Director of Product Design

Taleo Social Sourcing•Arlington, TX

1d•Onsite

About The Position

D.R. Horton, Inc. is seeking a Director of Product Design to provide strategic and operational leadership for the Product Design function. This in-office role in Arlington, Texas, establishes the function’s operating model, organizational structure, and delivery strategy to support the company’s product and creative roadmap. The Director leads portfolio planning, organizational scaling, and cross-functional alignment while developing design leaders and addressing enterprise-level priorities, risks, and resource needs. The role works with senior leaders across Product, Engineering, and other business functions to align strategic priorities and achieve organizational objectives. It oversees governance, portfolio visibility, workforce and capacity planning, executive reporting, and leadership development. The Director also represents Product Design in enterprise initiatives, governance committees, and special projects, and monitors industry trends and practices to improve the function’s effectiveness and scalability. The position supervises two or more employees and requires overnight travel.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Design, Product Management, Business, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
10 or more years of experience in product design, design/creative operations, program management, or project management.
At least 3 years in a people-management or organizational-leadership role.
Demonstrated ability to build, scale, and govern operational frameworks, including organizational design, long-range capacity planning, and executive-level reporting, across multiple teams or a full function.
Track record of hiring, developing, and managing people managers, with sound judgment on organizational structure and succession planning.
Deep understanding of design systems and experience shaping and evolving them to support product quality and team efficiency.
Proven experience designing and scaling operating models in Agile/Scrum product development environments, in partnership with senior product, engineering, and creative leaders.
Ability to apply common-sense understanding to carry out instructions provided in written or oral form or through DRH applications.
Ability to sit for the majority of an 8-hour workday; use hands and fingers to handle or feel; reach with hands and arms; talk and hear.
Close and peripheral vision abilities are required.
Ability to travel overnight.

Nice To Haves

PMP, Certified Scrum Master (CSM), or similar program/project management certification.
Experience partnering closely with UX researchers to inform design decisions and validate solutions.

Responsibilities

Establish and oversee the Product Design operating model, organizational structure, governance frameworks, and operating cadence.
Develop the strategic direction of the Product Design organization, aligning priorities, capabilities, and investments with business objectives and long-term growth strategies.
Partner with senior leaders across Product, Engineering, and other business functions to align priorities, address dependencies, and achieve organizational objectives.
Direct portfolio planning, prioritization, tracking, and visibility to keep resources, initiatives, and delivery priorities aligned with business goals.
Prepare and deliver executive reporting on portfolio performance, organizational health, risks, and strategic priorities, including insights and recommendations.
Define and direct workforce, capacity, and headcount strategies to support scalable growth and changing business priorities.
Anticipate, assess, and resolve portfolio-level risks, cross-functional dependencies, and priority conflicts; advise senior leadership to protect commitments and organizational objectives.
Support leadership continuity and organizational effectiveness through talent development, succession planning, and accountability for leadership performance and readiness.
Represent Product Design in enterprise initiatives, governance committees, and special projects as a subject matter expert and strategic advisor.
Monitor industry trends, emerging practices, and organizational innovations, and recommend improvements to the Product Design function.
Conduct business in a professional and ethical manner.
Supervise two or more employees.
Travel overnight as required.