Design Lead - Global Navigation

DIRECT REPORTS: Leads a dedicated team of 3 product designers 

The Design Lead, Global Navigation drives the overarching user experience strategy and architectural framework for global navigation across a global pharma’s digital ecosystem. Rather than owning a standalone product surface, this role oversees the connective digital tissue that enables seamless, intuitive navigation across diverse brands, platforms, and services. Leading a dedicated team of 3 product designers, the Design Lead defines cross-cutting patterns, enforces design governance, and partners with cross-functional leadership to ensure scalable, consistent user experiences enterprise-wide.  

COMPETENCIES & CORE BEHAVIORS 

• Systems Architecture & Governance: Ability to conceptualize, define, and govern large-scale design systems and cross-cutting navigation components.  
• Cross-Functional Influence: Skilled at building consensus, articulating design rationale, and driving strategic alignment across engineering, product, and brand teams outside direct reporting lines.  
• People Leadership & Coaching: Dedicated to mentoring individual contributors, setting clear design standards, and fostering an inclusive, high-performing design team culture.  
• Ambiguity Management & Strategic Vision: Thrives in navigating complex organizational matrices and operating without a single "owned" product surface.  

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES 

• Lead, mentor, and manage a high-performing team of ~3 individual contributor product designers in defining scalable navigation systems.  
• Establish and govern foundational navigation components, interaction patterns, and user journeys utilized across global enterprise platforms and brands.  
• Partner closely with platform and software engineering teams to ensure navigation patterns scale reliably across various technical architectures and device breakpoints.  
• Serve as the primary design advocate in structural, enterprise-level governance decisions that impact downstream product and engineering teams.  
• Conduct continuous alignment reviews with non-reporting brand and business unit partners to ensure adoption of global design standards.  

REQUIRED EDUCATION 

• Bachelor’s degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Visual Communications, or a related field; or equivalent practical experience.  

EXPERIENCE 

• 7+ years of progressive product design experience, with at least 2+ years of direct people management or team lead experience managing individual contributors.  
• Demonstrated experience solving complex, cross-cutting platform or design system problems in a large, matrixed enterprise organization.  

LANGUAGE SKILLS 

• Professional verbal and written English communication skills. Ability to articulate complex design decisions clearly to non-design executives, engineering leads, and business stakeholders.  

QUALIFICATIONS 

Required: 

• Proven track record of managing and coaching IC designers.  
• Strong portfolio demonstrating systems-level UX architecture and pattern governance across multi-product environments.  
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex cross-functional stakeholders and influence without direct authority.  
• Hands-on proficiency with modern enterprise design and prototyping tools (e.g., Figma).  

Preferred: 

• Prior experience working within healthcare, life sciences, or heavily regulated enterprise environments.  
• Experience working directly with accessibility standards (WCAG) and enterprise design systems.  

PHYSICAL DEMANDS 

Standard office environment demands: ability to sit or stand at a workstation for extended periods, operate standard computer equipment, and participate in hybrid team meetings. 

WORK ENVIRONMENT & HOURS 

• Work Environment: Remote 

• Expected Hours of Work: Monday through Friday, normal business hours.  

• Travel: Occasional travel for workshops to headquarters. 

ADA Statement 

To perform the job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Other duties, responsibilities and activities may change or be assigned at any time with or without notice.