PLEASE INCLUDE DESIGN PORTFOLIO WITH YOUR APPLICATION
Heartburst is seeking a Senior Digital Designer to lead design across digital technology initiatives for nonprofit organisations ranging from established small-to-mid-sized organisations through to complex enterprise environments.
This role is suited to a designer who combines strategic thinking, systems awareness and high-level craft — and who is confident operating with senior stakeholders in purpose-driven organisations.
This is not a pure creative execution role. We are seeking a consulting-grade digital designer who can confidently lead strategic discovery, shape digital systems architecture, and translate organisational complexity into structured, high-performance digital environments.
You will operate directly with senior stakeholders and executive teams, bringing clarity to ambiguity and aligning digital experience decisions to measurable organisational outcomes.
About Heartburst
Heartburst is a specialist digital technology partner working exclusively with nonprofit organisations.
We design and deliver integrated digital ecosystems that connect strategy, experience and technology into working systems. Our clients range from established small-to-mid-sized nonprofits seeking greater clarity, cohesion and performance, through to large, complex and enterprise-level NFPs who require structured systems and confident direction.
Our work spans the full lifecycle of digital technology: discovery, experience design, implementation and ongoing optimisation. We are consulting-led and delivery-backed, ensuring strategy translates into practical, sustainable outcomes.
About the Role
This is a senior role combining strategic UX leadership, advanced UI craft and strong brand design capability.
You will lead the design direction on initiatives of varying scale — from large-scale website programs and digital product environments to tightly scoped, high-impact engagements — ensuring that experience decisions align with organisational strategy, stakeholder needs and long-term digital maturity.
You will:
Lead user experience strategy across complex digital initiatives
Translate organisational goals into clear information architectures and interaction models
Design with creative craft, across digital prototypes and brand design assignments
Present and defend design decisions with executive-level stakeholders
Contribute to and facilitate discovery workshops and strategic framing
Client & Strategic Leadership
Independently lead discovery workshops with executive and board-level stakeholders
Translate ambiguous organisational challenges into structured digital direction
Navigate stakeholder complexity and competing priorities with confidence
Contribute meaningfully to project scoping and commercial framing conversations
This role requires comfort operating at both strategic and execution levels — shaping experience frameworks while also producing refined, production-ready design outputs.
The position primarily supports Heartburst's nonprofit clients, with occasional collaboration across sister brands Day3 (commercial) and Generous (donation platform). This role is not suited to designers who prefer purely visual execution without stakeholder engagement, or those uncomfortable operating in complex, consultative environments.
Attendance in our Blackburn office at least 2 days per week (currently Monday and Friday) is required.
What You'll Bring
We are seeking a designer with approximately 7–10+ years of experience in digital design, ideally including meaningful exposure to complex stakeholder and enterprise-level environments. Agency experience will be highly regarded.
Strategic design thinking — ability to connect experience decisions to organisational outcomes
Advanced UX expertise — research synthesis, journey mapping, IA, experience frameworks and validation
High-level UI craft — typography, hierarchy, interaction patterns and scalable component systems
Strong brand design capability — experience applying, extending and systemising brand identities across digital platforms
Experience designing for medium-large and enterprise organisations
Confidence presenting to executive stakeholders and facilitating design conversations
Commercial discipline — ability to align design ambition with scope realities, protect margin, avoid unnecessary complexity, and make pragmatic decisions that serve both client outcomes and business performance.
Technical Proficiency
Figma (advanced prototyping, components, design systems)
Miro (facilitation, mapping and workshop outputs)
WordPress (including Page Builders such as Breakdance)
AI (Utilising emerging tools for improved outcomes)
Experience within complex nonprofit environments
Experience contributing to or establishing digital design systems
Broader Adobe Creative Suite proficiency
What the Role Looks Like in Practice
Leading discovery sessions with senior stakeholders in both established small-to-mid-sized and enterprise nonprofit organisations
Defining information architecture for multi-audience digital ecosystems
Leveraging AI to expedite analysis of workshop outcomes
Designing and presenting high-fidelity prototypes to executive or board-level groups
Refining existing client brand guidelines, or building new brands
Collaborating with developers to ensure fidelity between design and implementation
Reviewing UAT feedback and guiding experience decisions toward launch
Contributing to internal standards that strengthen Heartburst's design practice
What Success Looks Like (6 Months)
Confidently leading discovery and design direction on complex client engagements
Producing structured, system-aware design outputs with minimal oversight
Strengthening client trust through clear rationale and executive-level communication
Contributing to internal standards that elevate Heartburst's design practice
No International Sponsorship
Only applicants with permanent residency in Australia will be considered. Sponsorship is not available.
Remuneration
This is a senior position offering a salary range of $90,000 – $120,000 + super, commensurate with experience.
Apply
If you are ready to contribute to high-impact digital initiatives — whether complex enterprise programs or focused engagements for established small-to-mid-sized nonprofits — we welcome your application.
Heartburst is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from diverse backgrounds.
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Your application will include the following questions:
* Which of the following statements best describes your right to work in Australia?
* How many years' experience do you have as a digital designer?
* Do you have experience working with user experience and/or interaction designers as part of the software development process?
* What's your expected annual base salary?
* How much notice are you required to give your current employer?
* How many years' experience do you have as a Brand Designer?
Digital Designer (UX Focus - Mid-Weight)
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