Deputy Design Director
JOB DESCRIPTION
ABOUT YLABS
YLabs is a leading global design and research organisation working to improve health and economic opportunity for young people 10–24 years old. Founded in 2014 at the Harvard Innovation Lab, YLabs partners with young people in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and North and Central America to design, test, and advocate for youth-driven solutions that address key challenges to young people’s health and economic opportunity worldwide. YLabs’ desired global impact for youth is improved health and wellness, climate resilience, and increased economic opportunity. Our global teams have worked in 18 countries to date on projects spanning topics including mental health, sexual and reproductive health, HIV, youth entrepreneurship, and climate action. Find out more about our projects here: https://www.ylabsglobal.org/work
Our team of physicians, designers, economists, public health professionals, and educators bring a unique mix of human-centred design, adolescent health, evaluation, economic and health outcome evaluation, behavioural science, and implementation know-how to the global problems facing youth.
SUMMARY
YLabs is seeking a Deputy Design Director with a strong background in product design, a passion for social impact, and the leadership skills necessary to guide a talented and growing team of designers. You will have the opportunity to lead multidisciplinary project teams to build impactful products based on the needs of users, stakeholders, and our partners. In this role, you will play a pivotal role in shaping the vision and strategy of YLabs’ product offerings.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Product Strategy and Vision (40%)
- Work closely with cross-functional teams, including product managers, researchers, and developers, to define and prioritise product initiatives aligned with the organisation’s objectives and key results.
- Conduct regular design reviews and provide constructive feedback to ensure high-quality, visually appealing, and user-friendly products.
- Work closely with the impact and data teams to ensure that key measurement strategies and goals are accounted for in digital product builds
- Work closely with stakeholders across the organisation, including public health experts, programs teams, and communications teams, to align product design e orts with YLabs’ Objectives and Key Results.
- Department Management & Co-Leadership: (30%)
- Co-lead YLabs’ global design department with the Design Director, including specific mentorship, supervision, and capacity building in product design, providing guidance on design principles, best practices, and industry trends.
- Manage the design departments activities such as setting, tracking, and ensuring the completion of departmental key results for the organisational strategic plan; setting recurring meetings with design team members; planning wellness and bonding activities for the team etc.
- Oversee end-to-end recruitment processes for design hires, including job postings, candidate sourcing, and interviewing. Work with departmental leads and talent teams to understand current and future sta ng needs.
- Provide strategic vision, direction, and professional development support to 4-5 direct reports and cross-functional teams in a manner that upholds YLabs’ core values of equity, transparency, trust, courage, and collective joy.
- Project Leadership: (30%)
- Oversee the end-to-end product design process on projects, from ideation to implementation, ensuring a user-centred approach and adherence to accessibility and inclusivity standards.
- Provide guidance to project teams on large-scale, multi-year initiatives focused on advancing young people’s power and agency.
- Collaborate with external donors, partners, vendors, and consultants to promote and scale the impact of our design work and digital solutions.
REQUIRED
- At least 8-10 years of experience in UX and an extensive knowledge of UI and product design best practices.
- At least 4-6 years of experience in human-centred design methodologies and practice.
- At least 5-7 years of experience leading teams through the product/service development process.
- Must have experience successfully launching digital products.
- Experience and confidence in all stages of a design project including user research and testing, prototyping, service design blueprints, and developing user-centred deliverables.
- Experience with work planning, project management, and managing other team members’ workstreams.
- Experience in hiring, mentoring, collaborating with, and managing designers in-house and on contract freelance designers.
- Strong verbal and visual communication skills with both developers, content developers and designers.
- Proven experience and portfolio that demonstrates your proficiency in crafting innovative, data-driven design solutions within complex, multi-sided service systems.
DESIRABLE
- Bachelor or Masters degree in Interaction Design, Service Design, User Experience Design, or related design discipline preferred.
- Experience working in Rwanda and/or East Africa broadly.
YOU ARE
- Passionate about improving the health and opportunity of young people globally
- Culturally competent with awareness and sensitivity to cultural diversity
- A strong communicator; able to communicate clearly and sensitively with internal and external stakeholders and funders
- Data-driven and detail-oriented with a high degree of integrity in your decision making
- A natural connector, energised by building new working relationships and partnerships
- Committed to operationalising equity in our work and decolonising global health
- A thoughtful leader who makes decisions with trust and transparency; you are collaborative, non-hierarchical, and consultative in your workstyle and responsive to feedback
- Committed to building trusting, convivial working relationships that support wellness, creativity, and collective joy
- Willing to work flexible hours to accommodate staff in other time zones
- Adaptable and optimistic when faced with changing circumstances and challenges
LOCATION
This is a hybrid or remote role, ideally based in sub-Saharan Africa, with preference for the following countries: Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, Ghana, Nigeria.
YLabs has an office location in Kigali, Rwanda; if the candidate is based in Kigali, Rwanda, this is a hybrid role, with an expectation to work from the office at least 1-2 days per week and attend in-person team events.
PAY RATE & BENEFITS
YLabs adheres to Project Fair’s principles and standards to establish equity in pay with the overriding principle of “equal pay for work of equal value” outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals.
All salary ranges are based on level within the organisation and are competitive to regional and national salary benchmarks, based on the respective office location.
The salary range for this role is gross Rwf 55,000,000 – Rwf 61,500,000 per year, commensurate with experience. This range is regionally benchmarked for a Deputy Director-level position in the Rwandan and sub-Saharan African region. YLabs pays all full-time staff salaries in the local currency of the staff member’s permanent work location.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
To apply, send a resume, cover letter, and writing sample to talent@ylabsglobal.org with the subject line “Deputy Design Director” before 8th January 2024.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis; all applications submitted within the posting period will be reviewed by our Hiring Committee. YLabs recognizes the effort that goes into submitting an application; all candidates will be notified of their application status once the hiring process begins. All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines. All YLabs offers of employment are conditional on satisfactory background check and criminal record clearances.
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