Design Ops Manager

Qonto; Barcelona; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Blank canvas

Direct leadership access

Cross-functional scope

AI experimentation

Job summary

Qonto in Barcelona is seeking a Design Operations Manager to build the operating system behind our design team, spanning Product, Content, Localization, Brand and Website Design. You’ll inherit early operational foundations and scale them with budget oversight, tooling choices like Figma, Notion and Lokalise, and AI-enabled workflows that improve efficiency.

Collaborating with the VP of Design and cross-functional leaders, you will drive planning, capacity management, and governance while

Qualifications

• Experience building design operations in fast-moving, multi-market product teams.
• Ability to run All Hands, offsites, and leadership programs as culture moments.
• Comfort discussing design tokens and component APIs with engineers.
• Experience piloting AI tools in design workflows.
• Strong strategic storytelling to executives.

Responsibilities

• Own the Design All Hands, events and internal comms.
• Participate in quarterly planning for Features and Platform Design and manage budgets.
• Shape the tools and processes designers rely on, including the stack and intake-to-hand-off.
• Track team health and delivery metrics and translate findings for leadership.
• Grow the design community with onboarding programs and playbooks.

Skills

Design operations

Cross-functional leadership

Data-driven

AI proficient

Strategic storytelling

Tools

Figma

Notion

Lokalise

Job description

OUR MISSION AND CUSTOMERS

We are creating the freedom for SMEs to succeed by delivering Europe's leading finance workspace with banking at its core, augmented by financial tools. We are proud to be rated 4.7 on Trustpilot, based on 60,000 reviews. Our culture puts customer satisfaction at the core of what we do (more about our culture here).

OUR JOURNEY

Founded in 2016 and launched in 2017 by Alexandre and Steve, Qonto has grown to 1,700 Qontoers serving over 750,000 customers across 8 European countries. We have been profitable since 2023, and we are just getting started.

OUR BELIEFS

We hire for skills and potential. With 80+ nationalities, 45% women, of which 56% of women in our leadership team, diversity isn't a program; It's who we are. We've built a discrimination-free hiring process because the best teams are built on merit.

AI AT QONTO

AI is deeply embedded in how we work (here) - Every Qontoer gets unlimited access to the best AI tools. We want people who experiment without waiting for permission, push AI beyond the obvious, know when to trust it, and when to question it.

Design Operations Manager

Join us as Design Operations Manager to build the operating system behind Qonto’s Design team, from All Hands and onboarding to budget, tooling and planning.

You’ll inherit early operational foundations and take them much further for a team spanning Product, Content, Localization, Brand and Website Design, under the guidance of Didier, our VP of Design..

What you’ll do

• Run the rituals that make one team out of five disciplines: You will own the Design All Hands, events and internal comms so everyone knows what’s happening and why.
• Steer planning, capacity and budget: You will participate in quarterly planning for Features and Platform Design, keep a live view of resourcing and own the team budget with the VP of Design and People.
• Build the tools and processes designers rely on: You will shape the stack (Figma, Notion, Lokalise...) and the path from intake to handoff, using AI wherever it replaces manual work like spec generation or accessibility checks.
• Measure what good looks like: You will track team health and delivery metrics, leverage the engagement survey and turn the findings into executive narratives and concrete actions.
• Grow the design community: You will build the designer onboarding (30/60/90 days), craft sessions, showcases and the playbooks that keep it all easy to act on.

What we’re looking for

• Builder of operations: You have set up design operations from the ground up in a fast-moving, multi-market product organisation.
• Culture-shaper: You have run All Hands, offsites or leadership programs as deliberate culture moments, not just logistics.
• Data-fluent and tech-credible: You read and communicate design metrics, and can talk design tokens and component APIs with engineers.
• AI-fluent: You have already piloted AI tools in a design workflow and can tell high-signal use cases from hype.
• Clear communicator: You present strategic narratives to execs and explain operational trade-offs simply, even when priorities shift.

What We Can Offer You

• A blank canvas: You inherit early foundations and shape what Design Operations becomes at Qonto.
• Close access to leadership: You work directly with the VP of Design and with Product and Tech leadership.
• A team with range: You support Product, Content, Localization, Brand and Website Design across both Features and Platform.
• Room to pilot AI: You decide which AI-assisted tools the team adopts, sunsets or consolidates.

Your future manager

Didier, VP of Design, brings 20+ years of experience including leading Design and Product teams.

His Focus

• Personal growth — Impactful projects with regular coaching
• Design excellence — High standards with pragmatic execution
• Team collaboration — Weekly critiques, monthly rituals, and frequent feedback

DIVERSITY

At Qonto, we understand that true diversity isn’t just about ticking boxes on a hiring checklist. Apply regardless of the boxes you tick - who knows? You may have the missing piece of the puzzle we’ve been searching for all along.

HIRING PROCESS DURATION

On average, our hiring process lasts 20 working days. More information on our candidate journey here.

DATA RETENTION

By applying, you agree that Qonto processes your personal data to assess your application. Your data is kept for up to 2 years in our candidate pool. Read our Privacy Notice for full details.