Senior Manager, UX Design & Research – Airline Solutions

Description

The company builds software for airlines and their travellers, and this role leads UX across its Airline Solutions business.

The role leads a global UX team, working with Product, Engineering, Services and business leaders so that airline, customer and traveller insight guides product direction.

You will also help decide how emerging technologies, including AI, can be applied responsibly to improve airline products, research methods and customer value.

Responsibilities

• Set the UX vision and strategy for Airline Solutions, seen from the airline and traveller side.
• Shape how UX feeds into product strategy, innovation and business results.
• Champion user-centred decisions and spot chances to differentiate from competitors.
• Lead, coach and grow a distributed team of UX managers, designers and researchers at every level and grade.
• Build innovation, teamwork, ownership and continuous learning within the team.
• Plan workforce needs, hiring and career development.
• Enable reporting UX managers, both direct and dotted-line, to work independently and deliver against their remits, in line with overall AIR UX strategy and priorities.
• Create a research culture based on evidence for decisions.
• Make sure customer, airline user and traveller insight shapes product priorities and design choices.
• Encourage scalable research methods, knowledge sharing and insight management across teams.
• Deepen the organisation's understanding of customer journeys, unmet needs and industry trends.
• Advocate for UX and work with Product and Engineering leaders on strategy, discovery, prioritisation and delivery.
• Work with Product and Engineering to find and shape AI-enabled product opportunities that address real customer and user needs.
• Provide strategic design leadership for complex B2B, B2B2C and customer-facing digital products.
• Make sure solutions deliver measurable value for customers and users and support business goals.
• Promote an end-to-end view of customer experience across products and services.
• Set UX standards, methods and governance.
• Keep improving UX operations, planning, quality and measurement.
• Drive adoption of design thinking, accessibility, service design and current UX practice.
• Build strong collaboration between UX, Product, Engineering and Services.
• Act as a senior UX ambassador within Airline Solutions.
• Build credibility and influence with senior leaders and stakeholders.
• Show the impact of UX through measurable outcomes and success stories.
• Contribute to the wider UX community, inside and outside the organisation.

Requirements

• Extensive experience in UX design, UX research, service design, product design or a related field.
• Significant experience leading multidisciplinary, geographically spread UX teams.
• A proven record of shaping product strategy and organisational decisions with customer insight.
• Strong background in enterprise software, B2B platforms, digital products or complex ecosystems.
• Experience in travel, transportation, airline or hospitality is a strong plus.
• Experience working with Product Management and Engineering in Agile teams.
• Experience applying AI-enabled design, research and product discovery, with attention to usability, trust, transparency and responsible use.
• Excellent stakeholder management, communication and leadership skills.
• Proven ability to scale teams, processes and UX practice across several product areas.

Conditions

Hybrid working model, so you can choose the mix of office and remote work that suits you.

The company is equal opportunity, so applicants are considered regardless of background.

Benefits

• Global culture, with the company's people, business, footprint, processes and culture all operating internationally.
• Learning on the job, through formal training and everyday work with colleagues.
• A caring environment that supports both career growth and personal and family life.
• A diverse and inclusive community that uses differences to drive innovation and collaboration.
• A reputation for trust and reliability with customers, partners and employees.
• A mission to power the future of travel.