Digital CX and Design Manager

Your role

At Allens our business teams are specialists in their field, using their unique knowledge and expertise to solve critical client and business challenges.

You'll play a critical leadership role in our Digital, Design and Data team based in Sydney or Melbourne and oversee an end-to-end design and digital production team, significantly contributing across the entire design and digital production process. You will lead a team of specialists who produce and enhance a range of touchpoints - from digital / online experiences to physical assets - which delight our clients, solve client problems, project our brand and generate business opportunities. This team sits within our wider Marketing & Client Services (MCS) department. The MCS team comprises marketing, communication and digital specialists, in areas such as digital and design, communication, media and content; marketing and campaigns; events and networks and business development specialists.

As a Digital CX & Design Manager in the Digital, Design and Data team you will be responsible for:

Business and stakeholder engagement

• Champion UX, design and development capabilities across all levels of the firm.

• Build and maintain relationships with stakeholders at all levels, and stay closely attuned to engagement data, to continuously understand current and future client needs and objectives.

• Track industry trends and be a thought leader, ensuring the firm remains at the forefront of UX, design and development best practices. 

Oversee the end-to-end design process

• Provide direction and guidance throughout the entire design lifecycle – spanning UX, design, and development – to ensure alignment, quality, and collaboration at each state.

• Offer creative direction and quality assurance to ensure that all work product meets briefs and objectives.

• Project manage an agile backlog, prioritising supporting investment decision-making as part of a road-map of activity.

• Generate ideas for new digital experiences and journeys which meet client needs and improve pain points.

• Leverage technical knowledge of emerging technology to inform decision-making. 

• Apply Design Thinking and Human-Centered Design principles to develop user-centric solutions for complex problems.

• Establish and enforce guidelines and processes to maintain consistent standards across a various digital and physical outputs.   

• Conduct regular reviews and critiques of UX, design and development work to provide feedback and ensure compliance with brand guidelines.

• Drive efficiency, continuous improvement and commerciality throughout the design process.

• Identify, assess, and manage or escalate issues and risks related to quality, budget and timelines.

Team management and collaboration

• Mentor and develop a high performing team of direct reports.

• Develop a skills roadmap required to ensure the team remains marketing-leading.

• Manage strong relationships with external design agencies, contractors and vendors.

This is a permanent, full-time opportunity. Hybrid working (60% in the office) is how we work however flexibility matters at Allens, so if you are seeking hybrid working or are looking for flexibility in your work, we would be happy to discuss what arrangements would work best for you.

About you

You will have:

• Experience working with premium brands in either an inhouse or agency capacity.

• Experience within a professional services firm, marketing agency or other corporate organisation with complex stakeholder management.

• Commercial acumen, strong stakeholder influencing skills and ability to quickly understand strategy and translate strategy into execution.

• Strong people leadership and people development skills.

• A genuine commitment to collaboration.

• A proven track record of coaching teams to develop new skills and transform processes.

• Extensive experience overseeing all aspects of the design to development process, particularly at the front-end (business need assessment and UX stages) of the lifecycle, guiding prioritisation and supporting business cases for investment.

• Knowledge of, and a passion for staying current with emerging trends and best practice in Design and Digital CX – including skills, processes and technology.

• An understanding of client experience with the ability deliver exceptional outcomes for clients.

• Experience managing effective vendor and agency relationships and budgets.

• A background in working closely with communications, digital, and events teams to design and deliver marketing and communication strategy in a B2B environment

• Strong project management skills, with experience applying agile methodology to manage product backlogs.

• Well-developed research and organisational abilities; capable of managing multiple initiatives and priorities with excellent attention to detail.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

• Formal qualifications in Design or Marketing are valued but not essential.

Your development

In joining Allens, you will receive unparalleled learning and development opportunities. You will be challenged, supported and guided as you learn and develop, and will be encouraged to grow. We foster greatness, and will coach and support you to meet your goals and aspirations.

Our unique Career Deal allows you to take control of your career and provides a transparent approach to career development. Our international alliance with Linklaters means we are able to support secondments all over the world.

Our perks

Our benefits include:

• Financial: market competitive fixed remuneration; incentive plan that recognises individual and team performance, employee recruitment referral program, discounts at hundreds of suppliers including retail outlets, health and travel insurance, charity matched funding program.

• Health and wellbeing: fully subsidised gym memberships, annual flu vaccinations, skin checks, in-house snacks and catered meals, subsidised sporting and social activities, Employee Assistance Program including confidential counselling, wellbeing coaching and financial coaching for employees and their families and regular wellbeing sessions with our in-house consulting Psychologist.

• Flexibility: hybrid and flexible working arrangements to support you in your work and life commitments and passions, equipment to support working from home.

• Leave: ability to purchase additional annual leave, access to an enhanced, inclusive and flexible parental leave policy – 26 weeks paid parental leave with no minimum service for permanent employees and high quality executive coaching to support the transition.

• Recognition: team based recognition including social activities and contribution based recognition activities, and annual Allens Values Awards to nominate and recognise the incredible contributions of our people.

Allens is also proud to invest in our communities, giving you the opportunity to make a difference through our work on reconciliation, the environment and other social justice issues as well as our workplace giving and volunteering programs.

How to apply?

We'd love to hear from you so please click "apply now"! If you would like to find out more, please visit "This is Allens" or listen to our Allens Confidential podcast to hear real stories from real people about life at Allens. Alternatively, for a confidential discussion, please phone Thomas Wigglesworth, Talent Acquisition National Manager, on +61 449 539 834.

At Allens, our culture is made up of unique backgrounds and varying life experiences. We celebrate our people's differences across gender and gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, cultural backgrounds, First Nations communities, and family and caring arrangements. If you require adjustments to fully participate in our application process, please contact us at [email protected]. We encourage applicants from all backgrounds, so if you're excited about this role but your past experience doesn't align, please express your interest by emailing us at [email protected]. The right role for you might be just around the corner!