Design Operations Lead

Airtable • San Francisco, CA

1d

About The Position

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

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed
• Number of Employees: 251-500 employees