Senior Design Program Manager

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in Canada.

📋 Description

• Lead the comprehensive execution of intricate, multi-quarter design projects involving Design, Product, Engineering, Marketing, Legal, Business Development, and various cross-functional teams.

• Develop and implement AI-driven workflows to enhance status reporting, resource management, documentation synthesis, and stakeholder communication.

• Advocate for AI fluency within the Design team to promote design-first thinking and improve operational efficiency.

• Oversee strategic vendor partnerships and contract management for tools such as Figma, prototyping, asset management, and collaboration platforms.

• Negotiate contracts, optimize licensing costs, and ensure the infrastructure adapts to growth.

• Manage relationships with contractors and agencies, collaborating with Finance, Legal, and IT on compliance and cost efficiency.

• Direct capacity planning, roadmapping, resource distribution, operational metrics, and tooling integrations.

• Collaborate with the Instacart Design System team to align initiatives with the evolution of the system and the adoption of components.

• Implement governance programs that enhance the scalability of the design system across product teams.

• Convert design strategy into actionable programs with clear visibility into progress and outcomes.

• Facilitate planning cycles and milestone reviews at the intersection of design and product roadmaps.

• Report to the Director of Technical Program Management and work closely with Design and Product Leadership, Marketing, Engineering, Legal, and other collaborators.

⛳️ Requirements

• 6+ years of experience in program management and design operations within design or product organizations.

• Strong understanding of product sensibility and design craftsmanship.

• Proficient in all phases of the product development lifecycle and launching products from start to finish.

• Technical knowledge of design systems and engineering concepts, including system architecture, component APIs, design-to-code workflows, and technical limitations.

• Demonstrated ability to drive complex, cross-functional programs from inception (0→1) and scale operational systems effectively.

• Experience utilizing AI tools, LLMs, and automation platforms.

• Background in vendor and contract management, including negotiating software agreements, managing relationships, optimizing expenses, and ensuring compliance.

• Extensive knowledge of design and program management tool ecosystems, including Figma, Linear, Jira, Dovetail, asset management, and prototyping tools.

• Capability to drive organizational change and influence stakeholders across functions.

• Exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills; comfortable presenting to executive leadership.

🏝️ Benefits

• New hire equity grant.

• Annual refresh grants.

• Flexible work location: home, office, or coffee shop.

• Regular in-person events.

• Market-competitive compensation and benefits.