Job Description

Description

About us

We are Digital Science and we are advancing the research ecosystem.
We are a pioneering technology company, and our vision is of a future where a trusted and collaborative research ecosystem drives progress for all. We believe in better, open, collaborative and inclusive research. In creating the next generation of tools and working in partnership with the community we tackle some of the biggest challenges to research. In order to achieve our vision, we need innovative, inspiring and dynamic people to join our team. Want to join us?

Your new role

We are seeking a

Lead-level, strategic designer

to join our flexible, fully remote central Design team. In this highly impactful role, you will be instrumental in

materially impacting how design is done

across Digital Science, creating positive change for millions advancing global science.

What you'll be doing

This role is centered on systematic design, cross-product coherence, and supporting multiple development squads.

Design System Ownership & Impact:

You will be responsible for a

cross-product design system

, creating tangible internal and user-facing impact by identifying and contributing reusable, accessible patterns and components. This includes establishing guidelines that

balance consistency with flexibility

for diverse product use cases.

System Governance & Adoption:

Actively support design system adoption

and product innovation by translating system principles into squad-level implementation. You will establish

governance practices

to maintain design coherence, quality standards, and a clear process for evaluating system enhancements.

Technical Design Bridge:

You will support multiple squads with systematic design, requiring you to

fluently cross between design and front-end code

.

Strategic Discovery:

Lead

product discovery

to find actionable insights using a wide range of quantitative and qualitative methods, focusing on complex problems in the productivity space, such as

search and discovery, academic writing, and knowledge management

.

AI Interaction:

Design patterns and solutions for

cross-product experiences

, including

emerging patterns for agentic AI interactions

.

Collaboration and Execution:

Partner efficiently with Product, Engineering, and Marketing in cross-functional squads. Produce

engineering ready systematic design

, rapidly prototype, and

proactively measure and communicate design outcomes

with product analytics.

What you'll bring to the role

Core Experience & Technical Skills:

Design System Expertise:

Extensive experience in systematic design

, including

maintaining and governing design systems across design and code

.

UX Strategy:

Experience in delivering strategic and impactful UX work on

complex SaaS web applications

in productivity, AI, or scientific domains.

Adoption Driver:

Proven experience in

advocating for and driving design system adoption

across product teams, including balancing system consistency with product needs and

negotiating trade-offs with engineering and product peers

.

Design Ownership:

Ability to

own an end-to-end human-centred design process

, from discovery to impact evaluation, working independently.

Discovery Leadership:

Independently conduct qual. and quant. product discovery and facilitate co-creation workshops with senior stakeholders.

Execution Tools:

Ability to do

rapid interactive prototyping

in modern design tools (e.g., Figma, Figma Make).

Accessibility:

Firm understanding and application of accessibility standards in design (WCAG 2.2AA).
Mindset and Attributes:

Strategic Focus:

Ability to

strategically balance scope, speed and quality

for the best outcomes.

AI Curiosity:

Curiosity and interest in

agentic experiences

and leveraging AI within design systems

in a responsible manner

.

Collaborative Ethos:

A

collaborative, humble and consultative "maker" mindset

.

Storytelling:

Clear visual communication and storytelling skills to communicate design rationale.

Bonus Experience:

Experience in mentoring designers, service design, designing for human-AI interactions, data visualisation, or inclusive design would be an advantage.



Don't worry if you don't meet every qualification--let us be the judge! Studies show that many qualified candidates from under-represented groups hesitate to apply unless they meet every single requirement. We are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive team and strongly encourage you to submit your application.

Living our Values

We invest in, nurture and support innovative businesses and technologies that make all parts of the research process more open, efficient and effective.

The talent we secure is fundamental to us achieving our vision and our growth plans. The values we live by are:

We are

brave in the pursuit of better

We are

collaborative and inclusive

We are

always open-minded

We are

from and for the community

At Digital Science, our vision is to see research flow seamlessly - trusted, collaborative, and accessible - fueling breakthroughs that push humanity forward. This ambitious mission is one we achieve together, by enabling open, collaborative, inclusive research.



We firmly believe that to truly innovate and solve the complex challenges faced by our customers, from researchers and universities to funders and publishers, we need diverse perspectives, experiences, and ideas. A rich mix of voices drives quality insights, fosters enhanced collaboration, and ultimately pushes knowledge forward more effectively.



As an equal opportunity employer, we are committed to building and nurturing a workplace where every individual feels valued and belongs. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, colour, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status. Beyond recruitment, we strive to cultivate an environment where inclusivity is woven into the fabric of our culture, enabling everyone to be their best self and do their best work.

About Digital Science

Digital Science is a technology company working to make research more efficient.



We invest in, nurture and support innovative businesses and technologies that make all parts of the research process more open and effective.



Our portfolio includes admired brands including Altmetric, Dimensions, Figshare, ReadCube, Symplectic, IFI Claims, Writefull, and Overleaf.



We believe that together, we can help researchers make a difference.