Design Manager

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Design Manager

Company: Pigment

Location: France, United Kingdom

Job Type: Full Time

Category: Design Management / Operations

Date Posted: 2026-09-14

Experience Level: 5-10 years

Remote Status: Remote OK

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead and develop a high-performing Product Design team, fostering a strong design culture and establishing clear expectations for craft and UX quality.

• Drive Design Operations by optimizing team rituals, planning processes, and overall ways of working to enhance team effectiveness and scalability.

• Collaborate closely with Product and Engineering leadership to ensure alignment on priorities, resources, and successful delivery of complex B2B product features.

• Contribute to strategic initiatives by defining meaningful Design KPIs and OKRs, and by improving how the impact of Design is understood and communicated across the organization.

• Identify capability gaps within the design team and contribute to strategic hiring plans to shape the future growth of the Design organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a critical leadership function within Pigment's design organization, focusing on both people management and operational excellence. The emphasis on "Design Operations" suggests a need for someone who can build scalable processes and frameworks, not just manage individual contributors. The B2B context and AI platform nature of Pigment indicate a need for a leader comfortable with complex product challenges and data-driven decision-making.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Manage, coach, and develop Product Designers, establishing clear expectations, providing regular feedback, and identifying meaningful growth opportunities for career advancement.

• Cultivate a strong, collaborative Design culture, creating an environment where designers can perform at their best and contribute innovative solutions.

• Own and continuously improve Design Operations, including defining and executing team rituals, strategic planning, refining workflows, and optimizing overall ways of working.

• Supervise the quality of design work across the team, maintaining a high bar for craft, user experience (UX) quality, and strategic product thinking.

• Partner closely with Product Management and Engineering leaders to ensure seamless alignment of people, priorities, and execution timelines.

• Guide designers in navigating intricate B2B product challenges, effectively balancing user needs, business objectives, and technical constraints.

• Contribute hands-on to design efforts where it provides the most significant value, while maintaining a primary focus on team leadership and effectiveness.

• Develop scalable frameworks, robust processes, and best practices that enable the Design organization to grow effectively.

• Define and track meaningful Design Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and Objectives and Key Results (OKRs), enhancing how Design's impact is measured and communicated.

• Proactively identify capability gaps within the design team and contribute to strategic hiring decisions to shape the future composition and needs of the Design organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a dual focus: people leadership (coaching, development, culture) and operational leadership (Design Ops, processes, frameworks). The expectation to contribute hands-on implies the need for a leader with practical design experience, not purely an administrative manager. The emphasis on B2B complexity and aligning with Product/Engineering points to a strategic partner role.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While not explicitly stated, a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Computer Science, or a related field is typically expected for leadership roles in this domain. Relevant professional certifications in design leadership or operations can be a strong supplement.

Experience: Proven experience (5-10 years) in product design, with a significant portion dedicated to leadership and people management within a high-quality product organization, preferably in a B2B SaaS environment.

Required Skills:

• Extensive experience in Product Design, with a deep understanding of end-to-end design processes and methodologies.

• Proven track record in people management, including coaching, providing constructive feedback, conducting performance conversations, and fostering career development for Product Designers.

• Strong hands-on craft expertise and the ability to review design work, challenge design thinking, and elevate the overall quality bar.

• Demonstrated experience working with complex B2B software products.

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to create strong alignment across Design, Product, and Engineering teams.

• A strong operational mindset, with a passion for improving processes, team rituals, and the overall functioning of a Design organization.

• Ability to balance people leadership, delivery execution, and long-term Design strategy.

• Proactive and autonomous approach to identifying and implementing organizational improvements.

• Experience in defining and measuring Design KPIs and OKRs, and connecting design work to product and business outcomes.

• Familiarity with Agile development methodologies and their application within a design context. Preferred Skills:

• Experience in scaling design teams and operations within a rapidly growing SaaS company.

• Familiarity with AI-powered platforms and their unique design challenges.

• Experience with user research methodologies and integrating user feedback into design processes.

• Knowledge of design systems and their implementation for consistency and efficiency.

• Understanding of business planning and performance management concepts relevant to Pigment's core offering.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirements emphasize leadership and operational acumen over purely individual contributor design skills, though hands-on expertise is necessary for credibility and mentorship. The B2B and SaaS context, along with the mention of AI, are crucial differentiators for candidates.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A portfolio showcasing successful management of product design teams, demonstrating your ability to coach, develop talent, and elevate team performance.

• Case studies illustrating your experience in improving Design Operations, including examples of process optimization, team ritual enhancement, and workflow improvements.

• Evidence of your ability to maintain a high bar for design craft and UX quality, with examples of complex B2B product features you've overseen.

• Demonstrations of your strategic thinking, including how you've defined and tracked Design KPIs/OKRs and connected design efforts to business outcomes.

• Examples of how you've partnered effectively with Product Management and Engineering to drive successful product development. Process Documentation:

• Examples of frameworks, processes, and best practices you've developed to help design organizations scale effectively.

• Documentation of team rituals, planning processes, and ways of working that you have implemented or improved to enhance team effectiveness.

• Methodologies for identifying capability gaps and contributing to strategic hiring plans for design teams.

• Approaches to measuring and communicating the impact of design on product and business objectives.

📝 Enhancement Note: Candidates should prepare to showcase not just their design work, but their ability to manage teams, optimize operations, and strategically measure design's impact. The portfolio should reflect leadership and operational excellence within a B2B SaaS context.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on industry benchmarks for Design Managers with 5-10 years of experience in high-growth SaaS companies, particularly in leadership roles requiring significant operational and people management skills, and considering the cost of living in the UK and France, the estimated salary range is approximately €85,000 - €120,000 per year (or equivalent in GBP). This range can vary based on specific location within the UK/France, individual experience, and negotiation.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance plans.

• Generous paid time off (PTO) and public holiday allowance, respecting local regulations in France and the UK.

• Stock options or equity participation in a fast-growing SaaS company.

• Professional development budget for conferences, training, and certifications relevant to design leadership and operations.

• Parental leave policies that support work-life balance.

• Opportunities for remote work flexibility within France and the UK.

• Team-building events and offsites to foster collaboration and camaraderie.

• Access to cutting-edge tools and technologies to support design and operational workflows.

Working Hours: Typically 40 hours per week, with flexibility offered to accommodate remote work and diverse time zones within the UK and France. Emphasis is placed on output and effectiveness rather than strict adherence to hours.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary estimates are based on general market data for comparable roles in Western Europe. Benefits are typical for a well-funded, fast-growing tech company and are tailored to reflect potential differences in offerings between the UK and France.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), specifically focusing on AI-powered Business Planning and Performance Management. Pigment operates in a competitive landscape serving enterprise clients, emphasizing agility, scale, and real-time strategic decision-making.

Company Size: 600+ employees. This indicates a scale where formalized processes and efficient operations are crucial for continued growth and effective collaboration across larger teams and departments.

Founded: 2019. As a relatively young but rapidly scaling company, Pigment likely fosters a dynamic, innovative, and fast-paced culture, with a strong emphasis on agility and adapting to market needs.

Team Structure:

• The Design team likely comprises Product Designers, UX Researchers, and potentially UI Designers, reporting up through this Design Manager role.

• This role partners closely with Product Management and Engineering leadership, suggesting a matrixed or highly collaborative structure where cross-functional alignment is paramount.

• The organization's growth suggests multiple product lines or feature areas, requiring effective delegation and management of design resources. Methodology:

• Pigment's AI platform implies a data-driven approach to product development and business planning. The Design team will likely leverage data analytics and user insights to inform design decisions.

• The emphasis on agility and real-time planning suggests that design processes will need to be iterative, adaptable, and closely integrated with agile development cycles.

• Operational efficiency is a core value proposition of Pigment, so the Design team is expected to embody this through streamlined workflows and effective resource management.

Company Website: https://www.pigment.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: Pigment's focus on AI, business planning, and rapid growth suggests a culture that values innovation, data-driven decision-making, and operational excellence. The Design Manager will be key in translating these company-wide values into the design team's operations and culture.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role represents a mid-to-senior level management position within the operations and design leadership track. It requires a blend of deep design expertise, proven people management skills, and a strong operational mindset to scale processes and teams. The scope includes direct management of individual contributors and significant cross-functional influence.

Reporting Structure: The Design Manager will likely report to a Director or VP of Product, Design, or Engineering. They will manage a team of Product Designers and collaborate extensively with their counterparts in Product Management and Engineering.

Operations Impact: This role has a direct impact on Pigment's ability to deliver a high-quality, user-friendly B2B SaaS product. Effective design leadership and operations contribute to user adoption, customer satisfaction, product innovation, and ultimately, revenue growth by ensuring the platform meets business needs and user expectations.

Growth Opportunities:

• Team Expansion: Opportunity to grow and scale the Product Design team, potentially adding specialized roles (e.g., UX Researchers, Design System specialists) as the company expands.

• Strategic Influence: Influence the broader product strategy and roadmap by providing design leadership and advocating for user-centricity.

• Leadership Development: Transition into higher leadership roles, such as Head of Design or VP of Design, overseeing larger teams and broader design functions.

• Operational Excellence: Develop expertise in scaling design operations for a fast-growing, global SaaS company, potentially leading initiatives beyond the immediate design team.

• Industry Specialization: Deepen expertise in B2B SaaS design, AI product design, and business planning software, becoming a subject matter expert.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is a significant step for an experienced designer looking to move into management or for an existing manager seeking to lead in a high-growth, innovative tech environment. The growth paths emphasize leadership, strategic impact, and operational scaling.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Pigment offers a hybrid work model, with the option for remote work within the UK and France. This suggests a modern approach to work, balancing in-person collaboration with the flexibility of remote work.

Office Location(s): The company has a presence in major hubs like London (UK) and Paris (France), indicating opportunities for in-person collaboration and access to professional networks within these cities.

Workspace Context:

• The remote-friendly policy implies a reliance on digital collaboration tools to maintain team cohesion and productivity.

• The need for strong Design Operations suggests that the work environment is structured to support efficient workflows, whether remote or hybrid.

• Collaboration is key, so expect regular virtual or in-person meetings, workshops, and design reviews with Product, Engineering, and fellow designers.

Work Schedule: The standard 40-hour work week is expected, but Pigment emphasizes output and flexibility. This allows for adapting work schedules to personal needs and team collaboration requirements, particularly important for managing remote teams across different time zones within the UK and France.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid and remote-friendly nature of the role within specific countries is a key aspect. Candidates should be comfortable with digital collaboration tools and possess strong self-management skills.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter or hiring manager will review your application and CV, focusing on relevant management and design experience.

• Hiring Manager Interview: A discussion with the hiring manager to assess your leadership style, operational approach, and fit with the team's needs. Be prepared to discuss your experience managing designers and improving design processes.

• Design Team Interview(s): Meetings with other designers and potentially Product Managers/Engineers. This stage assesses your hands-on design skills, ability to critique work, and collaborative approach. Prepare to discuss your design philosophy and how you mentor others.

• Portfolio Review & Case Study: A dedicated session to present your portfolio, focusing on management and operational achievements. You may be asked to walk through a specific case study demonstrating how you improved design processes, managed a team through a complex project, or measured design's impact.

• Final Interview: Potentially with a senior leader (e.g., VP of Product/Design) to discuss strategic alignment, long-term vision, and cultural fit.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Focus on Management & Operations: While design quality is essential, emphasize your leadership, team development, and operational process improvement achievements.

• Quantify Impact: Use data and metrics (KPIs, OKRs, efficiency gains, user satisfaction improvements) to demonstrate the success of your team and your operational initiatives.

• Structure Your Case Studies: For each case study, clearly articulate the problem, your approach as a manager/operator, the solutions implemented, and the measurable outcomes.

• Showcase Collaboration: Highlight instances where you effectively partnered with Product and Engineering.

• Be Ready to Discuss 'How': Beyond the 'what,' be prepared to explain 'how' you achieved results, your decision-making process, and lessons learned.

Challenge Preparation:

• Operational Scenario: You might be presented with a hypothetical scenario regarding team challenges, process bottlenecks, or scaling issues and asked to outline your approach to solving them.

• Design Critique: Be ready to provide constructive feedback on a sample design or product flow, demonstrating your ability to raise quality standards.

• Strategic Thinking: Prepare to discuss your views on the future of design in B2B SaaS and how you would align design strategy with Pigment's business goals.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is designed to evaluate leadership, operational capabilities, and strategic thinking, not just individual design talent. Candidates should tailor their portfolio and preparation to highlight these management and operational aspects.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma (highly probable for modern design teams), Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite.

• Project Management & Collaboration: Jira, Confluence, Asana, Trello, Notion.

• Communication: Slack, Microsoft Teams.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Product Analytics: Mixpanel, Amplitude, Pendo, Google Analytics.

• Data Visualization/BI: Tableau, Looker, Power BI (for understanding business metrics that influence design).

• User Feedback Platforms: Hotjar, UserTesting.com, SurveyMonkey.

CRM & Automation:

• CRM: While not directly a design tool, understanding CRM data (e.g., Salesforce) can provide context for B2B user behavior.

• Automation Tools: Any tools used to streamline design workflows or feedback loops.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the specific stack isn't listed, candidates should be proficient in industry-standard design tools and comfortable with project management, communication, and analytics platforms that support a data-driven and collaborative B2B SaaS environment. Familiarity with tools that support scaling operations is a plus.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Excellence & Craftsmanship: A commitment to delivering high-quality, well-crafted design solutions that meet user needs and business objectives.

• Collaboration & Alignment: A strong emphasis on working effectively across Design, Product, and Engineering to achieve shared goals.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Utilizing data and user insights to inform design choices and measure impact.

• Continuous Improvement: A proactive approach to refining processes, learning new skills, and enhancing team effectiveness and operational efficiency.

• Agility & Adaptability: Embracing change and iterating quickly to respond to evolving business needs and market dynamics.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Partnership: The team operates with a strong partnership model, where designers are integrated into product squads and work closely with Product Managers and Engineers from ideation through delivery.

• Open Feedback Culture: Encourages constructive feedback loops within the design team and with cross-functional partners to foster growth and improve design quality.

• Knowledge Sharing: A culture that promotes sharing best practices, learnings, and insights across the team to build collective expertise and elevate the entire organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: Pigment's culture likely mirrors its product's value proposition: agile, data-informed, and focused on scalable solutions. The Design Manager will be instrumental in embodying and promoting these values within their team.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Scaling Design Operations: As Pigment grows rapidly, establishing and scaling robust design operations processes to support an expanding team and product complexity will be a key challenge.

• Balancing B2B Complexity with User Experience: Designing for sophisticated B2B users requires balancing intricate workflows and extensive features with intuitive and efficient user experiences.

• Measuring Design's Impact: Quantifying the direct impact of design on business outcomes (e.g., revenue, customer retention, adoption rates) can be challenging but is a critical focus for this role.

• Cross-functional Alignment: Ensuring consistent alignment and effective communication across Product, Engineering, and Design, especially in a fast-paced, remote-friendly environment.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Leadership Development: Opportunities to hone people management skills, strategic planning, and operational leadership within a high-growth tech environment.

• Industry Expertise: Deepen knowledge in AI-driven SaaS, business planning software, and complex enterprise product design.

• Process Innovation: Lead initiatives to innovate and optimize design processes, contributing to the overall operational maturity of the company.

• Mentorship: Gain experience mentoring and developing designers, potentially leading to further leadership responsibilities.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are inherent to high-growth B2B SaaS companies and offer significant opportunities for professional growth and impact.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you approach building and scaling a design operations function within a fast-growing B2B SaaS company like Pigment?" (Focus on frameworks, processes, team rituals, and KPIs.)

• "Describe a time you successfully coached a designer through a performance challenge or helped them achieve a significant career milestone. What was your approach?" (Highlight your people management and mentorship style.)

• "Imagine we're facing a situation where Product and Engineering priorities are diverging significantly from user needs. How would you, as a Design Manager, facilitate alignment and ensure user advocacy?" (Emphasize collaboration, communication, and data-driven arguments.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "What do you know about Pigment's product and its position in the market? How do you see design contributing to our success in AI-powered business planning?" (Research Pigment's offerings, target audience, and competitive landscape.)

• "How do you foster a strong, collaborative design culture, especially in a remote or hybrid work environment?" (Discuss your strategies for team cohesion, psychological safety, and knowledge sharing.)

• "How do you ensure your team's work is directly contributing to measurable business outcomes, such as customer acquisition or retention?" (Prepare to discuss your experience with Design KPIs, OKRs, and ROI measurement.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure for Impact: Organize your presentation to clearly showcase your management and operational achievements first, followed by key design leadership examples.

• Quantify Results: For each project or initiative, present clear metrics demonstrating the impact of your team's work and your operational improvements.

• Tell a Story: Frame your case studies as narratives, detailing the problem, your strategic approach as a leader, the solutions implemented, and the measurable outcomes.

• Highlight Collaboration: Explicitly mention how you worked with Product and Engineering, and the results of those partnerships.

• Focus on 'How': Be prepared to elaborate on your decision-making process, the challenges you overcame, and the lessons learned.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparation should focus on demonstrating leadership, operational thinking, and strategic alignment with Pigment's business goals, using concrete examples and quantifiable results.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Design Manager position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on jobs.lever.co/pigment.

• Tailor Your Resume: Optimize your resume to highlight your experience in people management, design operations, B2B SaaS, and driving measurable outcomes. Use keywords from the job description such as "Product Design Leader," "Design Operations," "Coaching," "KPIs," and "B2B Software."

• Prepare Your Portfolio: Curate your portfolio to showcase case studies that demonstrate your leadership, team development, operational improvements, and strategic impact. Focus on projects where you managed teams and improved processes, not just individual design contributions.

• Practice Your Presentation: Rehearse presenting your portfolio, focusing on clearly articulating your management philosophy, operational strategies, and the quantifiable results you've achieved. Be ready to discuss your approach to challenges and collaboration.

• Research Pigment: Thoroughly understand Pigment's product, target market, company mission, and recent achievements. Prepare thoughtful questions about their design challenges, team culture, and growth strategy.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.

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