Head of Design

Careem is building the Everything App for the greater Middle East, making it easier than ever to move around, order food and groceries, manage payments, and more. Careem is led by a powerful purpose to simplify and improve the lives of people and build an awesome organisation that inspires. Since 2012, Careem has created earnings for over 2.5 million Captains, simplified the lives of over 70 million customers, and built a platform for the region’s best talent to thrive and for entrepreneurs to scale their businesses. Careem operates in over 70 cities across 10 countries, from Morocco to Pakistan.

About The Role

The Head of Design at Careem will lead a diverse and talented team of 40+ designers responsible for creating seamless, user-centered digital experiences across all our platforms. You will play a critical role in shaping the overall design strategy, driving innovation, and ensuring a cohesive design language across our products. As a senior leader, you will collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including product, engineering, marketing, and data, to deliver world-class design solutions that impact millions of users across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

What You'll Do

• Leadership & Team Management: Lead, mentor, and inspire a team of 40+ designers,, researchers, and design managers, fostering a culture of creativity, collaboration, and continuous growth.
• Design Strategy: Define and implement a holistic design vision and strategy that aligns with Careem’s business goals, customer needs, and brand identity.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with senior leaders across product, engineering, data, and marketing to align design initiatives with company priorities and create an exceptional user experience.
• Innovation: Champion innovation in design, ensuring that Careem remains at the forefront of design trends and technologies while delivering cutting-edge user experiences.
• Design Systems & Consistency: Oversee the development and scaling of design systems to ensure consistency, efficiency, and scalability across products and platforms.
• User-Centered Design: Advocate for a user-first approach, using research, data, and testing to inform design decisions that enhance usability, accessibility, and overall customer satisfaction.
• Operational Excellence: Establish and refine design processes, tools, and workflows to ensure efficient delivery of projects, balancing creativity with execution.
• Talent Development: Identify and cultivate talent within the design team, supporting professional development and fostering a diverse, inclusive, and high-performing team.
• Stakeholder Management: Present design strategies, concepts, and progress to senior leadership and key stakeholders, ensuring alignment and buy-in across the organization.
• Global Design Impact: Play a key role in scaling Careem's design thinking across all regions and product verticals, creating a unified design language that resonates with diverse audiences.
  
  

What You'll Need

• 10+ years of experience in product design, with at least 5 years in a leadership role overseeing large design teams (30+ designers). Preferred experience in a fast-paced, high-growth tech company or startup environment.
• Proven track record of delivering exceptional digital products at scale, with expertise in consumer-facing, multi-platform design (mobile, web, etc.).
• Demonstrated experience in building and leading high-performing design teams, with strong managerial skills and a passion for talent development.
• Deep expertise in UX/UI design, design systems, and user research, with a portfolio showcasing innovative, user-centered solutions.
• Ability to align design strategy with broader business goals and drive impactful, data-informed design decisions.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to articulate design vision and decisions to both design and non-design stakeholders.
• Passion for staying up-to-date with design trends, tools, and technologies, and driving innovation within the team.
• Proficiency in design tools such as Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite, and prototyping tools.
• Strong understanding of the MENA region and Careem’s customer base, with a sensitivity to the cultural and regional nuances of design.
• Prior experience in multi-service platforms (mobility, delivery, payments) is a plus.
• Master’s degree in Design, HCI, or related field.
  
  

What We’ll Provide You

We offer colleagues the opportunity to drive impact in the region while they learn and grow. As a full time Careem colleague, you will be able to:

• Work and learn from great minds by joining a community of inspiring colleagues.
• Put your passion to work in a purposeful organisation dedicated to creating impact in a region with a lot of untapped potential.
• Explore new opportunities to learn and grow every day.
• Work 4 days a week in office & 1 day from home, and remotely from any country in the world for 30 days a year with unlimited vacation days per year. (If you are in an individual contributor role in tech, you will have 2 office days a week and 3 to work from home.)
• Access to healthcare benefits and fitness reimbursements for health activities including gym, health club, and training classes.