About Bark

Bark is an online services marketplace connecting customers with professionals across over 1,000 categories. Operating in nine countries including the UK, US, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, we're transforming how people find trusted service providers for everything from home improvement to professional services.

Our platform uses cutting-edge technology to match customers with the right professionals quickly and efficiently. With a global team of over 220 people, we're currently undergoing an exciting transformation: migrating from a lead generation model to a full marketplace platform with subscription based pricing.

As a profitable, PE backed scale up (EMK Capital), Bark offers the best of both worlds: the agility and innovation of a fast moving business combined with financial stability and resources for growth. We recently launched our new marketplace model in Australia (Q4 2025) and are preparing for rollout to the UK and US markets in 2026. You'll have genuine ownership, responsibility, and the opportunity to shape our commercial strategy during a pivotal transformation phase with the chance to make your own contribution to our journey.

About The Role

We are looking for an experienced, hands-on Design leader to join our team, and help Bark build on our design foundations to match our marketplace ambitions. Reporting to the CPO, you will own Bark’s Design vision, culture and visual identity. You’ll set a clear and aspirational view of our future, whilst driving human-centric design principles and visual consistency across the Bark experience - our product, marketing and content.

You’ll join an established team, coaching and mentoring 4 Product Designers, 1 Marketing Designer and 1 UX Researcher, driving quality from within whilst collaborating with stakeholders from across the business to deliver impact in squads and workstreams.

This is a hands-on leadership role, you'll set the standard by doing, not just directing. In practice that means being capable and interested in using the most up-to-date design tools and technologies. You’ll have the ability to dive into a project and communicate your ideas visually and drive quality by showing as well as telling.

Given our pace of change, we want someone that thrives on a challenge - is obsessed with understanding and solving users’ problems at scale, building a high-performing team culture and is motivated to define the future of design workflows powered by AI technologies.

There will also be significant opportunities to contribute to Bark’s vision and strategy, through partnership with the CPO and Product Director. We are partway through an exciting transformation from a seller-picks lead generation platform to a consumer-centric, fully-featured Services Marketplace.

Responsibilities

• Define the Design vision for Bark, and align and inspire the team to achieve it
• Lead and mentor our Design team, promoting best practices and continuous improvement, and ensuring quality output at all times
• Own and develop our visual identity across the company
• Work alongside Product leaders to deliver transformational change
• Optimise team structure, resource allocation, development and tools to achieve the best possible results
• Iterate our Design process across the team to deliver maximum value for our users and the business
• Help the team plan, deliver, maintain and govern their design system, driving consistency across Bark’s entire ecosystem
• Collaborate with stakeholders from across the business to ensure alignment and amplify the impact of your team
  
  

Required Skills and Experience

• Proven track record as a leader in Product Design working in a fast-paced and successful online business, ideally a Marketplace
• Experience building and communicating an inspiring Design vision, and leading a high-performing Design team and a modern, innovative design process to deliver it
• Experience managing both Product Design and Research teams, experience in Content and Branding a plus (but by no means required)
• Well-versed in lean approaches and agile methodologies to minimise waste and maximise impact
• An expert in running Design teams that deliver value to both the user and the business
• Able to lead by example in all aspects of Product Design and Research
• Highly confident with data, qual and quant, able to help the team derive customer research insights whilst understanding its limitation
• Collaborated and managed a diverse range of stakeholders across Product, Engineering, Insights, Marketing, Sales, Finance, Customer Support and HR
• Excellent communicator - you’re able to clearly present your ideas, explain your thinking, and discuss detail confidently at all levels
• Driven, ambitious, and keen to play a key role in a company that wants to make a huge difference to peoples’ lives
  
  

Interview Process

• Screening Call with Talent Partner (30 mins)
• 1st Stage - Interview with Hiring Manager (30/45 mins)
• 2nd Stage - Task Stage (120 mins)
• 3rd Stage - Values & Leadership Interview (90 mins)
  
  

Diversity Statement

At Bark, we are a platform for people, revolutionising the way professionals and individuals connect since 2014. Our culture is defined by excitement, ambition, and a commitment to raising the bar. We value diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) and are dedicated to embedding these principles into everything we do. We are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where everyone can thrive, and our focus is on hiring, retaining and developing a globally diverse workforce that is passionate about excelling our platform and supporting our customers succeed. Be part of our dynamic team, where bold ideas thrive, and create a future worth shouting about.