Director, Design Operations

Figma is growing our team of passionate people on a mission to make design accessible to all. Born on the Web, Figma helps entire product teams brainstorm, design and build better products — from start to finish. Whether it’s consolidating tools, simplifying workflows, or collaborating across teams and time zones, Figma makes the design process faster, more efficient, and fun while keeping everyone on the same page. From great products to long-lasting companies, we believe that nothing great is made alone—come make with us!

Our design organization has grown a lot over the past year, and we’re ready to scale up the Design Operations function that supports them. This role sits on the Design leadership team partnering closely with Design managers, ICs, Recruiting, and more to establish and enforce healthy and well-run programs and processes for exceptional design. You will manage one existing Design Operations lead, and plan how to scale the function further from there. This is a highly cross-functional role, partnering with multiple areas outside of the Design organization ranging from Product and Engineering, to Marketing and Sales, and wherever necessary to bring the unique skills design can offer to our broader team and community.

We’re looking for someone who loves bringing order to scrappy environments, who can balance rigor with flexibility, who wants to help build and shape a world-class design team, and who has the drive to create the best circumstances for good design to happen. We like to take risks, and we need a partner who will push us to rethink our current processes and help us discover creative new ways of working. 

This is a full time role that can be held from one of our US hubs or remotely in the United States.

What you’ll do at Figma:

• Build out and evolve programs for Product Design, UX Writing, and Design Operations to improve workflows
• Play a pivotal role in optimizing our design processes, fostering collaboration, and driving the efficiency of our design teams, fine-tuning processes that help organize and prioritize feedback 
• Evolve weekly and quarterly team rituals that increase connection as we grow
• Partner with Recruiting and hiring managers to ensure a healthy and effective design interview process
• Partner with our Design management team to evolve our career leveling frameworks
• Identify where to dial up Figma design team’s presence in the broader community and create strategies for engagement
• Build on the broader industry conversation around design operations influencing how teams create the best environments for great design to happen

We'd love to hear from you if you have:

• 10+ years of experience in the design industry
• 3+ years of experience managing design operations teams specifically, or alternatively 5+ years managing design teams
• Supported VP level design or product partners

While not required, it’s an added plus if you also have:

• Comfort with Figma’s suite of tools
• Some light design experience (both to have empathy for the team’s needs and for the added bonus of helping our deliverables and communication be well designed and fitting our company’s care for craft)
• A strong professional network within the design and design operations community
• Participation in industry events and conferences
• Experience driving citizenship opportunities for design teams, and connecting design teams with the greater design community

At Figma, one of our values is Grow as you go. We believe in hiring smart, curious people who are excited to learn and develop their skills. If you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with the points outlined in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyways. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

Pay Transparency Disclosure

If based in Figma’s San Francisco or New York hub offices, this role has the annual base salary range stated below.  

Job level and actual compensation will be decided based on factors including, but not limited to, individual qualifications objectively assessed during the interview process (including skills and prior relevant experience, potential impact, and scope of role), market demands, and specific work location. The listed range is a guideline, and the range for this role may be modified. For roles that are