Senior Director of Design

What you'll do:

• Leadership & Team Management: Lead, mentor, and inspire a team of 50+ product, visual and motion designers as well as design managers, fostering a culture of creativity, collaboration, and continuous growth.
• Design Strategy: Define and implement a holistic design vision and strategy that aligns with Careem s business goals, customer needs, and brand identity.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with senior leaders across product, engineering, data, and marketing to align design initiatives with company priorities and create an exceptional user experience.
• Innovation: Champion innovation in design, ensuring that Careem remains at the forefront of design trends and technologies while delivering cutting-edge user experiences.
• Design Systems & Consistency: Oversee the development and scaling of design systems to ensure consistency, efficiency, and scalability across products and platforms.
• User-Centered Design and experience: Advocate for a user-first approach, using research, data, and testing to inform design decisions that enhance usability, elevates user experience and accessibility, and improves overall customer satisfaction.
• Operational Excellence: Establish and refine design processes, tools, and workflows to ensure efficient delivery of projects, balancing creativity with execution.
• Talent Development: Identify and cultivate talent within the design team, supporting professional development and fostering a diverse, inclusive, and high-performing team.
• Stakeholder Management: Present design strategies, concepts, and progress to senior leadership and key stakeholders, ensuring alignment and buy-in across the organization.
• Global Design Impact: Play a key role in scaling Careem's design thinking across all regions and product verticals, creating a unified design language that resonates with diverse audiences.

What you'll need:

• Experience: 15+ years of experience in product design, with at least 5 years in a leadership role overseeing large design teams (30+ designers).
• Track Record: Proven track record of delivering exceptional digital products at scale, with expertise in consumer-facing, multi-platform design (mobile, web, etc.).
• Leadership: Demonstrated experience in building and leading high-performing design teams, with strong managerial skills and a passion for talent development.
• Design Expertise: Deep expertise in UX/UI design, design systems, and user research, with a portfolio showcasing innovative, user-centered solutions.
• Strategic Vision: Ability to align design strategy with broader business goals and drive impactful, data-informed design decisions.
• Collaboration & Communication: Strong communication skills with the ability to articulate design vision and decisions to both design and non-design stakeholders.
• Innovation Focus: Passion for staying up-to-date with design trends, tools, and technologies, and driving innovation within the team.
• AI-First Mindset: Ability to integrate AI into design workflows and product experiences to drive efficiency, personalization, and innovation.
• Tools: Proficiency in design tools such as Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite, and prototyping tools.