Manager / Senior Manager - Product Design

We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Manager - Product Design to join our dynamic team. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record in leading UX projects from concept to execution, as well as utilizing and contributing to comprehensive design systems. This role requires a deep understanding of user-centered design principles, exceptional problem-solving skills, and the ability to mentor and guide a team of UX designers.

Who You Are

• You bring a minimum of 7 years of product design experience, with a minimum of 2 years in team building and people management
• You strike a balance between idealism and pragmatism. You are excited about setting a big vision for the future, while also enthusiastically rolling up your sleeves to ship the smaller improvements it takes to get there..
• You’ve led  a high-functioning product and design team preferably in a Series A-E startup environment and have led user research efforts to answer product questions and validate your work. You’re ready to take ownership of the end-to-end design process of the most critical areas of our product.
• You’re confident in your craft and able to give useful feedback to others, but keep a beginners mindset. You’re always open to new ideas and learning new ways of doing things.
• You always get it done, whatever it is. You’re proactive and comfortable taking action even when it’s met with skepticism and doubt. You don’t wait for others to unblock you when you can unblock yourself.
• You understand that everything we ship becomes a part of our design system, intentional or not. You’re adept at knowing when to leverage existing components and when to make a case for a new one. 

What You’ll Do

• Contribute to our design system:
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to develop reusable components, patterns, and guidelines that enhance user experience and accelerate the whole team.
• Conduct regular audits and make updates to components to incorporate feedback and emerging best practices.
• Become an advocate for design system use at Instawork, helping others leverage and evolve components effectively.
• Strategy and Leadership:
• Partner with your product leads to define and drive the overall strategy for your product area, ensuring alignment with business goals and user needs.
• Lead a lean but efficient design team from APAC while also contributing to product design process
• Lead a lean but efficient design team from APAC while also contributing to product design process
• ​​Coach and mentor designers and managers and help them perform at their best and achieve their career goals
• User Research and Testing:
• Conduct and oversee user research activities, including interviews, surveys, usability testing, and competitive analysis.
• Analyze and synthesize research findings to inform design decisions and validate concepts.
• Advocate for user-centered design methodologies and ensure that user feedback is integrated into the design process.
• Design Execution and Collaboration:
• Work closely with developers to ensure accurate implementation of design specifications and provide ongoing support during the development process.
• Facilitate design reviews and present design solutions to stakeholders at various stages of the project lifecycle.
• Establish the operating model that increases the teams effectiveness
• Continuous Improvement and Innovation:
• Stay current with industry trends, best practices, and emerging technologies in UX design and design systems.
• Foster a culture of innovation and continuous improvement within the design team.
• Identify opportunities to enhance the user experience and propose creative solutions to complex design challenges.
• Build a culture that elevates the team, both in performance and morale

Experience

• At least 7+ years experience as a product designer, with a strong portfolio demonstrating expertise in design systems and user-centered design.
• Proven ability to recruit and retain talented designers
• Mastery in design tools like Figma
• Strong understanding of front-end technologies (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) and their impact on design.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and collaboration skills.
• Ability to think strategically and execute methodically in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with a keen attention to detail.

Bonus

• Design graduate or post-graduate from Tier 1 institute like NID, NIFT etc
• Experience working with prototyping tools like Framer, Pixate, Origami, HTML/CSS/JS or After Effects
• Entrepreneurship or small startup experience
• Experience working in an Agile development environment
• Knowledge of accessibility standards and best practices
• Experience with motion design and micro-interactions
• Familiarity with design thinking methodologies