Design Operations Lead

Airtable•San Francisco, CA

21h

About The Position

Airtable is the no-code app platform that empowers people closest to the work to accelerate their most critical business processes. More than 500,000 organizations, including 80% of the Fortune 100, rely on Airtable to transform how work gets done. Design Operations Lead Airtable is seeking a Design Operations Lead to elevate how design works across our organization. This is a unique opportunity to shape the connective tissue between design, engineering, product, and executive leadership—driving operational excellence, accelerating AI adoption, and building programs that stick. If you’re a scrappy, deeply curious operator who thrives in fast-moving environments and wants to have a direct impact on the craft, culture, and velocity of a world-class design team, this is the role for you.

Requirements

8+ years in design operations, program management, or a hybrid role embedded in a product design organization
Deep appreciation for design craft and ability to engage meaningfully on quality, not just logistics
Strong working knowledge of technology and AI tools, with hands-on experience integrating them into design practice
Sharp cross-functional instincts; able to navigate and build trust with designers, PMs, engineers, and marketers
Excellent written communicator who can synthesize complexity into clear, compelling narratives
Experience building lightweight programs and rituals (education, critiques, sprints) that teams actually use
Proven ability to prioritize and execute in ambiguous, fast-moving environments
Active AI practitioner who uses tools like Claude in daily work
Familiarity with Airtable or similar tools for operational infrastructure
Experience developing an external design brand through content, thought leadership, or industry presence
Exposure to 0→1 product development and experimental operational demands
Background spanning both brand/creative and product design functions

Responsibilities

Strengthen design team rituals and processes to drive alignment and clarity across leadership and teams
Lead and execute critical projects, ensuring speed, quality, and strong cross-functional communication
Accelerate AI enablement by building fluency with emerging tools and integrating them into design workflows
Improve the quality and impact of product design sprints and team deliverables
Develop and scale design education programs that foster growth and craft excellence
Launch and iterate on an external presence strategy for Airtable Design, including content and thought leadership
Balance proactive, reactive, and supportive work to ensure a healthy, high-performing team environment
Serve as a connective communication layer between design, EPD, and executive leadership

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