Design Program Manager, Research

Design at Stripe

We believe there are too many barriers to doing business on the internet, and that opportunities are not equally distributed throughout the world. We also think building and growing a business online is a problem rooted in code, language, and design—not finance.

Stripe’s mission is to increase the GDP of the internet and expand economic access globally. We’re designing tools and infrastructure to help our users start, run, and scale an online business from anywhere in the world. That’s where you come in: we’re looking for a Design Program Manager who will enable our Design team, which includes Research, Product Design, Brand Design, Design Ops, and Web Presence, to build world-class brand and product experiences in a creative, focused environment.

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.

About the Design Ops team and the role

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 our UX Research team. The role is full-time, based in San Francisco or Seattle, and reports to our Head of Design Operations. This would be an excellent opportunity for a seasoned operator who is interested in applying their craft, as opposed to people management.

You will:

• Build out processes and resources to support how we scale research, including our vendor program, self-serve resources, outreach and legal compliance, and design and research education for Stripes
• Evaluate and implement new tools with researchers, designers, and cross-functional partners to solve for our growing need to collaborate globally, across researchers, designers, and cross-functional partners 
• Build out research participant recruiting tools and processes to help researchers and other Stripes (e.g., PMs, engineers, designers) consistently talk to and learn from a representative set of users
• 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 and research 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
• Work with a diverse group of researchers and designers representing different disciplines, skills, backgrounds, and specialties
• Continuously examine, experiment, and measure improvements to our operational model and processes (e.g. automating tasks, improving workflows, developing repeatable methodologies)
• Collaborate with the Design Ops team and Design leadership to balance competing priorities and maximize team resources to quickly execute

We’re looking for someone who:

• Bring 5+ years of experience in design thinking, qualitative or quantitative research, or design strategy and have experience partnering with research teams
• Worked as a Producer or Program Manager of an in-house UX/Product Design or Research team

You may be a fit for this role if you: 

• 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 programs from scratch 
• 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 researchers and designers, and have familiarity with product development and research methods in the digital space
• Have developed or improved research processes or systems and worked with internal stakeholders such as legal, finance, and IT

You should include these in your application:

• A resume and/or LinkedIn profile
• A written description of why you're interested in this role and examples of how you’ve exemplified the qualities listed above in your previous work experience