FLEX Director of Design Operations, Design Systems

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: FLEX Director of Design Operations, Design Systems

Company: Marriott

Location: Bethesda, Maryland, United States

Job Type: Full time

Category: Design Operations / Design Systems

Date Posted: 2026-09-21

Experience Level: 8+ years (with a focus on leadership of enterprise-scale initiatives)

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the vision, strategy, roadmap, governance, adoption, and operational model for the Marriott Associate Design System (MADS), an enterprise-wide foundation for digital experiences.

• Act as a key bridge between Design and Design System Engineering, fostering collaboration to evolve the system from strategy through production.

• Drive DesignOps for MADS, establishing scalable processes for intake, prioritization, capacity planning, contribution, documentation, and delivery.

• Treat the design system as an enterprise product, connecting product team needs with reusable design and engineering solutions to improve quality and accelerate delivery across Marriott's internal digital ecosystem.

• Provide strategic leadership and hands-on design direction, guiding designers and translating complex enterprise needs into scalable patterns, components, and standards.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is highly strategic, focusing on operationalizing a critical enterprise design system. It requires a blend of design leadership, operational rigor, and cross-functional collaboration, positioning it within the broader GTM and Product Operations umbrella by ensuring consistent, high-quality user experiences that accelerate product delivery and enhance brand consistency.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Define and evolve the vision, strategy, governance model, and multi-quarter roadmap for the Marriott Associate Design System (MADS).

• Lead the design and evolution of design system foundations, components, patterns, standards, documentation, and supporting tools.

• Partner closely with Design System Engineering to align roadmaps, prioritize investments, and maintain design-to-code parity across system assets.

• Establish robust governance, contribution, release, versioning, migration, and deprecation processes that support scalable system growth.

• Lead DesignOps practices for MADS, including intake management, prioritization, resource planning, workflow optimization, and delivery oversight.

• Manage the design system backlog, balancing immediate product needs with long-term platform investments and technical sustainability.

• Provide design leadership, direction, coaching, and critique to designers and cross-functional teams to ensure high-quality, scalable solutions.

• Evaluate product and business needs to identify opportunities where reusable system solutions can improve consistency, efficiency, and experience quality.

• Develop and maintain processes, templates, documentation, and playbooks that improve adoption and effective use of MADS.

• Facilitate design reviews, governance discussions, office hours, and contribution reviews to support system adoption and continuous improvement.

• Ensure accessibility, inclusive design, usability, and quality standards are embedded within reusable design system assets and practices.

• Collaborate with Product, Engineering, Accessibility, Architecture, and other stakeholders to align priorities and drive enterprise-wide adoption.

• Define and track key performance indicators (KPIs) related to adoption, reuse, system health, accessibility, operational effectiveness, and business impact.

• Use qualitative and quantitative insights to identify improvement opportunities and inform roadmap and operational decisions.

• Drive organizational change management, communication, training, and enablement efforts associated with new standards, system enhancements, and migrations.

• Represent MADS strategy, priorities, value, and outcomes to senior leadership and key stakeholders across the organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a strong focus on process, operational efficiency, and cross-functional alignment, which are core tenets of Design Operations and Revenue Operations. The emphasis on KPIs and business impact directly ties this role to driving measurable outcomes, a key characteristic of operations functions.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in UX Design, Interaction Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Product Design, Design Systems, Design Operations, or a related field; or equivalent professional experience. Experience:

• 8+ years of experience in digital product design, design systems, UX strategy, DesignOps, or related disciplines, including leadership of complex enterprise-scale initiatives.

• Proven experience leading, owning, or significantly contributing to an enterprise design system or digital platform, including roadmap development, governance, adoption, and cross-functional collaboration with design and engineering teams. Required Skills:

• Deep expertise in design systems, including component libraries, design tokens, documentation, governance models, accessibility standards, and design-to-development workflows.

• Proven experience establishing and scaling DesignOps practices, including intake management, prioritization, capacity planning, contribution models, workflow optimization, and organizational enablement.

• Proficiency in design and collaboration tools such as Figma, Storybook, GitHub, Jira, and Confluence for managing design system assets and workflows.

• Strong understanding of accessibility standards (e.g., WCAG) and inclusive design principles.

• Excellent strategic thinking and roadmap development capabilities for enterprise-level platforms.

• Demonstrated ability to foster cross-functional collaboration between design, engineering, product, and other stakeholders.

• Experience in change management, communication, and training to drive adoption of new standards and systems. Preferred Skills:

• Experience leveraging emerging technologies and AI-enabled tools to improve design system adoption, documentation, quality, accessibility, or operational efficiency.

• Familiarity with design token management and implementation across various platforms.

• Experience with version control systems and release management for design system components.

• Knowledge of performance metrics and analytics for tracking design system adoption and impact.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Preferred Skills" section strongly suggests a need for candidates familiar with modern design system tooling and methodologies, which are increasingly integrated into broader operational frameworks for product development and GTM strategies. This indicates a forward-thinking approach to design system management, aligning with operational efficiency goals.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrated experience leading or significantly contributing to an enterprise-scale design system or digital platform.

• Case studies showcasing the development, implementation, and adoption of design system components or patterns.

• Examples of governance models, contribution processes, or workflow optimizations implemented for a design system.

• Evidence of strategic roadmap development and execution for a design system or related operational initiative.

• Documentation samples, process playbooks, or enablement materials created to support design system adoption. Process Documentation:

• Showcase examples of established DesignOps processes, such as intake management, prioritization frameworks, or capacity planning for design system work.

• Illustrate how you have documented and standardized design-to-code workflows, ensuring design-code parity.

• Provide examples of metrics and KPIs defined to measure design system health, adoption, and business impact.

• Demonstrate experience in creating and maintaining comprehensive documentation for design system components, patterns, and guidelines.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a role like this, a portfolio is critical. It should not just show visual design work, but specifically highlight the candidate's ability to operationalize design systems. This includes demonstrating strategic planning, process definition, cross-functional collaboration, and measurable impact, which are all hallmarks of successful operations professionals.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• Based on industry benchmarks for Director-level roles in Design Operations and Design Systems in the Bethesda, MD area, with 8+ years of experience, the estimated salary range is $120,000 - $170,000 annually. This estimate considers the strategic nature of the role, the enterprise-scale responsibilities, and the specialized expertise required. Benefits:

• Comprehensive Health & Wellness: Medical, Dental, Vision insurance, Health Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA), Dependent Care FSA, Life Insurance, Disability Insurance, Accident Insurance.

• Financial Security & Growth: 401(k) plan, Stock Purchase Plan, Commuter Benefits.

• Work-Life Balance & Support: Employee Assistance Plan, Childcare Discounts, Adoption Expense Reimbursements, Paid Parental Leave, Paid Sick Leave, Paid Time Off, Paid Holidays.

• Perks: Discounts at Marriott properties.

Working Hours:

• Standard full-time position, typically 40 hours per week. The hybrid work environment offers flexibility, but requires regular in-office presence in Bethesda, MD.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is estimated based on Director-level positions in Design Operations/Systems within the technology and hospitality sectors in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area, accounting for the required experience and leadership scope. Marriott's listed benefits are extensive, covering health, financial, and work-life support, which are attractive to operations professionals seeking comprehensive compensation packages.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Hospitality / Travel & Leisure. Marriott International is a global leader in the hospitality industry, known for its extensive portfolio of brands and commitment to guest experience.

Company Size: Marriott is a very large enterprise, with tens of thousands of employees worldwide, indicating a complex organizational structure and significant scale of operations.

Founded: 1927. With a long history, Marriott has established a strong legacy and a deeply embedded corporate culture focused on service, integrity, and associate well-being.

Team Structure:

• The role sits within a function that bridges Design and Engineering, likely part of a broader Digital Product or Technology organization.

• It involves close partnership with Design System Engineering leadership, implying a collaborative, integrated approach to product development.

• The Director will manage a team of design system designers and work closely with Product Managers, UX Researchers, and front-end engineers across various product teams.

• This structure necessitates strong stakeholder management and influence across different departments to drive adoption and ensure alignment. Methodology:

• Emphasis on treating the design system as an enterprise product, requiring product management principles for its development and lifecycle.

• Focus on establishing scalable processes for work intake, prioritization, and delivery, a core aspect of DesignOps and efficient operations.

• Data-driven decision-making, using KPIs to track adoption, system health, and business impact.

• Commitment to accessibility, inclusive design, and quality standards as foundational elements of the design system.

• Agile methodologies are likely employed for roadmap execution and iterative development of system components.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Marriott's status as a global hospitality giant suggests a highly structured environment where operational efficiency, brand consistency, and scalable solutions are paramount. This Director of Design Operations role is crucial for ensuring that digital experiences across their vast ecosystem meet these high standards, requiring a deep understanding of enterprise-level process management and cross-functional alignment.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a senior leadership role (Director level) focused on a critical operational function—the Design System. It requires strategic vision, operational execution, and the ability to influence across a large organization. The scope is enterprise-wide, impacting numerous product teams and user experiences.

Reporting Structure: The specific reporting line isn't detailed, but it's likely to be within a senior leadership structure overseeing Digital Product, Design, or Technology. Close partnership with Design System Engineering leadership is explicitly mentioned, indicating a peer-level collaboration crucial for success.

Operations Impact: This role directly impacts revenue and business decisions by enabling faster product delivery, improving digital experience quality and consistency, enhancing brand perception, and potentially reducing development costs through reuse. A well-managed design system accelerates GTM for new features and products, directly contributing to business objectives.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership Advancement: Potential to grow into VP-level roles within Digital Product, Design Leadership, or broader Operations leadership within Marriott.

• Specialization Deepening: Opportunity to become a recognized expert in Design Operations and Design Systems within a Fortune 500 company, potentially leading larger platform initiatives or evolving into a Chief Design Officer track.

• Cross-Functional Influence: Develop broader business acumen by working closely with various departments (Product, Engineering, Marketing, Operations), expanding influence and strategic impact across the organization.

• Mentorship & Team Building: Opportunity to build and mentor a high-performing team of design system professionals, developing leadership skills and fostering a culture of excellence.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers significant growth potential, moving beyond pure design execution into strategic operational leadership. The emphasis on enterprise-wide impact and cross-functional collaboration prepares individuals for broader leadership roles, aligning with typical career progression pathways in operations and product management.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is based in Bethesda, MD, supporting a hybrid work environment at Marriott Headquarters (HQ). This means a blend of remote work and in-office collaboration.

Office Location(s): Marriott Headquarters (HQ) in Bethesda, Maryland. The description notes that even for roles listed as remote, HQ-based roles generally require regular in-office presence for candidates within commuting distance.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The hybrid model encourages collaboration, with dedicated office time for team meetings, brainstorming sessions, and cross-functional interactions.

• Operations Tools & Technology: Access to enterprise-grade design and engineering tools (Figma, Storybook, Jira, Confluence, GitHub) is expected, supporting efficient workflow and system management.

• Team Interaction: Regular opportunities to interact with design system designers, engineering counterparts, product managers, and other stakeholders, fostering a dynamic and communicative work environment.

Work Schedule:

• Full-time (40 hours/week) with a hybrid arrangement. While specific daily schedules can be flexible, the role necessitates consistent engagement and availability for critical meetings and collaborative sessions, especially during designated in-office days.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model at Marriott HQ is designed to balance flexibility with the need for in-person collaboration, which is crucial for strategic alignment and team cohesion in roles like this, bridging design and engineering. This setup requires strong self-management and communication skills from operations professionals.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: HR or Recruiter will assess overall fit, experience, and alignment with basic requirements.

• Hiring Manager Interview: Deep dive into experience with design systems, DesignOps, leadership, and strategic thinking. Expect questions about your approach to vision, strategy, and roadmap development.

• Cross-Functional Interviews: Interviews with key stakeholders, likely including Design System Engineering leadership, Product Management, and senior designers. These will focus on collaboration, problem-solving, and your ability to drive adoption.

• Portfolio Review & Presentation: A crucial stage where you'll present case studies from your portfolio, demonstrating your experience with design systems, operational processes, and impact. Be prepared to walk through your process, challenges, and outcomes.

• Final Round/Executive Interview: May involve senior leadership to assess cultural fit, strategic alignment, and long-term potential.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Focus on Operations: Highlight your experience in operationalizing design systems, not just creating design assets. Showcase your ability to define processes, manage intake, establish governance, and drive adoption.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use data and metrics to demonstrate the success of your design system initiatives. This could include adoption rates, efficiency gains, reduction in design debt, or improvements in user experience metrics.

• Structure Case Studies: For each case study, clearly outline the problem, your approach (including operational strategies and tools used), the solutions implemented, and the measurable results.

• Demonstrate Collaboration: Provide examples of how you've partnered effectively with engineering, product, and other teams. Showcase your communication and stakeholder management skills.

• Showcase Process Examples: Include examples of governance documents, contribution guidelines, intake forms, or workflow diagrams that illustrate your operational capabilities.

Challenge Preparation:

• Design System Strategy: Be prepared to discuss how you would approach defining the strategy and roadmap for MADS, considering Marriott's scale and diverse brand portfolio.

• Operationalizing DesignOps: Expect questions about how you would set up or refine DesignOps processes for a large enterprise design system, including intake, prioritization, and resource allocation.

• Cross-Functional Alignment: Prepare scenarios on how you would gain buy-in and drive adoption from various product teams and stakeholders across the organization.

• Measuring Success: Think about the key metrics you would track to demonstrate the value and impact of MADS and your DesignOps function.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a portfolio review and potential case study presentation is standard for senior design and operations roles. Candidates should prepare to articulate their strategic thinking, operational methodologies, and ability to drive measurable business outcomes through design system management.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma (essential for collaborative design and component creation).

• Design System Documentation & Management: Storybook (for code component documentation and development workflows), GitHub (for version control and collaboration on design system code).

• Project Management & Workflow: Jira (for backlog management, sprint planning, and tracking design system work), Confluence (for detailed documentation, process guides, and knowledge sharing).

Analytics & Reporting:

• Tools for tracking design system adoption, usage, and impact (specific tools not listed, but likely involve internal analytics platforms or dashboarding tools like Tableau/Power BI).

• Accessibility testing tools and reporting mechanisms. CRM & Automation:

• While not directly CRM-focused, understanding how the design system integrates with product development lifecycles and potentially customer feedback loops is important. Automation tools may be relevant for streamlining documentation updates or release processes.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency with Figma, Storybook, GitHub, Jira, and Confluence is explicitly mentioned or strongly implied, forming the core technology stack for managing an enterprise design system and its operations. Candidates should be ready to discuss their experience and strategies using these tools.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Integrity: Upholding ethical standards in decision-making, data handling, and stakeholder interactions.

• Service Excellence: A commitment to delivering high-quality experiences for both internal users (designers, engineers) and external customers.

• Innovation: Continuously seeking new and better ways to improve the design system and its operational processes, potentially leveraging emerging technologies.

• Collaboration: Fostering a team environment where diverse perspectives are valued, and cross-functional partnerships are essential for success.

• Accountability: Taking ownership of outcomes, driving initiatives to completion, and being transparent about progress and challenges.

• Efficiency: A focus on streamlining workflows, optimizing resource allocation, and maximizing the impact of the design system.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: The role demands seamless collaboration with Design System Engineering, Product Management, UX Research, and various brand/product teams to ensure the design system meets diverse needs and is widely adopted.

• Process-Oriented: Encourages a culture of defining, documenting, and refining operational processes to ensure consistency, scalability, and continuous improvement.

• Feedback-Driven: Actively solicits and incorporates feedback from users of the design system (designers, developers) to drive iterative improvements and maintain relevance.

• Knowledge Sharing: Promotes a culture of sharing best practices, learnings, and system updates through documentation, office hours, and internal communication channels.

📝 Enhancement Note: Marriott's established culture likely emphasizes service, integrity, and associate well-being. The Design Operations function within this context would be expected to embody these values while driving operational excellence, efficiency, and a collaborative spirit across technical and design disciplines.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Scale & Complexity: Managing an enterprise-wide design system for a global company with numerous brands presents significant challenges in standardization, adoption, and maintenance.

• Driving Adoption: Overcoming resistance to change and ensuring consistent adoption of the design system across diverse product teams and legacy systems requires strong change management and communication strategies.

• Balancing Needs: Effectively balancing the immediate needs of product teams with the long-term strategic vision and technical health of the design system.

• Design-to-Code Parity: Maintaining accurate and up-to-date alignment between design components and their coded implementations across different technologies and platforms.

• Cross-Functional Alignment: Garnering buy-in and maintaining alignment with various stakeholders, including engineering leadership, product owners, and brand representatives, each with their own priorities.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Strategic Leadership: Develop advanced strategic planning, roadmap execution, and enterprise-level decision-making skills.

• DesignOps Mastery: Deepen expertise in operationalizing design systems, including advanced governance models, contribution strategies, and tooling optimization.

• Cross-Functional Influence: Hone skills in stakeholder management, executive communication, and driving organizational change within a large corporate structure.

• Industry Best Practices: Stay abreast of evolving trends in design systems, DesignOps, accessibility, and AI-driven design tools through conferences, research, and community engagement.

• Mentorship & Team Building: Gain experience in building, leading, and mentoring a high-performing team, developing leadership and people management capabilities.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned to address complex operational challenges inherent in large organizations. Successfully navigating these challenges will offer significant opportunities for professional growth and skill development in areas critical to operations and leadership.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you define the vision and strategy for the Marriott Associate Design System (MADS) for the next 1-3 years, considering Marriott's diverse brand portfolio and global presence?"

• "Describe your approach to establishing a robust governance model for an enterprise design system. What are the key components, and how would you ensure buy-in from various stakeholders?"

• "How do you balance the immediate needs of product teams with the long-term strategic goals and technical sustainability of a design system?"

• "What are your key principles for managing the backlog and prioritizing work for a design system team?" Company & Culture Questions:

• "How do you see the design system contributing to Marriott's overall brand consistency and guest experience?"

• "Describe your experience working in a hybrid environment. How do you ensure effective collaboration and communication with remote and in-office team members?"

• "How would you foster a culture of adoption and contribution to MADS across different product teams and business units within Marriott?"

• "What are your thoughts on leveraging AI or emerging technologies to enhance design system efficiency or adoption?" Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, clearly articulate the business problem, your specific role and approach, the operational processes you implemented (e.g., intake, governance, contribution), the tools used, the challenges faced, the solutions developed, and the measurable outcomes.

• Highlight Operational Impact: Emphasize your process-driven approach. Show how you established workflows, standardized practices, and improved efficiency rather than just presenting finished designs.

• Quantify Results: Use metrics (e.g., adoption rates, time savings, consistency scores, accessibility improvements) to demonstrate the value your work delivered.

• Showcase Collaboration: Be ready to discuss how you partnered with engineering, product, and other teams, highlighting your communication and stakeholder management skills.

• Prepare for Q&A: Anticipate questions about your decision-making process, how you handle conflicting priorities, and how you measure success for a design system.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation for this role should focus on demonstrating strategic thinking, operational expertise in DesignOps and Design Systems, and strong cross-functional leadership capabilities. Candidates must be ready to articulate their methodologies and provide concrete examples of their impact.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations position:

• Submit your application through the provided Oracle Cloud job portal link.

• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight experience in design systems, DesignOps, enterprise-scale initiatives, cross-functional leadership, and proficiency with relevant tools (Figma, Storybook, Jira, etc.). Quantify achievements wherever possible.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select case studies that best demonstrate your experience in operationalizing design systems, including process definition, governance, adoption strategies, and measurable impact. Focus on the "how" and "why" behind your work.

• Prepare Your Narrative: Be ready to articulate your strategic vision for a design system at Marriott's scale and discuss how you would drive adoption and manage operational processes. Practice presenting your portfolio with a focus on operational impact.

• Research Marriott: Understand Marriott's brand portfolio, its commitment to digital experience, and its company values. This will help you tailor your responses and demonstrate cultural fit.

⚠️ 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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