Get AI-powered advice on this job and more exclusive features.This range is provided by Acquire. Your actual pay will be based on your skills and experience — talk with your recruiter to learn more.Base pay rangeDirect message the job poster from AcquireYou've got the skills. You understand UX deeply—research, data, beautiful design that converts. But your current setup has you drowning in processes, reporting layers, design committee approvals, and the creeping realisation that your best ideas are being watered down by consensus.You're in a corporate environment where moving fast means fighting bureaucracy. Where you can spend weeks getting sign-off on a project that should’ve shipped in days. Where the CEO has never heard your name.This isn't that.Our client is a portfolio of high-growth DTC pet food brands going through an exciting digital transformation. They're migrating their entire tech stack to their own platform, and they're replacing an expensive external agency with someone permanent—someone who understands not just design, but business.What's In It For YouHere's what they're facing:Multiple brand migrations happening right nowNew product opportunities launching that require user research, testing, iterationA development team with serious technical chops that's been underutilised because there's no senior designer in-house to unlock what's possibleFounders and CEOs who want to work with UX expertise but currently have no one to callFor the right person, this is a rare moment. Within your first 12 months, you'll replace an external UX budget that currently runs into six figures. You'll be the person brands come to. You'll launch multiple projects, not sit in roadmap hell.Real Impact, Real QuicklyYou're not designing in a vacuum. Your work goes live. You sit with founders. You run research, propose changes, execute them, measure the result. By month 9‑12, you'll have shipped 2‑3 major brand redesigns and seen measurable uplift in conversion and subscription performance.Multi‑Brand Exposure Without the Corporate MadnessYou get the variety of working across multiple brands without the bloat of a 200‑person design team. Each brand has a unique identity, audience, and challenge. You're solving different problems for different founders—but you get to work independently. No design review committee. No “let’s workshop this for three weeks.”The Rare Combination: Creative Freedom + BudgetYou want to test an idea? You scope it, propose it, and (once you’ve built trust) you get approval and budget. You need a freelance designer to handle production work? Raise the cost, get sign‑off, move on. You’re not doing everything alone—but you’re in control of what gets done and how.Work With Founders Who Actually ListenOur client's founders care about UX. They've experienced the cost of not having it (expensive freelance agencies that don’t understand their brand). They want someone who can say “I know how this should work” and “let me sit with your customers to validate that.” You’ll have a real seat at the table, not be treated as an execution layer.A Chance to Build Something ScalableRight now, our client is learning how to structure UX across a portfolio. By year two, you might report into a new Head of Product—a peer‑level hire who handles strategy and commercials while you focus on design excellence. You’re building the playbook for how UX works across multiple brands. That’s portfolio‑building work.What We're Looking ForMust‑Have Experience7+ years in UX, Product Design, or Experience Design (with strong DTC or e‑commerce background)Hands‑on research: User interviews, usability testing, analytics tools (Hotjar, GA4, FullStory)Proven track record designing for high‑performing e‑commerce or subscription productsComfortable switching between projects and managing your own timeYou should apply if:You’ve felt frustrated in slow corporate systems and crave autonomyYou can balance beautiful, differentiated design with conversion dataYou’re collaborative—you want to sit with teams and solve problems together, not work in isolationYou’re curious about why users behave the way they do, not just what looks goodYou can scope a project, identify what freelance support you need, and manage that without hand‑holdingYou’re willing to travel once a month to visit brands and sit with teams (2‑3 trips per quarter max)You probably shouldn’t apply if:You’ve spent years in a big corporate UX function reporting to lots of layersYou want a “Head of Design” title with a team reporting to youYou need detailed briefs and clear direction on everythingYou view portfolio work as beneath you or see freelancers as a threatYou’re not willing to get hands‑on and actually designSalary: £70-75k (based on skills and fit, not title)Location: UK Remote, with monthly travel to visit brandsInterested? Apply now! #J-18808-Ljbffr