Associate Director of Experience (UX) Design

Please note that we will never request payment or bank account information at any stage of the recruitment process. As we continue to grow our teams, we urge you to be cautious of fraudulent job postings or recruitment activities that misuse our company name and information. Please protect your personal information during any recruitment process. While Monks may contact potential candidates via LinkedIn, all applications must be submitted through our official website (monks.com/careers).

About the Role

As an Associate Director of Experience (UX) Design based in Hilversum, you'll serve as a strategic partner to a major client on a long-term, retained basis. We are looking for someone who is passionate about seeking new opportunities to create impactful work, capable of guiding the client with a UX strategy perspective-supported by data and tech leads-from initial conversations all the way to delivery. In this role, you won't just be "working on a project." You will work across multiple projects within a single account, requiring you to collaborate with a wide range of roles and maintain oversight of everything in motion. You will translate client requirements into internal briefings and switch seamlessly from being strategic to tactical, leading the production of concepts and prototypes. You will use your experience to create approaches for complex projects while supporting and mentoring other designers, ensuring stakeholders are put at ease by your well-informed and confident direction.

Responsibilities:

• Translate requirements into internal briefs and involve the appropriate disciplines for execution.
• Build and lead a (UX) Design team producing high-quality work across a variety of digital channels.
• Lead, scope, and staff UX projects for the group, working with other Creative and UX leads to present proposals for new engagements.
• Act as a thought leader to our team and a partner to our clients, serving as the go-to person for creative and innovative solutions.
• Collaborate closely with data and tech to understand user needs and steer toward the right solutions.
• Oversee and safeguard processes, the design system, and documentation to ensure strong cross-disciplinary collaboration.
• Develop a deep understanding of the client's brand and product offerings to lead the development of strategic ideas.
• Create approaches for complex projects and scalable systems, flexing from creative innovation to global product rollout.
• Champion our culture and values within the team.

About You

The essentials:

• 8+ years of experience working as an Experience (UX) or Product Designer.
• Fluent in both Dutch and English.
• A stellar portfolio that demonstrates creativity, experience, and attention to detail.
• Strong understanding of business strategy and how design can drive it.
• You think in ecosystems, connecting multiple solutions into a unified experience that drives increased recruitment for werkenbijdefensie.nl.
• Expertise in design, workflow, and prototyping tools (Sketch, Figma, Google and Adobe Suites, Marvel, etc.).
• Experienced at workshop facilitation, information architecture, designing flows/screens, user testing, and design optimization.
• Comfortable with UX research methodologies, capable of pushing for and executing them.
• Ability to pitch design approaches, provide estimates, and lead the creative delivery process.
• Experience prioritising AI as part of your daily workflow and staying up-to-date with trends.

Not a must, but a plus:

• A solid understanding of content strategy.
• Experience in setting up and running usability tests.

At Monks, we believe in fostering an environment where a diversity of perspectives can thrive. We proactively work to design hiring processes that promote equity and inclusion while mitigating bias. We celebrate diversity and are committed to building a team that reflects the communities we serve. We welcome and encourage qualified applicants, from all backgrounds, who are excited to contribute to our mission.

#LI-FP1

About Monks

Monks is the global, purely digital, unitary operating brand of S4Capital plc. With a legacy of innovation and specialized expertise, Monks combines an extraordinary range of global marketing and technology services to accelerate business possibilities and redefine how brands and businesses interact with the world. Its integration of systems and workflows delivers unfettered content production, scaled experiences, enterprise-grade technology and data science fueled by AI-managed by the industry's best and most diverse digital talent-to help the world's trailblazing companies outmaneuver and outpace their competition. Monks was named a Contender in The Forrester Wave™: Global Marketing Services. It has remained a constant presence on Adweek's Fastest Growing lists (2019-23), ranks among Cannes Lions' Top 10 Creative Companies (2022-23) and is the only partner to have been placed in AdExchanger's Programmatic Power Players list every year (2020-24). In addition to being named Adweek's first AI Agency of the Year (2023), Monks has been recognized by Business Intelligence in its 2024 Excellence in Artificial Intelligence Awards program in three categories: the Individual category, Organizational Winner in AI Strategic Planning and AI Product for its service Monks.Flow. Monks has also garnered the title of Webby Production Company of the Year (2021-24), won a record number of FWAs and has earned a spot on Newsweek's Top 100 Global Most Loved Workplaces 2023. We are an equal-opportunity employer committed to building a respectful and empowering work environment for all people to freely express themselves amongst colleagues who embrace diversity in all respects. Including fresh voices and unique points of view in all aspects of our business not only creates an environment where we can all grow and thrive but also increases our potential to produce work that better represents-and resonates with-the world around us.

Associate Director of Experience (UX) Design | Hilversum, NL

Monks