Whiteshield: UX Design Lead - External Contractor

Note: This is an External Contractor Agreement

Agreement Type: 2-3 Months (option to extend / become permanent)

Location: Remote (UAE Hours)

Whiteshield is a global advisory firm helping governments navigate big, world-shaping challenges - from economic transformation to education, employment, and innovation. We work at the intersection of policy, data, and technology, building products that don’t just inform decisions, but improve lives.

Design is central to how we work. It’s how we turn complexity into clarity, dense systems into intuitive experiences, and ambitious ideas into products people genuinely enjoy using.

If you’re motivated by impact and purpose - Whiteshield is for you.

WHERE YOU FIT IN

We are looking for a Design Lead who can transition easily from early ideas to polished execution, always keeping the user in mind.

You will design across a range of products and platforms, including:

• Mobile applications
• Large, public-facing citizen platforms
• Government portals and digital services
• Data-rich dashboards and decision-support tools

If you enjoy simplifying complex problems and designing clear, effective solutions, this role will suit you well.

WHAT YOU’LL OWN

Design Direction & Vision

• Set and evolve the design language across mobile, web, and large-scale public platforms.
• Raise the bar for visual quality, interaction design, and overall experience across all Whiteshield products.
• Bring clarity and cohesion to a growing product ecosystem, ensuring consistency without sacrificing creativity.

User Experience & Product Execution

• Lead research and design sprints to deeply understand diverse users - citizens, students, jobseekers, policymakers, businesses, and institutions.
• Translate complex policy, data, and services into intuitive, human-centered journeys.
• Design experiences that feel simple, accessible, and culturally relevant across regions and audiences.
• Partner closely with product, engineering, and policy teams to take ideas from concept to launch.

Team Leadership & Collaboration

• Guide and mentor designers, helping grow both craft and confidence.
• Communicate design decisions clearly and persuasively, especially with non-design stakeholders.
• Champion design as a strategic function, not just a delivery role.

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR

We place less emphasis on titles and tenure, and more on demonstrated design capability.

• A portfolio that shows strong visual design, thoughtful UX, and clear problem-solving.
• Experience designing both mobile products and large-scale platforms.
• Comfort thinking in systems - components, patterns, and responsive layouts.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to collaborate across disciplines.
• Experience guiding or mentoring other designers.
• Fluency in English; additional languages are a plus.

Meaningful impact
Your work helps shape products used at national scale - enabling people to access services, opportunities, and support that make a real difference in everyday lives.

Creative freedom
You will have room to explore ideas, test approaches, and raise the bar for design quality - even in complex, regulated environments. We value thoughtful experimentation and encourage new ways of working.

High-calibre collaboration
You’ll work alongside talented people across policy, data, design, and technology - bringing different perspectives together to solve complex problems well.

Flexibility that works
We operate in an outcome-driven, remote-friendly way that respects individual working styles. Trust, autonomy, and balance are core to how we work.

Supportive culture
You will join a team that values respect, inclusion, and wellbeing - where people are encouraged to do their best work without burning out.