Head of Design
We’re looking for a Head of Design to join MacPaw and lead the operational execution and strategic structuring of our product design function.
AsHead of Design, you will be responsible for driving the operational execution, resource management, and delivery performance across Product Design, UX Research, and UX Writing functions to ensure seamless design delivery aligned with overall business goals.
Working closely with the Design Director, Product Management, and Engineering leadership, you'll help translate design strategy into a scalable operating model. While the Design Director focuses on the creative and strategic direction of design, your focus will be on building the structures, teams, and ways of working that enable that vision to be delivered consistently across the ecosystem.
If you're excited to bring order, clarity, and momentum to a design function that touches every product in our ecosystem, we'd love to hear from you!
Requirements
In this role, you will:
Own the operating model for how design collaborates with Product and Engineering across the ecosystem
Manage and develop managers - Product Design Managers and a UX Research Manager - who lead their own teams of designers and researchers
Build and run design function health metrics: capacity, delivery, and quality reporting
Own budget planning and resource allocation for the design function, including ad-hoc budget requests
Establish regular cadences: team syncs, cross-functional check-ins, and reporting to the Design Director
Partner with Product leadership to align design capacity and focus with product roadmaps and strategic priorities
Represent design at a leadership level, align cross-functional stakeholders, and navigate delivery and collaboration trade-offs with Product and Engineering
Drive the hiring plan and team structure needed to support the ecosystem's growth
Set operational goals for each design sub-function and shape the roadmap for the function's development
Skills you'll need to bring:
Proven experience leading managers in a design management or design operations leadership role
Strong communication and stakeholder management skills - able to represent design at leadership level and align cross-functional teams
Real operational experience with capacity planning, resource allocation, and budget management
Ability to define and track metrics for design function performance and delivery quality
Structured thinking - able to translate strategy into operational plans and clear team goals
Comfort working in a fast-growing, product-driven environment
As a plus:
Background in product design or UX research - enough to have a credible conversation with practitioners
Experience building or scaling design operations from the ground up
Familiarity with design systems and how they support consistency across an ecosystem of products
Experience with OKR/goal-setting frameworks at a team or function level
Previous exposure to B2C software or SaaS environments
English level
Advanced