Senior Design Manager (Infrastructure)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Design Manager (Infrastructure) Company: Canonical - Jobs Location: Home based - Europe, Lyon Job Type: Full-time Category: Design Management / GTM Operations (with Infrastructure Focus) Date Posted: 2025-09-18 Experience Level: 5-10 years Remote Status: Fully Remote

🚀 Role Summary

• Leads the Infrastructure Design team, focusing on user experience for cloud technologies and software distribution mechanisms.
• Drives improvements in software packaging and delivery security through design leadership.
• Manages design team performance, ensuring timely delivery against roadmaps and fostering individual professional growth.
• Collaborates closely with product and engineering stakeholders to define and validate project outcomes, ensuring alignment with business objectives.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title is "Senior Design Manager (Infrastructure)", the responsibilities lean heavily into GTM operations by focusing on how software and infrastructure are designed for accessibility, distribution, and security, impacting user adoption and developer experience. The role requires a blend of design leadership and a strong understanding of technical infrastructure, aligning with GTM enablement for complex software products.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Team Leadership & Coaching: Manage and mentor a team of UX designers focused on infrastructure products, fostering their professional development and ensuring high-quality output.
• Design Quality Assurance: Review and critique design work for the Infrastructure team to ensure it meets high standards of user experience, technical feasibility, and brand consistency.
• Workflow Optimization: Continuously improve operational workflows within the design team, including production outsourcing strategies and collaboration processes with Web Engineering.
• Stakeholder Collaboration: Partner with Engineering, Product Management, and other key stakeholders to clearly define, validate, and execute on design outcomes for infrastructure-related products.
• Design System Evolution: Contribute to and evolve design systems and guidelines to ensure consistent quality across products and enhance overall design efficiency.
• Cross-Functional Alignment: Coordinate with other design leadership to mature the collective design practice across Canonical, sharing best practices and driving consistency.
• Culture & Community Engagement: Facilitate knowledge sharing within the team and actively engage with the open-source community to gather feedback and make the value of Canonical's work legible.
• Product Strategy Input: Provide design perspective on product strategy for infrastructure, cloud experiences, and software distribution mechanisms.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a strategic role in bridging design and technical operations. Emphasis on "operational workflows," "stakeholder collaboration with Engineering," and "software distribution mechanisms" indicates a strong GTM component, ensuring the usability and accessibility of Canonical's core infrastructure products for developers and enterprise clients.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Exceptional educational achievements in design, behavioral science, or a closely related technical discipline. A Bachelor's degree is a minimum requirement. Experience:

• Demonstrated experience managing a team of designers, with a focus on technical products and infrastructure.
• Full lifecycle experience in UX design, from initial user needs discovery through to validation and implementation guidance.
• Proven track record of transparent project delivery and accountability for team deadlines.

Required Skills:

• Portfolio: A compelling portfolio showcasing outstanding UX design quality and deep technical savviness.
• Team Management: Proven ability to manage, mentor, and grow a team of designers.
• Technical Stakeholder Interaction: Experience effectively collaborating with and managing expectations of technical stakeholders, particularly Engineering teams.
• User Needs Discovery: Expertise in user research methodologies to uncover and define user needs for complex technical products.
• Project Delivery Ownership: Commitment to transparent project execution and accountability for meeting team deadlines.
• Quantitative Optimization: Familiarity with quantitative optimization approaches and data-driven decision-making in design.
• Design Systems: Experience in developing and evolving design systems and guidelines for consistency and efficiency.
• Collaboration & Communication: Exceptional communication and active listening skills, vital for cross-functional alignment and team cohesion.
• Coaching & Professional Growth: Ability to coach designers and support their individual career progression.
• Operational Workflows: Experience in improving and optimizing operational workflows within a design context.
• Community Engagement: Aptitude for engaging with open-source communities to gather insights and communicate value.
• Quality Improvement: A focus on driving sustainable quality improvements in design and product development.
• Innovation & Consistency Balance: A passion for balancing consistency with innovation in design solutions.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with cloud infrastructure, software distribution, or security-related design challenges.
• Familiarity with open-source software development methodologies and community dynamics.
• Experience in a remote-first or globally distributed work environment.
• Knowledge of A/B testing and other experimental design validation techniques.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a "strong portfolio demonstrating outstanding quality in UX design and savviness in technology" is crucial for this role. Applicants should be prepared to showcase how their design leadership has directly impacted the usability and adoption of complex technical products, particularly those related to infrastructure and cloud services. The "Full lifecycle experience" requirement suggests a need for candidates who can demonstrate end-to-end design process management.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Design Quality Showcase: A portfolio that clearly articulates the candidate's UX design philosophy and demonstrates exceptional execution on complex technical products. This should include case studies that highlight problem-solving, design thinking, and impact.
• Team Management Evidence: Examples within the portfolio or accompanying documentation that illustrate leadership capabilities, team coaching, and successful project delivery with a managed team.
• Technical Domain Acumen: Demonstrations of understanding and designing for technical domains such as cloud infrastructure, software distribution, or security. This could include wireframes, user flows, and prototypes for complex systems.
• Process Improvement Documentation: Evidence of how the candidate has improved design processes, operational workflows, or design system efficiency within previous roles. Quantifiable results are highly desirable.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design and Optimization: Ability to document and present existing design and operational workflows, identifying areas for improvement and proposing optimized solutions.
• Implementation and Automation: Showcase experience in guiding the implementation of designs and potentially leveraging automation or streamlined processes to enhance design delivery.
• Measurement and Performance Analysis: Demonstrate how designs and processes are measured for effectiveness and how performance data is used to inform future iterations and strategic decisions.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a role at this level, the portfolio should not just showcase individual design talent but also leadership in process improvement and team management. Candidates should be prepared to present case studies that detail their strategic approach to managing design projects, optimizing workflows, and fostering team growth, particularly within a technical infrastructure context.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on Canonical's global compensation philosophy and the EMEA location (Lyon), a Senior Design Manager with 5-10 years of experience in a technical, remote-first environment could expect a competitive salary. For Lyon, France, a typical senior management range would be approximately €70,000 - €100,000 annually, but this can vary significantly based on exact location within EMEA, specific experience, and the company's compensation bands. Canonical's remote-first approach and global equity philosophy may adjust these figures.

Benefits:

• Fully Remote Working Environment: A long-standing remote-first culture, offering flexibility and autonomy.
• Personal Learning & Development Budget: €2,000 USD per annum for continuous learning, skill enhancement, and professional growth.
• Annual Compensation Review: Regular assessments of compensation to ensure market competitiveness and reward performance.
• Recognition Rewards: Programs designed to acknowledge and reward outstanding contributions.
• Annual Holiday Leave: Generous paid time off to ensure work-life balance.
• Parental Leave: Comprehensive support for new parents.
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP): Confidential support services for personal and professional well-being.
• Travel Opportunities: Paid opportunities to travel for in-person team sprints and events (up to 4 times per year).
• Priority Pass: Access to airport lounges for business travel.
• Travel Upgrades: For long-haul company events, travel upgrades may be provided.

Working Hours: Standard full-time hours, with flexibility inherent in a remote-first, globally distributed company. The expectation is to manage workload effectively to meet deadlines and collaborate across time zones.

📝 Enhancement Note: Canonical's commitment to global equity in compensation means that salary ranges are not solely tied to local market rates but also to internal leveling and global benchmarks. The provided estimate is a general guide for senior management roles in Lyon, but candidates should inquire directly about the specific salary band for this role during the interview process. The "Personal learning and development budget" is a significant perk for operations professionals looking to upskill.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Open Source Software, Cloud Computing, Enterprise Technology. Canonical is a key player in the open-source ecosystem, particularly with its flagship product, Ubuntu, which is widely adopted in cloud, AI, and IoT initiatives. Company Size: 1200+ colleagues in 75+ countries. This indicates a large, globally distributed organization with a significant presence and impact in the tech industry. Founded: 2004. Canonical has a long history as a pioneer in open-source software and remote-first work culture, demonstrating stability and established best practices.

Team Structure:

• Design Function: The Design team is a critical function within Canonical, responsible for ensuring the user experience of software and infrastructure aligns with company intentions and community needs.
• Infrastructure Design Team: This specific team focuses on products that enable cloud experiences, software distribution, and security enhancements.
• Reporting Structure: The Senior Design Manager will report into a higher level of design or product leadership, and will manage a team of individual contributors (designers).
• Cross-functional Collaboration: The role emphasizes close collaboration with Product Management and Engineering organizations, a hallmark of effective GTM operations where design must be deeply integrated with development.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Decisions: While not explicitly detailed for design, Canonical's general approach suggests an emphasis on data to inform strategy and execution, including quantitative optimization in design.
• Agile & Iterative Development: Common in tech, this role likely involves iterative design processes, feedback loops, and continuous improvement.
• Open Source Principles: Engagement with the open-source community suggests a collaborative, transparent, and community-focused approach to development and design.

Company Website: https://canonical.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: Canonical's "remote-first" culture since 2004 is a significant differentiator, suggesting a mature operational framework for distributed teams. The company's focus on open source and its deep integration into cloud infrastructure means this role is at the intersection of cutting-edge technology and user experience, impacting a vast developer and enterprise audience.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role represents a Senior Management position within the Design function, with significant influence over product direction and team development. It bridges the gap between individual contributor design expertise and strategic GTM operations, focusing on how technical products are perceived and utilized by their target audience. Reporting Structure: The Senior Design Manager will report into a Director or VP of Design/Product and will manage a team of designers. This leadership position offers opportunities to shape departmental strategy and mentor future design leaders. Operations Impact: The design of Canonical's infrastructure products directly impacts user adoption, developer productivity, and the overall perception of Ubuntu and related services. Effective design management in this area contributes significantly to the company's Go-To-Market success by ensuring its complex offerings are accessible and user-friendly.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership Advancement: Potential to move into Director-level roles, leading larger design teams or broader product areas within Canonical.
• Specialization: Deepen expertise in specific areas of infrastructure design, cloud technologies, or advanced UX methodologies.
• Cross-functional Influence: Expand influence across product, engineering, and marketing teams, contributing to broader GTM strategy.
• Mentorship & Training: Opportunities to mentor junior designers and lead training initiatives on design best practices and technical domains.
• Industry Contribution: Engage with the open-source community, potentially speaking at conferences or contributing to open standards, enhancing industry reputation.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers substantial growth potential, particularly for individuals looking to combine deep design leadership with a strategic understanding of technical infrastructure and its impact on Go-To-Market strategies. The emphasis on developing individuals and evolving practices suggests a clear path for career progression within Canonical's structured environment.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Fully Remote. Canonical has operated as a remote-first company since 2004, meaning the entire organization is structured to support distributed work. Office Location(s): Home-based within the EMEA region (specifically mentioning Lyon, France as a reference point for the designation). Canonical has colleagues in over 75 countries, indicating a global footprint, but this role is anchored to the EMEA region for remote work.

Workspace Context:

• Distributed Collaboration: The work environment is built around asynchronous and synchronous communication tools, fostering collaboration across diverse time zones and cultures.
• Technology & Tools: Access to the latest design and collaboration tools necessary for effective remote work and product development.
• Team Interaction: While remote, the company facilitates in-person interaction through team sprints (2-4 times yearly) held in various global locations, promoting team cohesion and strategic alignment.

Work Schedule: Flexible full-time hours are standard for a remote-first company. The focus is on output and meeting deadlines rather than fixed office hours, allowing for effective management of personal and professional commitments.

📝 Enhancement Note: The deeply ingrained remote culture at Canonical means that candidates should be comfortable with asynchronous communication, self-management, and leveraging digital tools for collaboration. The intentional in-person meetups are a key aspect of maintaining team culture and driving strategic alignment within this distributed model.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your resume and portfolio to assess qualifications and alignment with the role's requirements.
• Hiring Manager Interview: A discussion with the Senior Design Manager to delve into your experience, leadership style, and understanding of UX for technical products.
• Design & Technical Deep Dive: Interviews with design peers and engineering stakeholders to evaluate your technical savviness, design process, and ability to collaborate with technical teams. This may involve portfolio walkthroughs and discussions on specific case studies.
• Leadership & Culture Fit: Interviews with senior design or product leadership to assess your strategic thinking, management philosophy, and cultural alignment with Canonical's values and remote-first approach.
• Final Round: Potentially a final discussion with a senior executive or a challenging exercise to assess problem-solving and strategic planning capabilities.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate for Impact: Select 3-5 of your strongest projects that best demonstrate your UX design quality, technical understanding, and leadership capabilities. Prioritize projects related to infrastructure, cloud, or complex software systems if possible.
• Structure Case Studies: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your role, the process you followed (discovery, ideation, design, validation), the solutions you implemented, and the measurable outcomes or impact achieved.
• Highlight Leadership: For management roles, ensure your portfolio showcases instances of team leadership, mentorship, process improvement, and successful project delivery under your guidance.
• Technical Acumen: Be prepared to discuss the technical challenges of the projects and how you navigated them. Demonstrate your "savviness in technology."
• Quantify Results: Wherever possible, use metrics to demonstrate the success of your designs and leadership efforts (e.g., improved conversion rates, increased user satisfaction, reduced support tickets, faster development cycles).

Challenge Preparation:

• Design Operations Scenario: Be ready to discuss how you would approach improving operational workflows, managing a distributed design team, or evolving a design system for a complex technical product.
• Stakeholder Management: Prepare examples of how you have managed challenging stakeholder relationships, particularly with engineering teams, and driven consensus.
• Team Development: Think about how you foster professional growth in designers and build high-performing, collaborative teams in a remote setting.
• Company Research: Understand Canonical's business, its products (Ubuntu, cloud offerings), its open-source ethos, and its remote-first culture. Be prepared to articulate how your design leadership can contribute to their GTM success.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process will likely assess not only design expertise but also leadership, strategic thinking, and operational acumen. Candidates should focus on demonstrating their ability to manage teams, optimize processes, and contribute to the Go-To-Market success of technical products through effective design leadership.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools (Likely):

• Design & Prototyping: Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop), InVision, Axure.
• Collaboration & Communication: Slack, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Google Workspace.
• Project Management: Jira, Confluence, Asana, Trello.
• Design Systems: Knowledge of building, maintaining, and scaling design systems.

Analytics & Reporting (for informing design decisions):

• Familiarity with analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Amplitude) to understand user behavior.
• Experience using data visualization tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI) to interpret performance metrics.
• Ability to work with product managers to define key performance indicators (KPIs) for design.

CRM & Automation (indirectly relevant to understanding user/customer journeys):

• While not a direct CRM role, understanding how customer data is managed and how automation impacts user journeys can be beneficial for designing user-centric infrastructure.

📝 Enhancement Note: While specific tools aren't listed, proficiency in modern UX design tools is assumed. The role's emphasis on "operational workflows" and "quantitative optimisation" suggests a need for managers who can leverage data and efficient processes, potentially integrating design tools with broader development pipelines.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values (Inferred from Company Description):

• Excellence: A commitment to being the best in their field and delivering high-quality work.
• Collaboration: Strong emphasis on teamwork, both within distributed teams and across functions, with a focus on transparent communication.
• Innovation: Driving progress through open-source software and cutting-edge technologies.
• Community Focus: Valuing the open-source community and engaging actively with users and contributors.
• Efficiency & Autonomy: Fostering a culture of smart work, efficiency, and individual autonomy within a remote-first framework.
• Data-Driven Approach: Using data to inform decisions and measure impact.

Collaboration Style:

• Remote-First & Asynchronous: Prioritizing clear written communication and documentation to facilitate collaboration across time zones.
• Cross-functional Integration: Working closely with Product Management and Engineering to ensure design is integrated into the entire product development lifecycle.
• Feedback-Oriented: Encouraging constructive feedback within the design team and with stakeholders to continuously improve work.
• In-Person Sprints: Leveraging planned in-person meetings to build stronger relationships, align on strategy, and foster team cohesion.

📝 Enhancement Note: Canonical's long-standing remote culture suggests a highly disciplined and communicative team. Candidates should be prepared to demonstrate how they foster a positive and productive team environment, drive collaboration, and uphold company values in a distributed setting, particularly with technical stakeholders.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Managing a Distributed Team: Ensuring effective communication, collaboration, and team cohesion across various time zones and cultural backgrounds.
• Balancing Technical Complexity with User Experience: Designing intuitive interfaces for complex infrastructure products that appeal to a technically savvy audience.
• Driving Adoption in Open Source: Influencing user behavior and adoption within the open-source community through thoughtful design.
• Evolving Design Systems: Keeping pace with rapid technological advancements and ensuring design systems remain relevant and scalable.
• Stakeholder Alignment: Navigating the needs and priorities of diverse stakeholders, especially Engineering, to achieve design consensus.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deep Dive into Infrastructure & Cloud: Gaining in-depth knowledge of Canonical's core infrastructure products, cloud technologies, and software distribution mechanisms.
• Leadership Development: Opportunities to refine management skills, strategic planning, and cross-functional leadership.
• Industry Engagement: Participating in industry events, contributing to open-source projects, and staying abreast of the latest trends in UX and technology.
• Mentorship Programs: Access to mentorship from senior leaders within Canonical and potentially external coaching.
• Global Exposure: Working with a diverse, international team and experiencing different market perspectives.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented offer significant opportunities for professional growth. Successfully navigating these will require strong strategic thinking, exceptional communication skills, and a deep understanding of both design principles and the technical domain.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe your experience managing design teams focused on technical infrastructure. How do you foster professional growth and ensure high-quality output?"
• "How would you approach evolving our design systems to support both consistency and innovation across cloud and software distribution products?"
• "Walk us through a time you had to align product and engineering stakeholders on a complex design decision for a technical product. What was your strategy and the outcome?"
• "How do you leverage quantitative data and user research to inform design decisions in a GTM context, particularly for infrastructure products?"
• "What are your strategies for building a strong, collaborative design culture in a fully remote, globally distributed team?"

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Canonical and our mission in the open-source space?"
• "How do you see your design philosophy aligning with Canonical's values of excellence and community engagement?"
• "Describe your experience working in a remote-first environment. What are the key success factors for you and your team?"
• "How would you contribute to the broader design leadership team at Canonical and help mature our collective practice?"

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Lead with Impact: Begin your portfolio walkthrough by highlighting 1-2 key projects that best showcase your leadership, technical design acumen, and ability to drive GTM success through design.
• Storytelling: Frame each case study as a narrative: the problem (business or user need), your role and strategy, the process, the solution, and the quantifiable results or impact.
• Demonstrate Management: For each project, explain how you managed your team, collaborated with stakeholders, and ensured successful delivery.
• Technical Depth: Be prepared to discuss technical constraints, trade-offs, and how your design solutions addressed them effectively.
• Q&A Readiness: Anticipate questions about your design process, team management philosophy, and how you handle challenges.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating a strong blend of design leadership, technical understanding, and operational execution. Candidates should be ready to articulate their strategic approach to managing design teams, optimizing workflows, and contributing to the success of technical products within Canonical's unique remote-first, open-source environment.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Design Manager position:

• Submit Your Application: Utilize the provided link to submit your resume and cover letter through the Greenhouse application portal.
• Curate Your Portfolio: Select and refine 3-5 of your most impactful projects that demonstrate UX design excellence, technical savviness, and leadership in managing design teams and processes. Ensure case studies clearly articulate problem, process, solution, and measurable impact.
• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight keywords and experiences directly relevant to design management, infrastructure, cloud technologies, remote work, stakeholder collaboration, and process optimization. Quantify achievements wherever possible.
• Prepare for Portfolio Presentation: Practice walking through your portfolio, focusing on storytelling, articulating your strategic approach to design and team management, and demonstrating your understanding of technical domains.
• Research Canonical: Thoroughly investigate Canonical's products (Ubuntu, cloud services), its open-source mission, its remote-first culture, and its market position. Understand how design contributes to their Go-To-Market strategy.

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