Senior Manager, Product Design - UGC

Scribd, Inc.•Vancouver, BC

5d•$132,000 - $242,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Scribd, Inc. is seeking a Senior Design Manager to lead their 5-person UGC Product Design team. This role is pivotal as AI reshapes the product landscape, increasing strategic complexity. The User-Generated Content (UGC) space is strategically important and rapidly evolving, encompassing customer trust, core features, and discovery across Scribd and Slideshare. AI presents opportunities for richer discovery, smarter content experiences, and new ways for people to engage with knowledge at scale. The role owner will be responsible for team performance, clarity, and execution in this space, setting high standards for thinking and delivery, bringing focus to complex problems, and translating ambitious ideas into product impact for millions. This position will also contribute to strategy, influence team workflows, and foster an environment where senior designers can excel. The ideal candidate enjoys leading smart, curious designers through complex problem spaces and transforming big ideas into usable experiences.

Requirements

Track record of raising the bar for senior designers, including direct, consequential performance conversations.
10+ years of product design experience.
5+ years of people management experience.
A hands-on approach to AI—actively experimenting with how it can change the way your team works, not just thinks about it.
Comfort leading through ambiguity where the problem definition is part of the work.
Strong product judgment—able to connect design decisions to business outcomes and push back when the framing is wrong.
Experience operating as a peer to senior product and research leadership—influencing roadmap, resourcing, and strategic direction.
Ability to create clarity in ambiguous situations and move cross-functional teams to decisions without losing people along the way.
Resume.
Portfolio or work samples that demonstrate leadership and measurable impact.
Password, if applicable.

Responsibilities

Lead and develop the UGC design team, owning their growth, output, and accountability.
Challenge designers to define the real problem before jumping to solutions and consistently uphold this standard.
Provide direct, specific feedback to sharpen thinking and improve outcomes.
Model the integration of AI into the design workflow and set expectations for the team.
Own performance management with conviction, including raising the bar, addressing gaps early, and following through on consequences.
Partner closely with the Principal UGC Design Lead to challenge thinking, align on standards, and ensure great craft direction translates into great execution.
Drive how the team integrates AI into our practice, including workflow, prototyping, quality, and speed.
Bring clarity and focus to ambiguous problems and drive simplification.
Translate strategy into clear priorities, resourcing, and sequencing of design work.
Strengthen planning, handoff, and cross-team alignment without adding unnecessary process.
Help shape how the broader Design organization thinks about ways of working, tooling, and raising the bar across pillars.
Shape team rituals that reinforce clarity, ownership, and high standards.
Hold designers accountable to role expectations and impact.
Create an environment of psychological safety paired with high performance.
Contribute to Design organization hiring, calibration, and bar-raising efforts.

Benefits

Scribd Flex (flexible work model)
Comprehensive health, dental, and vision coverage
Mental health support and disability coverage
Generous paid time off, including vacation, sick time, holidays, winter break, volunteer time, and sabbaticals
Paid parental leave and family support benefits
Retirement matching and employee equity
Learning and development programs and professional growth opportunities
Wellness and home office stipends
Complimentary access to the Scribd, Inc. suite of products
Enterprise access to leading AI tools