Lead UI Designer - Sky Sports

Overview

Job Description We believe in better. And we make it happen.

We believe in better. And we make it happen. Better content. Better products. And better careers. Working in Tech, Product or Data at Sky is about building the next and the new. From broadband to broadcast, streaming to mobile, SkyQ to Sky Glass, we never stand still. We optimise and innovate. We turn big ideas into the products, content and services millions of people love. And we do it all right here at Sky. The role can be based in either the Leeds or Osterley office.

Role intro

Join the team shaping the future of Sky Sports and global sports experiences. As a Lead UI Designer, you’ll help define and uphold the visual direction and UI quality bar for our digital products across mobile, web and TV, delivering visually distinctive, intuitive and well-structured experiences to millions of fans worldwide. You’ll lead and line manage a team of UI Designers, acting as a hands-on design leader who raises standards through craft leadership, constructive challenge and collaboration. Working closely with Product and Engineering, you’ll help create a cohesive, effective and scalable approach to designing and delivering global sports experiences.

What You'll Do

• Lead UI craft and visual quality across global sports digital products, ensuring clarity, hierarchy and consistency across complex, content-rich experiences.
• Be accountable for UI outcomes across the end-to-end design process, from early exploration through to delivery, optimisation and continuous improvement.
• Actively challenge and refine design work, providing constructive friction that pushes polish, coherence and usability rather than settling for “good enough.”
• Partner closely with product owners, engineers, UX researchers, data specialists and editorial teams to balance design, product and technical needs at pace.
• Lead the definition, adoption and evolution of UI standards and design system practices, actively contributing components, patterns and guidance that enable quality and speed at scale.
• Lead by example through close involvement in design work, shaping UI architecture and decision-making rather than solely reviewing outcomes.
• Identify opportunities to improve how work gets done, helping deconstruct and refine processes to create a leaner, more effective design workflow.
• Provide direction, feedback and support to a team of UI Designers, helping develop capability, confidence and craft while fostering a strong, inclusive design culture.

What You'll Bring / Minimum Requirements

• Proven experience already working in a senior UI or Product Design role, with responsibility for delivering high-quality digital experiences and influencing visual direction within a product environment.
• A strong visual eye and deep UI craft expertise, with the ability to articulate why a design works (or doesn’t) in terms of hierarchy, rhythm, usability and cognitive load.
• Experience mentoring, coaching or supporting other designers, with the capability and aspiration to step into, or continue developing, line management responsibilities.
• A design portfolio available for review at the point of application, demonstrating high-quality UI work, attention to detail and thoughtful problem-solving across mobile, web or multi-surface digital experiences.
• Strong systems thinking, with experience working with, integrating or evolving design systems in a pragmatic, delivery-focused way.
• Confidence collaborating closely with Product and Engineering, understanding how to balance craft ambition with technical and delivery constraints.
• Awareness of emerging design trends and practices, with curiosity about the wider design landscape and how it can inform product experiences.
• Proficiency with modern design and prototyping tools (e.g., Figma) and a strong understanding of accessibility and inclusive design principles.

These capabilities represent the minimum requirements needed to perform the role effectively and will be used as the basis for shortlisting and appointment decisions.

Team Overview

Global Design
Coming up with fresh ideas. Pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. Creating unforgettable customer experiences. Our Global Design team make things happen. That’s why we’re at the heart of delivering the hardware and software for devices that keep our customers entertained. From UX and UI to product strategy and hardware engineering, we bring new devices like Sky Glass and Sky Live to life at top speed and support them throughout the product and engineering lifecycles.

The rewards

There’s one thing people can't stop talking about when it comes to Sky: the perks. Here’s a taster:

• Sky Q, for the TV you love all in one place
• The magic of Sky Glass at an exclusive rate
• A generous pension package
• Private healthcare
• Discounted mobile and broadband
• A wide range of Sky VIP rewards and experiences

Inclusion & How You'll Work

We are a Disability Confident Employer, and welcome and encourage applications from all candidates. We will look to ensure a fair and consistent experience for all, and will make reasonable adjustments to support you where appropriate. Please flag any adjustments you need to your recruiter as early as you can.

We’ve embraced hybrid working and split our time between unique office spaces and the convenience of working from home. You’ll find out more about what hybrid working looks like for your role later on in the recruitment process.

Your office space

The role can be based in either Leeds or Osterley office.

Osterley

Our Osterley Campus is a 10-minute walk from Syon Lane train station. Or you can hop on one of our free shuttle buses that run to and from Osterley, Gunnersbury, Ealing Broadway and South Ealing tube stations. There are also plenty of bike shelters and showers.

On campus, you’ll find 13 subsidised restaurants, cafes, and a Waitrose. You can keep in shape at our subsidised gym, catch the latest shows and movies at our cinema, get your car washed, and even get pampered at our beauty salon.

Leeds

The digital tech hub at Whitehall, right at the heart of the city. Our modern spaces, with part subsidised cafe and dedicated break-out spaces, provide a balance for our hybrid working teams. Need a break? You can blow off steam over a game of pool or table tennis, or stay fit with local gym discounts

We\'d love to hear from you

Inventive, forward-thinking minds come together to work in Tech, Product and Data at Sky. It’s a place where you can explore what if, how far, and what next. But better doesn’t stop at what we do, it’s how we do it, too. We embrace each other’s differences. We support our community and contribute to a sustainable future for our business and the planet.

If you believe in better, we’ll back you all the way.

Just so you know: if your application is successful, we’ll ask you to complete a criminal record check. And depending on the role you have applied for and the nature of any convictions you may have, we might have to withdraw the offer.