Head of UX / VP UX

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Head of UX / VP UX

Company: Nexthink

Location: Lausanne, Vaud, Switzerland

Job Type: Full-time

Category: User Experience Leadership / Product Design Leadership

Date Posted: 2026-02-24

Experience Level: 10+ years leadership experience

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead and evolve the User Experience (UX) and Product Design organization for a leading B2B SaaS platform, driving end-to-end user experience strategy and execution.

• Act as a key strategic partner to CPO, Engineering, and Go-To-Market (GTM) leadership, directly influencing product strategy, adoption, retention, differentiation, and revenue through UX decisions.

• Spearhead the design and development of AI-driven products and agentic experiences, with a deep focus on orchestration, trust, explainability, control, and effective human-AI collaboration.

• Champion a pragmatic approach to UX, assessing and evolving existing organizational structures, skills, processes, and culture to enhance design quality, speed, and business impact across a complex product ecosystem.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is executive-level, requiring a strategic visionary who can not only lead a team but also significantly influence company-wide product strategy. The strong emphasis on AI and agentic experiences indicates a forward-thinking organization aiming to integrate cutting-edge technology into its core product offering. The "Head of UX / VP UX" title suggests significant autonomy and responsibility for the entire UX function.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Critically assess the current UX, Product, and Research organization, identifying skill gaps, structural inefficiencies, and process limitations, and implementing pragmatic improvements.

• Develop and articulate a compelling UX vision and design philosophy that aligns with overall product strategy and business objectives, ensuring it drives adoption, retention, differentiation, and revenue.

• Lead the design, research, content, and systems functions within the UX team, fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

• Collaborate closely with Product Management and Engineering leadership to shape product roadmaps, influence prioritization, and ensure seamless execution of design initiatives.

• Represent Nexthink's UX vision externally to customers, partners, analysts, and at industry events, building credibility and enhancing brand perception.

• Champion the adoption and integration of AI within the UX team's own workflows and processes, leveraging AI as an operational advantage for design, research, and prototyping.

• Build, mentor, and scale a team of senior design leaders and multidisciplinary UX professionals, fostering their growth and development.

• Operate effectively in a global, multicultural environment, influencing stakeholders across different regions and levels of the organization without relying solely on hierarchy.

• Bring fresh external perspectives and challenge assumptions constructively to elevate the UX standard while respecting existing strengths within the organization.

• Ensure a business-aware mindset permeates UX decisions, clearly linking design outcomes to tangible business metrics such as adoption, retention, and revenue.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of strategic leadership, team building, AI expertise, and cross-functional collaboration. The emphasis on "influencing without relying on hierarchy" and "challenging assumptions constructively" points to a culture that values proactive contributions and diverse perspectives from its leadership.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While not explicitly stated, an advanced degree in HCI, Design, Computer Science, or a related field is typically expected for executive-level UX leadership roles.

Experience: 10+ years of progressive experience in UX/Product Design, with a substantial portion dedicated to leadership roles within enterprise B2B SaaS environments.

Required Skills:

• Proven experience in building, scaling, and developing high-performing UX and Product Design teams.

• Demonstrated ability to define and execute design strategy for complex, data-rich platforms serving enterprise customers.

• Strong systems-thinking mindset, with experience designing across multi-product ecosystems and platform architectures.

• Deep understanding of user research methodologies, design systems, prototyping, and data-informed decision-making.

• Experience partnering closely with Product Management and Engineering to influence roadmaps, prioritization, and delivery.

• Strong executive presence, with the ability to represent the design vision internally and externally with customers and industry stakeholders.

• High integrity, strong commercial awareness, and a customer-centric mindset.

Preferred Skills:

• Hands-on experience designing for AI-driven products, automation, or analytics-based products.

• Specific experience with "agentic" experiences, focusing on orchestration, trust, explainability, control, and human-AI collaboration.

• Experience in employee-facing products or Digital Employee Experience (DEX) is a strong plus.

• Experience in data-rich or complex domain environments.

• Proficiency in leveraging AI tools for design, research, and prototyping workflows.

📝 Enhancement Note: The qualifications emphasize leadership acumen, strategic thinking, and a deep understanding of complex B2B SaaS product development. The preference for AI experience signals a critical requirement for this role, indicating a strategic direction for Nexthink's product development.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrate a portfolio showcasing successful leadership of UX initiatives for complex B2B SaaS platforms, including strategic vision and execution.

• Provide case studies that illustrate the process of assessing and evolving UX/Product Design organizations, including specific structural, process, or cultural improvements made.

• Showcase examples of how UX decisions have directly contributed to business outcomes such as adoption, retention, differentiation, and revenue.

Process Documentation:

• Evidence of establishing and refining UX processes, including user research, design thinking, system design, and prototyping methodologies.

• Documentation of how design systems were implemented or evolved to ensure consistency, scalability, and efficiency across a complex product ecosystem.

• Examples of how data and analytics were integrated into the UX design process to inform decisions and measure impact.

• Demonstration of how UX teams collaborate with Product Management and Engineering, including workflow integration and communication protocols.

📝 Enhancement Note: For an executive role, the portfolio should emphasize strategic leadership, organizational transformation, and measurable business impact, rather than just individual design execution. Case studies demonstrating the candidate's ability to lead complex projects and manage organizational change within UX are crucial.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Given the executive level (VP/Head of), 10+ years of experience, and location in Lausanne, Switzerland (a high cost of living area), the estimated annual salary range is CHF 180,000 - CHF 250,000+. This range is based on industry benchmarks for similar executive UX leadership roles in major European tech hubs and Switzerland, considering the company's scale and the specialized AI expertise required.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive health insurance package, including medical, dental, and vision coverage.

• Retirement savings plan with potential company matching contributions.

• Generous paid time off (PTO), including vacation days, public holidays, and sick leave.

• Opportunities for professional development, including conference attendance, training programs, and access to learning resources.

• Stock options or equity participation, typical for executive roles in growing tech companies.

• Potential for performance-based bonuses tied to individual and company objectives.

• Relocation assistance may be available for candidates moving to Lausanne.

Working Hours: Standard full-time working hours are typically around 40 hours per week. The role may require flexibility to accommodate global team collaboration and occasional urgent strategic needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary estimates are based on research from platforms like Glassdoor, SalaryExpert, and industry reports for executive UX leadership roles in Switzerland. The range reflects the seniority and specialized skills (AI, B2B SaaS leadership) required. Benefits are typical for executive positions in multinational tech companies.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Software / Digital Employee Experience (DEX) Management. Nexthink is a leader in a specialized IT market category that is shaping the future of work.

Company Size: Over 1200 employees worldwide, with 9 offices globally. This indicates a mature, established company with a significant market presence and resources.

Founded: Dual headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland and Boston, Massachusetts. The founding date is not provided but implies a company with established operations and growth trajectory.

Team Structure:

• The UX team likely operates within the Product division, reporting to the Chief Product Officer (CPO).

• This role will lead a multidisciplinary team comprising UX designers, researchers, content strategists, and potentially design operations specialists.

Methodology:

• Nexthink emphasizes an innovative approach, integrating real-time analytics, automation, and employee feedback.

• The company culture is described as "One Team," focusing on connection, collaboration, and continuous innovation.

• There's a strong commitment to diversity, inclusion, and equity, with over 75 nationalities represented.

• The role requires embracing AI not just as a product feature but as an operational advantage in working methods.

Company Website: https://www.nexthink.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture appears to be collaborative, global, and forward-thinking, with a strong emphasis on innovation and diversity. The "One Team" approach suggests a unified effort across departments. The focus on DEX and AI highlights Nexthink's position at the forefront of workplace technology.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is an executive-level position (Head of UX / VP UX), representing the pinnacle of UX leadership within the organization. It involves significant strategic responsibility and direct impact on product direction and business outcomes.

Reporting Structure: The Head of UX / VP UX will report directly to the Chief Product Officer (CPO) and will be a key member of the senior product leadership team.

Operations Impact: This role has a profound impact on revenue and business decisions by shaping the user experience of Nexthink's B2B SaaS product. A strong UX directly influences customer adoption, retention, satisfaction, and ultimately, market differentiation and sales success. The emphasis on AI-driven products means the UX leader will play a critical role in defining the future competitive advantage of Nexthink's offerings.

Growth Opportunities:

• Strategic Influence: Opportunity to shape the long-term product vision and strategy, particularly in the rapidly evolving AI and DEX space.

• Organizational Development: Lead and grow a high-impact UX organization, mentoring senior leaders and fostering a world-class design culture.

• Industry Leadership: Represent Nexthink as a thought leader in UX and AI at industry events and through thought leadership content.

• Business Impact Measurement: Directly link UX initiatives to key business metrics and demonstrate quantifiable value to the executive team and board.

• Broader Leadership: Potential to expand scope within the product organization or transition into broader leadership roles within the company as it continues to grow.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers significant scope for strategic impact and personal growth, particularly for leaders interested in shaping the future of AI in enterprise software and Digital Employee Experience. The ability to influence company strategy and build a leading UX function is a key growth driver.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is designated as "On-site," indicating an expectation for the leader to work from the Lausanne office. This fosters in-person collaboration and team cohesion.

Office Location(s): Lausanne, Vaud, Switzerland. Lausanne is a vibrant city in Switzerland known for its innovation ecosystem and high quality of life.

Workspace Context:

• The workspace is likely designed to foster collaboration, innovation, and cross-functional interaction, essential for a leadership role.

• Access to cutting-edge tools and technologies, including potential AI-powered design and research platforms, will be available.

• Opportunities for regular interaction with a diverse, global team, including product management, engineering, sales, and marketing.

Work Schedule: While the standard is 40 hours per week, executive roles often require flexibility. The work schedule will need to accommodate global team interactions across different time zones and potentially urgent strategic needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The on-site requirement suggests Nexthink values in-person collaboration for its executive team, particularly for fostering culture and strategic alignment. The location in Lausanne offers a high quality of life and access to a strong European talent pool.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: HR and potentially a senior Product leader will assess alignment with core requirements and cultural fit.

• Hiring Manager Interview: Deep dive into leadership experience, strategic thinking, and vision for UX at Nexthink.

• Cross-Functional Leadership Interviews: Meetings with CPO, Engineering leadership, and potentially GTM leaders to assess collaboration style and strategic alignment.

• Team/Peer Interviews: Discussions with senior UX team members or peers to evaluate leadership approach, mentoring capabilities, and team dynamics.

• Presentation/Workshop: A critical stage likely involving a presentation to senior leadership and the UX team. This may include:

  • A strategic overview of how you would approach leading the UX organization at Nexthink.
  • A case study of a complex B2B SaaS product challenge you've solved, focusing on AI integration, user experience, and business impact.
  • An assessment of the current UX organization and proposed evolution plan.

• Final Executive Interview: With top executives (e.g., CEO, CPO) for final approval.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Strategic Focus: Emphasize your strategic impact and leadership achievements, not just individual design contributions.

• Organizational Evolution: Showcase examples of how you've grown, structured, and improved UX teams and processes.

• AI Integration: Clearly articulate your experience and vision for designing AI-driven products and agentic experiences. Detail your approach to trust, explainability, and human-AI collaboration.

• Business Acumen: Quantify the business impact of your work, linking UX initiatives to adoption, retention, differentiation, and revenue.

• Presentation Clarity: Be prepared to walk through your portfolio with clear narratives, highlighting challenges, your approach, and the measurable outcomes.

Challenge Preparation:

• Strategic Vision: Be ready to articulate your vision for UX at Nexthink, considering the company's market position, AI initiatives, and B2B SaaS focus.

• Organizational Assessment: Prepare a framework for how you would assess and evolve the current UX organization.

• AI UX Scenarios: Think through potential UX challenges related to agentic AI experiences and how you would address them.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Prepare examples of how you've successfully partnered with Product and Engineering leadership on complex initiatives.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is likely rigorous, focusing heavily on strategic leadership, AI expertise, and the ability to drive business outcomes. A well-prepared presentation showcasing strategic vision and measurable impact will be crucial.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite, InVision, Axure RP (or similar advanced prototyping tools).

• User Research Platforms: UserTesting.com, Lookback, Maze, Qualtrics, SurveyMonkey, or internal research tools.

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

• AI/ML Platforms: While not directly designing ML models, familiarity with platforms like TensorFlow, PyTorch, or cloud AI services (AWS SageMaker, Google AI Platform) might be beneficial for understanding capabilities and limitations in product design.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Product Analytics: Mixpanel, Amplitude, Pendo, Google Analytics.

• BI Tools: Tableau, Power BI, Looker for data visualization and reporting on UX metrics.

• Customer Feedback Platforms: Zendesk, Intercom, Gainsight, specialized feedback aggregation tools.

CRM & Automation:

• CRM: Salesforce, HubSpot (likely used by GTM teams, understanding its integration with product is valuable).

• Workflow Automation: Familiarity with how automation impacts user workflows, potentially tools like Zapier or internal automation platforms.

📝 Enhancement Note: The technology stack emphasizes modern design and research tools, with a strong leaning towards data-driven decision-making. Given the role's focus, familiarity with AI/ML concepts and platforms is a significant differentiator, even if not directly hands-on with model development.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Innovation & Forward-Thinking: A commitment to pioneering new solutions, especially in AI and DEX, and embracing cutting-edge technologies.

• Customer-Centricity: A deep understanding of customer needs and a drive to deliver exceptional user experiences that solve real problems.

• Excellence & Quality: A pursuit of high standards in design, research, and execution, ensuring robust and impactful product solutions.

• Collaboration & Inclusivity: Fostering a "One Team" environment where diverse perspectives are valued, and cross-functional partnerships thrive.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Utilizing data and insights to inform strategy, validate designs, and measure impact.

• Pragmatism & Business Impact: Balancing design quality with speed and ensuring UX initiatives directly contribute to business objectives.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: Strong emphasis on seamless collaboration between UX, Product Management, and Engineering to achieve shared goals.

• Open Communication: Encouraging transparent and constructive dialogue across all levels and departments.

• Knowledge Sharing: A culture that promotes sharing insights, best practices, and learnings across teams.

• Agile Methodologies: Likely adherence to agile principles for iterative development and continuous feedback loops.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company values emphasize innovation, customer focus, and a collaborative, global approach. The "One Team" mentality and diversity commitment are key cultural pillars. The expectation for pragmatic, business-outcome-driven UX is also central.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Evolving AI Landscape: Staying ahead of rapid advancements in AI and translating complex AI capabilities into intuitive and trustworthy user experiences.

• Organizational Transformation: Effectively assessing and evolving a mature UX/Research organization to meet new strategic demands, particularly around AI.

• Balancing Speed and Quality: Maintaining high design quality and strategic focus while operating in a fast-paced B2B SaaS environment.

• Global Team Management: Leading and aligning a diverse, multicultural team across different geographies and time zones.

• Demonstrating ROI: Continuously proving the direct business impact and ROI of UX initiatives to executive stakeholders.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• AI in UX Specialization: Deepen expertise in designing for AI, agentic systems, and human-AI collaboration through dedicated research, training, and experimentation.

• Strategic Leadership Development: Hone skills in influencing C-suite, shaping product strategy, and driving organizational change.

• Industry Exposure: Represent Nexthink at major industry conferences and engage with leading minds in UX, AI, and DEX.

• Mentorship & Coaching: Develop a strong pipeline of design talent by mentoring senior leaders and fostering a culture of continuous learning.

📝 Enhancement Note: The primary challenges revolve around navigating the complexities of AI integration into enterprise products and leading organizational change. The growth opportunities are significant for leaders looking to make a strategic impact in a cutting-edge technology domain.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe your philosophy for leading a UX/Product Design organization within a B2B SaaS company, especially one focused on AI-driven products. How would you assess our current state and what would be your initial priorities?"

• "How do you approach building trust and explainability into AI-driven user experiences? Provide an example of a product or feature where you've successfully navigated these challenges."

• "Walk us through a time you had to influence product strategy with Engineering and Product Management leadership. What was the situation, how did you approach it, and what was the outcome?"

Company & Culture Questions:

• "Based on your understanding of Nexthink and the DEX market, what do you see as the biggest UX opportunities and challenges for our product roadmap, particularly concerning AI?"

• "Describe your experience working in global, multicultural organizations. How do you foster collaboration and ensure inclusivity within your team and with cross-functional partners?"

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Narrative Arc: Structure your presentation around a compelling story: the challenge, your strategic approach as a leader, the specific UX/AI solutions implemented, and the measurable business impact.

• Quantify Everything: For each case study, clearly state the KPIs you influenced and the percentage improvement or business value generated.

• AI Focus: Dedicate a portion of your presentation to your experience with AI products, detailing your understanding of UX principles for AI agents, trust, and explainability.

• Organizational Impact: Include examples of how you've developed teams, improved processes, or scaled design systems.

• Conciseness: Be mindful of time. Focus on the most impactful examples that directly address the requirements of this role.

📝 Enhancement Note: Expect questions that probe your strategic thinking, AI UX expertise, leadership capabilities, and ability to drive business results. A well-structured presentation that clearly links your experience to Nexthink's needs, especially regarding AI and B2B SaaS, will be critical.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Head of UX / VP UX position at Nexthink:

• Submit your application through the provided SmartRecruiters link, ensuring your resume and any requested documents are attached.

• Portfolio Customization: Prepare a portfolio that prominently features your leadership experience in B2B SaaS, your strategic approach to UX, and specific case studies demonstrating your ability to design for AI-driven products and agentic experiences. Highlight instances where you've assessed and evolved UX organizations.

• Resume Optimization: Tailor your resume to highlight your 10+ years of progressive leadership experience, focusing on achievements in scaling teams, influencing product strategy, and driving business impact through UX. Use keywords such as "UX Leadership," "B2B SaaS," "AI Products," "Product Strategy," "Design Systems," and "Team Building."

• Interview Preparation: Thoroughly research Nexthink, its products, the DEX market, and its competitors. Prepare specific examples for behavioral questions, focusing on leadership, strategy, AI UX, and cross-functional collaboration. Practice your presentation for the interview stage, ensuring it clearly articulates your vision and impact.

• Company Research: Understand Nexthink's mission, values, and recent developments, particularly its commitment to AI and Digital Employee Experience. Be ready to discuss how your leadership style and UX philosophy align with the company's culture.

⚠️ 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.