Design Strategy Manager

About the role

The Design Strategy Manager leads the identification, articulation and development of strategic design opportunities and initiatives across the end-to-end guest journey. Working closely with brand, guest insights, ground operations and crew and service teams, the role turns brand strategy into tangible experience design opportunities at every touchpoint. It calls for a proven track record of translating brand and customer insights into compelling design strategies.

Key responsibilities

• Translate brand into experience design strategies for the full guest journey, leading the creation of experience design principles aligned with brand positioning and hospitality philosophy.
• Identify design opportunities across digital, physical and service design, covering booking, airport, cabin and post-flight stages, using guest data, market analysis and industry trends.
• Create a business-impact-led prioritised roadmap with delivery timelines.
• Develop opportunities into tangible solutions with clear implementation plans, improving NPS and other guest performance metrics.
• Identify and develop new tools, methods and processes to capture and share trends, insights and ideas across the organisation.
• Articulate experience design principles and strategic design guidelines that act as guardrails for product development and service implementation.

Required profile

• Bachelor's degree in Design (Industrial, Interior, Transportation) with a focus on user research and design strategy, or in Design Research and Strategy, or relevant experience with a proven track record.
• 7+ years of experience developing experience design strategies in a consultancy or in-house setting, ideally in aviation, hospitality or guest-experience-driven industries.
• Strategic mindset: able to see the big picture and communicate strategies across multiple touchpoints.
• Solution-oriented: strategies grounded in operational realities and deliverable in the short and long term.
• Highly collaborative and proactive, able to work with many stakeholders.

Required skills

• Expert storytelling and concept articulation.
• Turning insights into value-driven solutions.
• Strong visual, written and verbal presentation skills.
• Ability to lead as a respected subject matter expert.