User Experience Operations Lead

Workiva Inc.; Charlotte (NC); Remote; USD 177,000 - 290,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Restricted Stock Units

Discretionary annual bonus

Job summary

Workiva is seeking a UX Operations Lead to serve as the central bridge connecting our UX disciplines—design, design systems, content and research—with the broader Product organization. You will establish unified decision routines and operating models to ensure the UX organization operates as a cohesive unit.

You will drive continuous operational improvements by streamlining workflows, standardizing practices, and leveraging automation and AI for repetitive tasks.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in UX operations, program management, or a comparable operations role across multiple director-led teams.
• Experience owning a budget and managing vendor relationships end to end.
• Experience building operating models, cadences, or processes in low-maturity environments.
• Experience building operating processes, planning cadences, or shared systems where structure was limited or evolving.
• Experience supporting a multidisciplinary UX organization spanning design, research, content, and design systems.
• Experience partnering with Product Operations on shared planning processes, workflows, or standards.
• Experience developing hiring and onboarding systems, supporting competency frameworks, or coordinating research operations.
• Working proficiency with Figma, Jira, collaboration/document platforms, and budget-tracking tools.
• Experience defining operational metrics and using data to improve processes, understand capacity, and evaluate adoption.

Responsibilities

• Design and run recurring rituals, design critique routines, and decision-making checkpoints across all UX functions.
• Prepare the Head of UX for Product Strategy & Operations sessions, drive follow-through, and serve as the day-to-day UX counterpart to Product Operations.
• Own the UX tooling and vendor budget, manage renewals and procurement with IT, Procurement, Finance, and Legal.
• Build the onboarding system and reusable job description, interview loop, and evaluation templates that Directors populate with discipline-specific content.
• Run the executive reporting cadence, communicate UX strategy to the team, and coordinate UX participation in annual cross-functional efforts.

Job description

UX Operations Lead

at Workiva, you will serve as the central bridge connecting our UX disciplines, UX Design, Design Systems, Content, and UX Research, with the broader Product organization. Your primary focus will be establishing unified decision routines and shared operating models to ensure the UX organization operates as a cohesive unit. You will drive continuous operational improvements by streamlining workflows, standardizing practices, and leveraging automation and AI for repetitive tasks. While the Head of UX and UX Directors maintain ultimate responsibility for people leadership, UX strategy, and priorities, you will support them directly and collaborate closely with Product Operations on joint operating models and cross-functional initiatives.

Rituals and Routines

Design and run recurring rituals, design critique routines, and decision-making checkpoints across all UX functions.

Product Partnership

Prepare the Head of UX for Product Strategy & Operations sessions, drive follow-through, and serve as the day-to-day UX counterpart to Product Operations.

Vendor Management

Own the UX tooling and vendor budget, manage renewals and procurement with IT, Procurement, Finance, and Legal.

Build the onboarding system and reusable job description, interview loop, and evaluation templates that Directors populate with discipline-specific content.

Communications & Reporting

Run the executive reporting cadence, communicate UX strategy to the team, and coordinate UX participation in annual cross-functional efforts.

Requirements

• 10+ years in UX operations, design/research program management, or a comparable operations role across multiple director-led teams
• ~ Experience owning a budget and managing vendor relationships end to end
• ~ Track record of building an operating model, cadence, or process from a low-maturity starting point
• ~ Experience building operating processes, planning cadences, or shared systems where structure was limited or still evolving.
• Experience supporting a multidisciplinary UX organization spanning design, research, content, and design systems.
• Experience partnering with Product Operations on shared planning processes, workflows, or organizational standards.
• Experience developing hiring and onboarding systems, supporting competency frameworks, or coordinating research operations.
• Working proficiency with Figma, Jira, collaboration and documentation platforms, and budget-tracking tools.
• Experience defining operational metrics and using data to improve processes, understand capacity, and evaluate adoption.

Travel Requirements & Working Conditions

Up to 10% travel to meet geographically distributed team members, depending on proximity to company offices

Reliable internet access for remote work periods

Salary and Benefits

Salary range in the US: $177,000.00 - $290,000.00

A discretionary bonus typically paid annually

Restricted Stock Units granted at time of hire

About Workiva

Workiva is the platform designed to bring confidence, control, and a competitive edge to the world’s most complex organizations. Our AI-powered platform unifies finance, risk, and sustainability on a single, secure foundation—ensuring data is trusted, traceable, and ready to act on. With an unbroken path from source to output, leaders gain confidence in their numbers, visibility into current and emerging risks, and the ability to move with speed and precision in a constantly changing world.

The work you do here helps organizations navigate uncertainty, maintain trust, and make decisions that stand up to scrutiny. If you’re energized by meaningful challenges, inspired by collaborative teams, and motivated to help organizations turn uncertainty into advantage, we’d love to meet you.

Employment Equity

Employment decisions are made without regard to age, race, creed, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, disability status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, citizenship status or any other protected characteristic.

Accessibility

Workiva is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. To request assistance with the application process, please email

Security and Privacy

employees are required to undergo comprehensive security and privacy training tailored to their roles, ensuring adherence to company policies and regulatory standards.

Working Location

Workiva supports employees in working where they work best - either from an office or remotely from any location within their country of employment.