Design Manager

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Design Manager
Company: Weave
Location: San Francisco Bay Area, CA
Job Type: Full-Time
Category: Design Management / Product Design
Date Posted: December 08, 2025
Experience Level: 7+ years of product design experience, with 2+ years in a leadership role
Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead and mentor a high-impact design team focused on building an AI-native platform for drug development regulatory workflows.
• Drive user experience strategy, ensuring insights from user research translate into intuitive and effective end-to-end product experiences.
• Uphold and evolve a strong design system to support fast, consistent iteration and maintain visual standards.
• Foster a design culture throughout the organization, championing human-AI interaction and user-centricity.
• Act as a player-coach, contributing hands-on design work while guiding and growing the team during a crucial growth phase.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the original posting is for a "Design Manager," the core responsibilities and required experience strongly align with a Senior Product Design Manager or Lead Product Designer role within a B2B SaaS context. The emphasis on AI integration and regulated industries (drug development) suggests a specialized product operations aspect within design.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Team Leadership & Mentorship: Provide direction, constructive feedback, and coaching to foster the growth and professional development of individual designers, ensuring high-quality output that meets company standards.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner closely with Product Management and Engineering teams to define product roadmaps, prioritize design initiatives, refine development workflows, and ensure cohesive, integrated execution of product features.
• User Research & UX Strategy: Oversee and guide user research initiatives to uncover deep customer needs and translate those insights into compelling, intuitive, and effective end-to-end user experiences across the platform.
• UI Craftsmanship & Standards: Maintain and elevate the visual design standards and UI craft of the product, ensuring consistency, aesthetic appeal, and usability, while also contributing hands-on design work as needed.
• Design System Evolution: Lead the strategic development and ongoing maintenance of the company's design system, ensuring it scales effectively with product growth and empowers efficient, consistent design and development iterations.
• AI-Infused Design: Champion the innovative application of AI within user workflows, guiding the team to design for seamless human-AI interaction and optimal user efficiency in complex regulatory processes.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of strategic leadership and tactical execution, common in growing B2B SaaS companies. The specific mention of "AI-native platform" and "regulatory workflows" indicates a need for designers who can translate complex technical and scientific concepts into user-friendly interfaces, a key differentiator in this market.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Design, HCI, Computer Science, or a related field is often preferred for roles of this seniority and specialization.

Experience:

• A minimum of 7+ years of progressive experience in product design, with a strong emphasis on UX and UI.
• At least 2+ years of demonstrated experience in managing, leading, or formally mentoring design teams.
• Proven track record in B2B SaaS environments, with a preference for experience in complex industries like life sciences, drug development, or other regulated sectors.

Required Skills:

• Design Leadership & Team Management: Ability to build, mentor, inspire, and guide design teams, fostering a collaborative and high-performance culture.
• User Experience (UX) Design: Deep understanding of UX principles, user flows, information architecture, and the ability to translate complex requirements into intuitive user journeys.
• User Interface (UI) Design: Refined aesthetic sense, mastery of visual design principles, and the ability to create polished, consistent, and engaging user interfaces.
• User Research & Insights: Proficiency in qualitative and quantitative user research methodologies, with the ability to synthesize findings into actionable design strategies.
• B2B SaaS Design: Experience designing complex, enterprise-grade software solutions for business users.
• Design System Management: Experience in developing, evolving, and maintaining scalable design systems.
• Human-AI Interaction: Familiarity or experience designing interfaces for AI-powered features and workflows.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Proven ability to work effectively with product managers, engineers, and other stakeholders.

Preferred Skills:

• Life Sciences/Drug Development Domain Expertise: Familiarity with the concepts, terminology, and workflows relevant to drug development and regulatory processes.
• Scientific Fluency: Ability to quickly grasp and translate complex scientific and technical concepts into elegant product experiences.
• Agile/Scrum Methodologies: Experience working within agile development environments.
• Prototyping Tools: Advanced proficiency in industry-standard prototyping and design tools (e.g., Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite).
• Data Visualization: Experience designing effective data visualizations for complex datasets.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for "scientific fluency" and experience in "life sciences, drug development, or regulated industries" is a critical differentiator. Candidates are expected to not only be strong designers but also capable of understanding and translating highly technical and scientific concepts into usable product features. This implies a need for strong analytical skills and a capacity for continuous learning within a specialized domain.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrated Leadership: Showcase examples of leading design initiatives, mentoring designers, and contributing to team growth and development. This can include project leadership, team process improvements, or coaching successes.
• End-to-End Product Design: Present case studies that illustrate the entire design process, from initial problem definition and user research through to UI design, prototyping, and successful product launch or iteration.
• B2B SaaS Complexity: Include projects that highlight experience with complex B2B SaaS applications, demonstrating an understanding of enterprise user needs, workflows, and scalability challenges.
• Human-AI Interaction Examples: If possible, showcase projects where you designed for AI-driven features or workflows, illustrating how you approached the unique challenges of human-AI collaboration and user trust.
• Design System Contribution: Detail your involvement in the creation, evolution, or application of a design system, explaining its impact on design consistency, efficiency, and scalability.

Process Documentation:

• Problem Framing & Research Synthesis: Clearly articulate the problem statement, the research methodologies used, and how user insights directly informed design decisions.
• Design Iteration & Decision-Making: Explain the rationale behind key design choices, including trade-offs made, challenges encountered, and how feedback was incorporated.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration Evidence: Highlight instances where close collaboration with product and engineering led to successful outcomes, demonstrating communication and alignment strategies.
• Measurable Impact: Quantify the impact of your design work whenever possible, using metrics related to user adoption, task completion rates, efficiency gains, or business outcomes.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Design Manager role, the portfolio needs to balance individual craft with leadership and strategic thinking. Candidates should be prepared to discuss not just what they designed, but how they led teams to achieve those designs, managed processes, and influenced product strategy. The emphasis on AI and regulated industries means case studies demonstrating an understanding of complex workflows and scientific concepts will be highly valued.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $185,000 - $225,000 per year. This range is competitive for a Design Manager role in the San Francisco Bay Area, reflecting the seniority, specialized industry focus, and hybrid work arrangement.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive Health Coverage: Health, dental, and vision insurance plans to support employee well-being.
• Generous Paid Time Off (PTO): Ample time off to rest, recharge, and attend to personal needs.
• Parental Leave: Support for new parents with dedicated leave policies.
• Equity Packages: Opportunity to own a stake in the company's growth and success.
• Career Development: Access to opportunities for professional growth, learning, and advancement within a rapidly growing company.
• Wellness Programs: Access to services like OneMedical, TalkSpace, and Teladoc for enhanced physical and mental health support.
• Modern Work Environment: Hybrid work model offering flexibility and a balance between in-office collaboration and remote work.

Working Hours: The role is likely based on a standard 40-hour work week, typical for full-time positions, with flexibility offered through the hybrid work arrangement. Given the leadership nature, extended hours may occasionally be required to meet project deadlines or strategic objectives.

📝 Enhancement Note: The specified salary range is for the San Francisco Bay Area, a high-cost-of-living region. The listed benefits are comprehensive and aligned with what is typically offered at growth-stage tech companies, with a particular emphasis on employee wellness and professional development, crucial for attracting and retaining senior talent in competitive fields like AI and biotech.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Healthcare Technology / Life Sciences AI. Weave operates at the intersection of cutting-edge AI technology and the highly regulated pharmaceutical and drug development industry. This means a focus on precision, compliance, and innovation. Company Size: Weave is described as being in a "growth phase" and having a "small, high-impact team." This suggests a company that is past the initial startup stage but still agile, with a culture that values speed, direct contribution, and close collaboration. Founded: The founding date is not specified, but the company's mission to "evolve how therapeutic knowledge is captured, transformed, and communicated throughout drug development" and its focus on AI indicates a modern, forward-thinking enterprise.

Team Structure:

• Design Team: A "small, high-impact team" that the Design Manager will lead, grow, and mentor. This implies a close-knit unit where individual contributions are highly visible.
• Reporting Structure: The Design Manager reports directly to the CEO, indicating a high level of visibility and direct influence on company strategy and product direction.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Strong partnership is expected with Product and Engineering teams, forming the core product development triad. Collaboration with scientific/domain experts is also implied due to the nature of the industry.

Methodology:

• AI-Native Platform: The core methodology revolves around leveraging AI to streamline complex regulatory workflows in drug development.
• Customer Obsession & ROI: The company values customer focus and demonstrable Return on Investment (ROI) for their solutions.
• Craftsmanship & Velocity: A balance between high-quality design execution ("craftsmanship") and efficient, rapid iteration ("velocity") is expected.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture is likely to be fast-paced, innovative, and results-oriented, with a strong emphasis on scientific rigor and technological advancement. The direct reporting line to the CEO suggests that design is considered a strategic function within Weave, not just a support function.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is firmly positioned at a senior leadership level, akin to a Senior Manager or Director of Design. It requires a blend of expert-level individual contribution (player-coach) and strategic team leadership. The scope includes shaping the design vision, building out a team, and directly influencing product strategy within a critical, emerging technology sector.

Reporting Structure: Reporting directly to the CEO signifies a high level of autonomy and influence. The Design Manager will be a key voice in executive discussions regarding product vision, user experience strategy, and market positioning. This also means a direct line of accountability for the design function's success.

Operations Impact: The Design Manager's impact is central to Weave's mission. By leading the design of an AI-native platform for drug development, they directly influence the speed, safety, and cost-effectiveness of bringing new therapies to market. An exceptional user experience is positioned as a key differentiator, meaning the design team's output has a direct impact on customer acquisition, retention, and overall business success. The role is instrumental in translating complex scientific and regulatory challenges into accessible and efficient digital solutions.

Growth Opportunities:

• Team Expansion: Opportunity to build and scale the design team, recruit top talent, and establish best practices for a growing organization.
• Strategic Influence: Play a pivotal role in shaping the product roadmap and company strategy, leveraging design thinking to address complex industry challenges.
• Domain Specialization: Deepen expertise in AI-driven drug development and regulatory science, becoming a thought leader in human-AI interaction within this specialized field.
• Leadership Development: Grow leadership skills within a dynamic, high-growth environment, potentially moving into broader product or technology leadership roles.
• Innovation Sandbox: Contribute to defining the future of therapeutic knowledge capture and communication, working with cutting-edge AI technology.

📝 Enhancement Note: The growth trajectory for this role is significant, moving from leading a small team to potentially overseeing a larger design organization or taking on broader product responsibilities as the company scales. The unique domain (AI in drug development) offers specialized career growth opportunities not found in many tech companies.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is based in the San Francisco Bay Area with a hybrid work arrangement, meaning employees work a set number of days in the office and the remainder remotely. This suggests a modern office setup designed for collaboration, innovation, and team synergy.

Office Location(s): San Francisco Bay Area, CA. This location places Weave within a major hub for both technology and the biotech/life sciences industry, offering access to talent, networking opportunities, and a vibrant ecosystem.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Hub: The office environment is likely designed to facilitate brainstorming, team meetings, design critiques, and cross-functional interactions, particularly with product and engineering.
• Technology-Enabled: As an AI-focused company, the workspace will likely be equipped with modern technology to support design, development, and AI research.
• Agile & Focused: The hybrid model allows for focused individual work at home and collaborative sessions in the office, catering to different work styles and project phases.

Work Schedule: A hybrid model implies a degree of flexibility in terms of where work is done, but the core 40-hour work week likely remains standard. The emphasis on "velocity" suggests a dynamic schedule where team members are expected to be responsive and productive, especially during core collaboration hours.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid nature of the role is a key aspect of the work environment, balancing the need for in-person collaboration and team building with the flexibility and focus that remote work can offer. This arrangement is common in tech companies aiming to attract talent from diverse locations while maintaining a strong company culture.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your resume and portfolio to assess alignment with the core requirements, especially leadership experience and B2B SaaS design expertise.
• Hiring Manager Interview (CEO): A deep dive into your leadership philosophy, strategic thinking, experience with complex B2B/regulated industries, and understanding of human-AI interaction. Expect questions about your approach to mentorship and team building.
• Design Team/Peer Interviews: Discussions with existing designers and potentially product/engineering leads to assess your technical design skills, collaboration style, and cultural fit. This may involve design challenges or portfolio walkthroughs.
• Portfolio Review & Case Study Presentation: A dedicated session where you present 1-2 key projects from your portfolio, focusing on your role, process, decision-making, and impact. Be prepared to articulate your strategic contributions and leadership approach.
• Final Round/Executive Interview: Potentially with other key executives to ensure alignment with company vision and values.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 2-3 projects that best showcase your leadership, end-to-end design process, and experience in complex B2B SaaS or regulated industries. Prioritize projects that demonstrate impact and strategic thinking.
• Focus on Leadership: For this role, emphasize your contributions to team growth, mentoring, and how you influenced design strategy or processes, not just your individual design contributions.
• Structure Your Case Studies: Clearly outline the problem, your role, the process (research, ideation, design, testing), key decisions and rationale, challenges overcome, and measurable outcomes. Use visuals effectively.
• Articulate AI & Domain Understanding: If possible, include projects related to AI or complex scientific/regulatory domains. Clearly explain your understanding of the domain and how it informed your design decisions.
• Be Ready for Questions: Anticipate questions about your design philosophy, how you handle conflict, how you mentor designers, and your vision for design at Weave.

Challenge Preparation:

• Design Exercise: You might be given a hypothetical design challenge related to Weave's domain (e.g., designing a feature for AI-assisted regulatory document review). Focus on demonstrating your process, critical thinking, and ability to translate complex requirements into a user-centric solution.
• Presentation Skills: Practice presenting your portfolio and any design exercise clearly, concisely, and persuasively. Be prepared to defend your decisions and engage in constructive feedback.
• Domain Research: Familiarize yourself with Weave's mission, the drug development lifecycle, and the role of AI in regulatory affairs. Understanding the context will help you ask better questions and provide more relevant responses.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the CEO is the direct report, expect a strong emphasis on strategic alignment, business impact, and leadership vision. The portfolio review will be critical for demonstrating not only design craft but also the ability to lead and elevate a design function within a specialized, high-stakes industry.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop, XD), InVision, Axure RP. Proficiency in at least one primary tool (likely Figma given industry trends) is essential.
• User Research & Testing: UserTesting.com, Lookback, Maze, Hotjar, Google Analytics, SurveyMonkey, Typeform. Experience with tools for remote usability testing and qualitative data collection.
• Design System Management: Tools that facilitate component libraries, style guides, and documentation (e.g., Zeroheight, Storybook, or internal systems built within Figma/Sketch).

Analytics & Reporting:

• Product Analytics: Mixpanel, Amplitude, Pendo. Tools for understanding user behavior, feature adoption, and conversion funnels within the platform.
• Business Intelligence: Tableau, Power BI, Looker. For broader business metric tracking and reporting, though this might be more on the Product/Engineering side.

CRM & Automation:

• CRM: Salesforce, HubSpot. While not directly a design tool, understanding how design impacts CRM workflows and data integrity is beneficial for B2B SaaS.
• Project Management: Jira, Asana, Trello. Essential for tracking design tasks, sprints, and collaborating with engineering.
• Collaboration: Slack, Microsoft Teams. For daily communication and team coordination.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on an "AI-native platform" suggests that familiarity with tools or concepts related to data visualization, potentially interactive dashboards, and understanding how AI outputs are presented to users will be highly valuable. While specific tools aren't listed, a strong command of industry-standard design and prototyping software is a given.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Craftsmanship: A commitment to high-quality, polished, and effective design solutions that meet user needs and business objectives.
• Customer Obsession: Deep empathy for users and a drive to understand their challenges to build solutions that truly solve problems.
• ROI Focus: Designing with an awareness of business impact, aiming for solutions that deliver tangible value and return on investment.
• Velocity & Iteration: Embracing agile principles to move quickly, learn from feedback, and iterate on designs to continuously improve the product.
• Collaboration & Transparency: Open communication, active listening, and a willingness to share work and feedback across teams.
• Innovation: A drive to explore new approaches, particularly in leveraging AI to create novel and effective user experiences.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: A highly collaborative approach with Product Management and Engineering, where design is involved early and continuously in the product development lifecycle.
• Data-Informed: Decisions are grounded in user research, analytics, and market insights, but balanced with creative intuition and strategic vision.
• Constructive Feedback Culture: An environment where constructive criticism is welcomed and used to elevate the quality of work, fostering mutual respect and continuous improvement.
• Shared Ownership: Encouraging a sense of collective responsibility for the product's success, with designers, product managers, and engineers working towards common goals.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture appears to be a blend of the fast-paced, innovative spirit of a tech startup with the rigor and precision required in the life sciences and regulated industries. The emphasis on ROI and "craftsmanship" suggests a results-oriented environment that values both strategic thinking and high-quality execution.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Translating Complex Science: The primary challenge is translating intricate scientific concepts and regulatory requirements into intuitive and user-friendly AI-powered workflows. This requires a designer who can quickly learn and deeply understand a specialized domain.
• Human-AI Interaction Design: Designing effective and trustworthy interactions between humans and AI is an evolving field. Ensuring users understand AI outputs, trust their recommendations, and can effectively guide the AI will be a continuous challenge.
• Balancing Innovation with Regulation: Innovating rapidly with AI while adhering to strict regulatory standards in drug development presents a unique balancing act.
• Scaling Design Processes: As the company grows, maintaining design quality and consistency while scaling the team and its processes will be a key operational challenge.
• Player-Coach Transition: Effectively managing time between hands-on design work and leadership responsibilities can be demanding.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• AI & Life Sciences Expertise: Deepen knowledge in AI methodologies, drug development processes, and regulatory affairs, becoming an expert in a niche but critical field.
• Leadership Skills: Develop advanced skills in team building, mentorship, strategic planning, and executive communication.
• Cutting-Edge Technology: Work at the forefront of AI application in healthcare, gaining experience with emerging technologies and their impact on critical industries.
• Industry Impact: Contribute directly to accelerating drug development, with the potential to significantly impact human health and well-being.
• Design System Maturity: Grow expertise in building and scaling robust design systems for complex enterprise applications.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges inherent in this role are also significant growth opportunities. By tackling the complexities of AI in drug development, the Design Manager can become a highly sought-after expert in a rapidly expanding and impactful sector.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you approach designing an AI feature that suggests potential drug targets to researchers, considering the need for transparency and user trust?" (Focus on process, user research, AI interaction principles)
• "Describe a time you had to balance competing priorities between product, engineering, and design. How did you ensure alignment and achieve a successful outcome?" (Focus on collaboration, negotiation, and strategic decision-making)
• "How do you foster a culture of continuous learning and improvement within a design team, especially when dealing with complex, evolving technologies like AI?" (Focus on leadership, mentorship, and team development)
• "What is your philosophy on building and scaling design systems, particularly for B2B SaaS products in regulated industries?" (Focus on process, scalability, and best practices)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you most about Weave's mission to evolve drug development through AI?" (Demonstrate understanding of the company's purpose and industry)
• "How do you see design contributing to Weave's overall business strategy and competitive advantage?" (Connect design to business outcomes and market differentiation)
• "Describe your ideal working relationship with Product Management and Engineering leaders." (Assess collaboration style and understanding of cross-functional dynamics)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Tell a Story: Structure your case studies as narratives, highlighting the problem, your journey, and the resolution. Emphasize your strategic thinking and leadership contributions.
• Quantify Impact: Use metrics to demonstrate the success of your designs. If direct metrics are unavailable, use proxies like user feedback, efficiency gains, or adoption rates.
• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use high-quality visuals, mockups, prototypes, and user flow diagrams to illustrate your work.
• Explain Your Role Clearly: Be specific about your responsibilities, especially in team settings. Differentiate between your individual contributions and your leadership/mentorship efforts.
• Address AI & Domain Specifics: If you have relevant experience, highlight how you navigated the complexities of AI or specialized industry domains. If not, articulate your approach to learning and understanding them quickly.

📝 Enhancement Note: Prepare to discuss how you would onboard and mentor new designers, how you measure the success of your team, and your vision for how design can drive innovation at Weave. Demonstrating an understanding of the drug development lifecycle and AI's role within it will be a significant advantage.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Design Manager position:

• Submit your application through the greenhouse.io application link provided.
• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight experience in B2B SaaS, design leadership, user experience, UI design, and any relevant industry experience (life sciences, drug development, regulated industries). Use keywords from the job description.
• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 impactful case studies that showcase your leadership, end-to-end design process, and experience with complex products. Ensure your portfolio clearly articulates your role, process, and the impact of your work.
• Prepare Your Narrative: Be ready to articulate your leadership philosophy, design strategy, and how you foster team growth. Practice presenting your portfolio and discussing your approach to human-AI interaction.
• Research Weave: Understand their mission, product, and the challenges within the drug development industry. Be prepared to discuss why you are passionate about Weave's specific mission.

⚠️ 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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