Principal Program Manager, Design Operations

Autodesk, Inc.; Colorado; Hybrid; USD 111,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Benefits package

Job summary

Autodesk is seeking a Principal Design Operations Program Manager to help the Experience Design team within the PDMS organization operate more effectively by driving programs that improve team health, design efficiency, and cross-team alignment across partners.

The successful candidate is a systems thinker, an excellent communicator, and can scale from strategic planning to tactical execution while navigating ambiguity. This remote role supports candidates in the US/Canada (PST/MST).

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
• 4+ years design program management in a software environment.
• Familiarity with user-centered design practices, UX tools and techniques, and Agile.
• Strong track record in standing up and managing programs and leading design sprints/workshops.
• Excellent project management skills.
• Fluency with the SDLC and cross-functional collaboration.
• Solid foundation in AI and helping designers improve AI fluency.
• Strong writing, reporting, and documentation skills.
• Strong verbal and presentation skills.
• Ability to travel, likely 10% or less.

Responsibilities

• Own and manage programs that improve design team health, efficiency, and impact.
• Establish goals, strategy, operating model, and governance, aligning stakeholders.
• Execute program tactics within schedule, budget, and quality parameters.
• Identify issues and drive resolution.
• Coordinate with other programs, teams, and partners to align goals.
• Plan and facilitate meetings, and create key communications.
• Design and lead design sprints to accelerate product and internal program design.
• Coach design team on prioritization, effort estimation, asset management, and knowledge sharing.
• Design and implement new ways of working to boost DesignOps effectiveness.
• Scale DesignOps by documenting and sharing best practices.
• Help grow DesignOps across Autodesk by aligning with other teams.

Skills

Design program management

User-centered design

UX tools

Agile

SDLC knowledge

AI fluency

Writing & documentation

Verbal & presentation skills

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience

Tools

AI tools for design

Job description

Position Overview

The Principal Design Operations Program Manager will help our Experience Design (XD) team within the Product Design and Manufacturing Solutions (PDMS) organization operate more effectively by driving and managing programs to enhance team health, improve design efficiency and process, and increase design alignment across teams and with business partners. Our ideal candidate will be a systems thinker who is an excellent communicator and collaborator. They should be equally skilled in both managing established programs, which require strong organization, communication, and task management skills, and in identifying opportunities for improvement, applying design thinking to create successful solutions. It’s a position that requires scalability, from strategic thinking to detailed tactical implementation. A successful candidate should also be comfortable diving into complexity, navigating ambiguity and adapting to changing priorities. Sound judgement is essential – knowing what challenges to invest in and what challenges to deprioritize. Confidence and excellent relationship and networking skills are also critical as this role requires working across teams to connect dots and enhance collaboration and effectiveness. This is a remote position open to candidates in US / Canada (PST / MST).

Responsibilities

Own and/or manage programs and initiatives that improve design team success (team health, design efficiency, and/or design impact). This includes:

• Establishing the program goals, strategy, operating model, and governance, navigating ambiguity and aligning stakeholders
• Executing program tactics, from goal and scope setting to conclusion, within defined schedule, budget, and quality parameters.
• Identifying issues and driving them to resolution
• Identifying connections to other programs, teams, and partners and engaging key stakeholders to align program goals for mutual success
• Planning and facilitating meetings, creating key communications, and keeping team and program on track with commitments
• Design and lead design sprints to accelerate design of user-facing products and of internal programs and services
• Coach and support design team members, in achievement of design adjacent tasks such as work prioritization, level-of-effort estimating, asset management, and knowledge sharing
• Design and implement new ways of working that further DesignOps effectiveness and goals, using design thinking methods, and collaborating with team members and key stakeholders
• Aid DesignOps scalability through designing, documenting, and sharing best practices and resources
• Help champion the growth of DesignOps, working with other teams within Autodesk to align, share and support the growth of the discipline across the company

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree, or equivalent experience
• 4+ years design program management experience within a software environment, ideally at a software company (versus agency)
• Familiarity with user-centered design practices, UX tools and techniques, and software development methods, primarily Agile
• Strong track record in above requirements, particularly in standing up and managing programs and completing significant initiatives successfully and in leading design sprints / workshops
• Excellent project management skills
• Fluency with the SDLC and working with cross-functional teams to improve it, especially the design team’s role
• Solid foundation in AI and experience helping designers improve their AI fluency. Up-to-date in latest AI features/tools for designers
• Demonstrated strong writing, reporting, and documentation skills (examples may be required)
• Strong verbal and presentation skills
• Ability to travel when needed, likely 10% or less

Benefits

• From health and financial benefits to time away and everyday wellness, we give Autodeskers the best, so they can do their best work.

Learn more about our benefits in the U.S. by visiting https://benefits.autodesk.com/

Salary Transparency

• For U.S.-based roles, we expect a starting base salary between $111,000 and $199,650.
• Offers are based on the candidate’s experience and geographic location, and may exceed this range.
• In addition to base salaries, our compensation package may include annual cash bonuses, commissions for sales roles, stock grants, and a comprehensive benefits package.

Equal Employment Opportunity

At Autodesk, we're building a diverse workplace and an inclusive culture to give more people the chance to imagine, design, and make a better world.

Autodesk is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and considers all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status or any other legally protected characteristic. We also consider for employment all qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with applicable law.

Belonging

We take pride in cultivating a culture of belonging where everyone can thrive. Learn more here: https://www.autodesk.com/company/global-belonging

In-Person Onboarding and Identity Verification

This role may require in-person onboarding and/or in-person ID verification.

Learn More About Autodesk

Welcome to Autodesk! Amazing things are created every day with our software – from the greenest buildings and cleanest cars to the smartest factories and biggest hit movies. We help innovators turn their ideas into reality, transforming not only how things are made, but what can be made. We take great pride in our culture here at Autodesk – it’s at the core of everything we do. Our culture guides the way we work and treat each other, informs how we connect with customers and partners, and defines how we show up in the world. When you’re an Autodesker, you can do meaningful work that helps build a better world designed and made for all. Ready to shape the world and your future? Join us!