Experience Design Lead at AKQA

Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand -

Full Time

Start Date

Immediate

Expiry Date

13 May, 26

Salary

0.0

Posted On

12 Feb, 26

Experience

5 year(s) or above

Remote Job

Yes

Telecommute

Yes

Sponsor Visa

Skills

Experience Design, Digital Experiences, UI Design, Brand Strategy, Motion Design, Interaction Design, Visual Language, Design Systems, Figma, iOS Patterns, Android Patterns, Accessibility, Usability, Collaboration, Mentorship, Agile Teams

Industry

Design Services

Description

At AKQA, our Experience Design discipline sets the standard for innovation, creativity, and craft. As an Experience Design Lead, you’ll shape courageous digital experiences, how they work, why they matter, and the impact they deliver, bringing clarity to complexity through precision, empathy, and exceptional craft. In this role, you will collaborate closely with UX designers, strategists, technologists, and delivery teams, you’ll turn insight into beautiful, brand-led digital experiences. This role is for a designer who understands native mobile, pixel-perfect UI, and how to express play and emotion through motion, interaction, and visual language. As part of AKQA, you’ll work in an innovative and inclusive culture, surrounded by some of the brightest minds in their fields. You’ll have the opportunity to learn and grow within a creative and technically advanced team, with access to ongoing personal and professional development. Our hybrid in-studio/WFH model supports balance and flexibility, and we’re committed to your career growth as well as your work/life balance. ROLE REQUIREMENTS Design high-quality digital experiences across web and native mobile. Deliver pixel-perfect UI with strong typography, layout, colour, and hierarchy. Translate brand strategy into UI, micro-interactions, and emotional moments. Design with motion and interaction in mind; experience with Protopie, Rive, Lottie, or After Effects is a plus. Build scalable design systems using advanced Figma (Variables, Auto-layout, Components, tokens). Apply iOS (HIG) and Android (Material 3) patterns, balancing native and bespoke design. Design for multiple states and edge cases without losing clarity. Ensure accessibility (WCAG 2.2), usability, and consistency across platforms. Collaborate, present clearly, and deliver to a high standard. QUALITIES AND CHARACTERISTICS Senior experience in digital or product design. Strong UI portfolio focused on beauty, craft, and detail. Clear communicator and strategic storyteller with senior stakeholders. Comfortable working cross-functionally in agile teams. A supportive mentor to mid and junior designers. We believe great work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. That's why we’ve adopted a hybrid approach including required in-office days. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process. AKQA is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to particular characteristics. We are committed to fostering a culture of respect in which everyone feels they belong and has the same opportunities to progress in their careers.

Responsibilities

As an Experience Design Lead, you will shape digital experiences and collaborate with various teams to create brand-led digital solutions. You will design high-quality digital experiences across web and mobile platforms while ensuring clarity and accessibility.