Design Operations Manager

Tyson Foods•Springdale, AR

About The Position

The Design Operations Manager serves as the central coordination point for the design organization, ensuring creative projects are prioritized, resourced, and executed effectively across the business. The role manages intake, project assignments, team capacity, and workflow excellence to support business goals. It works closely with Brand, Marketing, Innovation, Sales, Packaging, Engineering, Procurement, Regulatory, Production, Operations, and external partners to streamline creative execution from project initiation through delivery. The position focuses on operational leadership, cross-functional collaboration, agency and supplier management, and process improvement so design resources align with business priorities and projects are delivered on time, within scope, and in accordance with brand standards. The manager oversees the intake, prioritization, scheduling, tracking, and delivery of design projects; manages project workflows and team workload; and identifies staffing or resource solutions when demand exceeds capacity. The role establishes timelines and deliverables, tracks approvals and risks, and maintains visibility into work through project tools, reporting, and resource planning. It also facilitates stakeholder alignment and issue resolution, manages external partners, develops standardized workflows, and drives continuous improvement and tool adoption. The role contributes to capacity planning, resource forecasting, and operational strategy, using data-driven recommendations to improve prioritization and workflow performance. Applicants must reside in the United States. Relocation assistance is eligible. The role works on first shift in the United States of America.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Design, Marketing, or a related field.
At least 5 years of experience in design operations, creative services, project management, marketing operations, packaging, or a related discipline.
Demonstrated experience leading complex cross-functional projects from concept through implementation.
Experience managing multiple projects and priorities in a fast-paced corporate environment.
Strong understanding of creative development, production processes, and packaging execution.
Experience partnering with suppliers, design agencies, production partners, engineering, packaging, procurement, regulatory, marketing, and legal teams.
Proficiency with project and workflow management tools.
Strong organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills.
Ability to influence without direct authority and drive results through collaboration and stakeholder management.
Must reside in the United States to be considered.
Sponsorship is not available for this position.
Successful candidate must be willing and able to perform the physical requirements of the job, with or without reasonable accommodation.

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting CPG food organizations.
Experience with packaging artwork development, print production, commercialization, and product launch processes.
Experience implementing workflow optimization, resource planning, and creative operations best practices.

Responsibilities

Lead intake, prioritization, scheduling, and tracking of design projects and requests.
Manage workflows and distribute workload according to team capacity and business priorities, partnering with Design Leadership on assignments.
Facilitate prioritization discussions and recommend staffing, outsourcing, or resource-allocation solutions when demand exceeds capacity.
Establish project timelines, milestones, and deliverables; track action items and approvals to maintain accountability.
Monitor project status, identify dependencies, risks, and bottlenecks, and facilitate solutions to keep work on track.
Maintain visibility of work across business units through project tracking tools, reporting, and resource planning.
Liaise between stakeholders and designers to communicate expectations, priorities, and requirements.
Partner with cross-functional teams to align on project objectives and execution plans and ensure timely delivery.
Facilitate stakeholder alignment, decision-making, and issue resolution throughout the project lifecycle.
Build cross-functional relationships and advise on creative processes, project planning, and execution strategies.
Manage relationships with external design agencies, packaging suppliers, printers, prepress providers, and production vendors; coordinate timelines, deliverables, approvals, and communications.
Partner with suppliers, designers, and production partners to resolve technical challenges and preserve design intent through final production.
Evaluate supplier performance and identify opportunities to improve quality, efficiency, and speed to market.
Support agency and vendor onboarding and ensure alignment with organizational processes and standards.
Develop, implement, and maintain standardized design workflows, operating procedures, and best practices.
Lead continuous improvement initiatives focused on efficiency, visibility, quality, and speed to market; identify opportunities to enhance design capabilities and team effectiveness.
Implement and optimize project management tools, dashboards, and reporting systems, and drive adoption of tools, technologies, and ways of working.
Ensure compliance with brand standards, design guidelines, regulatory requirements, and operational processes.
Oversee delivery of creative assets across multiple brands, channels, and formats.
Drive projects from concept through final implementation by coordinating stakeholders, suppliers, and business teams.
Balance speed, accuracy, quality, and operational efficiency while managing simultaneous priorities.
Contribute to long-term capacity planning, resource forecasting, and operational strategy development.
Provide data-driven recommendations to improve prioritization, resource management, and workflow performance.
Advocate for operational excellence while enabling the design team to deliver creative solutions that support business goals.
Demonstrate responsible use of approved AI tools, safeguard sensitive information, adhere to company policies, and validate AI-generated outputs; integrate AI into daily work, critically evaluate outputs, and apply professional judgment.
Applicants must upload a resume to their Workday application or ensure their Workday Career Profile is up to date and complete.