Principal UX/UI Designer (Individual Contributor)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Principal UX/UI Designer (Individual Contributor)

Company: SciLeads

Location: Remote, United Kingdom

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Design Operations / Product Design

Date Posted: 2026-06-24

Experience Level: 5-10 Years

Remote Status: Fully Remote

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the end-to-end design of a cohesive, AI-powered SaaS platform, translating complex data requirements into intuitive user experiences that enhance customer engagement and satisfaction.

• Drive product vision and strategy through a strong, user-centered design approach, influencing the product roadmap and defining success metrics for design outcomes.

• Collaborate closely with Product, Engineering, and Data teams to deliver seamless, high-quality user interfaces for data-rich features and AI-powered modules.

• Mentor and support a junior designer, establishing design standards, fostering a culture of excellence, and contributing to the evolution of the company's design system.

• Act as a key design advocate, engaging directly with customers and customer-facing teams to gather insights, validate designs, and ensure solutions meet user needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title is "Principal UX/UI Designer," the responsibilities clearly indicate a significant operational component. The role involves influencing product strategy, defining roadmaps, setting design system standards, and mentoring, which are core to operational excellence within a design function. The emphasis on AI-powered features and data-rich environments also points to a need for sophisticated operational design processes.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design Strategy & Vision:

  • Proactively influence the product vision and strategy with a user-centered design approach aligned with business objectives.
  • Co-create and deliver a design roadmap that aligns with product priorities and customer value propositions.
  • Own the definition of success metrics for design initiatives and track post-launch impact on key product analytics.
  • Actively contribute to the conceptualization and evolution of AI-powered features and user experiences.

• Product Design & Delivery:

  • Lead the entire design lifecycle from problem identification through to successful delivery, ensuring high quality and usability.
  • Design and ship intuitive interfaces for complex, data-driven features and AI modules, focusing on improving user engagement and adoption.
  • Create detailed wireframes, interactive prototypes, and high-fidelity UI designs using modern design tools.
  • Continuously experiment with new AI capabilities to enhance design speed and quality.
  • Measure and meaningfully improve key product analytics through rapid design iteration and A/B testing.
  • Support Product and Commercial teams by providing design assets for product launches and feature releases.

• Team Leadership & Mentorship:

  • Serve as a principal design leader, setting high standards for quality, consistency, and best practices within the design team.
  • Mentor and support a junior designer, providing regular feedback, guidance, and development in UX/UI principles.
  • Foster a culture of continuous learning, design excellence, and user-centric thinking across the team.
  • Support the onboarding and development of new design team members as SciLeads scales.

• Stakeholder Engagement & Customer Advocacy:

  • Clearly communicate design concepts, rationale, and decisions to internal stakeholders at all levels.

  • Champion the user's perspective throughout the entire product development lifecycle.

  • Engage directly with customers through interviews, usability testing, product advisory groups, and by collaborating with customer-facing teams.

  • Monitor post-launch performance and user behavior to inform ongoing product improvements.

  • Represent the design function within the broader business and contribute to a strong, integrated design culture.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a strong "Individual Contributor" aspect with leadership and mentorship duties. This implies the need for deep operational expertise in design process management, not just execution. The emphasis on "ownership of design outcomes," "defining success metrics," and "post-launch impact" is critical for operations roles.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Computer Science, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience. Experience:

• Minimum of 5 years of dedicated experience designing UX/UI for Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platforms.

• Proven experience in leading end-to-end design for a full SaaS platform, including significant redesigns and the integration of AI-powered features.

• Experience designing for complex, data-driven applications and analytics platforms is highly desirable.

• Experience within the Life Sciences or Healthcare industry is a strong advantage. Required Skills:

• SaaS Platform Design: Deep understanding and practical experience in designing scalable, user-friendly SaaS applications.

• AI-Powered UX/UI: Ability to conceptualize and design intuitive user experiences for AI-driven features and complex data analysis.

• User-Centred Design (UCD): Strong foundation in UCD principles, user research methodologies, and translating user needs into effective design solutions.

• Figma Proficiency: Advanced skills in Figma (or comparable design tools like Sketch, Adobe XD) for wireframing, prototyping, and high-fidelity UI design.

• Design Systems: Experience in creating, contributing to, and maintaining robust design systems for consistency and scalability.

• Interaction Design: Expertise in designing intuitive user flows, interaction patterns, and microinteractions.

• User Research & Usability Testing: Proven ability to conduct user research, plan and execute usability testing, and synthesize findings into actionable design improvements.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Demonstrated ability to work effectively with Product Managers, Engineers, Data Scientists, and other stakeholders.

• Stakeholder Management: Strong skills in communicating design rationale, influencing decisions, and managing expectations with various stakeholders.

• Problem-Solving: Ability to break down complex problems, analyze data, and devise creative, user-centric solutions.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with data visualization tools and techniques.

• Familiarity with AI tools and their application in design workflows.

• Understanding of accessibility standards (WCAG) and inclusive design principles.

• Experience in a fast-paced, scale-up environment.

• Mentorship or team leadership experience.

• Knowledge of the Life Sciences or Healthcare market landscape.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "5 years' experience" and "ideal within Life Sciences or Healthcare" coupled with "leading end-to-end design of a full SaaS platform, redesigning SaaS platform and AI-powered featured" strongly suggests a Principal level role. The emphasis on "design outcomes," "success metrics," and "post-launch impact" aligns with operations roles focused on driving measurable results through design processes.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• End-to-End Case Studies: Showcase 2-3 comprehensive case studies detailing your process from problem identification to solution delivery. Each case study should highlight your role, the challenges faced, your design process, key decisions, and the measurable impact of your work.

• SaaS Platform Focus: Prioritize examples of complex SaaS platform designs, ideally involving data-rich environments or AI-powered features. Demonstrate an understanding of scalability, user workflows, and data visualization within these contexts.

• Process Documentation: Clearly articulate your design process within each case study, including user research methods, ideation techniques, prototyping stages, and iteration cycles. Visual representations of user journeys, wireframes, and final UI are crucial.

• Metrics & Impact: Quantify the impact of your design solutions whenever possible. This could include improvements in user engagement, task completion rates, conversion metrics, reduction in support tickets, or other relevant KPIs. Show how you measured success and iterated based on data.

• Design System Contribution: If applicable, include examples of your involvement in design systems, demonstrating your understanding of component-based design, scalability, and consistency across a platform.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design & Optimization: Demonstrate your ability to map out complex user workflows and identify areas for optimization to improve efficiency and user experience.

• System Implementation Standards: Illustrate how you ensure design quality and consistency during implementation, working closely with engineering teams. This might include detailed specifications, style guides, or direct collaboration examples.

• Measurement & Performance Analysis: Show how you use analytics and user feedback to measure the performance of your designs and inform future iterations. This includes an understanding of A/B testing and other experimentation frameworks.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Principal level role, portfolios are expected to go beyond visual aesthetics. They should demonstrate strategic thinking, process rigor, and an ability to drive tangible business outcomes through design. "Ownership of design outcomes" and "measuring and meaningfully improving key product analytics" are key indicators for portfolio content.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• Estimated Range: £75,000 - £100,000 per annum

• Explanation: This estimate is based on industry benchmarks for Principal UX/UI Designers in the UK, considering the remote nature of the role, the company's SaaS focus in a growing sector (Life Sciences/AI), and the stated experience level (5-10 years). The upper end reflects the seniority and individual contributor leadership expected at this level. Salary ranges can vary based on specific experience, skills, and negotiation.

Benefits:

• Fully Remote Working: Complete flexibility to work from anywhere within the United Kingdom.

• Home Office Allowance: A £750 allowance to set up a productive and comfortable home workspace.

• Personal & Wellbeing Development Allowance: £200 allowance for personal growth, learning, and wellbeing initiatives.

• Private Healthcare & Dentalcare: Comprehensive coverage provided by Bupa.

• Pension Scheme: Company-supported pension plan to support long-term financial security.

• Generous Holiday Allowance: 25 days of paid annual leave, in addition to public and bank holidays.

• Birthday Day Off: A dedicated day off to celebrate your birthday.

• Women in Business NI Membership: Access to networking and development opportunities.

• Flexible Working Culture: A company ethos that supports work-life balance and flexible arrangements.

• Quarterly Meet Ups: Opportunities for in-person team building and collaboration (location dependent).

Working Hours:

• Standard Hours: Approximately 40 hours per week, aligning with a Full-Time employment type.

• Flexibility: The company promotes a "truly flexible working culture," suggesting that while core hours may exist for collaboration, there is significant autonomy in structuring the workday to accommodate personal needs and optimize productivity, particularly important for remote roles.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is an estimation based on market data for senior UX/UI roles in the UK. The benefits package is comprehensive and tailored for a remote workforce, emphasizing work-life balance and professional development. The mention of "flexible working culture" and "quarterly meet ups" provides operational context for how the team collaborates and manages its time.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Software as a Service (SaaS) within the Life Sciences and Healthcare market, with a strong focus on Market and Sales Intelligence, powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Company Size: Described as "fast-growing" and a "scale-up," with a recent listing as one of Deloitte's fastest-growing tech companies for four consecutive years. This indicates a dynamic environment with evolving processes and a need for agility.

Founded: The founding date is not explicitly stated, but the company has achieved significant growth and recognition, suggesting a mature yet rapidly expanding organization.

Team Structure:

• Product Design Team: The Principal UX/UI Designer will report to the Head of Product. The team includes at least one junior designer, indicating a structured design function with mentorship opportunities.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Close collaboration is expected with Product Managers, Engineering teams, and Data teams, highlighting a GTM (Go-To-Market) operational cadence.

• Leadership Influence: The role is expected to influence senior stakeholders and contribute to product direction, suggesting a culture that values design input at a strategic level.

Methodology:

• User-Centric Approach: A core principle is putting "people first," emphasizing a strong user-centered design methodology.

• Data-Driven Insights: The company operates in data intelligence, so data analysis and leveraging insights are fundamental. This extends to design, with an emphasis on measuring and improving product analytics.

• AI Integration: A key strategic focus is the integration and leveraging of AI to enhance platform capabilities and user experiences.

• Agile & Iterative: The "fast-paced, scale-up environment" and "rapid context switching" imply an agile and iterative approach to product development and design.

Company Website: www.scileads.com (Inferred from domain_derived)

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's rapid growth and focus on AI in the Life Sciences sector create a specific operational context for design. It implies a need for designers who can handle complexity, drive efficiency through design systems, and contribute to a data-informed product development lifecycle. The emphasis on "people first" and "employee experience" suggests a culture that values well-defined HR and operational processes for talent management.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Principal Individual Contributor (IC) with leadership and mentorship responsibilities. This level signifies deep expertise, strategic influence, and the ability to drive significant design initiatives independently. It bridges advanced execution with strategic guidance.

Reporting Structure: Reporting directly to the Head of Product, this role has a clear line of sight to product strategy and decision-making. The Principal Designer will also mentor a junior designer, establishing a dotted-line leadership dynamic within the design team.

Operations Impact: The role's impact is measured by its contribution to shaping the user experience of a complex, data-rich SaaS platform, directly influencing customer engagement, satisfaction, and adoption. By driving design quality and leading the design system, the Principal Designer operationalizes design excellence, enabling the company to scale effectively and maintain a competitive edge in the Life Sciences market. The focus on AI-powered features also positions this role at the forefront of technological integration, impacting future product innovation.

Growth Opportunities:

• Design Leadership: Progress into more senior design leadership roles (e.g., Design Lead, Head of Design) as the company continues to scale its product and design capabilities.

• Strategic Influence: Deepen influence over product strategy and roadmap development, taking on larger, more complex design challenges.

• Design System Evolution: Lead the strategic evolution and expansion of the company's design system, impacting consistency and efficiency across the entire platform.

• AI Design Specialization: Develop expertise in designing for advanced AI features, becoming a go-to specialist in this cutting-edge area.

• Mentorship & Team Building: Expand mentorship responsibilities and contribute to building and scaling the design team, potentially overseeing hiring and team development.

• Industry Recognition: Contribute to the company's reputation for product excellence, potentially leading to individual recognition within the Life Sciences or SaaS design community.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Principal" title combined with "Individual Contributor" and mentorship duties suggests a career path focused on deep expertise and influence rather than pure people management, common in specialized operations roles. The growth opportunities clearly outline a progression within a specialized domain, emphasizing strategic impact and leadership within the design function.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: This is a fully remote position, meaning there is no central office to commute to. The "work environment" is primarily the employee's home office setup.

Office Location(s): While the role is remote within the United Kingdom, SciLeads does organize Quarterly Meet Ups. The locations for these meetups are not specified but are likely in accessible areas within the UK or Europe to facilitate team building and collaboration.

Workspace Context:

• Home Office Setup: Employees are encouraged to create an effective workspace with a £750 home office allowance provided. This emphasizes self-sufficiency and personal responsibility for the work environment.

• Digital Collaboration Tools: The remote nature necessitates robust digital collaboration tools (e.g., Slack, Zoom, Figma, project management software) for seamless communication and design work.

• Flexible Work Rhythms: The "truly flexible working culture" allows individuals to structure their workdays around personal needs and peak productivity times, while still ensuring alignment with team collaboration needs.

• Focus on Well-being: The £200 personal and wellbeing development allowance, along with a birthday day off, indicates a company culture that prioritizes employee well-being within the remote setting.

Work Schedule:

• Standard: Approximately 40 hours per week, as is typical for full-time roles.

• Flexibility: The company champions a "truly flexible working culture," suggesting a focus on output and results rather than strict adherence to traditional office hours. This allows for asynchronous work and greater autonomy in managing one's schedule, provided collaboration needs are met.

📝 Enhancement Note: The description of a "fully remote" work environment with a "flexible working culture" and allowances for home office setup points to operational considerations for managing a distributed workforce. This includes ensuring effective communication, collaboration tools, and policies that support employee well-being and productivity outside a traditional office.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Application: Submit CV and complete mandatory fields. The company values applicant time and does not require CV rewriting.

• Portfolio Review: Candidates