Explore Learning is a leading educational organisation that is committed to making learning enjoyable and effective for children, and supporting families and schools as true partners. With our network of learning centres across the country and our online tutor offering, we help thousands of children develop their skills and reach their full potential.
We’re looking for a Head of Product Design to own how our products look, feel, and work - end to end, from the first messy idea through discovery and design to the final assets shipped alongside engineers. This is a senior, hands-on role: you’ll set the direction and hold the bar for craft, and you’ll be in the work yourself - shaping flows, building the design system, and creating the things that children, parents, teachers, and schools actually use. You’ll lead a product designer and bring in additional designers as work demands.
We’re building impactful, industry-leading products that serve families and schools with consistent experiences. We’re looking for a design leader who’s genuinely excited by that, who has a point of view on what product design becomes in an AI-enabled company, and who is already experimenting rather than waiting to find out.
What you’ll do
Own product design end to end - discovery, concept, interaction, visual design, and the final production-ready assets to build with engineers
Partner closely with product owners and front-end engineers (web and mobile), from problem definition through to shipped, polished implementation
Set and hold the bar high for design craft and quality across everything we ship
Continuously evolve our design system so design and engineering move fast without losing consistency
Design for multiple audiences across our platforms - children as learners, parents, teachers, and school administrators
Lead and grow designers
Ground decisions in user research, feedback, and product data rather than opinion - run or commission research, test, and iterate
Champion accessibility and inclusive design, with real care to design well for children
Be curious and bring AI into the design process - helping define how we use it well and responsibly across the entire workflow
Connect design to outcomes - adoption, activation, engagement, and learner results - not just outputs
Act as a leader for the whole business: spot opportunities beyond your immediate remit and pick them up
Must-haves
A strong portfolio of end-to-end product design - not just polished screens, but the thinking, discovery, and shipped outcomes behind them
Proven ability to own the big-picture design direction and do the hands-on creation yourself
A collaborative approach with experience working directly with front-end engineers and product owners across both mobile and web, through to implementation
Demonstrable craft, taste, passion and obsessive attention to detail
A genuinely user-led approach - you prioritise evidence and user needs over design ego
Mastery of modern design tooling (e.g. Figma) and experience building and maintaining design systems
Active, hands-on use of AI in your work, and a clear point of view on where product design is heading within the end-to-end workflow
Create clarity through your communication so your design thinking lands with different stakeholders
The confidence and initiative to lead beyond your remit and put your hand up
Nice-to-haves
Experience designing for children, or in EdTech / consumer products used by families
Accessibility expertise (WCAG) and a track record of inclusive design
Experience designing for multiple personas or multi-sided platforms
Comfort in front-end code (HTML/CSS, React) for prototyping and closer collaboration with engineers
You’ll thrive here if you
Care about the user more than your own opinion. Sweat the details other people miss. Want to own outcomes, not hand off screens. Get excited about delivering meaningful outcomes with real purpose. Are genuinely curious about AI and already playing with it. Lead because you can’t help yourself - not because a title told you to.
Location: Remote, UK based - with travel for user testing and occasional time with the team
Job Type: Full time, permanent contract
Salary: Negotiable based on experience
Start date: ASAP
Please note: Proof of eligibility to work in the UK will be required. Unfortunately we are not able to offer any form of sponsorship.
Additional Perks:
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff to share this commitment.
Safeguarding is paramount. Our safer recruitment processes are rigorous and designed to deter, identify and reject anyone who may pose a risk to children. Any offer is strictly conditional upon satisfactory references (taken directly from referees) and an Enhanced DBS check.
You must provide a full employment history with all gaps clearly explained and evidenced where required. Any omission, inconsistency or misleading information may result in your application being rejected, an offer withdrawn, or dismissal.
This role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (and relevant Exceptions Orders). Relevant disclosures will be required in line with DBS and safer recruitment requirements.
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