Design Program Manager

Job Summary

• This position is accountable for managing design programs within the PXDI (Product Experience Design & Innovation) organization, ensuring the successful execution of strategic design initiatives.
• Overseeing multiple, complex projects with high visibility, aggressive schedules, and cross-functional impact.
• The role requires a deep understanding of design process, experience strategy, and stakeholder alignment to balance the needs of various teams and achieve key business objectives.
• As a trusted advisor, this position leverages industry, business, and design program management expertise to lead and deliver capabilities that enhance customer experience and drive innovation.
• This position ensures that all design-related initiatives align with enterprise-wide strategies, optimizing processes and fostering collaboration between design, engineering, and product teams.
• Assemble key design and product stakeholders, fostering internal collaboration across PXDI and related teams to enable effective cross-functional teamwork.
• Ensure seamless execution by managing resources, setting clear milestones, and resolving conflicts early.
• Serve as a bridge between design, product, engineering, and business functions to drive program success.
• Manage the scope and schedule of design initiatives, ensuring alignment with broader product roadmaps.
• Provide oversight of personnel and resources, resolving allocation conflicts and setting priorities to optimize workflow efficiency.
• Lead the development of project communications and ensure clarity in design program execution.
• Facilitate team meetings, define success metrics for design initiatives, and track program effectiveness against strategic goals.
• Ensure adherence to best practices in design operations and program management methodologies.
• Identify potential risks across design programs and implement proactive mitigations.
• Communicate challenges in both business and design terms, providing clear solutions to senior leadership.
• Advocate for design priorities while balancing broader organizational goals, serving as a key escalation point for issues within the PXDI org.
• Define and manage the scope of design programs, incorporating strategic business and customer experience factors.
• Ensure programs remain aligned with evolving product and user experience goals, mitigating scope creep while adapting to necessary change.
• Define and uphold design quality standards, ensuring all deliverables meet business and customer needs.
• Identify and resolve gaps in design execution, maintaining accountability for outcomes.
• Support additional PXDI initiatives and cross-functional projects
• Program management supporting UX design

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Design, Business Administration, Project Management, or equivalent experience.
• 7-10 years of experience in program or product management within a design or technology environment, with a strong track record of delivering complex solutions.
• 4-7 years of experience in Agile Program Management (Scrum, Kanban, SAFe) and working closely with design, product, and engineering teams.
• Experience in design operations, UX strategy, or product design management preferred.
• Strong knowledge of design processes, methodologies, and user experience principles.
• Proficiency in design and project management tools (e.g., Figma, Jira, Confluence).
• Excellent communication, problem-solving, and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to translate design priorities into actionable plans within a broader business context.
• Primary Office programs (Excel, Outlook, etc.)
• Preferred background: Agency, product design organizations
• Soft skills: Organization, collaboration, executive presence

Benefits

Healthcare Insurance: Synectics offers eligible employees and their dependents healthcare coverage through BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois. Eligibility begins on the 1st day of the calendar month following 60 days of continuous full time employment with Synectics. Premiums are subsidized by Synectics.

Dental Insurance: Synectics offers eligible employees and their dependents a dental plan through MetLife. Eligibility begins on the 1st day of the calendar month following 60 days of continuous full time employment with Synectics.

Vision Insurance: Synectics offers eligible employees vision insurance through VSP. Eligibility begins on the 1st day of the calendar month following 60 days of continuous full time employment with Synectics.401(k) Plan: The Synectics Inc. Investment Savings Retirement Plan. Synectics offers all employees who are 21 years of age or older the opportunity to invest in the 401(k) Plan on the first enrollment date that is at least 30 days after employment begins. Enrollment dates are each January 1st, April 1st, July 1st, and October 1st.

Technical Certification Bonus: Synectics is pleased to award its employees a bonus of up to $500 for an approved professional certification. In determining the bonus amount, Synectics will consider the cost of the test(s) for any certification relating to your current position, achieved during your employment with us. Only one Certification Bonus per calendar year may be awarded per employee. Only current, active employees will be eligible to receive this bonus. It will be awarded 90 days after the Synectics office has received documentation confirming the successful completion of the certification.

Synectics is an equal opportunity employer.