UX Design Lead

Greenstone Financial Services
Full-timeSydney, Australia

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: UX Design Lead

Company: Greenstone Financial Services

Location: Norwest, NSW, Australia

Job Type: Permanent Opportunity

Category: User Experience (UX) Design Leadership

Date Posted: 2026-08-05

Experience Level: Mid-Senior to Lead (5-10 years suggested)

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

  • Lead the User Experience (UX) design capability for Greenstone Financial Services, driving a customer-centered design ethos across all product lifecycle stages.

  • Shape exceptional customer experiences by embedding design thinking into product discovery and delivery processes.

  • Lead, mentor, and develop a small team of UX designers, ensuring high standards of design practice and team growth.

  • Collaborate closely with Product, Technology, and business stakeholders to align UX strategy with business objectives and deliver impactful, commercially viable solutions.

  • Utilize data, customer insights, and experimentation to inform design decisions and champion continuous improvement in user experience.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a leadership opportunity within UX Design, focusing on both strategic direction and team management. The emphasis on embedding design into the entire product lifecycle and collaborating with cross-functional teams is typical for a lead role in a growing organization. The mention of "small team" suggests a hands-on leadership approach where the Lead will still be involved in design execution while guiding others.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

  • UX Strategy & Vision: Define and champion the UX design vision, strategy, and best practices across the organization, ensuring alignment with business goals and customer needs.

  • Team Leadership & Mentorship: Lead, mentor, develop, and prioritize the work of a small team of UX designers, fostering a collaborative and high-performing environment.

  • Customer-Centric Design Implementation: Embed customer-centered design principles into all stages of product discovery and delivery, from ideation and research to prototyping and final implementation.

  • Design Process Ownership: Own the UX design pipeline, including leading customer research initiatives, conducting journey analyses, developing prototypes, and performing usability testing. Manage capacity and trade-offs effectively.

  • Data-Informed Design: Leverage data analytics, customer insights, and experimentation (e.g., A/B testing) to inform design decisions, validate hypotheses, and drive continuous improvement in user experiences.

  • Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner effectively with Product Managers, Technology teams, business stakeholders, and senior leaders to ensure cohesive product development and a unified customer experience.

  • Commercial Acumen: Apply commercial understanding to balance customer needs with business objectives, ensuring that design solutions are both user-friendly and commercially viable.

  • Design System Management: Champion and potentially contribute to the development and maintenance of design systems, ensuring consistency and efficiency in design execution.

  • Innovation & Trend Awareness: Stay abreast of emerging UX trends, tools, and technologies, and advocate for their adoption where appropriate to enhance user experiences and design processes.

  • Problem Solving & Analytical Skills: Utilize strong analytical and problem-solving skills to identify user pain points, propose effective design solutions, and articulate design rationale based on insights.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities listed are a comprehensive interpretation of the core duties expected from a UX Design Lead. The role requires a blend of strategic thinking, team management, hands-on design leadership, and strong stakeholder engagement, all geared towards driving user experience excellence within the financial services sector.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

  • A relevant tertiary qualification in UX Design, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Design, or a related field is desirable.

  • Equivalent practical experience demonstrating a strong understanding of UX principles and practices will also be considered. Experience:

  • Proven experience in a Lead UX Designer, Senior UX Designer (with demonstrable leadership responsibilities), or UX Design Manager role.

  • A minimum of 5-10 years of progressive experience in UX design is suggested, with a significant portion in leadership or senior capacity.

  • Experience in the insurance or financial services industry is highly regarded, demonstrating an understanding of industry-specific trends and customer challenges. Required Skills:

  • User-Centered Design Expertise: Deep understanding and practical application of user-centered design methodologies.

  • Interaction Design & Visual Design: Proficiency in designing intuitive user flows, wireframes, mockups, and high-fidelity prototypes.

  • Design Systems: Experience with or ability to contribute to the creation and maintenance of design systems for consistency and scalability.

  • People Leadership & Mentorship: Demonstrated experience in leading, mentoring, developing, and prioritizing the work of a UX design team.

  • Customer Research & Analysis: Proven ability to conduct customer research, journey mapping, and usability testing to gather actionable insights.

  • Data Analysis & Experimentation: Skill in using data, customer insights, and experimentation (e.g., A/B testing) to inform design decisions and measure impact.

  • Stakeholder Management: Excellent communication and collaboration skills for effective partnership with Product, Technology, and business stakeholders at all levels.

  • Commercial Acumen: Ability to balance user needs with business objectives to deliver commercially viable and effective solutions.

  • Problem-Solving: Strong analytical and problem-solving skills to address complex design challenges.

  • Adaptability & Resilience: High emotional intelligence, resilience, and adaptability, with a growth mindset.

Preferred Skills:

  • Strong understanding of digital technologies and platforms relevant to product and experience design.

  • Familiarity with agile development methodologies and how UX integrates within them.

  • Experience with specific UX design and prototyping tools (e.g., Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, InVision).

📝 Enhancement Note: The qualifications listed are derived from the "What are we looking for?" and "Desirable" sections of the job description. The suggested experience level is an inference based on the "Lead" title and the expectation of managing a team and driving strategy. The emphasis on commercial acumen and industry experience highlights the specific context of a financial services company.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

  • A strong, curated portfolio showcasing expertise in user-centered design, interaction design, visual design, and the application of design systems.

  • Case studies demonstrating ownership of the discovery and prioritization process, including customer research, journey analysis, prototyping, and usability testing.

  • Examples of how data, customer insights, and experimentation have informed design decisions and led to tangible improvements in user experience.

  • Evidence of balancing customer needs with business objectives and delivering commercially viable solutions.

  • Documentation of leadership experience, highlighting the ability to lead, mentor, and develop a UX team. Process Documentation:

  • Demonstrate experience in leading and documenting customer research methodologies and their outcomes.

  • Showcase examples of user journey mapping and how these insights were translated into design solutions.

  • Provide examples of prototyping techniques used to test and validate design concepts.

  • Illustrate the process of conducting usability testing and integrating feedback into iterative design cycles.

  • Outline strategies for managing the UX pipeline, including capacity planning and prioritizing design initiatives.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a UX Design Lead role, a portfolio is paramount. The requirements emphasize not just the final designs but the process behind them, including leadership, strategic thinking, and data-driven decision-making. The portfolio should serve as a testament to the candidate's ability to manage complex projects and teams.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

  • Estimated Range: AUD $130,000 - $180,000 per annum (full-time equivalent)

  • Methodology: This estimate is based on market research for Lead UX Designer roles in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, considering the specified experience level (5-10 years+), leadership responsibilities, and the financial services industry. Salary benchmarks from sources like Glassdoor, LinkedIn Salary, and industry-specific salary guides for Australian UX professionals were reviewed. The range accounts for variations in experience, specific skill sets, and the candidate's negotiation.

Benefits:

  • Flexibility: Flexi days and flexible working arrangements to support work-life balance.

  • Allowances: Annual $1,200 travel/parking allowance.

  • On-site Amenities: State-of-the-art building facilities including a dedicated and subsidised on-site company café (with weekly free lunch) and an on-site gym.

  • Well-being: Health & well-being initiatives and programs to support employee health.

  • Professional Development: Opportunity to participate in in-house leadership and emotional intelligence workshops.

  • Recognition: Quarterly award functions and a grand annual conference to recognize employee contributions.

  • Perks: Retail discounts (e.g., movie tickets, Zoo passes, live shows) and access to a Morsl market (automated self-serve food and drink).

Working Hours:

  • Approximately 40 hours per week, typical for a full-time role.

  • Flexible working arrangements may allow for some adjustment to start/end times, subject to team and business needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is an estimation. The listed benefits are directly extracted from the provided text and highlighted for their value to potential candidates, particularly the focus on well-being, professional development, and on-site amenities which contribute to a positive employee experience.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Financial Services (specifically insurance product distribution). Greenstone distributes insurance products under various brands across Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. They are a significant player in the direct insurance market in Australia.

Company Size: The job description doesn't explicitly state company size, but the description of growth and multiple brands suggests a medium to large enterprise.

Founded: Greenstone launched into the Financial Services sector in 2007, indicating a relatively modern company with a track record of substantial growth.

Team Structure:

  • UX Team: The role involves leading a "small team of UX designers," suggesting a focused and potentially agile UX function within the broader organization.

  • Cross-functional Collaboration: The UX Lead will work closely with Product Managers, Technology teams, business stakeholders, and senior leaders, indicating a highly collaborative, matrixed environment.

  • Reporting: While not explicitly stated, a UX Design Lead typically reports to a Head of Product, Head of Design, or a similar senior leadership role within the Product or Technology division.

Methodology:

  • Customer-Centred Design: This is the core methodology emphasized, driving all product discovery and delivery processes.

  • Data-Driven Decision Making: The role requires using data, customer insights, and experimentation to inform design.

  • Agile/Iterative Development: The mention of product discovery and delivery stages, combined with cross-functional collaboration, suggests an agile or iterative approach to product development.

  • Value-Driven Solutions: Emphasis on delivering "greatest value for both our customers and the business" and "commercially viable solutions."

Company Website: https://www.greenstone.com.au/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture is described as "people-driven" with core values of "Customer First, We Care, One Team, and Results Driven." This indicates a collaborative, customer-focused, and performance-oriented environment. The insurance industry context means that user experience design will likely focus on clarity, trust, and ease of use for complex financial products.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Lead-level position within the UX Design discipline. It signifies a transition from individual contributor to people management and strategic influence. The role is responsible for setting the direction for UX design, managing a team, and ensuring its integration with broader business objectives.

Reporting Structure: The UX Design Lead will likely report to a senior leader in Product or Technology (e.g., Head of Product, Director of Design, CTO). They will, in turn, manage a team of UX Designers. This structure allows for strategic alignment with product roadmaps and business goals.

Operations Impact: The UX Design Lead's impact is measured by the quality of customer experiences delivered, which directly influences customer acquisition, retention, satisfaction, and ultimately, business revenue and brand reputation within the competitive insurance market. By embedding customer-centered design, the role aims to reduce friction, increase conversion rates, and enhance customer loyalty.

Growth Opportunities:

  • Leadership Progression: Potential to grow into a Head of UX/Design role, overseeing a larger team and broader design strategy across multiple brands or product lines.

  • Strategic Influence: Opportunity to influence product strategy and company-wide customer experience initiatives.

  • Skill Development: Access to leadership and emotional intelligence workshops, plus ongoing learning from industry trends and cross-functional collaboration.

  • Industry Specialization: Deepen expertise in UX within the insurance and financial services sector, a valuable niche.

  • Mentorship: Opportunity to mentor and develop junior designers, honing leadership and coaching skills.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Operations" term in the template is interpreted here as the broader operational function of the role within the business, specifically focusing on the UX Design operations. The growth analysis emphasizes career progression within a design leadership track, highlighting the strategic and managerial aspects of the role.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is based in Norwest, NSW, Australia, in a "state of the art building" with "great central location" and "direct bus access." This suggests a modern, well-equipped corporate office environment.

Office Location(s): Norwest Business Park, Norwest, NSW. The location is convenient to public transport (Norwest Metro station and bus routes from Parramatta and Blacktown).

Workspace Context:

  • Collaborative Environment: The office likely facilitates collaboration with dedicated spaces and proximity to other departments (Product, Technology, Business Stakeholders).

  • Amenities: Access to a subsidised on-site café with free weekly lunch, an on-site gym, and other retail discounts contribute to a positive and supportive work environment.

  • Technology: While not explicitly detailed, a modern office for a financial services company would typically be equipped with standard business technology, and the UX team would have access to relevant design and collaboration software.

Work Schedule: The role is full-time, with an approximate 40-hour work week. Flexible working arrangements are available, allowing for some autonomy in managing work hours, balanced with team and business needs. This flexibility is beneficial for managing design processes that may require deep focus or specific meeting times.

📝 Enhancement Note: The description paints a picture of a modern, amenity-rich office environment that supports both focused work and collaboration. The hybrid nature of the role allows for flexibility, which is a key consideration for many professionals in design and operations roles.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

  1. Initial Screening: HR or Talent Acquisition will review applications to assess basic qualifications and fit.

  2. Hiring Manager Interview: A conversation with the hiring manager (likely the Head of Product/Design) to discuss experience, leadership style, and alignment with the role's strategic objectives.

  3. Portfolio Review & Presentation: Candidates will be asked to present their portfolio, detailing specific case studies that demonstrate their expertise in user-centered design, leadership, and problem-solving. This is where the "ownership of discovery and prioritization" will be scrutinized.

  4. Cross-functional Stakeholder Interviews: Interviews with key stakeholders from Product, Technology, and potentially business units to assess collaboration skills and ability to influence.

  5. Team Interaction: Potentially an informal meeting or workshop session with the UX team to evaluate cultural fit and leadership approach.

  6. Final Interview/Offer: Final discussion with senior leadership, followed by an offer.

Portfolio Review Tips:

  • Curate Strategically: Select 3-5 of your strongest projects that best showcase your leadership capabilities, strategic thinking, and impact in user-centered design. Prioritize projects that align with financial services or complex product design.

  • Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your role, the process you followed (research, ideation, prototyping, testing), the decisions you made and why, and the measurable outcomes or impact.

  • Highlight Leadership: Emphasize instances where you led a team, mentored designers, managed priorities, or influenced stakeholders. Quantify team achievements if possible.

  • Showcase Data & Insights: Clearly demonstrate how you used data, customer research, and experimentation to drive design decisions and achieve business goals.

  • Prepare for Questions: Be ready to discuss trade-offs, challenges, your design philosophy, and how you handle feedback and conflict.

Challenge Preparation:

  • Design Exercise: Be prepared for a potential take-home design challenge or an in-person/virtual workshop exercise focused on a specific business problem. This might involve user research synthesis, ideation, wireframing, or defining a UX strategy.

  • Problem-Solving: Practice articulating your problem-solving approach, especially how you break down complex issues, gather information, and arrive at user-centered solutions.

  • Presentation Skills: Rehearse presenting your portfolio and any challenge work concisely and compellingly, focusing on clarity, impact, and your leadership approach.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is structured to assess a candidate's end-to-end UX leadership capabilities, from strategic thinking and team management to hands-on execution and stakeholder influence. The portfolio review is a critical component, requiring candidates to not only show their work but also articulate the strategic and leadership rationale behind it.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

  • Design & Prototyping: Proficiency in industry-standard tools such as Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop), InVision, or similar for wireframing, UI design, prototyping, and user flow creation.

  • Collaboration & Communication: Tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, Jira, Confluence, Asana for team communication, project management, and documentation.

  • User Research & Testing Platforms: Experience with tools for conducting remote usability testing, user interviews, and surveys (e.g., UserTesting.com, Lookback, SurveyMonkey).

Analytics & Reporting:

  • Web Analytics: Familiarity with tools like Google Analytics to understand user behavior on digital platforms.

  • Data Visualization: Experience with tools for creating dashboards and reports to communicate user insights and design impact (e.g., Tableau, Power BI, Looker - though less common for pure UX leads, awareness is beneficial).

  • A/B Testing Tools: Understanding of platforms used for experimentation (e.g., Optimizely, Adobe Target).

CRM & Automation:

  • CRM Systems: While not a primary tool for UX, an understanding of how CRM systems (like Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics) store customer data and how UX design can influence CRM interactions is beneficial.

  • Project Management Software: Tools like Jira are crucial for managing design tasks within agile development workflows.

📝 Enhancement Note: The technology stack for a UX Design Lead role is diverse, encompassing design tools, collaboration platforms, research tools, and analytics. While the Lead may not be an expert in all, they need to understand how these tools are used by their team and for informing design decisions. The emphasis is on tools that facilitate user-centered design processes and cross-functional collaboration.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

  • Customer First: A paramount value, driving the need for a deep understanding of customer needs and pain points, and ensuring all design decisions prioritize user satisfaction and value.

  • We Care: Fosters an environment where empathy is extended to customers and colleagues, encouraging supportive interactions and a focus on well-being.

  • One Team: Promotes collaboration, shared responsibility, and cross-functional teamwork, essential for integrating UX design effectively with Product and Technology.

  • Results Driven: Emphasizes achieving measurable outcomes and delivering commercially viable solutions, linking UX efforts directly to business success and impact.

Collaboration Style:

  • Partnership-Oriented: The role requires strong partnerships with Product, Technology, and business stakeholders, involving active listening, shared problem-solving, and transparent communication.

  • Data-Informed & Evidence-Based: Design decisions and recommendations should be supported by customer insights, data analytics, and usability testing results.

  • Iterative & Feedback-Driven: An open approach to feedback, embracing constructive criticism to refine designs and processes, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement within the UX team.

  • Influential & Advocative: The UX Lead is expected to champion user needs and design best practices, influencing stakeholders and challenging assumptions constructively to achieve optimal user experiences.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's core values directly inform the expected culture and collaboration style for the UX Design Lead. The emphasis is on a customer-centric, team-oriented, and results-focused approach, requiring strong interpersonal and influencing skills alongside design expertise.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

  • Balancing Stakeholder Needs: Navigating competing priorities and perspectives from Product, Technology, and business units to ensure user needs are met while achieving commercial objectives.

  • Driving Design Maturity: Elevating the organization's understanding and adoption of customer-centered design principles, especially in a regulated industry like financial services.

  • Leading a Small Team: Effectively mentoring, developing, and prioritizing work for a small but impactful UX team, ensuring high performance and individual growth.

  • Data Integration Complexity: Ensuring robust integration of diverse data sources (customer feedback, analytics, market trends) to drive truly informed design decisions.

  • Pace of Change: Keeping pace with evolving UX trends, tools, and customer expectations within the dynamic financial services landscape.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

  • Advanced Leadership Skills: Opportunities to develop strategic leadership, team management, and stakeholder influence through workshops and practical application.

  • Industry Expertise: Deepening knowledge of insurance and financial services customer journeys, regulatory environments, and market dynamics.

  • Cross-Functional Acumen: Gaining broader business understanding by working closely with Product and Technology leaders.

  • Mentorship Programs: Formal or informal opportunities to mentor junior designers and receive mentorship from senior leaders.

  • Conferences & Training: Potential to attend industry conferences (e.g., UX Australia, Interaction Week) or pursue specialized training in UX strategy or leadership.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are framed to highlight opportunities for skill development and strategic impact. The growth opportunities are geared towards advancing a career in design leadership, with a focus on both people management and strategic contribution within the financial services sector.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

  • "How would you define and evangelize a customer-centered design strategy for a financial services company like Greenstone?" (Focus on your methodology for embedding design, stakeholder buy-in, and measuring success.)

  • "Describe a time you had to balance conflicting priorities between business objectives and user needs. How did you approach it, and what was the outcome?" (Demonstrate your commercial acumen and negotiation skills.)

  • "How do you foster a culture of innovation and continuous improvement within a UX design team?" (Highlight your leadership style, approach to feedback, and methods for staying current with trends.)

  • "How would you assess and prioritize the UX needs across multiple brands or product lines within Greenstone?" (Show your strategic thinking, prioritization skills, and understanding of managing a UX pipeline.) Company & Culture Questions:

  • "Based on our values (Customer First, We Care, One Team, Results Driven), how would you integrate these into your leadership approach and the daily work of your UX team?" (Demonstrate cultural alignment and understanding of the company's ethos.)

  • "How do you approach collaboration with Product Managers and Engineering teams? What are common friction points, and how do you resolve them?" (Assess your cross-functional collaboration and communication skills.)

  • "How do you measure the impact of UX design on business outcomes, particularly in a financial services context?" (Prepare to discuss metrics beyond vanity metrics, focusing on ROI, conversion, retention, and customer satisfaction.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

  • Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, clearly present: The Challenge (business/user problem), Your Role (leadership, individual contribution), The Process (research, ideation, design, testing), The Solution (key design decisions), and The Impact (quantifiable results, lessons learned).

  • Lead with Impact: Start with a high-level summary of the project's success and your role before diving into the details.

  • Showcase Leadership: Explicitly point out instances of team leadership, mentoring, stakeholder management, and strategic decision-making.

  • Be Data-Driven: Clearly articulate how data and insights informed your design choices and how you measured success.

  • Be Prepared for Questions: Anticipate questions about your design philosophy, trade-offs made, challenges encountered, and how you handle feedback.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating strategic thinking, leadership capabilities, and a deep understanding of user-centered design principles within a business context. The portfolio presentation is a critical opportunity to showcase these attributes through concrete examples.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this UX Design Lead position:

  • Submit your application through the provided application link on Dayforce.

  • Portfolio Customization: Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight your leadership experience, UX design expertise, and any experience relevant to financial services or insurance. Ensure your portfolio is readily accessible and showcases projects that align with the responsibilities outlined.

  • Resume Optimization: Clearly articulate your experience in leading UX teams, driving customer-centered design, using data for decision-making, and collaborating with cross-functional stakeholders. Quantify achievements wherever possible.

  • Interview Preparation: Practice presenting your portfolio, focusing on the narrative of your case studies, your leadership approach, and how you measure impact. Prepare thoughtful questions about the team, strategy, and challenges.

  • Company Research: Familiarize yourself with Greenstone's brands, values, and their position in the financial services market. Understand the typical customer journeys and challenges within the insurance industry to better align your responses.

⚠️ 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.

Application Requirements

Requires proven experience in a lead or senior UX role with a strong portfolio in user-centred design and design systems. Demonstrated leadership skills and the ability to use data and customer insights to drive design decisions are essential.