Lead Product Designer

THE CARWOW GROUP

Carwow Group is driven by a passion for getting people into cars. But not just any car, the right car. That’s why we are building the go-to destination for car-changing. Designed to reach drivers everywhere with our trail-blazing portfolio of personality rich automotive brands; Carwow, Auto Express, evo, Driving Electric and Car Buyer.

What started as a simple reviews site, is now one of the largest online car-changing destinations in Europe - over 10m customers have used Carwow to help them buy and sell cars since its inception. Last year we grew over 50% with nearly £3bn worth of cars bought on site, while £1.8bn of cars were listed for sale through our Sell My Car service.

In 2024 we went big and acquired Autovia, doubling our audience overnight. Together we now have one of the biggest YouTube channels in the world with over 1.1 billion annual views, sell 1.2 million print copies of our magazines and have an annual web content reach over 350million.

WHY JOIN US?

We are winners of the prestigious Culture 100 award that recognises the most loved and happiest tech companies to work for! We have just raised $52m in funding led by global venture capital firm Bessemer Venture Partners (an early backer of LinkedIn and Shopify) to accelerate our growth plans!

As pioneers, we’re always driving for new territory and positive change, so our work as a group is never done. Where others see difficulty, it’s our responsibility to see possibility – building new experiences, launching new titles and listening to drivers.

Being a part of Carwow Group means championing drivers and the automotive industry, acting as a disrupter and never being afraid to fail (but learning fast when we do!).

Our team of 500 employees across the UK, Germany, Spain and Portugal are revolutionising car-changing and we are fast expanding our mission across every single brand and country we operate in, so jump in!

THE ROLE

We're seeking a Lead Product Designer to join our team. In this role, you'll be pivotal in crafting exceptional end-to-end experiences for our audiences through rapid iteration and innovative design solutions. You'll be responsible for effectively leading and communicating within the tribe, balancing independent action with collaborative efforts. Your role involves guiding the design vision, ensuring alignment with our overarching product strategy. As a Lead Designer, you'll provide mentorship to the team and contribute significantly to both your personal growth and the growth of the design practice under the guidance of our experienced Design Leadership.

The Design team’s Mission is to make changing cars a seamless, thrilling, and surprising experience.

Our Design Principles are:

1. Bold. Surpass the ordinary with exceptional design. By pushing boundaries, we set standards and inspire greatness.
2. Simple. Create clarity through design. Distil a solution down to its essence.
3. Human. Deeply understand our users' needs and craft experiences that fulfil them.
4. Refined. Craft work you’re proud of and obsess over the detail.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

• End-to-End User Experience: Identify opportunities to improve our automotive tech products and services.
• Superior Design Delivery: Elevate design quality, inspire the team, and accelerate project momentum.
• Storytelling & Innovation: Master storytelling and advocate for innovative ideas and practices.
• Drive High-Impact Projects: Take initiative in key projects, ensuring swift and effective outcomes.
• Communication & Leadership: Effectively communicate within the Product Tribe to lead and deliver compelling products.
• Foster Collaboration & Growth: Encourage active participation, embrace constructive debates for improvement, and assist in setting ambitious goals.

You're not flying solo; you're part of a convoy. Enjoy the mentorship of seasoned Design Leadership through regular one-on-one coaching sessions tailored just for you. This is your pitstop for role insights, personal growth hacks, and a mental tune-up to keep you operating at peak performance.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED

Please note: We know that no candidate will be the perfect match for all we've listed in this posting, so we’d encourage you to apply if you feel you're close to the brief but not an exact match. Ideally you’ll have:

• Advanced UX/Product Design Expertise: Proven track record of delivering exceptional user experiences and interfaces, showcasing a high level of design craftsmanship and innovation.
• Mastery of Design Tools: Advanced proficiency in design software like Sketch, Adobe XD, Figma, or similar, with the ability to leverage these tools for complex design challenges.
• Leadership in Communication: Strong communication skills with the ability to lead discussions, articulate complex design concepts, and align cross-functional teams towards a common vision.
• Strategic Problem-Solving: Demonstrated experience in not just identifying problems, but also strategically solving them with creative and effective solutions that drive product success.
• Collaborative Leadership: A history of leading and inspiring cross-functional teams, fostering a collaborative environment, and driving projects to successful outcomes.
• Feedback Integration and Mentorship: Skilled in integrating feedback constructively, with a focus on mentoring team members and elevating design standards across the team.

INTERVIEW PROCESS

Step 1: Talent Screen

Step 2: Hiring Manager Interview

Step 3: Case Study Part 1

Step 4: Case Study Part 2

WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU

• Hybrid working that works around you
• Competitive salary to fund that dream holiday to Bali
• Matched pension contributions for a peaceful retirement
• Share options - when we thrive, so do you!
• Vitality Private Healthcare, for peace of mind, plus eyecare vouchers
• Life Assurance for (even more) peace of mind
• Monthly coaching sessions with Spill - our mental wellbeing partner
• Enhanced holiday package, plus Bank Holidays
• 28 days annual leave
• 1 day for your wedding
• 1 day off when you move house - because moving is hard enough without work!
• For your third year anniversary, get 30 days of annual leave per year
• For your tenth year anniversary, get 35 days of annual leave per year
• Option to buy 3 extra days of holiday per year
• Work from abroad for a month
• Inclusive parental, partner and shared parental leave, fertility treatment and pregnancy loss policies
• Bubble childcare support and discounted nanny fees for little ones
• The latest tech (Macbook or Surface) to power your gif-sending talents
• Up to £500/€550 home office allowance for that massage chair you’ve been talking about
• Generous learning and development budget to help you master your craft
• Regular social events: tech lunches, coffee with the exec sessions, lunch 8 learns, book clubs, social events/anything else you pester us for
• Refer a friend, get paid. Repeat for infinite money
  

Diversity and inclusion is an integral part of our culture. We know that diverse teams are strong teams, so we welcome those with alternative identities, backgrounds, and experiences to apply for this position. We make recruiting decisions based on experience, skills and potential, so all our applicants are treated fairly and equally.