Design Program Manager, Product Design

Who we are

About Stripe

Stripe is a financial infrastructure platform for businesses. Millions of companies—from the world’s largest enterprises to the most ambitious startups—use Stripe to accept payments, grow their revenue, and accelerate new business opportunities. Our mission is to increase the GDP of the internet, and we have a staggering amount of work ahead. That means you have an unprecedented opportunity to put the global economy within everyone’s reach while doing the most important work of your career.

About the team

Our broader Design team works across many types of product initiatives at Stripe—from our brand voice and websites to events, web and mobile products, primary qualitative and quantitative research, and even printed publications. And since Stripe’s main audience is other people who build products, we agonize over and take pride in crafting user-friendly and user-focused experiences.

That’s where you come in: we’re looking for a Design Program Manager who will enable our Design team, which includes Product Design, UX Research, Brand Design, Design Ops, and Web Presence, to build world-class brand and product experiences in a creative, focused environment.

The Design Operations team drives cross-org business operations, systems, and programs that enable the Design team to produce world-class work. Design Program Managers are natural leaders, guiding high-complexity programs through the design life cycle. They are experts at anticipating potential challenges and mitigating risks to getting work delivered on time. They apply their experience and interest in design thinking to our operating model, prototyping and iterating on ways our team works. They can rally cohesion within the Design org and trust with our cross-functional partners. The Design Operations team is looking to add a seasoned Design Program Manager to partner with the Product Design and UX Research teams that work on Stripe’s Product and Developer Experience. The role is full-time, based in Seattle, New York, or remote in North America and reports to our Head of Design Operations. 

What you’ll do

Responsibilities

• Lead and build out programs primarily for the Product Design organization, and as needed, across the entire Design org. Develop and implement processes and resources to support how we design user experiences and collaborate with product teams.
• Continuously examine, experiment, and measure improvements to our operational model and processes (e.g. automating tasks, improving workflows, developing repeatable methodologies).
• Evaluate and implement new tools with product designers and cross-functional partners to solve our growing need to collaborate globally, across designers and cross-functional product partners 
• Identify opportunities to scale our Design systems, and ensure collaboration and alignment across brand, web, and product.
• Define and keep up-to-date documentation of how Design works and how to work with each of the Design disciplines that make up our team.
• Source and evaluate design vendors when needed. Interface with legal, security, and procurement teams to onboard and pay vendors, including facilitating statements of work and negotiating business terms and budget.
• Partner with Product Design Leadership and collaborate with the Design Ops team to balance competing priorities and maximize team resources to quickly execute on top priorities. Play a leading role in monthly and quarterly reporting and planning.
• Identify and predict potential obstacles and risks to key programs; seek to implement solutions and problem solve effectively and implement decision making frameworks to drive swift resolutions

Who you are

We’re looking for someone who meets the minimum requirements to be considered for the role. If you meet these requirements, you are encouraged to apply. The preferred qualifications are a bonus, not a requirement.

Minimum requirements

• Has 3+ years of experience in design thinking, product design, user experience, or design strategy and experience partnering with design teams 
• Worked as a Producer or Program Manager of a UX/Product Design or Research team
• Have developed or improved design processes or systems and worked with internal stakeholders such as legal, finance, and IT

Preferred qualifications

• Love the words “systems” and “process” because to you they mean “making everything better at scale”
• Thrive in and encourage collaborative work environments while not hesitating to own, define, and deliver on complex and ambiguous tasks, projects, and programs
• See opportunities where other people see chaos
• Have a track record of building and executing programs from scratch and measuring their impact
• Relentlessly focus on users and solving for their needs and wants
• Have excellent written and verbal communication skills and use them to effectively roll out large scale programs
• Enjoy working closely with designers, and have familiarity with product development and research methods in the digital space