Sr. Design Director at Ford Global Career Site

Palo Alto, California, United States -

Full Time

Start Date

Immediate

Expiry Date

13 Jan, 26

Salary

0.0

Posted On

15 Oct, 25

Experience

10 year(s) or above

Remote Job

Yes

Telecommute

Yes

Sponsor Visa

Skills

Leadership, Mentoring, Design Strategy, User-Centered Design, Collaboration, Resource Planning, Process Optimization, Design Systems, Product Strategy, User Research, Usability, Communication, Presentation, Interpersonal Skills, Team Management, Problem Solving

Industry

Motor Vehicle Manufacturing

Description

Lead and Mentor the Team: Directly manage, mentor, and coach a team of product designers at various levels. Help them grow their skills, navigate challenges, and achieve their career goals. Foster a culture of feedback, learning, and psychological safety. Set Design Vision & Strategy: Partner with product leadership to define the long-term vision and strategy for the product design function. Align design efforts with overall business objectives and product roadmaps. Elevate Design Craft & Quality: Establish and maintain high standards for design quality, usability, and consistency across all products and platforms. Oversee the design process from concept to execution, ensuring thoughtful solutions that meet user needs and business goals. Drive User-Centered Practices: Champion user research and testing throughout the product development lifecycle. Ensure the team deeply understands our users, their needs, and pain points, and that these insights inform design decisions. Cross-Functional Collaboration: Build strong, collaborative relationships with partners in Product Management, Engineering, User Research, Marketing, Data Science, and other departments. Be a strong advocate for design and user experience within the company. Resource Planning & Allocation: Plan and allocate design resources effectively across multiple projects and initiatives. Anticipate hiring needs and actively participate in recruiting to build a diverse and high-performing team. Define & Optimize Processes: Continuously evaluate and improve design processes, tools, and workflows to increase efficiency, collaboration, and the overall impact of the design team. Champion Design Systems: Oversee the development and evolution of our design system to ensure consistency, efficiency, and scalability across our products. Contribute to Product Strategy: Actively participate in high-level product strategy discussions, bringing a strong design perspective and advocating for innovative solutions that solve real user problems. 15+ years of experience in product design, with a significant portion in a leadership or management role, overseeing teams of product designers. Proven track record of defining and executing design strategy for successful products. Deep understanding of user-centered design principles, methodologies, and best practices (UX, UI, Interaction Design, User Research). Experience building, mentoring, and leading high-performing design teams. Strong portfolio showcasing leadership experience, strategic thinking, and the ability to deliver impactful design solutions through a team. Examples of your team's work and how you guided them are highly valuable. Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills. Ability to articulate design decisions and strategy clearly to both design and non-design audiences. Experience collaborating closely with Product Management and Engineering leadership throughout the product development lifecycle. Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and manage multiple priorities effectively.

Responsibilities

Lead and mentor a team of product designers, fostering a culture of feedback and growth. Set design vision and strategy while ensuring high standards for design quality and user-centered practices.