Design Projects Lead - Better by Design

*Post Title: Design Projects Lead - Better by Design

Grade: NCAD Grade VII

School/Unit: School of Design, NCAD DesignLabs: Health

Post Duration: 24 months

Contract Type: Specified Purpose Funded Contract linked to External Funding

Reports to: Head of Department of Product Design

Salary: Grade VII (Higher Executive Officer) - €61,217 - €79,583 per annum (Funded)

*Candidates should note that as per Department of Finance guidelines, entry will be at the first point of the salary scale and the rate of remuneration may be adjusted from time to time in line with government pay policy. Candidates should note that different pay and conditions may apply if, immediately prior to appointment, the appointee is a serving civil or public servant.

Annual Leave: Annual Leave will be 25 working days per annum. This leave is exclusive of public holidays.

Location: The Employer (NCAD) is based at 100 Thomas Street, Dublin 8. However, the successful candidate will also be required to work from multiple clinical sites, including the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital and other sites in the Dublin and North East Region as required.

Hours of work: FTE 1 - Working hours will be 35 hours per week (net of rest breaks)

Background

NCAD DesignLabs are a series of collaborative design-led research spaces whose shared focus is on the positive impact that applied design can have on societies, cultures, economies and environments. NCAD DesignLabs Health brings together designers, researchers, healthcare professionals and communities to address complex challenges across health and social care systems. Working at the intersection of design practice, research and implementation, DesignLabs Health develops and applies design approaches that support innovation, service improvement and better experiences for patients, staff and communities. Through partnerships with healthcare providers, public sector organisations, academic institutions and industry collaborators, the Lab contributes to meaningful and sustainable change within health and social care contexts. Better by Design is a two-year research chair embedded within DesignLabs Health. A collaboration with HSE Spark, the research chair aims to advance the role of design within healthcare through a programme of applied projects, capacity-building, and knowledge generation. This role will be embedded within Better by Design and will focus on delivering a specific portfolio of design projects within the Mater Hospital and the Dublin and North East Region.

Role Description

The Design Projects Lead will join a multidisciplinary team within NCAD DesignLabs Health, where they will be responsible for managing the delivery of a portfolio of design-led projects across health and social care settings at the Mater Hospital and sites across the Dublin and North East Region as required. The role involves leading hands-on design work across all stages of the design process, including discovery, stakeholder engagement, synthesis, concept development, prototyping, testing and implementation. The Design Projects Lead will be responsible for establishing and maintaining close working relationships with health and social care professionals, patients, communities, researchers and project partners to translate insights into actionable outcomes and tangible interventions. The successful candidate will lead project planning and delivery across a portfolio of design-led projects, enable collaborative working across stakeholders, and be responsible for the delivery of design activities to a high professional standard, within agreed timelines, budgets and project objectives. The Design Projects Lead will also be responsible for line management and supervision of the work of junior designers in the NCAD DesignLabs: Health.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

- Manage a portfolio of design-led projects across a range of health and social care contexts, ensuring projects are delivered to a high standard, on time and within budget.

- Be a key contributor in supporting the growth of capacity in NCAD DesignLabs: Health to take on a range of design-led projects, working across a team of designers and design researchers to support effective and innovative applications of design to health and social care contexts.

- Lead on project planning and monitoring progress, scheduling and delivery across multiple concurrent projects, and identifying and mitigating risks and potential barriers to progress, escalating where necessary through the appropriate channels

- Lead design research activities including interviews, observation, mapping, and synthesis.

- Plan and facilitate workshops, co-design sessions, and stakeholder engagement activities.

- Develop design concepts, prototypes and final design outputs in response to project needs.

- Plan and coordinate internal and external communications, producing clear outputs including visuals, presentations, reports, and project documentation for a range of audiences.

- Support the implementation and testing of design interventions in context.

- Take ownership of allocated workstreams and ensure deliverables are completed to agreed quality standards and timelines.

- Lead liaison with multidisciplinary teams, including researchers, clinicians, healthcare managers, community organisations, and public sector partners.

- Actively contribute to team planning, reflection and continuous improvement activities.

- Contribute to the development of design methods, tools and resources used across DesignLabs: Health projects.

- Undertake other duties appropriate to the grade and nature of the post as required.

Selection Criteria

Selection criteria outline the qualifications, skills, knowledge, and experience required to successfully fulfil the responsibilities of the post. Applications will be assessed on how well candidates meet these criteria.

Essential:

- Minimum of 5 years’ professional experience working in design practice within healthcare, the public sector, higher education, or equivalent.

- A degree in Design or a related discipline, or equivalent professional experience.

- Demonstrated project management experience, including ability to manage a range of projects and responsibilities with competing priorities

- Demonstrated experience in planning and delivering applied design projects in professional practice, taking responsibility from conception to completion

- Demonstrated experience planning and facilitating workshops, stakeholder engagement and collaborative design activities.

- Ability to work sensitively and effectively within a range of health and social care contexts, taking account of any broader issues, agendas, sensitivities and related implications when making decisions

- Ability to translate research and stakeholder insights into practical design interventions and outcomes.

- Experience supervising junior staff in a design team.

- Strong organisational skills, including the ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines.

- Excellent communication and presentation skills.

- Proficiency in relevant design tools and software, including Adobe Creative Suite, Figma, Miro or equivalent platforms.

- Knowledge of health and social care systems and contemporary challenges facing these systems

Desirable:

- Experience contributing to research, innovation or service improvement projects.

- Experience developing toolkits, frameworks, guidance materials or implementation resources.

- Experience working in design and/or service innovation in a healthcare context.

A panel may be formed for this campaign

Closing Date: 16th November 2026