Design Ops Manager

Where we work

Udemy is a global company headquartered in San Francisco, with additional U.S. offices in Denver and Austin, and international hubs in Australia, India, Ireland, Mexico, and Türkiye. This is an in-office position, requiring three days a week in the office (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) and flexibility on Mondays and Fridays.

About this role

We are seeking an experienced Design Operations Manager to help scale and support the impact of our Product Design & Research team. You will help streamline our workflows, drive operational excellence, and foster a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement across a globally distributed team.

This role is ideal for someone who thrives on creating clarity in complexity, brings a systems-thinking mindset, and is passionate about enabling designers and researchers to do their best work. You'll partner closely with design and research leadership, product and engineering partners, and cross-functional peers to establish processes, tools, rituals, and programs that support high-quality, efficient design work at scale.

You will also play a key role in building a culture of high-quality design while fostering an environment where people feel connected, supported, and have fun along the way.

About you

• You're a natural systems thinker who sees patterns, optimizes for scale, and brings structure where it's needed most.

• You have strong program management skills and know how to navigate ambiguity while still delivering on time.

• You are empathetic and collaborative, with a track record of building trusted relationships across functions.

• You're passionate about design and research and understand what good craft and process look like, even if you don't do the design work yourself.

• You're organized, detail-oriented, and able to manage multiple streams of work without losing sight of the big picture.

• You communicate clearly and concisely and are comfortable synthesizing ideas in documentation and presentations.

What you'll do

• Partner with design and research leadership to define and evolve team operating models, workflows, and best practices

• Coordinate design and research initiatives across multiple product areas and stakeholders

• Build and maintain scalable planning frameworks for roadmapping, prioritization, and resource allocation

• Improve collaboration across disciplines by facilitating communication, aligning on shared goals, and managing stakeholder expectations

• Own tooling, documentation, and vendor relationships for design and research operations (e.g., Figma, Dovetail, Miro, Maze, etc.)

• Lead team-wide rituals like design reviews, offsites, onboarding, and retrospectives

• Identify and address friction points in the design and development lifecycle, proposing data-informed improvements

• Drive programs that support team health, onboarding, learning & development, and inclusive culture

• Track and report on team metrics to support planning, hiring, and strategic decision-making

• Help scale our DesignOps foundation as the team grows, with an eye toward sustainability, equity, and excellence

What you'll have

• 5+ years of experience in DesignOps, UX Program Management, or a related role within a design-forward organization

• Experience managing complex, multi-track projects and operational initiatives across a global team

• Familiarity with design and research workflows, tools, and best practices in modern product development

• Ability to influence without authority and navigate organizational complexity with empathy and confidence

• Excellent written, verbal, and visual communication skills, including documentation and stakeholder presentations

• Demonstrated ability to work autonomously while staying aligned to team and company priorities

• A passion for learning, continuous improvement, and making the work better for everyone involved