Director - Design Studio Operations

Socket.dev; Buffalo (NY); On-site; USD 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Socket.dev seeks a Director of Design Studio Operations to drive clarity and execution across the Accessories design organization. This leader will own the operational backbone, coordinating seasonal workflows, timelines, tools, meeting outputs, and milestones in partnership with the VP of Design and cross-functional teams.

You will connect Design with Merchandising, Product Development, Production, Sourcing, and Planning to ensure design intent is clearly communicated and executed.

Qualifications

• Proven ability to lead diverse design teams and manage complex programs.
• Strong written and verbal communication to document decisions.
• Experience translating design direction into clear assets and decks.
• Ability to navigate fast-moving, ambiguous environments.
• Comfort working with senior Design leaders and cross-functional partners.

Responsibilities

• Lead and drive predictable, efficient, scalable design execution across seasonal workflows, timelines, milestones, and decision points.
• Own Design priorities, inputs, deliverables, follow-ups, and communication across the Accessories cross-functional team.
• Proactively identify and resolve process, communication, and execution gaps that impact the team's effectiveness, speed, and delivery.
• Translate creative direction into clear documentation, decks, recaps, and meeting outputs.
• Lead the organization and evolution of seasonal design decks, collaborative tools, materials, trim, and color resources.
• Ensure design intent—materials, trims, color, and development priorities—captured and communicated.
• Lead preparation for key design reviews, milestone meetings, and cross-functional touchpoints.
• Act as the connective tissue between Design and cross-functional partners—Merchandising, Product Development, Production, Sourcing, Planning, and related teams.
• Own agendas, attendees, recaps, action items, and follow-ups for key design-related meetings.
• Continuously refine ways of working to improve speed, clarity, and cross-functional alignment.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic Communication

Cross-functional Collaboration

Design Process Knowledge

Documentation & Presentation

Executive Presence

Job description

About the Role

The Director of Design Studio Operations drives clarity and execution across the Accessories design organization. This role owns the operational backbone of the Design team—partnering closely with the VP of Design and the broader team to manage seasonal workflows, timelines, tools, meeting outputs, and key milestones.

While embedded in Design, the role operates across Merchandising, Product Development, Production, Sourcing, Planning, and other cross-functional partners to ensure design intent is clearly communicated and executed. The goal is to elevate how Design operates and to strengthen how it partners across the Accessories cross-functional team.

What You'll Do

Creative Operations & Process Ownership

• Lead and drive predictable, efficient, and scalable design execution across seasonal workflows, timelines, milestones, and decision points.
• Own Design priorities, inputs, deliverables, follow-ups, and communication across the Accessories cross-functional team.
• Proactively identify and resolve process, communication, and execution gaps that impact the team's effectiveness, speed, and delivery.
• Translate creative direction into clear documentation, decks, recaps, and meeting outputs.
• Lead the organization and evolution of seasonal design decks, collaborative tools, materials, trim, and color resources.
• Ensure design intent—materials, trims, color, and development priorities—captured and communicated.
• Lead preparation for key design reviews, milestone meetings, and cross-functional touchpoints.
• Act as the connective tissue between Design and cross-functional partners—Merchandising, Product Development, Production, Sourcing, Planning, and related teams.
• Own agendas, attendees, recaps, action items, and follow-ups for key design-related meetings.
• Continuously refine ways of working to improve speed, clarity, and cross-functional alignment.

Who You Are

• Exceptional organizational leadership and follow-through
• Strong strategic communication and documentation skills
• Ability to create structure in fast-moving, ambiguous environments
• Strong understanding of the design process and how Design connects to product development
• Ability to influence and keep cross-functional partners aligned
• Strategic problem-solving skills with the ability to anticipate risks, and drive resolution to protect product pipeline deliverables
• Strong attention to detail
• Executive presence and comfort working with senior Design leaders and cross-functional teams