Lead Product Designer - Customer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Lead Product Designer - Customer

Company: Rightmove Careers

Location: London, UK

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Product Design / Experience Design (XD)

Date Posted: 2026-09-30

Experience Level: Mid-Senior Level (5-10 years)

Remote Status: Hybrid (2 days in office, 3 days remote)

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead and mentor a team of Senior Product Designers and User Researchers within the Customer Experience Design (XD) team.

• Own the end-to-end design vision for the "Partners" area, focusing on enhancing the connection between consumers and Estate Agents.

• Drive the creation of intuitive, trusted, and user-centric experiences for both consumers and Estate Agents on the Rightmove platform.

• Collaborate closely with Product leadership, Engineering, and other design functions to translate product strategy into impactful design solutions.

• Remain hands-on in design execution, setting quality standards, exploring innovative concepts, and guiding the design process from ideation to implementation.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a Lead Product Designer with significant team leadership and strategic responsibilities. The focus on a "multi-sided platform" (consumers and estate agents) and the "Partners" domain indicates a need for expertise in marketplace dynamics and complex user flows. The emphasis on coaching and line management suggests a strong people-development component.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and line manage a Senior Product Designer and User Researcher, fostering their professional growth and ensuring high-quality output.

• Define and articulate a compelling long-term design vision for the "Partners" domain, aligning stakeholders and influencing product roadmaps.

• Develop and own the end-to-end user experience strategy for how consumers and Estate Agents connect and interact within Rightmove.

• Conduct generative and evaluative user research to uncover deep user insights and inform strategic product decisions and long-term planning.

• Collaborate closely with the Head of Product, Senior Product Managers, and Engineering leadership to define product strategy and OKRs, ensuring design is integral to business objectives.

• Explore and define new product opportunities and features that address user needs and business goals within the "Partners" domain.

• Ensure design consistency across all platforms, establishing scalable design patterns and contributing to the evolution of the company's design system.

• Champion inclusive and accessible design practices, ensuring all experiences meet established standards.

• Represent the Experience Design (XD) team within Rightmove and stay abreast of industry best practices and emerging design trends, including the responsible use of AI.

• Support team hiring and recruitment processes as needed, contributing to building a strong design talent pool.

• Drive product design quality across UX, visual, content, and interaction design, promoting the adoption and reuse of the design system to maintain brand and code consistency.

• Partner with Head of Product, Engineering leadership, and other Lead Product Designers to contribute to strategic decisions and ensure alignment with business objectives and key results.

• Provide a holistic view of the domain, supported by insights, data, and clear articulation of user problems and opportunities.

• Support team hiring and recruitment when needed.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a dual focus on strategic leadership and hands-on design execution. The emphasis on "end-to-end design vision," "long-term vision," and "influences roadmaps" indicates a senior role with significant strategic input. The requirement to "remain hands-on where valuable" suggests the need for a leader who can still contribute directly to design work when necessary.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While not explicitly stated, a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Design, HCI, Computer Science, or a related field is typically expected for a Lead Product Designer role. Equivalent practical experience will also be considered.

Experience:

• 5-10 years of progressive experience in Product Design or UX Design, with a significant portion in senior or lead roles.

• Proven experience in designing complex, multi-sided platforms or marketplace experiences.

• Demonstrated experience managing and developing Product Designers, including coaching, mentoring, and providing clear direction and feedback. Required Skills:

• Expertise in designing complex, multi-sided platforms or marketplace experiences that ensure intuitive, trustworthy, and high-performing interactions between multiple user types (consumers and professionals).

• Proven experience in managing and developing Product Designers, providing clarity, coaching, and support.

• Strong leadership skills in recruitment and onboarding, with the ability to provide clear direction and continuous feedback.

• Excellent collaboration, communication, and storytelling skills, capable of building trust and nurturing strong relationships with leadership, stakeholders, and peers.

• Curiosity and creativity in exploring new technologies and approaches, including the responsible use of AI in design.

• Ability to influence design direction through insights, evidence, and rapid conceptual thinking.

• Strong grasp of design systems, interaction patterns, and scalable frameworks.

• Strategic thinking with the ability to balance business goals (including commercial opportunities) with user needs and long-term product vision.

• A proactive approach to evolving ways of working and improving cross-team delivery and collaboration.

• Expertise in user-centered design principles and methodologies.

• Proficiency in design and prototyping tools (e.g., Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite).

• Experience conducting user research (generative and evaluative) and translating insights into actionable design solutions.

• Understanding of accessibility and inclusive design principles and best practices. Preferred Skills:

• Experience within the property technology (PropTech) or real estate industry.

• Familiarity with agile development methodologies.

• Experience contributing to or evolving design systems.

• A portfolio showcasing successful end-to-end product design projects, particularly for complex platforms.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirements emphasize experience with complex platforms and people leadership. The "multi-sided platform" requirement is critical, highlighting the need for a designer who understands the dynamics of balancing needs between different user groups. The mention of AI also suggests a forward-thinking approach to design tools and methodologies.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio showcasing end-to-end product design projects, with a focus on complex, multi-sided platforms or marketplace experiences.

• Detailed case studies that demonstrate your problem-solving process, design rationale, user research integration, and final outcomes.

• Examples of how you've balanced business goals, commercial opportunities, and user needs.

• Evidence of your leadership in design, including examples of mentoring designers, setting design quality standards, and influencing product strategy.

• Work examples that highlight your understanding of interaction design, visual design, and user experience principles.

• Demonstrations of your ability to work with and contribute to design systems, showing how you ensure consistency and scalability. Process Documentation:

• Case studies should clearly articulate the problem statement, your role, the design process followed (research, ideation, prototyping, testing, iteration), and the impact of your solutions.

• Showcase your approach to collaboration with product management, engineering, research, and other stakeholders, illustrating how you build alignment and drive outcomes.

• Include examples of how you've used data and user insights to inform design decisions and measure success.

• Demonstrate your understanding of agile workflows and how design integrates into iterative development cycles.

• Provide examples of how you champion and implement inclusive and accessible design practices.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Lead Product Designer role, the portfolio is crucial for demonstrating not just design craft but also strategic thinking, leadership capabilities, and experience with complex system design. The emphasis on "multi-sided platforms" and "marketplace experiences" means case studies should highlight how different user needs were addressed simultaneously.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on industry benchmarks for Lead Product Designers in London with 5-10 years of experience, the estimated salary range is £75,000 - £100,000 per annum. This range can vary based on the candidate's specific experience, skills, and performance during the interview process.

Benefits:

• Cash plan for dental, optical, and physiotherapy treatments.

• Private Medical Insurance, Pension, and Life Insurance.

• Employee Assistance Program for confidential support.

• Generous holiday allowance: 27 days per year, plus two paid volunteering days.

• Holiday buy schemes to increase annual leave.

• Paid leave for maternity, paternity, adoption, and fertility treatments.

• Travel Loans, Bike to Work scheme, and Rental Deposit Loan options.

• Charitable contributions through Payroll Giving and donation matching.

• Access to a wide range of employee discounts on travel, electronics, fashion, gym memberships, cinema tickets, and more.

• Competitive compensation package.

• Contributory stakeholder pension.

• Life assurance at 4x basic salary.

Working Hours: Standard full-time working hours are expected, likely around 37.5-40 hours per week. The role is hybrid, requiring a minimum of 2 days per week in the London office.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary estimate is based on typical compensation for Lead Product Designer roles in London, considering the experience level and the company's market position. The extensive benefits package offered by Rightmove is a significant draw and should be highlighted.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Online Real Estate / Property Technology (PropTech). Rightmove is the UK's leading online property portal, connecting millions of buyers, renters, sellers, and agents.

Company Size: The job description doesn't specify, but Rightmove is a large, established public company. Based on external data, Rightmove employs over 1,000 people. This size indicates a structured environment with established processes, opportunities for growth, and significant resources.

Founded: Rightmove was founded in 2000. This history suggests a company with a proven track record, experience in navigating market changes, and a mature product development lifecycle.

Team Structure:

• The candidate will join the Experience Design (XD) team, reporting to the Head of Experience Design.

• The role involves leading and managing a Senior Product Designer and a User Researcher within the "Partners" domain.

• Close collaboration is expected with the Head of Product, Senior Product Managers, and Engineering leadership within the same domain.

• The role also requires cross-functional collaboration with commercial teams, design systems, and potentially other design leads. Methodology:

• Data-Driven Design: The role emphasizes leveraging insights and data to inform decisions and long-term planning.

• User-Centricity: A core focus on creating intuitive, trusted experiences for both consumers and estate agents.

• Agile Development: Implied by the collaboration with Product and Engineering leadership, suggesting iterative development cycles.

• Design Systems: Active contribution to and adoption of scalable patterns and design system evolution.

• AI Exploration: Encouragement to explore the responsible use of AI in design workflows.

Company Website: https://www.rightmove.co.uk/

📝 Enhancement Note: Rightmove's established position in the UK market and its focus on a "multi-sided platform" (consumers and estate agents) are key context points. The company culture emphasizes value creation, bigger thinking, caring deeply, moving together, and making a difference, which candidates should align with.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Lead Product Designer role, signifying a senior position within the design function. It involves not only individual contribution but also people management, strategic influence, and ownership of a significant product domain. It sits at the intersection of senior individual contributor and team lead.

Reporting Structure: The role reports to the Head of Experience Design, indicating a direct line to senior leadership within the design organization. The Lead Designer will manage a small team (Senior Product Designer, User Researcher), fostering a collaborative and supportive environment.

Operations Impact: The Lead Product Designer will have a significant impact on Rightmove's core business by shaping the experiences that connect consumers with estate agents. This directly influences user acquisition, engagement, satisfaction, and ultimately, the commercial success of the "Partners" segment. They will drive strategic product direction and design quality, impacting user behavior and business outcomes.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership Development: Opportunity to hone people management skills, mentor designers, and lead strategic initiatives within a growing design team.

• Domain Expertise: Deepen expertise in marketplace dynamics, consumer-agent relationships, and the property technology sector.

• Strategic Influence: Shape the future product roadmap and design vision for a critical area of Rightmove's business.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Gain experience working with diverse teams across Product, Engineering, Commercial, and Design Systems.

• Design System Evolution: Contribute to the growth and scalability of Rightmove's design system, impacting product consistency and efficiency.

• Learning & Development: Access to ongoing training, industry best practices, and exploration of new technologies like AI in design.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role offers a clear path for career progression into senior design leadership, with opportunities to manage teams, influence strategy, and become an expert in a key market domain. The emphasis on "making an impact" and "influencing product direction" points to a role with substantial growth potential.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Rightmove operates a hybrid work model. The role requires a minimum of 2 days per week in their Soho, London office, with the remaining 3 days available for remote work. This suggests a modern office environment designed for collaboration and focused work.

Office Location(s): The primary office location mentioned is Soho, London. This is a central, well-connected area in London, offering access to amenities and transport links.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The hybrid model and emphasis on collaboration suggest an office space that facilitates team meetings, workshops, and cross-functional discussions.

• Tools and Technology: Employees will have access to Rightmove's standard design tools and technology stack, supporting efficient workflow and innovation.

• Team Interaction: Opportunities for direct interaction with design team members, product managers, engineers, and other stakeholders, fostering a strong sense of team and shared purpose.

• Flexibility: The hybrid nature allows for a balance between in-person collaboration and focused, remote work.

Work Schedule: Standard full-time hours with a hybrid arrangement, offering flexibility. The expectation is to be available for collaboration and team activities on office days.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model is a key feature, indicating a commitment to work-life balance while maintaining the benefits of in-person collaboration. The Soho location is a desirable aspect for many London-based professionals.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

1. Application Screening: Initial review of CV and portfolio to assess experience, skills, and alignment with role requirements.

2. Hiring Manager/Team Lead Interview: Discussion focusing on leadership experience, design philosophy, team management approach, and strategic thinking. This is where your approach to mentoring and vision setting will be explored.

3. Design Challenge/Portfolio Review: A deep dive into your portfolio, likely presenting 1-2 key case studies. Expect to discuss your process, rationale, challenges faced, and outcomes achieved, particularly for complex platforms. This stage will assess your hands-on design skills, strategic thinking, and ability to articulate design decisions.

4. Cross-functional Stakeholder Interview: Meeting with Product Managers, Engineering Leads, or other key stakeholders to assess collaboration style, communication skills, and ability to influence across disciplines.

5. Final Interview: Potentially with a senior leader (e.g., Head of Product or senior executive) to discuss overall fit, vision, and strategic alignment.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 2-3 of your strongest case studies that best represent your experience designing complex, multi-sided platforms and your leadership capabilities.

• Tell a Story: Structure your case studies to clearly articulate the problem, your role, the process (research, ideation, testing, iteration), your design decisions and rationale, and the measurable impact of your work.

• Highlight Leadership: For this role, explicitly showcase examples of how you've mentored designers, influenced strategy, and driven design quality.

• Demonstrate Strategic Thinking: Explain how you balanced business goals, commercial opportunities, and user needs. Discuss your long-term vision for the products you've worked on.

• Showcase Collaboration: Illustrate how you worked with cross-functional teams and stakeholders, building trust and achieving alignment.

• Be Ready for Deep Dives: Prepare to discuss details of your design process, specific design choices, and the trade-offs you made.

Challenge Preparation:

• Anticipate Design Problems: Be ready to discuss how you would approach designing for a complex marketplace scenario, considering multiple user types.

• Focus on Process: Demonstrate a structured approach to problem-solving, starting with research and user understanding.

• Articulate Vision: Prepare to discuss how you would develop a long-term design vision for a product area.

• Communication is Key: Practice clearly articulating your thoughts, design rationale, and strategic thinking.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process emphasizes both design craft and leadership. Candidates must be prepared to present detailed case studies that showcase their ability to manage teams, influence strategy, and design for complex marketplace environments. The portfolio review will be a critical component.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma (highly likely, given industry trends and collaborative nature), Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop).

• Collaboration & Project Management: Jira, Confluence, Slack, Microsoft Teams.

• User Research Tools: Tools for user interviews, usability testing, surveys (e.g., UserTesting.com, SurveyMonkey, Maze).

Analytics & Reporting:

• Web Analytics: Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics (or similar platforms) to understand user behavior and track key metrics.

• Data Visualization/BI Tools: Tableau, Power BI, or internal dashboards for analyzing user data and performance metrics.

CRM & Automation:

• While not directly a CRM/Automation role, understanding how design integrates with customer journeys managed by CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce) and marketing automation platforms could be beneficial.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in modern design tools like Figma is essential. Experience with user research platforms and data analytics tools will be advantageous for informing design decisions and measuring impact. The ability to integrate with or understand the output of CRM and marketing automation systems can be a plus for understanding the broader customer journey.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values: Rightmove's "Hows" are central to their culture:

• We create value… by delivering results and building trust with partners and consumers. This translates to a focus on measurable impact and strong stakeholder relationships for the design team.

• We think bigger… by acting with curiosity and setting bold aspirations. This encourages innovation, exploration of new technologies (like AI), and ambitious design vision setting.

• We care deeply… by being real, having fun, and valuing diversity. This points to a supportive, inclusive, and authentic work environment where designers feel comfortable being themselves.

• We move together… by being one team - internally collaborative, externally competitive. This emphasizes strong cross-functional collaboration, teamwork, and a united approach to achieving company goals.

• We make a difference… by focusing on delivering measurable impact. This highlights a results-oriented culture where the design team's contributions are tied to tangible business and user outcomes. Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Strong emphasis on working closely with Product, Engineering, Research, and Commercial teams to ensure alignment and deliver holistic solutions.

• Design System Advocacy: Promoting reuse and consistency across platforms, fostering a collaborative approach to design system adoption and evolution.

• Open Communication & Feedback: Encouraging open dialogue, sharing insights, and providing constructive feedback to drive continuous improvement in design quality and team processes.

• Mentorship & Support: A culture that supports learning, development, and mutual support among team members, particularly from the Lead Designer to their direct reports.

📝 Enhancement Note: Candidates should be prepared to demonstrate how their approach to design and collaboration aligns with Rightmove's core values. The emphasis on "moving together" and "creating value" suggests a highly collaborative and results-driven environment.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Dual Audiences: Designing for a multi-sided platform (consumers and estate agents) requires carefully balancing the needs, motivations, and potential conflicts between these distinct user groups.

• Driving Design Vision: Influencing product roadmaps and securing buy-in for long-term design vision from diverse stakeholders, including senior leadership and commercial teams.

• Leading and Mentoring: Effectively coaching and developing a team of designers and researchers while remaining hands-on and maintaining high design quality standards.

• Evolving Technology: Staying current with emerging technologies like AI and integrating them responsibly and effectively into design workflows and product experiences.

• Maintaining Consistency: Ensuring design consistency across a large, complex platform while supporting the evolution of the design system.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Leadership Skills: Opportunities to deepen expertise in people management, team building, and strategic leadership within a product design context.

• Marketplace Design Specialization: Becoming a subject matter expert in the dynamics of online marketplaces and the real estate industry.

• Strategic Product Influence: Gaining significant experience in shaping product strategy and roadmaps at a senior level.

• Design System Contribution: Playing a key role in the development and scaling of a robust design system.

• Industry Exposure: Engaging with industry trends, best practices, and potentially attending relevant conferences or workshops.

• AI in Design Exploration: Proactively exploring and experimenting with AI tools to enhance design productivity and innovation.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented offer significant growth opportunities. The role is designed for someone who thrives in a complex environment, enjoys mentoring, and wants to make a strategic impact on a leading digital platform.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you led the design for a complex, multi-sided platform. What were the key challenges, and how did you balance the needs of different user groups?" (Focus on your process, strategic thinking, and outcomes.)

• "How do you approach coaching and developing Product Designers? Share an example of how you've helped a team member grow their skills or career." (Highlight your leadership and mentorship style.)

• "Imagine you need to define a long-term design vision for how consumers choose estate agents. What steps would you take, and how would you align stakeholders?" (Demonstrate your strategic visioning and communication abilities.)

• "How do you integrate user research and data into your design process, especially when defining new product opportunities?" (Showcase your data-informed approach.)

• "Discuss your experience with design systems. How do you advocate for their adoption and ensure consistency across products?" (Assess your understanding of scalable design practices.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "How do Rightmove's core values ('Hows') resonate with your own working philosophy? Provide examples." (Connect your experience to their stated values.)

• "Describe your ideal collaboration style with Product Managers and Engineering Leads. How do you build trust and ensure alignment?" (Assess your cross-functional collaboration skills.)

• "What are your thoughts on the responsible use of AI in product design? How might you explore this at Rightmove?" (Gauge your curiosity and forward-thinking approach.)

• "What excites you most about Rightmove and this specific role?" (Show your genuine interest and understanding of the opportunity.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, clearly outline the problem, your specific role and responsibilities, the design process (research, ideation, prototyping, testing, iteration), key decisions and rationale, challenges encountered, and the measurable impact of your solutions.

• Highlight Leadership Elements: Explicitly point out instances where you mentored designers, influenced strategy, managed stakeholders, or drove design quality.

• Emphasize Complexity: For this role, focus on case studies that demonstrate your ability to design for complex user flows and multi-sided platforms.

• Showcase Strategic Thinking: Clearly articulate how you balanced business objectives with user needs and long-term product vision.

• Be Prepared for Q&A: Anticipate detailed questions about your design choices, trade-offs, and the outcomes of your projects. Be ready to discuss alternative approaches you considered.

• Visuals and Clarity: Ensure your presentation is visually clear, easy to follow, and effectively communicates your design thinking.

📝 Enhancement Note: Candidates should prepare to discuss their leadership philosophy, strategic approach to design, and experience with complex marketplace platforms. The portfolio presentation is a key opportunity to demonstrate these skills.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Lead Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on the Rightmove Careers portal.

• Tailor Your CV: Highlight your experience in leading design teams, managing designers, and designing complex, multi-sided platforms. Quantify your achievements where possible, especially those related to user engagement, conversion, or strategic impact.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 of your strongest case studies that best showcase your leadership, strategic thinking, and experience with marketplace design. Ensure each case study clearly outlines the problem, your process, your role, and the impact of your solutions.

• Prepare Your Presentation: Practice presenting your portfolio case studies, focusing on storytelling, clear articulation of your design decisions, and demonstrating your ability to balance user needs with business goals. Be ready to discuss your leadership approach and vision.

• Research Rightmove: Familiarize yourself with Rightmove's products, market position, and company values ("Hows"). Understand their mission and how your role contributes to it.

⚠️ 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.