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UX Design Manager

Department overview:

Partners is one of three pillars within the PlayStation design organisation. We design and build enterprise tools for our PlayStation Partners – all the gaming studios who create games, to build and publish games for PlayStation. Partner Platform - our ecosystem of tools, is vast and covers everything from registration and account management, to development support, to publishing and QA, to analytics and post-launch support.

Role overview:

Define the future of gaming and digital content distribution for game studios on the PlayStation Partner platform.

We are seeking an experienced UX Manager with Design Ops expertise to join our dynamic team. As a UX Manager, you will be responsible for leading and managing our user experience team while also contributing to the strategic development and implementation of Design Ops practices. This role requires a strong blend of leadership, project management, and design operations skills, as well as a deep understanding of user-centred design principles.

As part of the larger SONY design community, you will be part of a global design group that respects and celebrates the value of design, design thinking and design process. Collaborate with designers both locally and globally to elevate the standard of design across the organisation.

An ideal candidate possesses passion, dedication, and skills vital to deliver best-in-class products and experiences. If this sounds like you, then we would love to hear from you.

What you’ll be doing:

As Manager of UX Design for Partners at Playstation, you play a key role in shaping the future of the world’s largest game and content distribution platform. Located in the heart of London’s Soho district, you will partner with a cross-functional team of designers, product managers, researchers, writers, engineers, and business partners to support the team to ideate and craft experiences that both delight our users and define the next generation of media experiences.

Duties and responsibilities include:

Team leadership

• Lead and mentor a team of UX designers, fostering a collaborative, experimental and inclusive work environment
• Set clear goals, provide constructive feedback, and evaluate performance to ensure the team’s success
• Support growth of the design team through continuous feedback and mentorship
• Promote continuous learning and growth within the team by organising workshops, knowledge-sharing sessions, and skill-building initiatives
• Provide accountability for the UX design quality across the Partner experiences
• Engage in planning and prioritisation discussions to ensure appropriate resourcing

Design operations

• Help develop and implement user-centric strategies and processes to optimise the efficiency and effectiveness of the team, within the wider cross-functional team
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including product managers, programme managers, producers, engineers, and stakeholders, to streamline design workflows and improve collaboration and communication, and reduce dependencies
• Incorporate your strong understanding of user centric and design-thinking processes and practices into your strategies and processes

User experience strategy

• Work closely with designers, product managers and stakeholders to help define UX strategy, goals, and KPIs aligned with business objectives
• Drive the development of service blueprints, flow maps and other UX artefacts among the team to guide product development and ensure user-centred design approaches

Design leadership and advocacy

• Advocate for user-centric design principles and best practices within the organisation, fostering a culture of design thinking
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams and executive leadership to align design efforts with business goals and ensure design is a strategic differentiator for the company
• Stay up to date with industry trends and emerging technologies to drive innovation and maintain a competitive edge in the market

Who we’re looking for:

• 2+ years experience in UX management, leading and developing teams of UX designers and researchers, and the ability to set a design vision for the team and across business units
• 2+ years experience designing for Enterprise tools and/or B2B products
• Proven track record in leading product teams through the design process and successfully launching products or services
• Experience in developing designers to help set the standard across design organisations
• Proven understanding of design operations principles and practices, including design systems, style guides, and design workflow optimization
• Proficiency in user-centered design methodologies, usability principles, and user research techniques
• Excellent project management skills, with the ability to prioritize tasks, meet deadlines, and manage multiple projects simultaneously
• Solid understanding of Agile development methodologies and experience working closely with product managers and engineering teams
• Exceptional communication and presentation skills, with the ability to effectively articulate design decisions and advocate for UX strategies

Bonus points for:

• Deep experience working within a technical environment that includes both hardware and software
• Solid knowledge and/or interest in new technologies in web, mobile, VR and other devices
• Extensive experience designing for a global audience in multiple languages
• Deep passion or knowledge of movie, television, music, and video game services
• The ability to speak, write, or understand the Japanese language

Benefits:

• Discretionary bonus opportunity
• Hybrid Working (within Flexmodes)
• Private Medical Insurance
• Dental Scheme
• 25 days holiday per year
• On Site Gym
• Subsidised Café
• Free soft drinks
• On site bar
• Access to cycle garage and showers