Design Operations Manager

Team Description

The design and research team at Pendo is a highly collaborative and innovative group that supports the entire Pendo ecosystem. Operating in close connection with senior product leaders, the team drives innovation and growth while enabling cross-functional groups to optimize user workflows. You will have the ability to make a real impact on product roadmaps and shape internal processes in an agile environment.

Role Description

Pendo is looking for a Design Operations Manager to build the systems, rituals, and guardrails that enable Design, Research, and Content teams to deliver high-quality work at scale. You will create order from ambiguity through clear workflows and strong cross-team collaboration. A key focus of this role will be operationalizing responsible AI use across workflows to accelerate quality, speed, and impact.

Responsibilities

• Operational Excellence: Schedule and facilitate critiques, reviews, and team syncs while maintaining tracking, templates, and documentation to remove bottlenecks.
• Tools & Systems: Evaluate, implement, and maintain design software and infrastructure, ensuring proper file organization and asset management.
• Team Enablement: Assist in onboarding new team members, create guidelines and best practices, and facilitate cross-functional collaboration between Brand, Marketing, and Product.
• AI Implementation: Explore and document AI opportunities, pilot tools, and define ethical guidelines to build confidence and adoption.
• Metrics & Reporting: Define and track KPIs for productivity and impact to inform process improvements and communicate value to stakeholders.

Minimum Requirements

• 2–5 years of experience in design operations, creative production, or project/program coordination.
• Demonstrated ability to build systems that make teams more effective.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.
• Excellent communication skills with an eye for detail and structure.
• Understanding of how design teams partner with brand, marketing, and product functions.

Preferred Requirements

• Experience with Figma, Jira, Confluence, and AI tooling.
• Familiarity with design systems, component libraries, and B2B SaaS product design.
• Experience coordinating across distributed teams.
• Background in visual asset management or creative production workflows.

Pendo Description:

Pendo was founded in 2013 by former product managers, who combined their heads and hearts to build something they wanted but never had as product managers -- a simple way to understand and attack what truly drives product success.  Our mission is to improve society's experience with software.

Come join one of the fastest-growing startups, supported by best-in-class institutions like Battery Ventures, Salesforce Ventures, Spark Capital and Meritech. You will gain experience in a diverse and exciting set of technologies and clients and have a real impact on Pendo's future. Our culture is passionate, dynamic, and fun.

EEOC

We are an equal opportunity employer and believe having diverse teams where everyone brings their whole self to Pendo is key to our success. We welcome all people of different backgrounds, experiences, abilities and perspectives.

Accessibility

Pendo is committed to working with, and providing access and reasonable accommodation to, applicants with mental and/or physical disabilities. If you think you may require accommodation(s) for any part of the recruitment process, please send a request to: [email protected]. All requests for accommodations are treated discreetly and confidentially, as practical and permitted by law.

Compensation 

Our salary ranges are based on paying competitively for our size and industry, and are one part of many compensation, benefits and other reward opportunities we provide.

The expected salary range for this role to be performed in:

Raleigh, NC - $90,000 - $105,000

Individual pay rate decisions, including offers made within and over the expected salary range, are based on a number of factors, including qualifications for the role, experience level, skillset, and balancing internal equity relative to peers at the company.