UX Design Director Head of Interaction

UX Design Director Head of Interaction Location: London Level: CL5/6 Purpose   Drive the strategic vision, culture, and execution of world-class interaction design across Accenture Song — setting the standard for craft quality, embedding human-centred design at the heart of the business, and ensuring every digital product and service delivers measurable value.   Orientation   Define and champion interaction design strategy at an organisational level; set standards for conceptual thinking, interaction design, and experience coherence across multi-disciplinary teams; establish governance and ways of working that elevate quality and consistency; lead with a systems-thinking mindset, connecting design strategy to business goals, technology capabilities, and long-term product vision.   Expectations   Be visionary. Set the standard. Build the culture. Lead with empathy at scale. Drive strategic clarity. Develop others relentlessly. Hold a high bar. Champion design with courage and conviction.   Years of Experience   12+ years of progressive industry experience, including 6+ years in senior design leadership or people management roles.   Demonstrated experience owning and evolving a UX or interaction design practice at an organisational or business-unit level.   Track record   of managing and developing design managers, not just individual contributors.   Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in Design, HCI, or a related field; advanced degree   advantageous .   Requirements   Leadership & Personal   Define and communicate a bold, long-range vision for interaction design that aligns with organisational strategy and inspires teams at all levels.   Position design as a strategic business driver; articulate the commercial and experiential return on design investment to C-suite and senior stakeholders.   Establish a research-led, evidence-based design culture across the organisation.   Serve as an executive sponsor for design, advocating for resources, headcount, and tooling.   Model and instil a culture of psychological safety, ambition, and continuous learning.   Craft & Standards   Own and evolve the design standards, frameworks, and systems that define quality across all products and services.   Set the vision for design language and cross-platform experience coherence, from concept through to delivery.   Create organisational knowledge artefacts — principles, playbooks, and pattern libraries — that scale craft and reduce inconsistency.   Act as the final creative authority on high-stakes, complex design decisions.   People & Organisation   Build, scale, and   retain   a world-class design team; develop a talent pipeline through hiring, mentoring, and succession planning.   Manage a team of senior designers and design managers; set clear performance expectations and create meaningful growth pathways.   Foster a diverse, inclusive team culture that reflects the breadth of the users we serve.   Lead organisational design for the UX function, including team structure, roles, and operating model as the organisation scales.   Champion design career frameworks and ensure   equitable , transparent progression across the discipline.   Strategic Delivery & Governance   Own the end-to-end design delivery model across multiple simultaneous programmes, ensuring quality, pace, and alignment with business priorities.   Introduce and   maintain   design governance processes, critique cadences, and quality gates.   Partner with Product, Engineering, Data, and Research leadership to co-define roadmaps and ensure design is embedded at every stage.   Drive adoption of   state-of-the-art   methods and emerging design practices.   Client & Stakeholder Engagement   Serve as the executive design lead in senior client relationships, building long-term trust and acting as a strategic thought partner.   Translate complex design strategy into compelling narratives for executive and board-level audiences.   Lead the design of strategic workshops and co-creation sessions with C-suite stakeholders.   Identify   and shape new business opportunities through design-led thinking.   Industry & Community   Represent Accenture Song as a recognised thought leader; present at major industry conferences and build the studio external profile.   Cultivate an external network that generates talent, partnership, and innovation opportunities.   Set the agenda for internal design community initiatives, shaping a studio-wide culture of craft, curiosity, and excellence.   Skillset   Proven ability to think at a systems level — connecting interaction, service, brand, and business strategy into a coherent experience vision.   Deep   expertise   in human-centred and research-led design practices, with the authority to set organisational standards.   Mastery of the full design toolkit: experience strategy, interaction design, information architecture, rapid prototyping, and usability evaluation.   Strong command of design systems thinking and the governance   required   to   maintain   them at scale.   Exceptional communication and storytelling skills; able to influence and inspire at every level of the organisation.   Commercially literate — able to frame design decisions in terms of business outcomes, risk, and opportunity.   Fluency with leading design and prototyping tools; knowledge of front-end technical constraints and emerging technologies including AI-driven design tooling.   Set Yourself Apart   Experience leading UX transformation programmes or   establishing   a design practice from the ground up.   A published body of work — articles, talks, or research — that has contributed meaningfully to the broader design community.   Experience   operating   within a global, matrixed organisation across multiple markets or practice areas.   Portfolio Requirement   Applications withou