Senior Design Manager (Infrastructure)

📍 Job Overview

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

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead and mentor a team of UX designers focused on Canonical's core infrastructure products, including cloud experiences and software distribution mechanisms.
• Drive strategic initiatives to enhance the user experience and security of software packaging and delivery for developers and cloud engineers.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement in design quality, operational workflows, and team collaboration.
• Act as a key liaison between the Design team, Product Management, and Engineering to ensure alignment and successful project delivery.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a Senior Design Manager within Canonical's Infrastructure Design team. While not explicitly a "Revenue Operations," "Sales Operations," or "GTM Operations" role, the focus on infrastructure, cloud experiences, software distribution, and the technical audience (developers, cloud engineers) places it within the broader GTM (Go-To-Market) ecosystem, particularly in how product experience influences adoption and revenue. The emphasis on collaboration with Product and Engineering, operational workflows, and design systems aligns with GTM operations principles of efficiency and strategic execution. The implied experience level suggests a need for proven leadership and technical acumen.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Team Leadership & Development: Manage, coach, and mentor a team of UX designers, supporting their professional growth and ensuring high-quality output through regular reviews and feedback.
• Design Strategy & Execution: Oversee the full lifecycle of design projects for infrastructure products, from user needs discovery through validation and implementation guidance, ensuring alignment with business objectives.
• Operational Excellence: Continuously improve operational workflows within the design team, including production outsourcing strategies and collaboration models with Web Engineering, to enhance efficiency and delivery timelines.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with Product Management, Engineering, and other stakeholders to clearly define project scope, validate design outcomes, and ensure seamless integration of design into the product development lifecycle.
• Design System Evolution: Drive the development and adoption of design systems and guidelines to ensure consistent user experience, improve efficiency, and scale design efforts across infrastructure products.
• Community Engagement: Actively engage with the open-source community to gather insights, foster relationships, and make the value of Canonical's infrastructure offerings more legible and accessible.
• Quality Assurance: Review design work for adherence to quality standards, brand guidelines, and user experience best practices, ensuring a high level of polish and usability.
• Process Maturation: Coordinate with other design leadership to mature the collective design practice across Canonical, sharing learnings and best practices.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities emphasize a blend of people management, strategic design leadership, and operational process improvement, which are critical in GTM-adjacent roles. The focus on "operational workflows," "design systems," and "collaboration with Web Engineering" highlights the need for a manager who can streamline processes and ensure efficient design delivery, directly impacting the speed and quality of product releases.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Exceptional educational achievements in Design, Behavioral Science, or a closely related technical discipline. A Bachelor's degree is a baseline requirement.

Experience:

• Demonstrated experience managing and growing a team of UX designers, with a focus on technical products or infrastructure.
• Proven full lifecycle experience in UX design, from user needs discovery through validation and implementation guidance.
• Experience in managing expectations and ensuring timely delivery against roadmaps, demonstrating commitment to transparent project delivery.
• Familiarity with quantitative optimization approaches and data-driven decision-making in design.

Required Skills:

• UX Design Excellence: A strong portfolio demonstrating outstanding quality in UX design, with a keen eye for detail and user-centric problem-solving.
• Team Management & Coaching: Proven ability to lead, mentor, and develop design talent, fostering professional growth and high performance.
• Technical Acumen & Stakeholder Management: Savviness in technology, with demonstrated experience managing teams that interact effectively with technical stakeholders (Product, Engineering).
• Process Improvement: Experience in continuously improving operational workflows, including collaboration models and potentially outsourcing strategies.
• Design Systems Thinking: Expertise in evolving and leveraging design systems and guidelines to drive consistency and efficiency.
• Community Engagement: Ability to engage with external communities (e.g., open source) to gather insights and communicate value.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience in the open-source software domain.
• Familiarity with cloud infrastructure, software distribution mechanisms, and security best practices in packaging.
• Knowledge of quantitative optimization techniques and their application in UX design.
• A passion for balancing consistency with innovation in design solutions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for a "portfolio demonstrating outstanding quality in UX design and savviness in technology" alongside "experience of managing a team that interacts with technical stakeholders" strongly suggests a role that bridges creative execution with deep technical understanding and operational efficiency. The "quantitative optimisation approaches" points towards data-informed decision-making, a hallmark of effective GTM operations.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio showcasing a history of successful UX design leadership, with a strong emphasis on infrastructure, cloud, or complex technical domains.
• Demonstrate experience in managing design projects from conception to implementation, highlighting problem-solving methodologies and user-centric approaches.
• Evidence of evolving or contributing to design systems, illustrating an understanding of scalable design practices and consistency.
• Case studies that clearly articulate the problem, your design process, the solutions implemented, and measurable outcomes or impact (even if qualitative for infrastructure).

Process Documentation:

• Examples of how you've improved or documented operational workflows within design teams to enhance efficiency and collaboration.
• Demonstrate experience in defining and validating outcomes with product and engineering stakeholders, showing a structured approach to alignment.
• Illustrate methods used for quality assurance and process improvement in design delivery.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a management role, the portfolio must extend beyond individual design work to showcase leadership in process, team development, and stakeholder management. The emphasis on "operational workflows" and "validating outcomes" is key for a GTM-aligned role.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• Estimated Range: €70,000 - €100,000+ per annum.
• Methodology: This estimate is based on research for Senior Design Manager roles in the EMEA region, specifically for experienced professionals in the tech industry managing technical teams. Factors considered include the cost of living in major European tech hubs (like Warsaw, though remote allows broader scope), Canonical's reputation as a significant tech employer, and the strategic importance of the infrastructure design function. The salary will be determined by geographical location, level of experience, and specific skills.

Benefits:

• Fully Remote Working Environment: A core offering, reflecting Canonical's long-standing commitment to distributed work.
• Personal Learning and Development Budget: $2,000 USD per annum, supporting continuous skill advancement relevant to design and management.
• Annual Compensation Review: Ensures regular evaluation of salary against performance and market rates.
• Recognition Rewards: Formal and informal acknowledgment of contributions and achievements.
• Annual Holiday Leave: Standard paid time off.
• Parental Leave: Support for new parents.
• Employee Assistance Programme: Confidential support for personal and professional challenges.
• Opportunity to Travel: Up to four times yearly for internal team sprints and strategy alignment.
• Priority Pass for Travel: Enhances travel experience for company-related trips.

Working Hours:

• Standard full-time hours (estimated 40 hours per week), with the flexibility inherent in a remote-first, global company. Emphasis on output and meeting deadlines rather than strict time-clocking.

📝 Enhancement Note: The provided salary range is an estimate. Canonical states that "Your base pay will depend on various factors including your geographical location, level of experience, knowledge and skills." This reinforces the need for candidates to research local market rates within the EMEA region where they are based if they are not in Warsaw.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Open Source Software, Cloud Computing, Operating Systems. Canonical is a key player in the global technology market, particularly with its Ubuntu platform, which is foundational for AI, IoT, and cloud initiatives. Company Size: 1200+ colleagues in 75+ countries. This indicates a large, globally distributed organization with a significant presence in the open-source ecosystem. Founded: 2004. Canonical has a long history and established track record in the tech industry, pioneering remote work models since its inception.

Team Structure:

• The Design function is a recognized part of Canonical's organizational structure, implying dedicated resources and strategic importance.
• This role leads the "Infrastructure Design team," suggesting a specialization within the broader design organization.
• Collaboration with Product and Engineering is highlighted, indicating a matrixed or highly cross-functional working environment.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Decisions: Commitment to "quantitative optimisation approaches" suggests a reliance on data for design validation and improvement.
• Agile & Iterative: The focus on "full lifecycle experience" and "continuous improvement" points towards agile development methodologies.
• Collaborative & Transparent: Emphasis on stakeholder communication, team collaboration, and transparent project delivery.
• Open Source Engagement: A core aspect of Canonical's culture, involving community interaction and making value legible.

Company Website: https://canonical.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: Canonical's remote-first culture and global distribution are defining characteristics. This implies a need for strong written and verbal communication skills, self-discipline, and the ability to collaborate effectively across time zones and cultures. The company's foundation in open source means a deep understanding of community dynamics and developer needs is crucial.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is a Senior Management position, requiring significant experience in both design leadership and technical domains. It sits at a level where individuals are responsible for strategic direction, team development, and cross-functional influence. Reporting Structure: While not explicitly stated, Senior Design Managers typically report to a Director or VP of Design or Product. The role involves close collaboration with Product and Engineering leadership. Operations Impact: The Infrastructure Design team's work directly impacts the usability, adoption, and perceived quality of Canonical's core offerings like Ubuntu. Effective design management in this area influences developer experience, customer satisfaction, and ultimately, the success of Canonical's products in competitive markets, contributing indirectly to revenue through adoption and loyalty.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership Expansion: Potential to grow into higher leadership roles, managing larger teams or broader design portfolios within Canonical.
• Strategic Influence: Opportunity to shape the strategic direction of design for Canonical's critical infrastructure products.
• Technical Domain Expertise: Deepen expertise in cloud technologies, software distribution, and open-source ecosystems.
• Process Optimization Leadership: Lead initiatives to further mature design operations and collaboration models across the company.
• Mentorship: Develop advanced coaching and mentorship skills through supporting a team of designers.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role offers significant growth potential, particularly for individuals looking to lead in a complex technical domain within a globally distributed, remote-first organization. The emphasis on "maturing our collective practice" suggests opportunities to influence organizational design processes.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Fully Remote. Canonical has been a remote-first company since 2004, meaning the entire infrastructure and culture are built around distributed work. Office Location(s): Home-based within the EMEA region, with a specific mention of Warsaw. This indicates flexibility for candidates located anywhere in Europe, Middle East, and Africa, provided they can travel for occasional team events.

Workspace Context:

• Distributed Collaboration: The environment is designed for asynchronous and synchronous communication across global teams, requiring proficiency with collaboration tools.
• Technology-Rich: Access to necessary design and communication tools is standard. The role involves managing design for technical infrastructure, implying a technically sophisticated environment.
• Team Interaction: While remote, the company facilitates in-person "sprints" (team meetings) two to four times yearly in various global locations, fostering team cohesion and strategic alignment.

Work Schedule:

• Flexible, standard full-time hours (estimated 40 hours per week). The remote nature allows for some autonomy in structuring the workday, provided core responsibilities, team collaboration, and stakeholder needs are met.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "fully remote working environment" and emphasis on global collaboration are key differentiators. Candidates should be comfortable with asynchronous communication and proactive engagement. The travel expectation for sprints is a significant aspect of the in-person interaction model.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Review of application, resume, and portfolio for alignment with core requirements.
• Hiring Manager Interview: Discussion focused on experience, leadership style, technical background, and team management philosophy.
• Design Leadership/Peer Interviews: Deeper dives into design expertise, strategic thinking, process improvement capabilities, and stakeholder management skills.
• Portfolio Presentation & Case Study: Candidates will likely be asked to present their portfolio, focusing on specific projects that demonstrate their leadership in UX design, process optimization, and technical understanding. A case study related to infrastructure design challenges or team management may be included.
• Cross-Functional Stakeholder Interview: Conversation with key Product and Engineering leaders to assess collaboration, communication, and alignment potential.
• Final Interview: Potentially with a more senior leader to discuss company culture fit, long-term vision, and overall suitability.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Showcase Leadership: Highlight projects where you led a team, mentored designers, or significantly influenced design strategy and processes.
• Focus on Impact: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your role, the design process, the solutions, and any measurable outcomes or lessons learned. Quantify impact where possible, even if via qualitative user feedback or adoption metrics.
• Technical Depth: Demonstrate your understanding of the technical domain (infrastructure, cloud, software distribution) and how it informed your design decisions.
• Process & Workflow: Include examples of how you've improved design workflows, implemented design systems, or managed stakeholder expectations effectively.
• Tailor to Infrastructure: Prioritize examples relevant to complex technical products, developer tools, or system design.

Challenge Preparation:

• Be prepared to discuss how you would approach leading the Infrastructure Design team, including onboarding new members, setting team goals, and managing project pipelines.
• Anticipate questions about balancing design consistency with innovation, managing competing priorities, and resolving design disagreements with technical stakeholders.
• Review Canonical's products (Ubuntu, cloud offerings) and common challenges in infrastructure design and open-source adoption.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a "portfolio demonstrating outstanding quality in UX design and savviness in technology" suggests the review process will be rigorous, looking for both creative talent and practical, technically informed leadership.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite (or similar industry-standard tools).
• Project Management & Collaboration: Jira, Confluence, Asana, Trello, Slack, Microsoft Teams (or similar platforms for distributed teams).
• Design Systems: Tools and methodologies for building and maintaining scalable design systems (e.g., Storybook, Zeroheight).

Analytics & Reporting:

• Familiarity with analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, or specific product analytics tools) to understand user behavior and inform design decisions.
• Proficiency in generating reports and dashboards to communicate design impact and team performance.

CRM & Automation:

• While not a direct CRM management role, an understanding of how design influences customer journeys and adoption funnels within CRM/Sales processes could be beneficial.
• Familiarity with workflow automation concepts in design or project management is advantageous.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role requires proficiency with standard design tools and project management software. The "quantitative optimisation approaches" suggests a data-centric mindset, implying the use of analytics for design insights.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Excellence: A core Canonical value, expecting high standards in all aspects of work, from design quality to team management.
• Openness & Collaboration: Embracing open-source principles, fostering transparency, and encouraging cross-functional teamwork.
• Innovation: Driving forward with new ideas and solutions in a rapidly evolving technology landscape.
• Impact-Driven: Focusing on delivering tangible value and measurable outcomes for users and the business.
• Global Mindset: Working effectively across diverse cultures and geographies.

Collaboration Style:

• Distributed & Asynchronous: Proactive communication and clear documentation are key.
• Cross-Functional Partnership: Strong working relationships with Product Management and Engineering are essential for success.
• Community-Oriented: Engaging with and learning from the broader open-source community.
• Feedback-Rich: An environment where constructive feedback is shared and acted upon to drive continuous improvement.

📝 Enhancement Note: Canonical's culture is deeply rooted in its open-source heritage and its pioneering approach to remote work. Candidates who thrive in autonomous, collaborative, and globally distributed environments will be well-suited.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Managing a Distributed Team: Ensuring consistent performance, engagement, and team cohesion across different time zones and cultures.
• Technical Complexity: Navigating the intricate technical landscape of infrastructure, cloud, and software distribution to create effective user experiences.
• Balancing Consistency and Innovation: Establishing design systems that provide scalability while allowing for creative solutions and feature innovation.
• Stakeholder Alignment: Effectively managing expectations and priorities with Product and Engineering teams, who may have different perspectives or timelines.
• Open Source Community Engagement: Translating community feedback into actionable design improvements and communicating the value of design efforts.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Leadership Skills: Developing expertise in managing technical design teams within a remote-first, globally distributed model.
• Deepen Technical Domain Knowledge: Gaining profound insights into cloud infrastructure, software packaging, and security through daily work.
• Contribute to Design Practice: Influence and shape design methodologies and processes across Canonical.
• Industry Exposure: Participating in industry events and staying abreast of trends in UX design, cloud computing, and open source.
• Global Networking: Building relationships with colleagues worldwide through team events and ongoing collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are opportunities for growth, particularly for managers seeking to expand their expertise in complex technical domains and sophisticated remote work environments.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you approach defining success metrics for the Infrastructure Design team, considering the technical nature of the products and the open-source community?"
• "Describe your strategy for fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing within a globally distributed design team."
• "How do you balance the need for consistent design across products with the requirement for innovation in rapidly evolving technical areas like cloud infrastructure?"
• "Outline your approach to managing design projects with tight deadlines and complex technical dependencies, particularly when working with engineering stakeholders."

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Canonical's mission and its role in the open-source ecosystem?"
• "How do you envision contributing to Canonical's remote-first and globally distributed culture?"
• "Describe a situation where you had to align design decisions with stakeholders who had conflicting priorities or technical viewpoints."
• "How do you stay informed about user needs and industry trends in complex technical domains like cloud infrastructure?"

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure: Organize your presentation logically, perhaps by project type or by showcasing your leadership journey.
• Narrative: Tell compelling stories about your projects, focusing on the "why" and the "how," not just the "what."
• Quantify Impact: Use data, user feedback, or adoption metrics to demonstrate the effectiveness of your designs and your team's work.
• Process & Methodology: Clearly explain your design process, especially how you involve stakeholders and manage technical constraints.
• Team Management: Weave in examples of how you've mentored designers, improved team workflows, or managed project delivery.

📝 Enhancement Note: Prepare to speak extensively about your experience managing technical teams, your understanding of infrastructure and cloud concepts, and your ability to drive process improvements in a remote setting.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Design Manager position:

• Submit your application through the Canonical Jobs portal (via the provided URL).
• Portfolio Customization: Ensure your portfolio prominently features projects demonstrating leadership in UX design for technical products, process optimization, and team management. Tailor examples to infrastructure, cloud, or complex software systems.
• Resume Optimization: Highlight achievements related to team leadership, project delivery, stakeholder management, and any experience with quantitative optimization or design systems. Use keywords from the job description.
• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your leadership philosophy, design strategy, and experience in resolving complex technical and team challenges. Prepare your portfolio presentation with clear narratives and impact metrics.
• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with Canonical, Ubuntu, its open-source contributions, and its remote-first culture. Understand the scope of infrastructure products (e.g., cloud, software distribution, security).

⚠️ 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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