Product Design Manager

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Product Design Manager
Company: Hudl
Location: London, England, United Kingdom
Job Type: Full-Time
Category: Product Design Management / UX Design Leadership
Date Posted: 2025-12-16
Experience Level: 5-10 Years
Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the strategic design direction for elite sports products within Hudl's North American sports division, focusing on video analysis, performance, and recruiting tools.
• Manage, mentor, and professionally develop a team of exceptional product designers, fostering their growth in both soft and hard skills.
• Champion a user-centered design approach, translating complex user needs, research findings, and data into actionable insights to enhance user experience and reduce time-to-value.
• Drive the evolution of Hudl's product suite from a product-centric model to unified experience pillars, ensuring high-quality, accessible, and consistent design across the platform.
• Collaborate closely with cross-functional partners in Engineering, Product Management, Scrum, and Quality Assurance to define requirements and deliver integrated digital user experiences.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a leadership opportunity within the Product Design team, focusing on managing designers and influencing product strategy for a specific segment of Hudl's offerings. The emphasis on "elite sports products" and "North American sports" suggests a specialized domain within the broader sports technology market. The transition from "product-centric tools to unified experience pillars" indicates a strategic initiative to create a more cohesive and integrated platform experience.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Team Leadership & Development: Coach and manage a team of product designers, providing guidance on design craft, user research methodologies, and career progression. Conduct regular performance reviews and facilitate professional development opportunities.
• Design Vision & Strategy: Define and articulate the design vision for the Elite North American sports product suite, ensuring alignment with Hudl's broader platform strategy and business objectives.
• User-Centric Design: Lead user research initiatives, including qualitative and quantitative studies, to deeply understand the needs of elite athletes and coaches. Translate research findings into compelling design solutions that address user pain points and enhance product value.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Forge strong partnerships with Product Managers, Engineers, Scrum Masters, and QA teams. Actively participate in requirement definition, sprint planning, and design reviews to ensure seamless product development.
• Design System Advocacy: Champion the use and evolution of Hudl's design system to ensure consistency, scalability, and accessibility across all product experiences.
• Problem Solving & Innovation: Guide design teams in tackling complex, ambiguous problem spaces within multi-product workflows, balancing the need for elite-level customization with platform simplification.
• Design Process & Delivery: Oversee the end-to-end design process, from concept and wireframing to high-fidelity prototyping and final design delivery. Advocate for design excellence, accessibility standards, and timely project completion.
• Performance Measurement: Post-launch, measure and analyze the effectiveness of design solutions against defined design and product metrics, iterating as necessary.
• Stakeholder Communication: Clearly communicate design vision, decisions, and rationale to stakeholders across Product, Engineering, and the wider business, connecting user needs to business outcomes.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of people management, strategic design leadership, and hands-on involvement in complex product development. The emphasis on "elite-level customization" within a "platform-first approach" signals a nuanced design challenge requiring a deep understanding of expert user needs.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While not explicitly stated, a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Design (e.g., Graphic Design, Interaction Design, UX Design), Human-Computer Interaction, or a related field is typically expected for a management-level design role. Equivalent practical experience will also be considered.
Experience: A minimum of 5-10 years of progressive experience in product design or UX design, with a significant portion focused on leading design initiatives and managing design teams.

Required Skills:

• Management Track Record: Proven experience managing and developing direct reports, ideally within a product design context. Demonstrated ability to mentor designers in both technical and interpersonal skills.
• Strong Communication & Storytelling: Exceptional verbal and written communication skills. Ability to articulate design vision, present complex ideas clearly, and influence stakeholders across various departments.
• Systems Mindset & Design Systems: Deep understanding of design systems and a platform-first approach. Experience in driving design consistency and scalability through robust design system implementation and maintenance.
• Problem-Solving Acumen: Demonstrated ability to critically analyze complex problems, think holistically about user interactions, and develop innovative solutions that balance technical, business, and user needs.
• Technical Proficiency: High proficiency in modern component-based design software, such as Figma. Experience utilizing collaborative tools like Miro for alignment and brainstorming.
• Iterative Prototyping: Strong skills in creating low- and high-fidelity prototypes, wireframes, and user flows to effectively communicate design concepts and test user interactions.
• Robust Portfolio: A comprehensive portfolio showcasing a diverse range of UX design projects, user flows, wireframes, prototypes, and final design solutions that demonstrate expertise and impact.
• User-Centered Design: A strong commitment to understanding and advocating for the user, translating research and data into actionable design improvements.

Preferred Skills:

• User Research Expertise: Experience planning and conducting qualitative and quantitative user research, with a proven ability to translate insights into actionable design outcomes.
• Sports Industry Enthusiasm: A genuine passion for sports and an understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities within the sports technology industry.
• Complex Systems Design: Experience designing complex enterprise or expert systems, with an understanding of multi-product or cross-platform design challenges.
• Growth Mindset: A commitment to continuous learning, staying abreast of emerging technologies (e.g., AI in product features) and evolving design best practices.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Must-Haves" section strongly emphasizes leadership and strategic thinking, alongside core UX skills. The preference for research experience and sports enthusiasm suggests a desire for candidates who can deeply integrate into the domain and drive impactful user-centric strategies.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Diverse Project Showcase: Present a variety of UX design projects that clearly demonstrate your expertise, including user flows, wireframes, prototypes, and final design solutions.
• Impact & Rationale: For each project, articulate the problem statement, your role, the design process followed, and the measurable outcomes or impact achieved. Explain the rationale behind key design decisions.
• Systems Thinking Examples: Include examples that illustrate your ability to design for complex systems and maintain consistency through design systems, showcasing how you've driven platform-wide coherence.
• Problem-Solving Case Studies: Highlight projects where you've tackled ambiguous problem spaces, demonstrating your critical thinking and ability to balance user needs with technical and business constraints.
• Collaboration Evidence: Showcase how you've effectively collaborated with cross-functional teams (Product, Engineering, etc.) to bring designs to life.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design: Demonstrate experience in mapping out and optimizing complex user workflows, particularly within multi-product environments or enterprise systems.
• User Research Integration: Show how you've integrated user research findings into the design process, from initial problem definition to iterative refinement.
• Design System Application: Provide examples of how you've applied and contributed to design systems, ensuring consistency and accessibility in your deliverables.
• Prototyping & Testing: Illustrate your proficiency with both low- and high-fidelity prototyping tools and how you've used prototypes for testing and validation.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a "robust portfolio" and the specific mention of "user flows, wireframes, prototypes and final design solutions" indicate that candidates will be evaluated on their practical design output and ability to articulate their process and impact. The mention of "complex systems" and "design systems" points to an expectation of designing for scalability and consistency.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: The base salary range for this role is £66,000 to £111,000 GBP per annum.
Benefits:

• Work-Life Harmony: Flexible vacation time (above statutory leave), company-wide holidays, and dedicated meeting-free days.
• Flexible Work: Remote work options are available, with a flexible policy on office days.
• Professional Development: Encouragement and resources for continuous learning and career growth, including opportunities for professional development.
• Wellbeing Support: Medical benefits, retirement benefits (depending on location), and access to an Employee Assistance Program and employee resource groups for mental health support.
• Work Environment: Well-invested office spaces and provision of necessary technology for effective work, whether in-office or remote.
• Autonomy: A culture of trust, allowing employees ownership of their work and the agency to explore new ideas.
• Long-Term Incentive (LTI): Eligibility for an LTI award, with potential bonuses based on individual and company performance.

Working Hours: While not explicitly stated, a standard full-time work week of approximately 40 hours is assumed, with flexibility offered through the company's work-life harmony policies.

📝 Enhancement Note: The provided salary range is specific to London. Research into London's cost of living and typical salaries for Product Design Managers with 5-10 years of experience in the tech industry confirms this range is competitive. The benefits package emphasizes flexibility, well-being, and professional growth, which are attractive to experienced professionals.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Sports Technology. Hudl is a leading provider of video analysis, performance management, and recruiting tools for sports teams and athletes at all levels.
Company Size: Hudl is a significant player in the sports tech industry, indicated by its global presence and employee base, suggesting a dynamic and growing organization. The company has previously been recognized as a "Global Most Loved Workplace," highlighting a positive and supportive employee culture.
Founded: While the founding year isn't explicitly stated in the provided text, Hudl has a history of innovation in sports technology, suggesting a company with established processes and a forward-thinking approach.

Team Structure:

• Elite UX Strategy Team: This role sits within the Elite UX Strategy team, indicating a focus on strategic user experience initiatives.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Close partnerships are expected with counterparts in Engineering, Product Management, Scrum, and Quality Assurance, emphasizing an integrated development environment.
• Design Team Management: The role involves managing and developing a small team of exceptional designers focused on the Elite North American sports product suite.

Methodology:

• User-Centered Design: A core principle, with a strong emphasis on translating research and data into actionable insights to reduce friction and time-to-value for users.
• Platform-First Approach: Driving consistency and a unified experience across multiple products.
• Agile Development: Implied through collaboration with Scrum teams, suggesting iterative development cycles.
• Data-Driven Decisions: Utilizing research and data to inform design strategies and measure outcomes.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Hudl's mission to support the lifelong impact of sports and their commitment to building great teams are central to their culture. The "team behind the team" ethos suggests a supportive environment where employees are empowered to make a difference. The reference to Newsweek's "Most Loved Workplaces" reinforces a positive and engaging company culture.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role represents a significant step into design leadership, specifically managing a team and influencing product strategy within a specialized domain. It's a Senior Manager or Lead Designer position with direct reports, focusing on strategic product evolution.
Reporting Structure: As a Product Design Manager, you will likely report to a Director of Design, Head of UX, or a senior product leader. You will directly manage a team of product designers.
Operations Impact: The Product Design Manager has a substantial impact on the success of Hudl's Elite North American sports products. By shaping the user experience, ensuring design quality, and aligning cross-functional teams, this role directly influences user adoption, satisfaction, and ultimately, business outcomes and revenue. The focus on evolving towards "unified experience pillars" suggests a strategic impact on platform cohesion and long-term growth.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership Development: Opportunities to hone people management skills, strategic thinking, and cross-functional leadership within a rapidly growing tech company.
• Domain Expertise: Deepen understanding and impact within the sports technology sector, specifically focusing on elite performance and analysis tools.
• Platform Strategy Contribution: Play a key role in shaping Hudl's strategic direction towards a more integrated and user-centric platform experience.
• Mentorship & Influence: Mentor emerging design talent and influence design best practices across the organization.
• Career Advancement: Potential to move into Director-level roles, oversee larger design teams, or specialize in specific product areas within Hudl.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role offers a clear path for career progression from individual contributor to people manager and strategic leader within the design function. The emphasis on "growth mindset" and continuous learning within the company culture further supports long-term development.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hudl offers a hybrid work model, meaning employees will have the flexibility to work both remotely and from their London office. The company has invested in its office spaces, designing them with employee well-being and productivity in mind.
Office Location(s): The role is based in London, United Kingdom. Specific office address details are not provided but can be assumed to be in a accessible urban location within London suitable for a technology company.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Spaces: The office design likely includes spaces conducive to collaboration, essential for cross-functional teamwork with Product and Engineering.
• Technology Provision: Employees are provided with the necessary technology to perform their best work, regardless of their work location.
• Team Interaction: Opportunities for direct interaction with fellow designers, Product Managers, Engineers, and other stakeholders within the London office.
• Flexible Arrangements: The hybrid nature allows for a balance between focused individual work at home and collaborative, team-oriented work in the office.

Work Schedule: The company promotes "work-life harmony" with flexible vacation time and a general emphasis on work-life balance. While a standard work week is implied, the focus is on output and flexibility rather than strict adherence to hours.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model and emphasis on "work-life harmony" suggest a modern work environment that values employee well-being and offers flexibility, which is often appealing to experienced professionals seeking balance.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter or hiring manager will likely conduct an initial call to assess basic qualifications, experience, and cultural fit.
• Portfolio Review & Design Discussion: You will likely present your portfolio to a panel of designers, Product Managers, and potentially Engineers. Be prepared to walk through 2-3 key projects, detailing your process, decision-making, and impact. Focus on projects demonstrating leadership, systems thinking, and complex problem-solving.
• Management & Strategy Interview: Expect questions focused on your management style, how you mentor designers, your approach to driving design vision, and how you handle cross-functional collaboration and conflict.
• Case Study/Challenge (Potential): Some organizations may present a design challenge or ask you to critique an existing product or workflow to assess your strategic thinking and problem-solving skills in real-time or as a take-home assignment.
• Final Round: This may involve meeting with senior leadership to discuss strategic alignment, company culture, and long-term vision.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select projects that best showcase your leadership experience, ability to manage designers, strategic thinking, and experience with complex systems or design systems. Highlight achievements in user research and translating insights into impactful solutions.
• Focus on Impact: Clearly articulate the business and user outcomes of your work. Quantify results whenever possible (e.g., improved conversion rates, reduced user errors, increased efficiency).
• Explain Your 'Why': For each design decision, explain the rationale based on user needs, business goals, and technical constraints. This demonstrates critical thinking.
• Showcase Collaboration: Detail your role in cross-functional teams and how you effectively partnered with Product and Engineering.
• Tailor to Hudl: Research Hudl's products and target users. Frame your experience in a way that highlights your understanding of sports technology and the needs of elite athletes/coaches.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Domain: Familiarize yourself with Hudl's products and the sports technology landscape.
• Practice Problem Decomposition: If given a challenge, practice breaking down complex problems into smaller, manageable parts.
• Articulate Your Process: Be ready to explain your design process clearly and concisely, even under pressure. Focus on user-centered methodologies and data-informed decisions.
• Consider Constraints: Acknowledge and address potential technical, business, and time constraints in your proposed solutions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process will likely be rigorous, focusing not only on design craft but also on leadership, strategic thinking, and the ability to integrate into Hudl's collaborative environment. A strong portfolio that tells a compelling story of impact and process is crucial.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Essential for component-based design, wireframing, prototyping, and collaborative design workflows.
• Miro: Key for collaborative brainstorming, user journey mapping, workshop facilitation, and stakeholder alignment.
• Prototyping Tools: Proficiency in various low- and high-fidelity prototyping tools beyond Figma, depending on project needs.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not explicitly mentioned as a direct tool for the designer, an understanding of how to interpret data from analytics platforms (e.g., for user behavior, A/B testing results) is implied through the emphasis on data-driven design and measuring outcomes.

CRM & Automation:

• Not directly relevant to the Product Design Manager role, but an understanding of how design impacts user adoption and engagement within CRM or marketing automation contexts could be beneficial for broader product strategy.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of Figma and Miro highlights the expected technical toolkit for modern product design leadership. Candidates should be comfortable with these tools and adaptable to other relevant design and collaboration software.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Build Great Teams: A core value emphasizing the importance of hiring and nurturing talent, fostering a supportive environment for continuous learning and growth.
• Work-Life Harmony: Commitment to employee well-being, offering flexibility in work arrangements to support personal life alongside professional responsibilities.
• Autonomy & Trust: A culture that empowers employees, granting them ownership of their work and the freedom to innovate from day one.
• Customer Focus: A strong emphasis on understanding and serving the needs of users, translating insights into valuable product experiences.
• Growth Mindset: Encouraging continuous learning, adaptation to new technologies, and staying current with design best practices.
• Inclusion & Belonging: Creating an environment where everyone feels safe, respected, and valued for their authentic selves, supported by ERGs and annual inclusion reports.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: Close partnerships with Engineering, Product, Scrum, and Quality Assurance are fundamental to the design process.
• Open Communication: An "open, honest culture" that trusts people and encourages the sharing of ideas and feedback.
• Coaching & Mentorship: A leadership style that involves mentoring and developing team members, fostering a collaborative learning environment.
• Data-Informed Discussions: Utilizing research and data to drive conversations and decision-making with stakeholders.

📝 Enhancement Note: Hudl's values are deeply integrated into their operational philosophy, emphasizing people, collaboration, and a user-centric approach. The commitment to inclusion and continuous improvement are key cultural pillars.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Customization with Consistency: Designing for "elite-level customization" while maintaining platform consistency and leveraging a design system can be a complex challenge, requiring careful trade-offs.
• Navigating Ambiguous Problem Spaces: Leading design efforts in complex, multi-product workflows requires strong problem-solving skills and the ability to bring clarity to ambiguity.
• Driving Platform Evolution: Shifting from product-centric tools to unified experience pillars is a strategic challenge that requires strong vision, stakeholder buy-in, and effective execution.
• Managing and Developing Talent: Effectively coaching and growing a team of high-performing designers, while balancing individual needs with team and project goals.
• Staying Ahead of the Curve: Keeping pace with evolving sports technology, design trends, and emerging technologies like AI to ensure Hudl's products remain innovative.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Leadership Skills Enhancement: Opportunities to refine people management, strategic planning, and stakeholder engagement skills through hands-on experience and company-provided resources.
• Sports Technology Domain Expertise: Deepen knowledge of the sports analytics and performance sector, understanding user needs at the highest levels.
• Platform Design Strategy: Contribute to and learn from Hudl's strategic initiatives to build a more integrated and cohesive product ecosystem.
• Industry Best Practices: Access to resources and potentially participation in industry events or training focused on UX leadership, design systems, and emerging technologies.
• Mentorship Programs: Opportunities to be mentored by senior leaders or to mentor junior designers, fostering professional growth.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are framed as opportunities for growth, aligning with Hudl's "growth mindset" value. The role provides a platform to develop both leadership and specialized domain expertise.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe your approach to managing and mentoring a team of product designers. How do you foster their growth and ensure high-quality output?" (Focus on your coaching philosophy, performance management, and development strategies.)
• "Walk us through a time you led the design for a complex product or a suite of related products. What was your vision, how did you align stakeholders, and what was the outcome?" (Highlight your strategic thinking, communication, and impact.)
• "How do you balance the need for user customization with maintaining design consistency across a platform? Provide an example from your portfolio." (Demonstrate your understanding of design systems and complex problem-solving.)
• "Describe a situation where you had to bring clarity to an ambiguous design problem. What steps did you take, and what was the solution?" (Showcase your critical thinking and structured approach.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Hudl and the sports technology industry?" (Research Hudl's mission, products, and recent news. Connect your passion for sports or technology to their work.)
• "How do you foster an inclusive and collaborative design environment?" (Relate your experience to Hudl's stated values on inclusion and teamwork.)
• "How do you ensure your design decisions are data-informed and user-centered?" (Discuss your approach to user research and using analytics.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, clearly outline: the problem, your role, the process (research, ideation, design, testing), your key decisions and rationale, and the measurable impact.
• Highlight Leadership: Emphasize instances where you led design initiatives, managed designers, or influenced product strategy.
• Showcase Systems Thinking: Present projects that demonstrate your ability to design for scale, consistency, and complex user journeys, ideally referencing design systems.
• Be Ready for Q&A: Anticipate questions about your design choices, trade-offs, and how you handle feedback and challenges.
• Tailor to the Role: Focus on projects relevant to complex software, expert user workflows, or platform design, if possible.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparation should focus on demonstrating leadership capabilities, strategic design thinking, and a deep understanding of user-centered processes, especially within a complex product environment. Highlighting experience with design systems and cross-functional collaboration will be key.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Product Design Manager position:

• Submit your application through the provided Greenhouse link.
• Customize Your Resume: Tailor your resume to highlight management experience, strategic design leadership, UX expertise, and any experience relevant to sports technology or complex software systems. Use keywords from the job description such as "Product Design Manager," "UX Design," "Design Systems," "Figma," "User Research," and "Cross-functional Collaboration."
• Prepare Your Portfolio: Curate your portfolio to showcase 2-3 impactful projects that best demonstrate your leadership, strategic thinking, problem-solving skills, and experience with design systems or complex product suites. Ensure each case study clearly articulates the problem, your process, your role, and the measurable outcomes.
• Research Hudl: Familiarize yourself with Hudl's products, mission, company culture, and recent news. Understand their position in the sports technology market and their commitment to user experience.
• Practice Interview Responses: Prepare for behavioral and situational questions focusing on leadership, collaboration, problem-solving, and design strategy. Practice articulating your portfolio projects clearly and concisely.

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

---