Product Design Manager

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Product Design Manager

Company: Haleon

Location: Poznan Business Garden, Poland

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Product Design Operations / GTM Strategy

Date Posted: 2025-10-28

Experience Level: 10+ Years

Remote Status: Hybrid (2 days in office/week)

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the strategic scaling of product design excellence across a global consumer health organization, focusing on building robust operational foundations.

• Drive the evolution of product design workflows, rituals, and governance models to ensure consistency, quality, and adherence to user-centric principles across all touchpoints.

• Oversee the evaluation and management of critical design tools, encompassing UX/UI design, user research platforms, and user experience metrics to foster seamless collaboration and efficiency.

• Establish and operationalize an enterprise value framework that links user experience metrics directly to product and business outcomes, leveraging data visualization for stakeholder communication.

• Champion the value and impact of design across the organization, fostering a culture of innovation and user-centricity from research through to continuous delivery.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as the first Product Design Manager, indicating a foundational, strategic, and potentially high-impact position where the incumbent will be instrumental in defining and building the product design operations function from the ground up. The emphasis on "beyond the pixels" and connecting UX metrics to business impact suggests a strong GTM (Go-To-Market) alignment and a focus on measurable business outcomes, rather than purely aesthetic design.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• People & Culture:

  • Support the professional development and onboarding of product designers, fostering a positive team culture and ensuring employee wellbeing.
  • Shape and implement career development frameworks for product designers, enabling skill enhancement and growth within Haleon.
  • Act as a design advocate, championing the strategic importance and value of user-centered design across all business functions and leadership levels.

• Process & Practice:

  • Define, document, and continuously refine product design workflows, establishing clear processes for research, ideation, prototyping, testing, and implementation.
  • Develop and enforce design governance models to ensure consistency in user experience (UX) and adherence to brand guidelines across diverse product portfolios.
  • Integrate and champion accessibility standards and inclusive design principles into all stages of the product design lifecycle, ensuring products are usable by the widest possible audience.

• Tools & Systems:

  • Strategically evaluate, select, implement, and manage a suite of product design tools, including UX/UI design software (e.g., Figma), user research platforms, and analytics tools.
  • Ensure seamless integration and interoperability of design tools to support efficient collaboration between design, product, engineering, and marketing teams.
  • Establish best practices for tool utilization to maximize team efficiency and design quality.

• Data & Impact:

  • Co-create and operationalize a comprehensive enterprise value framework that quantifies the impact of user experience on key product and business metrics (e.g., conversion rates, customer retention, revenue).

  • Develop and maintain dashboards and reports to clearly communicate the value and ROI of design initiatives to executive stakeholders and cross-functional teams.

  • Establish processes for continuous data analysis and feedback loops to inform design iteration and strategic decision-making.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities are structured around four key pillars (People & Culture, Process & Practice, Tools & Systems, Data & Impact), which is a common and effective framework for operations management roles. This structure indicates a holistic approach to building and managing a design function, encompassing both the human and technical aspects. The emphasis on "co-create, establish and operationalize an enterprise value framework" strongly points towards a need for strong analytical and strategic thinking, akin to revenue operations or GTM operations roles.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Psychology, or a related field; Master's degree preferred.

• 📝 Enhancement Note: While not explicitly stated, a strong academic foundation in design principles, user behavior, or a related analytical field is a common prerequisite for senior design management roles.

Experience:

• Over 8 years of progressive experience in product design, with a significant portion in management or leadership roles.

• Proven track record of building, mentoring, and scaling high-performing product design teams within a global or matrixed organization.

• Demonstrated experience in defining and implementing design processes, workflows, and governance models.

Required Skills:

• Product Design Management: Proven ability to lead and manage design teams, projects, and processes effectively.

• UX Research & Design Expertise: Deep understanding of user-centered design principles, methodologies, and best practices.

• Modern Design Tools Proficiency: Hands-on experience and expertise with leading design and prototyping tools such as Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite, etc.

• Leadership & Team Building: Strong ability to inspire, mentor, develop, and scale design talent.

• User Research Methodologies: Skilled in planning and conducting qualitative and quantitative user research using mixed methods (e.g., interviews, surveys, usability testing, A/B testing).

• Design Systems Development: Experience in creating, maintaining, and scaling design systems to ensure consistency and efficiency across products.

• Communication & Storytelling: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with a proven ability to articulate design concepts, strategies, and impact to diverse audiences, including executive stakeholders.

• Stakeholder Management: Ability to build strong relationships, influence decision-making, and collaborate effectively with cross-functional partners (Product, Engineering, Marketing, Legal, etc.).

• Business Acumen: Proven ability to align design initiatives with overarching business objectives, product strategy, and market demands.

Preferred Skills:

• Industry Experience: Prior experience in healthcare, consumer goods, or other regulated environments, understanding specific market dynamics and compliance needs.

• Accessibility & Inclusive Design: In-depth knowledge of WCAG guidelines, accessibility standards, and practical application of inclusive design principles.

• Agile & Matrixed Environments: Comfort and proven success in operating within agile development frameworks and complex, matrixed organizational structures.

• AI-Powered UX Design: Experience designing user experiences for AI-driven products, with an understanding of ethical considerations and usability challenges.

• Data Analysis & Visualization: Experience with user analytics platforms and data visualization tools to measure and report on design impact.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "over 8 years" requirement and the emphasis on building/scaling teams suggest this is a senior-level management position, likely equivalent to a Manager or Senior Manager in operations. The blend of design expertise and operational management skills is critical.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Design Process Documentation: Showcase a clearly defined and repeatable design process, illustrating how user research informs ideation, prototyping, testing, and iteration. This should demonstrate an understanding of the full product development lifecycle.

• Design System Examples: Present examples of design systems you have contributed to or led the development of, highlighting their structure, components, guidelines, and impact on consistency and efficiency.

• User Research Case Studies: Provide detailed case studies demonstrating how you've utilized mixed research methods to uncover user needs, validate design decisions, and drive product improvements. Quantify the impact where possible.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration Examples: Illustrate instances where you've effectively collaborated with product managers, engineers, and other stakeholders, showcasing your ability to translate business needs into design solutions and manage feedback loops.

• Impact Measurement & ROI: Include examples where you've measured the impact of design initiatives, linking them to business outcomes such as increased conversion rates, improved user satisfaction, or reduced support costs.

Process Documentation:

• Evidence of established design workflows, including clear stages, deliverables, and decision-making points.

• Documentation of how design governance models have been implemented to ensure quality and consistency.

• Examples of how accessibility and inclusive design principles have been integrated into standard operating procedures.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a role focused on building design operations, the portfolio should emphasize how processes were built and scaled, not just the final design output. Demonstrating the ability to standardize, measure, and improve design operations is key.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• Based on industry benchmarks for Product Design Managers with 8+ years of experience in Poland, particularly in large, multinational corporations, a competitive annual gross salary range is estimated between 250,000 PLN and 400,000 PLN. This range can vary based on the candidate's specific experience, negotiation skills, and the final determined scope of responsibilities.

• 📝 Enhancement Note: This estimate is derived from research on similar roles in the Polish market, considering the experience level (10+ years AI-derived), industry (consumer health/FMCG), and company size (global corporation). A more precise range would be provided by Haleon.

Benefits:

• Competitive Base Salary

• Annual Bonus: Performance-based incentive reflecting individual and company achievements.

• Life Insurance: Provides financial security for beneficiaries.

• Pension Plan: Contribution towards retirement savings.

• Private Medical Package: Comprehensive healthcare coverage, including preventive services for employees and eligible family members.

• Sports Cards (Multisport): Access to a wide range of sports and wellness facilities.

• Health and Wellbeing Program: Initiatives focused on physical and mental health support.

• Pension Plan Membership and Savings Program: Additional opportunities for long-term financial planning.

• Recognition Program: Rewards and acknowledges exceptional contributions.

• Hybrid@Haleon: A structured hybrid work philosophy, requiring 2 days per week in the office to foster collaboration and connection.

Working Hours:

• Standard full-time working hours, likely around 40 hours per week, with flexibility offered through the Hybrid@Haleon policy.

• 📝 Enhancement Note: While standard hours apply, the hybrid model and focus on outcomes suggest a degree of flexibility in daily scheduling, provided core responsibilities and collaborative needs are met.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Consumer Health, Pharmaceuticals, Healthcare. Haleon operates in a highly regulated yet consumer-focused sector, balancing scientific rigor with mass-market appeal for brands like Sensodyne, Panadol, and Centrum.

Company Size: Large multinational corporation (indicated by global presence and detailed benefits).

Founded: Haleon was formed in 2022 as a demerger from GSK, bringing together a portfolio of established, trusted consumer healthcare brands. This means it's a relatively new corporate entity with a long heritage of brands.

Team Structure:

• The Product Design Manager will likely lead a team of product designers, UX researchers, and potentially UX writers.

• This role will operate within a matrixed structure, collaborating closely with Product Management, Engineering, Marketing, R&D, and other business units globally and regionally.

Methodology:

• Haleon emphasizes a "unique combination of deep human understanding and trusted science." This suggests a data-driven, research-intensive approach to product development and marketing.

• The company is actively building its digital capabilities and user experience, indicating a move towards more agile, iterative, and customer-centric methodologies.

• A focus on "co-creating" a culture and environment points to an inclusive and collaborative approach to innovation.

Company Website: www.haleon.com/careers/

📝 Enhancement Note: As a recently formed entity from a large established company, Haleon likely blends established corporate processes with a forward-looking, entrepreneurial spirit necessary for growth. The "new world-leading consumer health company" positioning suggests a drive for innovation and market leadership.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role represents a significant management position within the product design function, focusing on operational excellence and strategic scaling. It's a key leadership role for building out the design operations infrastructure.

Reporting Structure: The Product Design Manager will likely report into a higher-level design, product, or digital leadership role. They will manage a team of individual contributors and collaborate extensively with peers in Product Management, Engineering, and Marketing.

Operations Impact: This role has a direct impact on the efficiency, quality, and scalability of product design, which in turn influences the user experience of Haleon's brands. By improving design operations, the role contributes to faster product iteration, better product-market fit, and ultimately, business growth and revenue.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership Expansion: Potential to grow into a Director or VP of Design Operations, overseeing larger teams and broader strategic initiatives.

• Specialization: Opportunity to become a recognized expert in design operations, UX strategy, or specific areas like accessibility or AI UX within the consumer health sector.

• Cross-Functional Leadership: Transition into broader product leadership roles, leveraging a deep understanding of user experience and operational efficiency.

• Industry Influence: Contribute to shaping best practices in design operations within the consumer health and regulated industries.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "first" Product Design Manager role implies a significant opportunity for the individual to define their path and create the function, offering substantial growth potential beyond a typical management position.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid work model ("Hybrid@Haleon"), requiring 2 days per week in the office. This suggests a blend of remote flexibility and in-person collaboration.

Office Location(s): Poznan Business Garden, Poland. This is a modern business park environment, likely offering good amenities and accessibility.

Workspace Context:

• The office environment is expected to be collaborative, facilitating interaction with design team members and cross-functional colleagues.

• Access to modern design tools and technology will be essential for the role and the team.

• Opportunities for informal "water cooler" moments and structured meetings will exist, supporting both spontaneous idea generation and planned strategic discussions.

Work Schedule: Standard full-time hours with a hybrid arrangement. The emphasis on outcomes and operational efficiency suggests that while hours are structured, there may be flexibility in how the work is accomplished, provided collaboration and deliverables are met.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model is a key aspect, balancing the need for focused work with the benefits of in-person collaboration, essential for a role building operational processes and fostering team culture.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: HR or recruiter call to assess basic qualifications, cultural fit, and salary expectations.

• Hiring Manager Interview: In-depth discussion with the hiring manager focusing on leadership experience, strategic thinking, and understanding of design operations principles. Expect questions about team building, process definition, and stakeholder management.

• Portfolio Review: A dedicated session where candidates present their portfolio. This is crucial for demonstrating practical experience, process, and impact. Be prepared to walk through 2-3 key projects, detailing your role, the challenges, your approach, the solutions, and the outcomes.

• Cross-Functional Interviews: Interviews with peers from Product Management, Engineering, or Marketing to assess collaboration skills and ability to influence.

• Executive/Senior Leadership Interview: Final interview with a senior leader to assess strategic alignment, vision, and overall fit for the organization.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Focus on Process: Highlight not just the final designs, but the process you followed, the decisions made, and the impact achieved. For this role, demonstrating how you built or scaled operations is more critical than just showcasing beautiful UI.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use metrics to demonstrate the value of your work. How did your process improvements affect efficiency, quality, or business outcomes?

• Tell a Story: Structure your portfolio presentations as compelling narratives – problem, solution, impact.

• Tailor to Haleon: Research Haleon's brands and mission. Understand their consumer health focus and consider how your experience aligns with their goals.

• Demonstrate Operational Thinking: Show examples of how you've standardized processes, implemented tools, mentored teams, or managed budgets related to design operations.

Challenge Preparation:

• Be prepared for a case study or a take-home assignment that might involve outlining a strategy for scaling a design function, defining key operational processes, or proposing solutions for common design operations challenges.

• Practice articulating your strategic vision for design operations at Haleon.

• Prepare to discuss how you would measure the success of design initiatives and the design team.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the "first of its kind" nature of this role, interviewers will be keen to see how you approach building something strategic and operational, not just executing existing processes.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• UX/UI Design: Figma (explicitly mentioned), Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, XD).

• Prototyping: Figma, InVision, ProtoPie.

• User Research: UserTesting.com, Lookback, Maze, SurveyMonkey, Qualtrics, Dovetail.

• Design Systems Management: Zeroheight, Storybook, or internal platforms.

• Collaboration & Project Management: Jira, Confluence, Asana, Trello, Slack, Microsoft Teams.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Web/App Analytics: Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, Amplitude, Mixpanel.

• BI/Dashboarding: Tableau, Power BI, Looker.

• User Feedback Platforms: Hotjar, Medallia.

CRM & Automation:

• While not directly a CRM role, understanding how design integrates with CRM data or marketing automation platforms (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot) for user segmentation or campaign tracking could be beneficial.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in Figma is a must. Beyond that, a broad familiarity with the entire design and research toolchain, as well as analytics, is expected for someone overseeing these systems.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Human Understanding: A core value at Haleon, emphasizing empathy and deep insight into consumer needs as the foundation for all design and operations.

• Trusted Science: A commitment to evidence-based decision-making, data integrity, and scientific rigor in product development and user experience.

• Collaboration & Co-creation: An open and inclusive approach to working, where ideas are shared, and teams collectively build solutions and shape the company's culture.

• Purpose-Driven: A focus on improving everyday health for billions, instilling a sense of mission and impact in daily work.

• Agility & Innovation: Embracing change, continuous learning, and adapting to evolving market needs and technological advancements.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: Strong emphasis on working seamlessly with Product, Engineering, Marketing, and other business functions to achieve shared goals.

• Data-Informed Decision Making: Utilizing research, analytics, and user feedback to guide strategic and tactical decisions within design operations.

• Open Communication: Fostering an environment where feedback is welcomed, diverse perspectives are valued, and knowledge is shared freely to drive collective improvement.

📝 Enhancement Note: Haleon's stated values (Human Understanding, Trusted Science, Purpose-Driven) are crucial to understand. The role of Product Design Manager will involve embedding these values into the operational fabric of the design team.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Scaling Design Operations: Building and scaling processes, systems, and team structures to support a rapidly growing global organization.

• Balancing Consistency and Agility: Ensuring brand consistency and quality across a diverse portfolio while enabling agile product development.

• Measuring Design Impact: Establishing robust frameworks to quantify the ROI of design initiatives and demonstrate their value to the business.

• Navigating a Regulated Industry: Understanding and integrating compliance, accessibility, and privacy requirements into design workflows.

• Global Coordination: Managing design operations across different regions, time zones, and cultural contexts.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Design Operations Specialization: Deepen expertise in best practices for scaling design teams, managing design systems, and optimizing design workflows.

• Industry Insights: Gain in-depth knowledge of the consumer health and pharmaceutical industries, including regulatory landscapes and consumer trends.

• Leadership Development: Enhance strategic leadership skills, stakeholder influence, and team management capabilities within a large corporate environment.

• Cross-Functional Exposure: Develop a broader understanding of product management, engineering processes, and business strategy through extensive collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers a unique opportunity to define and build critical infrastructure within a significant global company, presenting substantial professional challenges and growth prospects.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you define and build a design operations framework for a global company like Haleon, starting from scratch?" (Focus on prioritization, key pillars, and phased implementation.)

• "Describe your approach to measuring the impact of design on business metrics. What KPIs would you track, and how would you report on them?" (Emphasize connecting UX to business outcomes, data frameworks, and stakeholder communication.)

• "How do you foster a culture of accessibility and inclusive design within a product team? What processes would you implement?" (Showcase practical steps, tooling, and advocacy.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you about Haleon's mission and brands, and how does your experience align with our purpose?" (Research brands like Sensodyne, Centrum, etc., and their impact.)

• "How would you describe your leadership style, particularly when mentoring and developing designers?" (Focus on empowerment, growth, and supportive environments.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure: Start with an overview of your role and the scope of the project. Then, detail the problem, your strategic approach (processes, tools, research), the solution, and the measurable outcomes.

• Highlight Operations: For this role, emphasize aspects of your portfolio that demonstrate process improvement, tool implementation, team scaling, or metric tracking. If you built a design system, talk about the operational benefits. If you improved a research process, quantify the time or cost savings.

• Storytelling: Present your work as compelling narratives that showcase your problem-solving skills and ability to drive impact.

• Interactive Elements: Be prepared to answer detailed questions about your process, tools, and decision-making.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview will heavily probe your ability to build and operationalize design functions, not just execute design tasks. Focus on strategic thinking, process definition, and measurable impact.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Product Design Manager position:

• Submit your application through the provided Workday link, ensuring your resume is up-to-date and highlights relevant leadership and operational experience.

• 📝 Enhancement Note: Tailor your resume to emphasize experience in building processes, managing teams, implementing design systems, and measuring impact, aligning with the "operations" aspect of this role.

• Prepare a strong portfolio that showcases not just design output, but your strategic approach to design operations, process optimization, and team development.

• 📝 Enhancement Note: Select 2-3 key projects that best illustrate your ability to scale design functions, implement tools, and connect design efforts to business outcomes.

• Research Haleon's brands, mission, and recent developments to articulate your understanding of their business and how your role would contribute to their success.

• 📝 Enhancement Note: Be ready to discuss how your operational philosophy aligns with Haleon's values of "Human Understanding" and "Trusted Science."

• Practice articulating your vision for design operations at Haleon, including how you would approach building the team, processes, and systems to support global product design excellence.

⚠️ 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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