Design Principal

TPXimpact is hiring a Design Principal to lead multi-disciplinary teams including design, tech and data capabilities on strategically critical digital transformation work. You'll work with directors, heads of practice and portfolio leads, using user-centred design and coaching clients on bold digital transformation in an AI era.

The role carries accountability for complex projects and programmes across government departments, local councils and national charities, balancing delivery quality, commercial limits, and client and team needs – helping partners work more effectively and achieve outcomes for users, communities and the planet.

What you'll be doing

• Delivery: leading teams and outcomes on complex projects, owning commercial responsibilities and impact measures, and delivering value within time and budget – including hands-on work and leading by example
• Leading productive project teams: planning projects strategically, overseeing methods, setting clear expectations and making sure teams and projects are inclusive
• Strategic insight: putting users at the heart of business strategy, providing creative and technical direction, keeping work bold and knowing when to seek support
• Communication and storytelling: describing the desired future through stories, visuals and other media, linking present change to long-term impact
• Growth: building client relationships, shaping new opportunities, winning work and sharing work publicly through events and blogs
• Practice development: bringing in innovative practices and trends, helping develop the service offer, and working with Heads of Practice, the Growth team and the Chief Design Officer
• Skills development: keeping your skills and knowledge current in your field

What we're looking for

• Previous experience leading high-performing, client-facing teams, projects or programmes
• Strong leadership, including coaching and user-centred approaches and a range of strategic design methods
• Strong business development, including growing existing programmes and winning new opportunities
• Project direction: managing ambiguity, leading vision setting, framing problems, planning work and delivering outcomes
• Commercial: planning and managing budgets, achieving margins and revenue, and possibly being accountable to Senior Partners
• Navigating trade-offs: balancing team health, delivery quality, client relationships and commercial viability over time
• Team leadership: leading multi-disciplinary teams and coordinating with other specialists
• Client relationships: challenging and coaching senior stakeholders to be bold, including those with low digital or user-centred design maturity
• Change management and communication: visualising alternative futures and communicating the value of change compellingly
• Business growth: finding and shaping new work opportunities
• Ethics and values: championing accessibility, inclusivity and ethical use of technology and data
• Desirable: experience influencing how emerging technologies can deliver the best value for clients
• Desirable: experience developing training that builds client teams' skills
• Behaviours in line with TPXimpact's PACT values – Purpose, Accountability, Craft and Togetherness

What's on offer

• £70,000 – £80,000 salary
• 30 days' holiday plus bank holidays
• 2 volunteer days
• Maternity leave of 6 months and paternity leave of 3 months
• Life assurance
• Employer pension contribution of 5%
• Health cash plan
• Personal learning and development budget
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Green incentives, including Electric Vehicle Leasing and the Cycle to Work Scheme
• Sharing in success bonus (non-contractual)
• Health assessments

How to apply

Select the Apply button on the TPXimpact careers site. Applicants who don't meet every criterion are still encouraged to apply, and you can request any adjustments you need during recruitment.