:

• Industry Experience: Experience within Consumer Health, FMCG, Retail, Pharmacy, or Healthcare industries.

• Global Operations: Experience operating within global organizations, adept at balancing enterprise-level strategy with local market execution nuances.

• Journey Management: Familiarity with advanced customer journey mapping, management, and optimization techniques.

• Customer-Centric Operating Models: Understanding and experience implementing customer-centric operating models that drive business value.

• Digital Transformation: Deep understanding of digital transformation principles and their application to customer experience and commercial growth.

• Agile Methodologies: Familiarity with agile principles and their application within design and product development lifecycles.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Essential" qualifications are comprehensive and clearly delineate the seniority and scope of this role. The emphasis on "enterprise-scale," "multi-year strategies," and "organizational and behavioral change" highlights the strategic and transformative nature of the position. The "Desirable" skills provide a clear roadmap for candidates looking to strengthen their profile, particularly those with experience in related industries or global operational contexts.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Strategic Design Impact: Showcase a portfolio that demonstrates strategic leadership in design, not just execution. Highlight instances where your design vision and strategy directly influenced business outcomes and commercial benefit.

• Enterprise-Scale Case Studies: Provide detailed case studies of leading large-scale design initiatives or transformations within multinational organizations. Focus on the scope, complexity, and impact of these projects.

• Design CoE Development Examples: If possible, include examples or detailed descriptions of how you have established or significantly evolved design governance, standards, operating models, or capability frameworks within a previous organization.

• Business Value Articulation: Demonstrate a clear ability to articulate the business value and ROI of design initiatives. Quantify the impact of your work on key business metrics such as revenue growth, customer acquisition/retention, efficiency, or brand perception.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Highlight projects where you successfully collaborated with Commercial, Marketing, Technology, and Data teams to achieve unified customer experience outcomes.

Process Documentation:

• Design Strategy & Roadmap: Present examples of how you have documented and communicated long-term design strategies and roadmaps, ensuring alignment with business goals.

• Design Operations & Governance: Showcase documentation related to the operationalization of design, including CoE frameworks, design system documentation, process workflows for design reviews, and governance models.

• Customer-Centric Process Design: Provide examples of how you have designed or optimized processes and systems to be more customer-centric, demonstrating an understanding of journey management and systems thinking.

• Performance Measurement Frameworks: Illustrate how you have established frameworks for measuring and reporting on the performance and impact of design initiatives, linking them to commercial objectives.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a "Head of Design" role at an enterprise level, the portfolio and process documentation requirements are crucial. The emphasis is on strategic impact, business value, and the ability to operationalize design at scale. Candidates should prepare to discuss not just the "what" but the "how" and "why" behind their design decisions and their impact on business objectives.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on industry benchmarks for a Head of Design role in London with 10+ years of experience leading enterprise-scale functions, a competitive salary range is estimated to be between £100,000 - £150,000 per annum. This range is subject to variations based on the candidate's specific experience, qualifications, and the final negotiation.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive Health Insurance: Coverage for medical, dental, and vision.

• Generous Paid Time Off: Including vacation days, sick leave, and public holidays.

• Retirement Savings Plan: Company-matched pension contributions (e.g., defined contribution scheme).

• Performance-Based Bonuses: Annual bonus structure tied to individual and company performance.

• Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP): Opportunity to purchase company shares at a discounted rate.

• Professional Development Budget: Funding for training, conferences, certifications, and continuous learning.

• Flexible Work Arrangements: While this role is on-site, Haleon may offer some flexibility for specific needs or hybrid options as per company policy.

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP): Confidential support services for personal and professional well-being.

• Wellness Programs: Initiatives focused on physical and mental health.

Working Hours: The standard working hours for this full-time, on-site role are approximately 40 hours per week, typically aligning with business needs in London. There may be an expectation for flexibility to attend key meetings or address urgent project needs, especially given the global nature of the role.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is estimated based on typical compensation for senior design leadership roles in London, considering the company's size (Haleon is a large multinational) and the strategic nature of the position. The benefits listed are standard for large corporations and are tailored to appeal to senior professionals seeking comprehensive support and growth opportunities.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Consumer Health. Haleon operates in a highly competitive and regulated industry, focusing on delivering everyday health solutions through trusted brands. This context means design must be consumer-centric, scientifically sound, and ethically presented.

Company Size: Haleon is a large, global, publicly traded company with tens of thousands of employees worldwide. This scale implies complex organizational structures, diverse markets, and significant resources, but also necessitates strong processes and clear communication to ensure agility and impact.

Founded: Haleon was formed in July 2022 as a demerger from GSK, though its heritage brands have a much longer history. This relatively new corporate identity means there's a strong drive to define and establish its unique culture and operational frameworks, making it an exciting time for transformation.

Team Structure:

• The Head of Design will lead the Design function within the Commercial Digital Services Value Pool, which is part of a broader Digital & Technology organization.

• This role will collaborate closely with senior leaders across Commercial, Marketing, and Digital & Technology, indicating a matrixed reporting and collaboration structure.

• The Design function will likely include various design disciplines (e.g., UX, UI, Service Design, Content Design) and will be responsible for building and scaling enterprise design capabilities globally. Methodology:

• Purpose-Driven & Human Understanding: Haleon emphasizes a purpose-driven approach ("better everyday health with humanity") and deep human understanding, which should translate into design methodologies focused on empathy and user needs.

• Agile & Performance-Focused: The company promotes an agile and performance-focused culture, suggesting that design processes should be iterative, data-informed, and geared towards delivering measurable business value.

• Experience-Led Innovation: A core tenet is driving commercial growth through innovative, consumer-centric digital experiences, indicating a strong reliance on experience design principles and user research.

Company Website: haleon.com

📝 Enhancement Note: Understanding Haleon's relatively recent formation as an independent entity from GSK is key. It suggests a company in a growth and definition phase, where establishing new processes and culture is paramount. The "Win as One" strategy and emphasis on human understanding and science provide a strong foundation for how design should operate and be perceived within the organization.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a senior leadership role, equivalent to a VP or Director level within a large organization. It requires strategic thinking, executive influence, and the ability to manage significant budgets and large teams (potentially global). The scope extends beyond traditional design execution to shaping business strategy and organizational capabilities.

Reporting Structure: The Head of Design will report to a senior executive within the Digital & Technology organization, likely a Chief Digital Officer, VP of Digital Services, or similar. They will have direct reports, likely design managers and senior designers, and will need to build out the Design Centre of Excellence.

Operations Impact: The role has a direct and significant impact on Haleon's commercial growth, with a stated goal of delivering over £250m in commercial benefit over 3-5 years through enhanced digital experiences. The Head of Design will be instrumental in shaping customer interactions, brand perception, and ultimately, revenue generation across global markets.

Growth Opportunities:

• Strategic Leadership Expansion: Potential to expand the scope of design responsibility across other areas of the business or take on broader digital transformation leadership roles.

• Global Impact & Influence: Opportunity to shape the design culture and capabilities of a major global consumer health company, influencing millions of consumers worldwide.

• Building and Scaling Teams: Develop leadership skills by building, mentoring, and scaling a high-performing, global Design Centre of Excellence.

• Industry Recognition: Lead initiatives that could gain industry recognition for innovation in consumer health digital experiences.

• Executive Visibility: High visibility with executive leadership, offering opportunities for direct mentorship and advancement within the organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The growth opportunities are framed around expanding strategic influence, building global capabilities, and achieving significant business impact, aligning with the senior leadership level of this role. The ability to influence executive stakeholders and drive large-scale transformation is a key differentiator for career advancement.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: This is an on-site role based in London. Haleon is a large corporation, so the office environment is likely to be modern, professional, and equipped with standard corporate amenities.

Office Location(s): The role is based in London, with specific mention of "London Bankside." This location suggests a central, accessible urban environment within the UK's capital.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Hub: The office will serve as a hub for collaboration, fostering in-person interaction with cross-functional teams (Commercial, Marketing, Technology, Data) and direct reports.

• Professional Infrastructure: Access to enterprise-grade technology, design tools, and communication platforms necessary for leading a global design function.

• Team Interaction: Opportunities for direct mentorship, team building, and fostering a strong design culture through regular in-person engagement.

Work Schedule: The role is full-time, approximately 40 hours per week. While on-site, there may be an expectation for some flexibility to accommodate global team interactions, executive meetings, and critical project deadlines, common in senior leadership roles within multinational corporations.

📝 Enhancement Note: The on-site requirement in London is a key detail. This suggests a preference for in-person leadership, collaboration, and cultural integration, which is often crucial for senior roles responsible for driving organizational change and building cohesive teams.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter will likely conduct an initial screening to assess basic qualifications, experience, and cultural fit.

• Hiring Manager Interview: An in-depth discussion with the hiring manager focusing on strategic thinking, leadership experience, and alignment with the role's objectives.

• Design & Leadership Panel: A panel interview involving senior leaders from Design, Digital & Technology, Commercial, and Marketing. This will assess strategic vision, stakeholder management, and experience with organizational transformation.

• Portfolio Presentation: A dedicated session where candidates present their portfolio, focusing on strategic impact, enterprise-scale projects, and how they've driven business value and established design capabilities. This is a critical part of the evaluation.

• Executive Interview: A final interview with a very senior executive (e.g., CDO, CCO) to assess executive presence, strategic alignment, and overall fit for Haleon's leadership team.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Focus on Strategy, Not Just Aesthetics: Emphasize the strategic thinking, problem-solving, and business impact behind your design work. Showcase how you translated business challenges into design solutions that delivered measurable results.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use data and metrics to demonstrate the success of your projects. Highlight commercial benefits, user engagement improvements, efficiency gains, or ROI.

• Showcase Leadership & Transformation: Include case studies that illustrate your ability to lead teams, drive organizational change, and establish design functions or Centers of Excellence.

• Tailor to Haleon's Context: Research Haleon's brands, purpose, and strategic goals. Frame your portfolio examples to show how your experience aligns with their needs in consumer health and digital transformation.

• Be Prepared for "How": Be ready to discuss your design processes, methodologies, governance structures, and how you managed complex stakeholder relationships.

Challenge Preparation:

• Strategic Design Challenge: You may be asked to outline a strategy for a specific challenge Haleon faces, such as enhancing a particular brand's digital experience or scaling design across new markets. Focus on your approach, methodology, and anticipated outcomes.

• Leadership Scenarios: Prepare for questions about managing difficult stakeholders, leading through change, building high-performing teams, and resolving conflicts within a design context.

• Vision Setting: Be ready to articulate your vision for the future of design at Haleon and how you would establish and evolve the Design Centre of Excellence.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is designed to thoroughly evaluate strategic leadership, business acumen, and the ability to drive large-scale transformation. The portfolio presentation is a key component, requiring candidates to clearly articulate their strategic contributions and quantifiable impact.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop, XD), InVision.

• Collaboration & Project Management: Jira, Confluence, Asana, Trello, Miro, Mural.

• User Research & Testing: UserTesting.com, Optimal Workshop, Hotjar, SurveyMonkey, Qualtrics.

• Design Systems: Tools for creating and managing design systems (e.g., Zeroheight, Storybook).

Analytics & Reporting:

• Web Analytics: Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics.

• Data Visualization: Tableau, Power BI, Looker.

• A/B Testing Platforms: Optimizely, Adobe Target, Google Optimize.

CRM & Automation:

• CRM Platforms: Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics 365 (likely used by Commercial/Marketing teams).

• Marketing Automation: HubSpot, Marketo, Adobe Marketing Cloud.

• Integration Platforms: (Awareness of how design impacts integrated systems).

📝 Enhancement Note: While the specific tools are not listed, a Head of Design at an enterprise level would be expected to be proficient with, or at least understand the strategic implications of, a broad range of design, collaboration, research, analytics, and CRM/marketing automation tools. The emphasis is on how these tools support enterprise-scale design operations and deliver business value.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Purpose-Driven: A strong commitment to Haleon's purpose of delivering better everyday health with humanity, influencing design decisions to be ethical, empathetic, and impactful for consumers.

• Human Understanding: Deep empathy for consumers and their needs, driving user-centered design approaches and ensuring solutions are intuitive and beneficial.

• Agile & Performance-Focused: A culture that values speed, iteration, data-driven decision-making, and a clear focus on achieving measurable business results and commercial benefits.

• Collaboration & Inclusion: Fostering an inclusive environment where diverse perspectives are valued, and cross-functional collaboration is essential for success in complex global projects.

• Trusted Science: Upholding scientific integrity and accuracy in all communications and product information, which requires careful consideration in design and content.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: The Head of Design will be expected to foster strong, collaborative relationships with Commercial, Marketing, Technology, and Data teams, ensuring design is integrated early and often into strategic planning and execution.

• Open Feedback & Iteration: A culture that encourages constructive feedback, continuous improvement, and iterative design processes to refine solutions and maximize impact.

• Knowledge Sharing: Promoting a culture of sharing best practices, insights, and learnings across the design team and with partner functions to elevate collective expertise.

📝 Enhancement Note: Haleon's stated values and cultural drivers (purpose-driven, human understanding, agile, performance-focused) are crucial for understanding how this role operates. The Head of Design must embody and champion these values, translating them into actionable design strategies and team behaviors.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Scaling Design Capabilities: Establishing and scaling a Design Centre of Excellence across a large, global organization with diverse market needs and existing processes.

• Influencing Executive Stakeholders: Gaining buy-in and influencing strategic decisions from senior leaders who may have varying levels of understanding or prioritization for design.

• Balancing Global Strategy with Local Needs: Developing a unified design vision and set of standards that can be effectively adapted and implemented across different global markets and consumer segments.

• Measuring Design Impact: Quantifying the ROI and business impact of design initiatives in a way that resonates with commercial stakeholders and justifies investment.

• Driving Organizational Change: Shifting mindsets and behaviors within a large organization to fully embrace experience-led thinking and customer-centricity.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Strategic Leadership Development: Opportunities to hone executive leadership skills, influence business strategy, and develop a global perspective on digital transformation.

• Industry Best Practices: Exposure to leading practices in consumer health, digital experience design, and organizational transformation through internal projects and external engagement.

• Mentorship: Potential to be mentored by or mentor other senior leaders within Haleon, fostering professional growth.

• Building a World-Class Team: The opportunity to recruit, shape, and lead a high-impact global design team, developing talent and fostering a strong design culture.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are directly tied to the strategic and transformative nature of the role. Addressing these effectively will require strong leadership, strategic thinking, and excellent communication skills. The growth opportunities are substantial, offering significant career advancement and impact.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you define and execute a multi-year design strategy for a global consumer health company like Haleon, aligning it with commercial objectives?" (Focus on your strategic framework, stakeholder engagement, and measurement approach.)

• "Describe your approach to establishing a Design Centre of Excellence. What are the key components (governance, standards, operating model) and how would you ensure its adoption and value across the organization?" (Highlight your experience with operationalizing design at scale.)

• "How do you influence executive stakeholders to prioritize and invest in design-led initiatives, especially when faced with competing business priorities?" (Prepare examples of persuasive communication, data-driven arguments, and building executive relationships.)

• "What is your vision for the future of customer experience in the consumer health sector, and how can design innovation drive growth for Haleon?" (Showcase your industry foresight and ability to connect design trends to business opportunities.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "How would you foster a truly customer-centric and experience-led culture within Haleon, given its purpose and values?" (Connect your approach to their stated purpose and human understanding focus.)

• "Describe your experience leading organizational and behavioral change. How would you embed design thinking and customer-centricity across functions like Commercial, Marketing, and Technology?" (Prepare examples of change management strategies and overcoming resistance.)

• "How do you ensure diversity and inclusion are reflected in both the design process and the final output, particularly in a global context?" (Align with Haleon's commitment to inclusivity.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure for Impact: Organize your presentation logically, perhaps by strategic initiative or business challenge. Start with the business context and objective, detail your strategic approach and design process, highlight key decisions and challenges, and conclude with quantifiable results and learnings.

• Focus on Strategic Leadership: Emphasize your role in shaping strategy, influencing direction, and driving transformation, not just executing design tasks. Use "we" when discussing team efforts but clearly articulate your leadership contributions.

• Quantify Everything Possible: For each case study, clearly state the business problem, the metrics for success, and the actual results achieved. If exact numbers are not available, use strong qualitative statements backed by evidence.

• Demonstrate Process & Governance: Be prepared to discuss the methodologies, frameworks, and governance structures you implemented or utilized, especially regarding the CoE.

• Engage and Converse: Treat it as a collaborative discussion rather than a one-way presentation. Be ready to answer in-depth questions about your decisions and their rationale.

📝 Enhancement Note: These questions and preparation tips are designed to probe the candidate's strategic thinking, leadership capabilities, and understanding of how design drives business value within a large, complex organization like Haleon. The portfolio presentation is a critical opportunity to showcase this.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Head of Design position:

• Submit your application through the Haleon careers portal link provided.

• Portfolio Customization: Curate your portfolio to prominently feature enterprise-scale design strategy, organizational transformation, and measurable business impact. Prioritize case studies demonstrating your experience in establishing design governance or Centers of Excellence.

• Resume Optimization: Ensure your resume clearly highlights your 10+ years of leadership experience, strategic contributions, and achievements in driving commercial growth through design. Use keywords from the job description such as "enterprise design," "design strategy," "Centre of Excellence," and "stakeholder influence."

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your vision, strategic approach, and leadership philosophy. Prepare specific examples that demonstrate your ability to influence executives, manage change, and quantify the ROI of design initiatives. Rehearse your portfolio presentation for clarity, impact, and conciseness.

• Company Research: Deeply research Haleon's brands, purpose, "Win as One" strategy, and recent performance. Understand their commitment to consumer health, human understanding, and science, and consider how your design leadership can best support these pillars.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.