Vice President, Design
Description
Vice President, Design
Remote - United Kingdom
The Opportunity:
Anthology delivers education and technology solutions so that students can reach their full potential and learning institutions thrive. Our mission is to empower educators and institutions with meaningful innovation that’s simple and intelligent, inspiring student success and institutional growth.
The Power of Together is built on having a diverse and inclusive workforce. We are committed to making diversity, inclusion, and belonging a foundational part of our hiring practices and who we are as a company.
For more information about Anthology and our career opportunities, please visit www.anthology.com.
As the Vice President of Design, you will lead Anthology’s User Experience & Design (UXD) team in defining the vision and strategy for user-centered design across our products and solutions. The UXD team works across web and mobile platforms, including leaders in accessibility, research, content, and design, and believes in creating approachable, transformative, and purposeful experiences for our users. You will have the opportunity to shape how we engage with customers and users throughout the product development process to deliver valuable, usable, and accessible solutions.
In this role, you will champion the value of UXD across Anthology, our clients, and the design community. You will work closely with Product Management and Product Development teams to ensure that user experience design is integrated early and effectively in the product lifecycle. By fostering a deep connection between these teams, you will drive cross-functional collaboration to deliver solutions that solve complex problems with simplicity and elegance.
A key part of your role will be driving engagement with customers and users through research, user feedback sessions, and usability testing to ensure our products meet the needs of those who rely on them. You will lead by example, promoting a culture of rapid iteration, learning, and continuous improvement. With a highly agile mindset, you’ll empower teams to move quickly and make informed adjustments based on real-world insights and findings.
Primary responsibilities will include:
- Leading and evolving the design vision for Anthology’s products, ensuring alignment with company strategy and goals
- Partnering closely with Product Management and Product Development teams to ensure design and user experience are integral to product planning, prioritization, and execution
- Advocating for the user throughout the product lifecycle, engaging with customers and users through research, feedback sessions, and testing to inform design decisions and validate solutions
- Driving a highly agile and adaptive approach, encouraging teams to iterate quickly and refine solutions based on data, user insights, and collaboration with cross-functional partners
- Building and maintaining a high performing, engaged, and diverse UXD team that thrives in a supportive and inclusive environment. This includes defining clear roles, responsibilities, and processes to ensure smooth workflows between design, product management, and development teams
- Mentoring and guiding UXD professionals in delivering innovative, user-centric designs that balance business goals with usability, accessibility, and aesthetic appeal
- Presenting UXD strategies, research findings, and design solutions to internal and external stakeholders, ensuring a clear understanding of the value of design in achieving organizational goals
- Promoting a design culture that embraces collaboration, creativity, and accountability while maintaining a strong focus on user needs
- Ensuring projects are delivered on time and aligned with both product and organizational goals
- Travel may be required to help fulfill job responsibilities (up to 20%)
The Candidate:
Required skills/qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience
- At least 15 years of experience in User Experience, Design, or related field
- Proven experience leading and scaling design teams of 10+ professionals across diverse disciplines (UX, UI, research, accessibility, etc.)
- Proven experience partnering with Product Management and Development teams across different time zones and locations to deliver innovative product experiences
- Strong expertise in engaging clients and users through design research, testing, and iterative feedback loops
- Proven track record of delivering simple, elegant solutions to complex problems in highly agile environments
- Deep knowledge of design tools (e.g., prototyping, wireframing, design systems) and web standards (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, usability, accessibility)
- Strong leadership skills with the ability to create a collaborative, inclusive, and high-performing team culture
- Skilled in managing large-scale projects, prioritizing resources, and ensuring alignment across teams
- Excellent communication, negotiation, and presentation skills, with the ability to articulate complex design concepts to a variety of audiences
- Fluency in written and spoken English
This job description is not designed to contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required. Nothing in this job description restricts management's right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities at any time.
Anthology is an equal employment opportunity/affirmative action employer and considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, gender, age, color, religion, national origin, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, protected military/veteran status, or any other legally protected factor.