UX Lead

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: UX Lead

Company: Discovery Limited (South Africa)

Location: Sandton - 1 Discovery Place, GP, 2196, South Africa

Job Type: Full-time

Category: Technology / Art & Design / Healthcare / Management & Leadership

Date Posted: 2026-09-18

Experience Level: 10+ years

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the strategic direction and roadmap development for Digital Health products, focusing on innovative UX/UI design solutions.

• Drive the creation of compelling user experiences across web and mobile platforms, ensuring alignment with business objectives and customer needs.

• Champion user-centered design principles, accessibility standards, and a cohesive design system across all digital touchpoints.

• Foster a collaborative environment for product designers, researchers, engineers, and operations teams to deliver best-in-class digital health solutions.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a leadership opportunity within the Digital Health domain, requiring a strategic thinker with extensive hands-on UX/UI expertise. The emphasis on "Digital Health in Discovery" and "millions of insured lives" highlights the significant impact and scale of this position within the healthcare sector.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Define and execute the roadmap for Digital Health products in collaboration with product specialists, engineers, and operations teams.

• Conduct comprehensive user research, including customer interviews, feedback sessions, usability lab testing, and live testing, to validate and iterate on design solutions.

• Develop and maintain interaction architecture and user flows, ensuring a compelling and seamless customer journey across various platforms and devices.

• Create and advocate for a robust design system that promotes consistent UX principles, visual language, and best practices across all digital products.

• Lead the design of personalized and responsive user experiences that cater to diverse audience needs and ensure accessibility standards are met.

• Stay abreast of market trends, competitor UX designs, and emerging technologies to inform product strategy and maintain a competitive edge.

• Collaborate closely with the Lead Customer Researcher to integrate qualitative and quantitative data into the design process.

• Oversee the end-to-end design process, from conceptualization to execution, demonstrating strong visual design and user interface engineering skills.

• Contribute to internal training initiatives and community forums, sharing expertise on user experience and design best practices with cross-functional teams.

• Ensure a deep understanding of Discovery Health’s and Discovery Vitality’s South African product offerings to inform design decisions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities clearly indicate a blend of strategic leadership, hands-on design execution, and cross-functional collaboration. The emphasis on iterative design, user research, and a holistic view of the user journey are critical for success in this role.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's degree (BCom, BSc, or BA) specializing in Informatics, Industrial Design, User Experience, Information Sciences/Technology, or a related field. Experience:

• 10+ years of professional UX design experience, with a significant portion focused on web and mobile applications/platforms.

• Proven experience in leading design initiatives and managing design roadmaps. Required Skills:

• UX/UI Design Expertise: Comprehensive proficiency in UX research, interaction design, user-centered experience design, and the overall creative process.

• Visual Design Skills: Strong command of typography, color theory, layout design, and a keen eye for detail.

• Prototyping & Iteration: Ability to use prototyping tools to convey design intent and a demonstrated ability to iterate on designs effectively.

• User Research & Validation: Experience in conducting and leveraging user research, usability testing, and feedback sessions to inform design decisions.

• Design Systems: Experience in creating and maintaining design systems that ensure consistency and scalability across products.

• Accessibility Standards: Proficient understanding and application of accessibility principles in design (e.g., WCAG).

• Stakeholder Communication: Comfortable and effective in communicating and presenting design concepts and strategies to business stakeholders at various levels.

• Responsive & Personalised Design: Ability to design for varied audiences and devices, including feature personalization and responsive layouts.

• Problem-Solving: Holistic user experience problem-solving skills, considering all facets of the user journey.

Preferred Skills:

• Data Analysis & Reporting: Experience with data analysis and reporting to inform design decisions and measure impact.

• Product Strategy: Understanding of product strategy and how UX design contributes to business goals.

• Brand Identity Management: Familiarity with managing brand identity within design contexts.

• Customer Service Orientation: A strong customer service mindset, focusing on delivering excellent user experiences.

• Negotiation Skills: Ability to negotiate design solutions and timelines effectively.

• Personal Organisation & Time Management: Excellent personal organization and time management skills to thrive in a fast-paced environment.

• Relationship Building: Ability to build strong relationships with diverse individuals across different job levels.

• Knowledge of Discovery Products: Solid working knowledge of Discovery Health’s and Discovery Vitality’s South African products.

📝 Enhancement Note: The extensive experience requirement (10+ years) and the breadth of required skills, including visual design, prototyping, and stakeholder management, indicate a senior-level role demanding both strategic vision and hands-on execution capabilities. The preference for knowledge of Discovery's specific products suggests a need for domain-specific understanding.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio showcasing a minimum of 10 years of professional UX design work, with a strong emphasis on web and mobile applications.

• Detailed case studies demonstrating end-to-end design processes, from initial concept and user research to final implementation and iteration.

• Examples of how user-centered design principles and data-driven insights were applied to solve complex user problems.

• Visual evidence of strong visual design skills, including typography, color theory, and layout, applied consistently across projects.

• Demonstrations of your ability to create and utilize design systems, ensuring consistency and scalability in your designs.

• Prototypes or interactive mockups that effectively convey design intent and user flows. Process Documentation:

• Showcase your approach to defining and iterating on interaction architecture and user journeys.

• Illustrate your methods for conducting user research, usability testing, and incorporating feedback into design iterations.

• Provide examples of how you have contributed to or led the development of design systems and style guides.

• Demonstrate your understanding of accessibility standards and how they are integrated into your design workflows.

• Examples of how you have collaborated with engineers, product managers, and operations teams throughout the design lifecycle.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a UX Lead role with 10+ years of experience, the portfolio should not just present finished work but also clearly articulate the candidate's thought process, problem-solving methodology, and impact. The emphasis on process documentation is crucial to assess their ability to lead and standardize design practices.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• Based on industry benchmarks for a UX Lead with 10+ years of experience in a major South African city like Sandton, a competitive salary range would typically fall between ZAR 800,000 to ZAR 1,200,000 per annum. This estimate considers the seniority of the role, the specialized skills required, and the cost of living in Gauteng. Specific compensation will depend on the candidate's qualifications, experience, and negotiation. Benefits:

• Comprehensive Medical Aid Scheme (Discovery Health is a leader in this space, so expect excellent coverage).

• Retirement Savings Plan (Pension Fund).

• Potential for performance-based bonuses.

• Opportunities for professional development and training, including conferences and workshops.

• Access to Discovery's wellness programs and benefits (e.g., Vitality).

• Paid time off (annual leave, sick leave).

• Potential for share options or long-term incentive plans, depending on company policy for leadership roles. Working Hours:

• Standard full-time working hours are typically 40 hours per week. The role is on-site, implying a structured work schedule within the company's operating hours. However, a lead position may require some flexibility to meet project deadlines and stakeholder needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary estimate is based on research of similar UX Lead roles in South Africa, specifically in the Gauteng region, considering the company's industry and the experience level. Benefits are inferred based on Discovery's known offerings and standard corporate benefits for senior positions in South Africa.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Financial Services, Healthcare, Insurance, Wellness. Discovery Limited is a diversified financial services group, with a significant focus on health insurance and wellness programs through Discovery Health and Discovery Vitality. This context implies a data-driven, customer-centric, and innovation-focused environment.

Company Size: Large enterprise (likely 10,000+ employees globally, with a significant presence in South Africa). This size suggests structured processes, opportunities for career advancement, and a diverse workforce.

Founded: Discovery was founded in 1992, indicating a long-standing and established company with a proven track record and deep market understanding.

Team Structure:

• The UX Lead will likely be part of a broader Product or Digital team, collaborating with Product Managers, Product Specialists, Engineers (front-end and back-end), UX Researchers, Conversation Designers, and Operations personnel.

• The reporting structure would typically place the UX Lead under a Head of Product, Chief Product Officer, or a similar senior digital leadership role, with direct reports or a team of designers they mentor and guide.

• Cross-functional collaboration is essential, as the role involves working with various departments to define product strategy and ensure cohesive user experiences. Methodology:

• Data Analysis & Insights: Expect a strong emphasis on data-driven decision-making, leveraging analytics to understand user behavior, measure product performance, and identify areas for improvement.

• Agile Development: The team likely operates within an Agile framework (Scrum, Kanban), requiring iterative design, frequent feedback loops, and adaptability to changing requirements.

• User-Centric Design: A core methodology will be user-centricity, ensuring that all design decisions are grounded in a deep understanding of customer needs and pain points.

• Design Thinking: The company likely employs design thinking principles to foster innovation and creatively solve complex problems.

Company Website: https://www.discovery.co.za/

📝 Enhancement Note: Discovery's reputation as a leader in innovation, particularly with Vitality, suggests a company culture that values forward-thinking, data-informed decisions, and a commitment to improving health and wellness through technology. The "smart people" mentioned in the description point to a high-performance environment.

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