Head of UX Quality & Consumer Experience Assurance

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Head of UX Quality & Consumer Experience Assurance

Company: Signify Netherlands B.V.

Location: Eindhoven, North Brabant, Netherlands

Job Type: Full time

Category: Quality Assurance / User Experience Operations

Date Posted: 2026-04-28

Experience Level: 10+ years (Senior/Leadership)

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Establish and lead a new, independent UX Quality & Consumer Experience Assurance capability within the Consumer Business.

• Define and govern the UX assurance framework, ensuring rigorous UX validation and evidence-based decision-making.

• Embed UX quality structurally into product development lifecycles, acting as a critical quality gate for consumer products.

• Drive a user-centric, quality-driven mindset across Product Management, Engineering, Design, and R&D through change management and strong leadership.

• Protect the consumer experience and brand by ensuring UX quality is proven, not assumed, through independent go/no-go input.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned within the Quality organization but operates with an independent mandate, highlighting a strategic emphasis on UX as a critical, non-negotiable quality attribute. The "build-and-transform" nature suggests a significant opportunity for strategic influence and organizational change, requiring a candidate adept at establishing new processes and capabilities from the ground up.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Establish UX as a Formal Quality Discipline: Create and implement a formal UX Quality & Consumer Experience Assurance function, defining its scope, objectives, and integration points within the existing quality and product development frameworks.

• Independent Quality Gatekeeping: Provide objective, evidence-based go/no-go recommendations at key development lifecycle gates, assessing UX readiness, potential risks, and overall consumer impact before product progression.

• Develop UX Assurance Framework: Design and implement a comprehensive UX assurance framework encompassing requirement validation, usability testing, experience evaluation, and benchmarking methodologies to ensure consistent and high-quality user experiences.

• Structural Integration into Development: Embed UX assurance activities proactively within pre-development and product development lifecycles, ensuring UX considerations are addressed early and continuously, not as an afterthought.

• Lead Research, Benchmarking, and Feedback Loops: Oversee and conduct high-quality UX research (qualitative, quantitative, mixed methods), establish competitive UX benchmarks, and set up continuous in-market feedback mechanisms to drive iterative improvements.

• Build and Lead New Capability: Recruit, develop, and lead a dedicated UX Quality & Assurance team, including setting up necessary test facilities and deploying standardized UX processes and practices.

• Drive Cross-Functional Alignment: Act as a change agent to foster collaboration and a shared understanding of UX quality across Quality, Product Management, Engineering, Design, Market Intelligence, and global R&D sites.

• Insights to Action: Translate complex UX research findings and consumer feedback into actionable requirements, risk assessments, and quality thresholds that inform product decisions and drive measurable improvements.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities emphasize a proactive, strategic, and governance-oriented approach to UX quality. The role requires not just execution but also the foundational design and implementation of new processes and team structures, indicating a need for strong operational and strategic leadership within the UX domain. The focus on "evidence-based, traceable, and consistent" decisions underscores the importance of robust data and process governance.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's or Master's degree in Human-Computer Interaction, Psychology, Design, Computer Science, or a related field. Equivalent practical experience will also be considered.

Experience: 10+ years of progressive experience in UX research, UX validation, experience quality, or a similar quality assurance role focused on consumer products. Proven track record in building or scaling new organizational capabilities and embedding UX structurally into product development lifecycles.

Required Skills:

• Strategic UX Leadership: Ability to conceptualize, build, and lead a new UX Quality & Assurance function from the ground up.

• UX Research Expertise: Deep proficiency in qualitative, quantitative, and mixed UX research methodologies (e.g., usability testing, user interviews, surveys, A/B testing, heuristic evaluation).

• Quality Assurance & Governance: Experience operating with authority in quality, governance, or risk-based decision-making contexts, including defining standards and frameworks.

• Product Development Lifecycle Integration: Strong understanding of and experience embedding UX assurance within various product development methodologies (Agile, Waterfall, etc.).

• Stakeholder Management & Influence: Excellent ability to manage relationships and influence senior leadership and cross-functional teams (Product Management, Engineering, Design, Marketing) through clear communication and compelling data.

• Communication & Storytelling: Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, with a talent for translating complex insights into clear, actionable narratives that drive decision-making.

• Benchmarking & Competitive Analysis: Ability to establish and utilize competitive and best-in-class UX benchmarks to set ambition and quality thresholds.

• Risk Assessment: Capability to identify, assess, and articulate UX risks and their potential impact on consumers and the brand.

• Change Management: Proven experience as a change agent, capable of driving new mindsets and practices across an organization.

• Decision-Making Confidence: Strong judgment and the confidence to make and defend difficult UX quality decisions based on evidence and risk.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience in the consumer electronics, lighting, or IoT industry.

• Familiarity with setting up and managing UX test labs and tools.

• Experience with data analytics platforms and tools for deriving consumer insights.

• Understanding of AI and its application in enhancing user experiences.

• Knowledge of global regulatory standards related to product safety and user experience.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "building or scaling new capabilities" and "operating with authority in quality, governance, or risk-based decision contexts" signals a requirement for a strategic leader, not just an executor. The "extensive experience" requirement, coupled with the "10+" years derived experience level, points to a senior leadership role demanding significant autonomy and impact.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Case Studies of Capability Building: Demonstrable examples of establishing new processes, teams, or quality functions, showcasing the journey from inception to operational maturity.

• UX Quality Framework Design: Documentation or presentation of frameworks developed for UX assurance, including methodologies for validation, testing, and risk assessment.

• Evidence-Based Decision Examples: Portfolios that clearly illustrate instances where UX data and research insights directly influenced go/no-go decisions or significant product strategy shifts.

• Cross-Functional Process Integration: Examples of how UX quality was integrated into existing product development lifecycles (e.g., Agile sprints, stage-gate reviews) and the resulting improvements.

• Metrics and ROI Demonstration: Evidence of how UX quality initiatives were measured, their impact quantified (e.g., reduced support costs, increased user satisfaction, improved conversion rates), and ROI communicated to stakeholders.

Process Documentation:

• UX Requirements Definition & Validation: Examples of processes for defining clear, measurable UX requirements and validating them against user needs and business objectives.

• Usability Testing & Experience Evaluation Protocols: Documentation of structured approaches for conducting usability tests and evaluating the overall consumer experience, including reporting formats.

• Benchmarking & Competitive Analysis Procedures: Methodologies for conducting thorough competitive UX analysis and establishing aspirational quality benchmarks.

• Continuous Improvement & Feedback Loops: Processes for capturing, analyzing, and acting upon in-market consumer feedback to drive ongoing UX enhancements in existing and future products.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the "build-and-transform" nature of the role, a portfolio showcasing how a capability was built and how processes were designed and implemented will be crucial. Candidates should be prepared to detail the strategic thinking, operational execution, and measurable outcomes of their past initiatives in establishing and improving UX quality processes.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on industry benchmarks for a Head-level role with 10+ years of experience in Quality Assurance and UX leadership in the Netherlands, particularly in a large, established tech/manufacturing company, the estimated annual gross salary range is €100,000 - €150,000. This estimate considers the high level of responsibility, the strategic nature of building a new function, and the cost of living in Eindhoven/Amsterdam.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive health insurance and wellness programs.

• Generous paid time off (vacation, holidays) and potential for additional leave.

• Pension scheme with company contributions.

• Opportunities for professional development, including continuous learning, coaching, and mentoring programs.

• Employee discounts on Signify products.

• Potential for performance-based bonuses or long-term incentive plans.

• Access to modern office facilities and resources.

Working Hours: Standard full-time hours, typically around 40 hours per week. The hybrid work arrangement offers flexibility, allowing for a balance between in-office collaboration and remote work, with core hours often expected to overlap with team availability for meetings and critical decision-making.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary estimate is based on research of senior leadership roles in Quality Assurance and UX management within the Netherlands tech and manufacturing sectors, leveraging data from reputable salary aggregators and industry reports. The range accounts for variations in experience, specific skill sets, and the strategic impact of the role. Benefits are inferred from standard offerings for large, international corporations in the region.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Lighting Industry, with a strong focus on innovation in connected lighting, Internet of Things (IoT), data analytics, and AI solutions for homes, offices, and cities. Signify is a leader in sustainable lighting solutions.

Company Size: Large enterprise (Signify has 27,000+ employees globally). This size implies structured processes, significant resources, and opportunities for global impact, but also a need for strong change management to drive new initiatives.

Founded: Signify has a legacy of over 125 years, originally as Philips Lighting. This long history suggests a foundation of established practices and a deep understanding of the industry, while the recent rebranding and focus on innovation indicate a forward-looking and adaptive culture.

Team Structure:

• The Head of UX Quality & Consumer Experience Assurance will lead a newly established, independent capability within the broader Quality organization.

• This role likely reports to a senior executive within the Quality, Product Development, or Consumer Business leadership.

• The team will be built from the ground up, requiring leadership in recruitment, team development, and defining the team's operational structure and specializations.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Emphasis on evidence-based insights derived from UX research, validation, and in-market feedback to guide quality decisions.

• Process Optimization & Standardization: Focus on defining, implementing, and governing robust UX assurance frameworks and processes that ensure consistency and quality across the product portfolio.

• Agile & Iterative Development: While not explicitly stated, the context of product development lifecycles in a tech-focused company suggests an environment that likely embraces agile or iterative development practices, requiring UX assurance to be embedded dynamically.

• User-Centricity: A core principle is ensuring that "Somebody really thought about me," indicating a strong commitment to understanding and prioritizing consumer needs in product design and quality.

Company Website: https://www.careers.signify.com/global/en

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's long history combined with its focus on innovation (AI, IoT) positions it as a stable yet evolving entity. The "independent mandate" for UX Quality suggests a strategic investment in elevating consumer experience as a key business differentiator, requiring a leader who can navigate a large corporate structure while driving significant change.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a senior leadership position, equivalent to a Director or Head of Department. It involves building and leading a critical new function, defining strategic direction, and having a significant impact on product quality and consumer satisfaction. The role requires strategic thinking, operational execution, and the ability to influence at the highest levels of the organization.

Reporting Structure: The Head of UX Quality & Consumer Experience Assurance will likely report to a VP or SVP level executive within the Consumer Business, Quality, or Product Development organization. This reporting line ensures visibility and the authority needed to enact change.

Operations Impact: This role directly impacts the success of Signify's consumer products by ensuring they meet high standards of user experience. By acting as a critical quality gate, the Head of UX Quality will influence which products are launched, thereby shaping the consumer's perception of the brand and driving customer loyalty, retention, and potentially sales through superior product experiences. The role's success is measured by the demonstrable improvement in UX quality across the portfolio and the successful establishment of this new capability.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership Expansion: Potential to grow the UX Quality & Assurance team significantly, expanding its scope to cover more product lines or emerging technologies.

• Strategic Influence: Opportunity to shape Signify's overall approach to user experience and quality assurance, influencing company-wide product strategies and roadmaps.

• Industry Expertise Development: Deepen expertise in cutting-edge UX research methodologies, AI-driven UX, and connected product experiences within a global market leader.

• Cross-Functional Leadership: Develop broader leadership skills through extensive collaboration with various business units, potentially leading to roles with more encompassing product or quality responsibilities.

• Mentorship and Development: Opportunity to mentor and develop a team of UX professionals, contributing to the growth of talent within the organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "build-and-transform" aspect of this role offers significant growth potential, not just in managing an existing team but in architecting a new function. This is an opportunity for a candidate to leave a lasting mark on the organization's approach to user experience and quality.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid work environment. The role is based in Eindhoven or Amsterdam, with a strong preference for working from the Eindhoven office. This suggests a collaborative office setting designed for team interaction, innovation, and focused work, complemented by the flexibility of remote work.

Office Location(s):

• Eindhoven, North Brabant, Netherlands: Signify's historical home and a significant R&D hub.

• Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands: Another major operational center.

Candidates are expected to be able to work from one of these primary locations, with flexibility for remote work days.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Hub: The office environment likely facilitates cross-functional collaboration, team meetings, workshops, and brainstorming sessions essential for defining and implementing UX quality standards.

• Access to Resources: Employees will have access to necessary tools, technology, and potentially dedicated facilities for UX research and testing (though the role involves setting up and deploying these).

• Innovation Ecosystem: Being part of a large, innovative company means exposure to cutting-edge technology and a diverse professional community, fostering knowledge sharing and professional growth.

Work Schedule: Standard full-time hours (approx. 40 hours/week) with a hybrid arrangement offering flexibility. This schedule is designed to accommodate deep work required for research and analysis, as well as collaborative sessions crucial for quality assurance and cross-functional alignment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model is standard for many senior roles in large organizations, balancing the need for in-person collaboration and strategic alignment with individual productivity and work-life balance. The preference for Eindhoven suggests its importance as a core operational and innovation site for Signify's consumer business.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

1. Initial Screening: HR or Talent Acquisition will review applications to assess alignment with basic requirements.

2. Hiring Manager Interview: A discussion with the hiring manager to delve into experience, leadership style, and strategic vision for the UX Quality function. Focus on understanding your approach to building new capabilities and driving change.

3. Cross-Functional Stakeholder Interviews: Meetings with key stakeholders from Product Management, Engineering, Design, and potentially other Quality leaders. These interviews will assess your ability to collaborate, influence, and integrate UX quality into diverse workflows. Expect scenario-based questions about managing disagreements and driving consensus.

4. Portfolio Presentation & Deep Dive: A dedicated session where you will present a portfolio showcasing your experience in building UX capabilities, implementing quality frameworks, and driving measurable improvements. Prepare to discuss specific case studies in detail, including methodologies, challenges, outcomes, and lessons learned.

5. Senior Leadership Interview: A final interview with a senior executive (e.g., VP of Consumer Business, Head of Quality) to evaluate strategic fit, leadership potential, and overall alignment with the company's vision.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Showcase "Build & Transform": Prioritize examples where you established new processes, teams, or functions, demonstrating your ability to create from scratch.

• Quantify Impact: For each case study, clearly articulate the measurable outcomes. Use metrics related to user satisfaction, product quality improvements, risk reduction, or efficiency gains.

• Detail Your Role: Be explicit about your specific contributions, the challenges you faced, and how you overcame them.

• Process Clarity: Present your frameworks and methodologies clearly, explaining the rationale behind your design choices and how they ensured evidence-based decisions.

• Storytelling: Frame your experience as compelling narratives that highlight your problem-solving skills, leadership, and strategic thinking.

Challenge Preparation:

• Scenario-Based Questions: Be ready to discuss how you would address specific challenges, such as: "How would you define UX quality for a smart lighting system?" or "How would you convince an engineering team to prioritize UX improvements over feature development?"

• Strategic Vision: Prepare to articulate your vision for UX Quality at Signify, including key priorities for the first 6-12 months and long-term goals.

• Risk Management Scenarios: Consider how you would approach identifying and mitigating critical UX risks in complex product development cycles.

• Communication Strategy: Think about how you would communicate the value of UX Quality to different audiences within the organization, from engineers to senior executives.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is designed to assess not only technical expertise but also leadership, strategic thinking, and the ability to drive significant organizational change. The portfolio presentation is a critical component, requiring candidates to demonstrate tangible experience in building and transforming quality functions.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• UX Research Platforms: Familiarity with tools for conducting surveys, usability testing, and gathering qualitative feedback (e.g., UserTesting.com, Qualtrics, SurveyMonkey, Lookback).

• Analytics & Data Visualization: Proficiency in using analytics tools to track user behavior and performance metrics, and visualization tools to present insights (e.g., Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, Tableau, Power BI).

• Project Management Software: Experience with tools used to manage product development lifecycles and track quality initiatives (e.g., Jira, Asana, Trello).

• Collaboration Suites: Proficiency in tools like Microsoft 365 (Teams, SharePoint) or Google Workspace for communication, documentation, and team collaboration.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Data Analysis Tools: Experience with statistical analysis software or libraries (e.g., R, Python with pandas/numpy) for deeper data insights.

• Reporting Dashboards: Ability to create and interpret dashboards that monitor key UX quality metrics, product performance, and consumer feedback trends.

CRM & Automation:

• While not explicitly a CRM role, understanding how UX quality impacts customer relationships and potentially integrating feedback loops with CRM systems could be beneficial.

• Experience with workflow automation tools might be relevant for streamlining quality assurance processes.

📝 Enhancement Note: While specific tools aren't listed, the role's responsibilities point towards a need for proficiency in a broad range of UX research, analytics, and project management software. The ability to leverage data from various sources to inform quality decisions is paramount.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Quality First: A deep-seated commitment to ensuring products meet the highest standards of quality, with UX being a paramount attribute.

• User-Centricity: A drive to deeply understand and advocate for the consumer, ensuring their needs and experiences are at the forefront of product development.

• Data-Driven: A reliance on evidence, research, and analytics to inform decisions, validate assumptions, and measure impact.

• Innovation & Continuous Improvement: A proactive mindset towards exploring new methods, technologies, and approaches to enhance UX quality and processes.

• Collaboration & Transparency: A belief in working together across disciplines, sharing insights openly, and fostering a culture where feedback is valued and acted upon.

• Accountability & Ownership: Taking responsibility for the quality of the consumer experience and driving initiatives to completion with strong ownership.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Partnership: Emphasis on building strong, collaborative relationships with Product Management, Engineering, Design, and Marketing to ensure UX quality is a shared responsibility.

• Evidence-Based Advocacy: Using data and research to advocate for UX improvements and quality standards in a constructive, non-confrontational manner.

• Open Feedback Culture: Encouraging a culture where constructive feedback on UX and quality is welcomed, discussed, and acted upon across teams.

• Strategic Alignment: Working to align UX quality objectives with broader business goals and product strategies, ensuring a cohesive approach to product development.

📝 Enhancement Note: The culture is likely a blend of established corporate processes with a strong push towards innovation and user-centricity, driven by the strategic importance of this new UX Quality function. Success will depend on fostering a collaborative environment where UX quality is seen as a shared responsibility, not just a departmental function.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Establishing a New Function: Building a UX Quality & Assurance capability from the ground up in a large organization requires significant effort in defining processes, gaining buy-in, and recruiting talent.

• Cultural Shift: Shifting mindsets to treat UX as a formal quality gate rather than a subjective design preference can be challenging, requiring strong change management skills.

• Balancing Speed and Quality: Ensuring rigorous UX validation without unduly slowing down fast-paced product development cycles.

• Measuring Impact: Quantifying the precise impact of UX quality improvements on business outcomes can be complex, requiring robust measurement strategies.

• Global Consistency: Standardizing UX quality across diverse product lines, R&D sites, and potentially different market needs.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Strategic Leadership Development: Gaining experience in organizational design, strategic planning, and building high-performing teams in a global context.

• Advanced UX Methodologies: Opportunities to explore and implement cutting-edge UX research techniques, AI-driven UX enhancements, and user experience analytics.

• Cross-Industry Benchmarking: Exposure to best practices in UX quality and consumer experience assurance from other leading tech and consumer goods companies.

• Mentorship and Executive Coaching: Access to senior leaders and potential for dedicated coaching to hone leadership and strategic capabilities.

• Industry Conferences & Training: Support for attending relevant industry events and pursuing certifications to stay abreast of the latest trends in UX and quality assurance.

📝 Enhancement Note: The primary challenge is systemic: embedding UX as a non-negotiable quality attribute within a large organization. Candidates who can demonstrate experience in navigating such organizational complexities and driving cultural change will be well-suited for this role.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Imagine you're tasked with establishing UX Quality Assurance for our new smart home lighting system. What would be your first steps in defining the UX quality framework, and what key metrics would you prioritize?" (Focus on methodology, prioritization, and metrics.)

• "How would you gain buy-in from engineering and product management teams who may prioritize feature delivery over UX validation? Describe a time you successfully influenced a team to adopt new quality standards." (Focus on influence, collaboration, and change management.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What is your understanding of Signify's mission, and how do you see UX Quality contributing to our 'brighter lives and a better world' vision?" (Focus on research, alignment, and strategic contribution.)

• "This role is about building a new capability. How do you approach building a team and fostering a culture of quality and user-centricity from the ground up?" (Focus on leadership, team building, and cultural impact.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, clearly outline the Problem, Your Role/Approach, Actions Taken, and Results Achieved (PAR or STAR method).

• Highlight "Build & Transform": Emphasize projects where you created new processes, teams, or quality frameworks.

• Showcase Data & Evidence: Visually represent data, research findings, and metrics that demonstrate the impact of your work. Use charts, graphs, and key performance indicators (KPIs).

• Explain Your Decision-Making: Be prepared to articulate the rationale behind your strategic choices, your process design, and the critical decisions you made.

• Tailor to Signify: Connect your experience and portfolio examples to Signify's products, industry, and stated values where possible.

📝 Enhancement Note: Prepare to demonstrate not just what you've done, but how you've done it, and why. The interview will heavily scrutinize your ability to strategically build, lead, and influence within a large, established organization, with a strong emphasis on empirical evidence and measurable outcomes.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on the Signify Careers website.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 key projects that best demonstrate your experience in building UX quality functions, implementing rigorous validation processes, and driving measurable improvements in consumer experience or product quality. Ensure these examples highlight your strategic approach and ability to influence stakeholders.

• Tailor Your Resume: Update your resume to prominently feature keywords related to UX research, UX validation, quality assurance, governance, product development lifecycles, change management, and leadership. Quantify achievements wherever possible, using metrics that align with the role's responsibilities.

• Prepare Your Narrative: Practice articulating your experience and vision for UX Quality Assurance at Signify. Be ready to discuss your approach to building a new team, establishing frameworks, and driving cultural change during interviews and your portfolio presentation.

• Research Signify: Deeply understand Signify's products, markets, sustainability initiatives, and company culture. Identify how your role as Head of UX Quality & Consumer Experience Assurance will directly contribute to their mission and business objectives.

⚠️ 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.

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