UX/UI Design Lead

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: UX/UI Design Lead

Company: Old Mutual Limited

Location: Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa / Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: UX/UI Design / Customer Experience Operations

Date Posted: 2026-05-22

Experience Level: 5-10 Years

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the strategic direction and execution of user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) design for Old Mutual's digital platforms, ensuring alignment with overarching customer experience (CX) strategy.

• Translate complex business objectives, customer insights, and UX best practices into intuitive, customer-centric digital interfaces that drive user adoption and satisfaction.

• Oversee the creation and maintenance of design assets, wireframes, prototypes, and comprehensive design systems to ensure consistency, usability, and brand adherence across all digital touchpoints.

• Champion design thinking methodologies and foster a culture of innovation and continuous improvement within design teams and across cross-functional departments, influencing product development and digital strategy.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a leadership position within the operations of customer experience and digital product delivery. The emphasis on translating business strategy, customer insights, and UX principles into tangible digital experiences, alongside team leadership and design governance, indicates a strategic operations role focused on enhancing customer journeys through design excellence. The mention of “operations of customer experience” and “digital product delivery” directly ties this to an operational function within the broader GTM and product development lifecycle.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design Leadership & Strategy: Lead the design and delivery of intuitive, customer-centric digital experiences by translating business strategy and customer insights into high-quality user interfaces.

• User-Centric Design & Research: Apply rigorous user research methodologies and customer insights to inform and validate all design solutions, ensuring they meet user needs and business objectives.

• Digital Product Delivery Oversight: Oversee the end-to-end design process from concept to final implementation, creating detailed user flows, interactive prototypes, and pixel-perfect interface designs that align with product roadmaps.

• Design Governance & Standards: Maintain and enforce design standards, accessibility guidelines (WCAG compliance), and brand alignment across all digital platforms and customer-facing applications.

• Performance Optimization & Iteration: Monitor key UX performance metrics (e.g., task success rates, conversion rates, user satisfaction scores) and collaborate with analytics teams to identify areas for improvement, driving iterative design enhancements.

• Team Leadership & Mentorship: Mentor and guide a team of UX/UI designers, foster their professional development, and embed design thinking practices across product, engineering, and marketing teams.

• Stakeholder Engagement & Facilitation: Effectively engage with a diverse range of stakeholders, including product managers, engineers, marketing teams, and senior leadership, to gather requirements, present design concepts, and facilitate collaborative decision-making.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of strategic design leadership and hands-on execution oversight, typical of a lead role in operations. The emphasis on translating business strategy and customer insights into functional designs, ensuring design governance, and optimizing performance through metrics directly relates to operational efficiency and effectiveness in digital product delivery.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: NQF Level 7 - Degree, Advance Diploma or Postgraduate Certificate or equivalent in a relevant field such as Human-Computer Interaction, Digital Design, Graphic Design, or a related discipline.

Experience: Minimum of 5 years of progressive experience in UX/UI design within digital or Customer Experience (CX) environments, with a proven track record of leading design initiatives and delivery streams.

Required Skills:

• UX/UI Design Leadership: Proven ability to lead design teams, manage design backlogs, and oversee the creation of comprehensive design assets, wireframes, prototypes, and robust design systems.

• Customer-Centric Design & Research: Deep understanding and practical application of user research methodologies, persona development, journey mapping, and translating insights into actionable design strategies.

• Digital Product Delivery Expertise: Demonstrated experience in translating concepts into detailed user flows, interactive prototypes, and high-fidelity interface designs for digital products.

• Design Governance & Standards: Strong capability in establishing and maintaining design standards, brand guidelines, and accessibility compliance (e.g., WCAG) across digital platforms.

• Performance Optimisation: Ability to monitor UX performance metrics, analyze data, and drive continuous improvement through iterative design processes.

• Prototyping & Interaction Design: Advanced proficiency in creating interactive prototypes and defining complex interaction patterns.

• Usability Testing: Experience in planning, conducting, and analyzing usability tests to gather user feedback and validate design solutions.

• Design Tool Proficiency: Mastery of industry-standard design and prototyping tools such as Figma or Adobe XD.

• Stakeholder Engagement & Facilitation: Excellent communication, presentation, and facilitation skills to effectively engage with diverse stakeholders and drive consensus.

• Agile Project Management: Familiarity with Agile methodologies and experience working within cross-functional Agile teams.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience in the financial services industry.

• Knowledge of market research analysis and product development lifecycles.

• Familiarity with data compilation and evaluation of information for design decision-making.

• Understanding of Customer Value Proposition development.

📝 Enhancement Note: The stated minimum experience of 5 years, coupled with the requirement for leadership experience and advanced skills in design tools and methodologies, positions this role as a senior-level operations position. The emphasis on translating strategy and insights into tangible outcomes, along with performance optimization and stakeholder management, is critical for operations success.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Design Leadership Case Studies: Showcase examples of leading design initiatives, demonstrating strategic thinking, team management, and successful project delivery from concept to launch.

• Customer-Centric Design Examples: Present detailed case studies illustrating how user research and customer insights were leveraged to solve specific user problems and improve digital experiences.

• System Design & Governance: Include examples of design systems or style guides developed, highlighting their impact on consistency, scalability, and efficiency across multiple digital products.

• Process Optimization Demonstrations: Provide evidence of how design processes were improved or optimized to enhance team efficiency, collaboration, or design quality.

• ROI & Impact Measurement: Quantify the impact of design decisions where possible, showcasing improvements in key UX metrics, user satisfaction, conversion rates, or adoption rates.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design & Optimization: Document the design workflows established or optimized, detailing steps from discovery and research to wireframing, prototyping, testing, and handoff.

• System Implementation Standards: Outline the approach to implementing and maintaining design systems, including documentation, version control, and adoption strategies.

• Measurement & Performance Analysis: Describe methods for measuring the success of digital experiences and how this data informs iterative design improvements and future strategy.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a UX/UI Design Lead role, a strong portfolio is paramount. It serves as the primary evidence of the candidate's ability to execute on strategic design operations, manage complex projects, and drive measurable results through user-centered design. The portfolio should clearly demonstrate leadership, process ownership, and a data-informed approach to design.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

Given the location (Johannesburg/Cape Town, South Africa), experience level (5-10 years with leadership responsibilities), and industry (financial services), a competitive salary range is expected. Based on industry benchmarks for UX/UI Design Leads in South Africa, the estimated annual salary range is between ZAR 700,000 and ZAR 1,100,000. This range can vary based on specific skills, qualifications, and the exact scope of responsibilities.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive Health Coverage: Medical aid schemes and potential wellness programs to support employee health and well-being.

• Retirement Savings: Contributions to pension or provident funds to ensure long-term financial security.

• Performance-Based Bonuses: Opportunities for annual bonuses tied to individual and company performance, reflecting the results-driven nature of operations roles.

• Professional Development: Support for training, certifications, and attendance at industry conferences to foster continuous learning and skill enhancement in UX/UI design and operations.

• Paid Time Off: Generous annual leave, sick leave, and public holiday allowances.

• Employee Assistance Programs: Access to confidential counseling and support services for personal and professional challenges.

Working Hours:

Standard full-time working hours are expected, typically 40 hours per week. The role may involve some flexibility to accommodate project deadlines and cross-functional collaboration, particularly when working in a hybrid model.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary estimation is based on research of similar roles in South Africa's financial services sector, considering the seniority and leadership aspects of the UX/UI Design Lead position. Benefits are typical for a large, established financial institution like Old Mutual.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Financial Services. Old Mutual operates within a highly regulated and competitive sector, demanding a strong focus on customer trust, security, and delivering value through digital innovation. This context requires operations to be robust, compliant, and forward-thinking.

Company Size: Large Enterprise. As a significant financial services group, Old Mutual's size implies established processes, a complex organizational structure, and opportunities for broad impact and career progression within its operations.

Founded: Old Mutual has a long and rich history, founded in 1845. This heritage suggests a stable, established organization with a deep understanding of the African market, likely influencing a culture that values experience, integrity, and long-term vision, alongside modernizing digital operations.

Team Structure:

• Operations Team: This role likely sits within a broader Customer Experience (CX) or Digital Product division, working closely with product managers, business analysts, front-end developers, and data analysts. The design team itself may comprise several UX/UI designers, with this role acting as the lead.

• Reporting Structure: The UX/UI Design Lead would typically report to a Head of CX, Head of Digital Product, or a Director of Digital Transformation, overseeing the design function's contribution to business objectives.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Strong collaboration is essential, particularly with Product Management (defining what to build), Engineering (building it), Marketing (promoting it), and Business Units (understanding customer needs and business strategy).

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Design: Emphasis on using customer data, analytics, and UX research to inform design decisions and measure impact.

• Agile Development: Design processes are likely integrated into Agile sprints, requiring close collaboration with development teams and iterative design cycles.

• Customer-Centricity: A core philosophy driving all design and product development efforts, ensuring that customer needs and satisfaction are at the forefront.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Understanding Old Mutual's position as a large, established financial services player in Africa is crucial. The company's history implies a blend of traditional values and a drive towards digital transformation, impacting how operations, including design, are conducted.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a senior leadership position, often referred to as a Principal or Lead Designer. It requires not only deep expertise in UX/UI design but also the ability to manage projects, mentor teams, and influence strategic decision-making. The scope extends beyond individual contributions to shaping the overall design direction and operational excellence of digital experiences.

Reporting Structure: The UX/UI Design Lead typically reports to a senior executive such as the Head of Customer Experience, Head of Digital Products, or Chief Digital Officer. This position has direct influence over the design team's output and strategy.

Operations Impact: The UX/UI Design Lead plays a critical role in shaping how Old Mutual interacts with its customers digitally. By ensuring intuitive, user-friendly, and effective digital experiences, they directly impact customer acquisition, retention, satisfaction, and ultimately, revenue generation and cost reduction through optimized customer journeys. Their work is fundamental to the success of the company's digital transformation efforts and its competitive positioning in the market.

Growth Opportunities:

• Strategic Leadership: Potential to advance into roles like Head of UX/UI Design, Director of Customer Experience, or Chief Experience Officer, leading larger teams and influencing broader organizational strategy.

• Specialization: Opportunity to deepen expertise in specific areas such as UX research, interaction design, design systems, or accessibility, becoming a subject matter expert.

• Cross-Functional Roles: Possibility to move into product management, digital strategy, or innovation roles, leveraging design thinking and customer-centricity to drive business initiatives.

• Mentorship & Training: Developing leadership skills through mentoring junior designers and potentially leading internal training programs on design thinking and UX best practices.

📝 Enhancement Note: The growth trajectory for a Lead UX/UI Designer in a large organization like Old Mutual is strong, moving from team leadership to broader strategic operational roles within CX or digital product development.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid. Old Mutual operates with a hybrid work model, allowing for a balance between in-office collaboration and remote flexibility. This model is common in large enterprises seeking to balance employee well-being with operational needs.

Office Location(s): The role is based in either Johannesburg, Gauteng, or Pinelands (Cape Town), Western Cape, South Africa, offering opportunities to work from established company hubs.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Spaces: Offices are likely equipped with modern collaborative spaces, meeting rooms, and potentially dedicated design labs to facilitate teamwork, brainstorming, and user testing sessions.

• Technology & Tools: Access to high-performance workstations, access to all necessary design software (Figma, Adobe XD, etc.), and robust IT infrastructure to support digital operations.

• Team Interaction: Opportunities for regular face-to-face interaction with design peers, product teams, and stakeholders, fostering strong working relationships and effective communication. The hybrid model will dictate the frequency of in-person interactions.

Work Schedule: A standard 40-hour work week is typical, with potential for flexible scheduling around core working hours to accommodate individual needs and project demands, aligned with the hybrid work policy.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid work environment is a key consideration for operations roles, balancing individual autonomy with the need for team synergy and operational continuity.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your CV and portfolio by a recruiter or hiring manager to assess qualifications and experience.

• Portfolio Presentation & Discussion: A dedicated session where you present 2-3 key case studies from your portfolio, discussing your process, challenges, solutions, and impact. Expect in-depth questions about your design decisions and leadership approach.

• Skills-Based Interview: Behavioral and situational questions focused on your experience in leadership, stakeholder management, problem-solving, and applying design thinking in operational contexts.

• Team/Stakeholder Interviews: Meetings with potential team members, cross-functional peers (e.g., Product Managers, Engineers), and senior leadership to assess cultural fit, collaboration style, and strategic alignment.

• Final Interview: A discussion with a senior executive to finalize the decision and discuss the role's strategic importance.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 2-3 projects that best showcase your leadership, end-to-end design process, problem-solving skills, and impact. Tailor your selection to highlight experience relevant to financial services and large enterprises if possible.

• Structure Your Narrative: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your role and responsibilities, the design process (research, ideation, prototyping, testing, implementation), the solutions, and the measurable outcomes or impact. Use visuals effectively.

• Highlight Leadership & Operations: Emphasize your role in leading design efforts, mentoring others, managing design systems, and how your work contributed to operational efficiency or business goals.

• Be Prepared for Deep Dives: Anticipate detailed questions about your design choices, trade-offs made, how you handled disagreements, and how you measured success.

• Showcase Tools & Methodologies: Clearly mention the tools used (Figma, Adobe XD) and the methodologies applied (Agile, Design Thinking, User Research techniques).

Challenge Preparation:

• Design Exercise: You may be given a hypothetical design challenge or asked to critique an existing digital experience of Old Mutual. Prepare to articulate your thought process, identify user pain points, and propose solutions.

• Presenting Strategy: Be ready to explain how you would approach designing a new feature or improving an existing one for Old Mutual's digital platforms, considering business objectives and user needs.

• Stakeholder Communication: Practice articulating your design rationale clearly and concisely, addressing potential concerns from different stakeholder perspectives (e.g., business, technical, customer).

📝 Enhancement Note: A robust portfolio is critical for this role. Specific focus should be placed on demonstrating leadership, strategic thinking, and the ability to translate design into tangible operational improvements and business outcomes.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma/Adobe XD: Essential for UI design, wireframing, prototyping, and collaboration. Proficiency in at least one is a must, with Figma often preferred for its collaborative features.

• Prototyping Tools: Advanced capabilities in tools like InVision, Marvel, or Axure for creating interactive prototypes.

• Design System Management: Experience with tools or methodologies for creating and maintaining scalable design systems (e.g., Storybook, Zeroheight, or internal platforms).

Analytics & Reporting:

• Web Analytics Platforms: Familiarity with tools like Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, or similar platforms to understand user behavior and track UX performance metrics.

• User Feedback Tools: Experience with platforms for gathering qualitative feedback, such as Hotjar, SurveyMonkey, or dedicated user research platforms.

CRM & Automation:

• While not a direct CRM role, understanding how CRM data (e.g., from Salesforce or other enterprise CRMs) might inform customer segmentation and personalization efforts in UX design is beneficial.

• Familiarity with project management and collaboration tools like Jira, Confluence, Asana, or Trello is expected for working within Agile teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in industry-standard design tools, particularly Figma or Adobe XD, is non-negotiable. Experience with analytics and collaboration tools enhances the operational effectiveness of a design lead.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Customer Focus: A deep commitment to understanding and serving customer needs, ensuring all digital experiences are designed with the user at the forefront.

• Collaboration: Fostering a team-oriented environment where designers work closely with product, engineering, and business stakeholders to achieve shared goals.

• Innovation & Continuous Improvement: Encouraging creative problem-solving and a proactive approach to identifying and implementing enhancements to digital products and design processes.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Utilizing data, research, and analytics to inform design choices and measure the effectiveness of solutions, ensuring operational efficiency and impact.

• Accountability & Quality: Taking ownership of design outcomes, ensuring high standards of quality, consistency, and adherence to brand and accessibility guidelines.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: Working seamlessly with product managers to define requirements, engineers to ensure feasibility, and marketing to align with campaign strategies.

• Iterative Feedback: Embracing a culture of constructive feedback, both giving and receiving, to refine designs and processes throughout the project lifecycle.

• Knowledge Sharing: Actively participating in design critiques, sharing best practices, and contributing to a collective learning environment within the design team and broader organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company values emphasize a customer-centric, collaborative, and data-driven approach, which is fundamental to successful operations in any customer-facing function.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Stakeholder Needs: Navigating competing priorities and feedback from various departments (e.g., marketing, compliance, IT, business units) while advocating for the user.

• Legacy Systems & Technical Constraints: Designing within the limitations of existing technology infrastructure and integrating new designs with legacy systems.

• Driving Adoption of Design Systems: Ensuring consistent adoption and adherence to design systems across diverse teams and projects within a large organization.

• Measuring ROI of Design: Quantifying the direct business impact and return on investment of UX/UI design initiatives, which can sometimes be indirect.

• Keeping Pace with Digital Trends: Continuously adapting to evolving user expectations and emerging technologies in the digital landscape.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Design Strategy: Deepening expertise in strategic UX planning, CX transformation, and service design methodologies.

• Leadership Development: Participating in leadership training programs focused on team management, strategic influence, and executive communication.

• Industry Events & Certifications: Opportunities to attend leading UX/CX conferences and pursue relevant certifications to stay abreast of industry best practices and innovations.

• Mentorship: Gaining insights from senior leaders within Old Mutual and potentially mentoring junior designers, fostering leadership skills.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are common in large, established organizations undergoing digital transformation, offering significant opportunities for growth and skill development for a motivated UX/UI Design Lead.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you led a significant UX/UI design project from concept to launch. What was your process, what challenges did you face, and what was the measurable impact?" (Focus on leadership, process, and results.)

• "How do you balance user needs with business objectives and technical constraints when designing digital experiences?" (Demonstrate strategic thinking and problem-solving.)

• "How would you approach developing or evolving a design system for a large organization like Old Mutual?" (Showcase understanding of scalability, governance, and adoption.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What do you know about Old Mutual's current digital presence, and where do you see opportunities for UX/UI design to enhance customer experience?" (Show research and strategic insight.)

• "How do you foster a collaborative and innovative design culture within a team?" (Address team leadership and cultural contribution.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Craft a Compelling Narrative: For each case study, start with the business problem or customer need, clearly define your role and contributions, detail your design process (emphasizing user research and iteration), present the final solution, and conclude with the measurable results and lessons learned.

• Quantify Impact: Wherever possible, use data and metrics to demonstrate the success of your designs (e.g., "Increased conversion rate by X%", "Reduced task completion time by Y%", "Improved customer satisfaction scores by Z points").

• Showcase Leadership: Clearly articulate your leadership actions – how you guided the team, managed stakeholders, made critical decisions, and contributed to the overall strategy.

• Technical Proficiency: Be ready to discuss the tools and technologies you used and why they were appropriate for the project.

• Conciseness: Aim for a clear, concise presentation that respects the interviewer's time, typically 5-10 minutes per case study, leaving ample time for Q&A.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparing specific examples that demonstrate leadership, strategic thinking, and quantifiable impact will be key to success in the interview process. Tailoring your responses to Old Mutual's context and the financial services industry is also crucial.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this UX/UI Design Lead position:

• Submit your application through the Old Mutual Careers portal via the provided URL.

• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your CV and portfolio to highlight your leadership experience, strategic approach to UX/UI design, and experience in customer-centric digital product delivery. Ensure your portfolio showcases relevant case studies that demonstrate your ability to translate business strategy into tangible user experiences.

• Resume Optimization: Clearly list your years of experience, specific design tool proficiencies (Figma, Adobe XD), and leadership responsibilities. Use keywords from the job description such as "UX/UI Design Leadership," "Customer-Centric Design," "Design Systems," and "Agile Project Management."

• Company & Role Research: Familiarize yourself with Old Mutual's business, its current digital offerings, and its stated values. Understand the challenges and opportunities within the financial services sector for digital design.

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process, leadership approach, and project outcomes using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result). Prepare to discuss how your skills align with Old Mutual's goals and the specific requirements of this operations-focused design role.

⚠️ 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.