Senior Design Manager (Infrastructure)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Design Manager (Infrastructure) Company: Canonical - Jobs Location: Home based - Europe, Murcia, Spain Job Type: Full-time Category: Design Management / Infrastructure Design Date Posted: 2025-09-18 Experience Level: 5-10 Years Remote Status: Fully Remote (EMEA Region)

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the Infrastructure Design team, focusing on the user experience of cloud experiences and software distribution mechanisms.
• Drive improvements in the security of software packaging and delivery through design leadership.
• Coach and develop individual designers, fostering their professional growth and improving the quality of their work.
• Collaborate closely with product and engineering stakeholders to define, validate, and execute on team roadmaps and deadlines.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a Senior Design Manager within a technically focused area (Infrastructure Design) at a leading open-source software company. The emphasis on "Infrastructure Design," "cloud experiences," and "software distribution mechanisms" indicates a need for design leadership with a strong understanding of technical domains, likely involving complex systems and developer-facing tools. The "Senior" title, coupled with the requirement for team management and stakeholder interaction, suggests a mid-to-senior level operations-adjacent role focused on optimizing the design processes and outcomes within a technical product lifecycle.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Review and ensure the high quality of UX design work produced by the Infrastructure Design team.
• Support individual designers' professional development through regular coaching, feedback, and career path guidance.
• Continuously improve operational workflows within the design team, including production outsourcing and collaboration with Web Engineering teams.
• Partner with key stakeholders, particularly within the Engineering organization, to clearly define project scope, validate design outcomes, and ensure alignment.
• Evolve and maintain design systems and guidelines to promote consistent quality, enhance efficiency, and streamline the design process across infrastructure products.
• Coordinate with other design leadership across Canonical to mature collective design practices and standards.
• Facilitate knowledge sharing and collaboration sessions within the team and with other departments to strengthen company culture and design maturity.
• Engage with the broader open-source community to gather insights, understand user needs, and make the value of Canonical's infrastructure design efforts more visible.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of people management, process optimization, and strategic design leadership. The focus on "operational workflows," "production outsourcing," and "collaboration with Web Engineering" strongly aligns with operations-focused responsibilities, particularly in managing the output and efficiency of a design function within a technical product development lifecycle.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree in Design, Behavioral Science, or a related discipline. Exceptional educational achievements are highly valued.

Experience: 5-10 years of relevant experience, with a demonstrated track record in UX design and team management.

Required Skills:

• A comprehensive portfolio showcasing outstanding quality in UX design and a strong technical aptitude.
• Proven experience in managing design teams, including coaching, performance management, and professional development.
• Full lifecycle experience in design, from user needs discovery and research through validation and implementation guidance.
• Demonstrated commitment to transparent project delivery and accountability for team deadlines.
• Experience managing teams that regularly interact with technical stakeholders (e.g., product managers, engineers).
• Familiarity with quantitative optimization approaches and data-driven decision-making in design.
• A passion for balancing design consistency with innovation.
• Proficiency in evolving and leveraging design systems and guidelines.
• Strong communication and active listening skills for effective stakeholder management.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience in open-source software environments or contributing to open-source projects.
• Deep understanding of cloud infrastructure, software distribution mechanisms, or security-related design challenges.
• Experience with community engagement strategies for technical products.
• Knowledge of agile development methodologies and their impact on design workflows.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a "portfolio demonstrating outstanding quality in UX design and savviness in technology" and "full lifecycle experience from user needs discovery through validation and implementation guidance" points to requirements common in operations roles that bridge product development and user experience. The mention of "quantitative optimisation approaches" is a direct link to operational efficiency and data-driven improvements.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrate a history of delivering high-quality UX designs for complex technical products or infrastructure.
• Include case studies that clearly articulate the problem, the design process, and the tangible outcomes or impact achieved.
• Showcase experience in evolving and utilizing design systems to ensure consistency and efficiency in product design.
• Highlight how user needs discovery and validation processes were integrated into the design lifecycle.

Process Documentation:

• Provide examples of how you have documented and improved operational workflows within a design team, potentially including production outsourcing or cross-functional collaboration processes.
• Illustrate your approach to defining and validating design outcomes with technical stakeholders, demonstrating a structured process for alignment.
• Showcase how you have contributed to or managed the evolution of design systems and guidelines, emphasizing their role in driving quality and efficiency.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Senior Design Manager role, especially in a technically oriented company, the portfolio is critical. It needs to go beyond aesthetics to demonstrate process, impact, and leadership. The emphasis on "operational workflows" and "stakeholder validation" requires candidates to showcase how they manage projects and ensure successful integration with engineering.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on the EMEA region, experience level (5-10 years), and the Senior Manager title, a competitive salary range is estimated between €70,000 - €110,000 annually. This range is an estimation and will depend on specific factors such as candidate location within EMEA, precise experience, and negotiation.

Benefits:

• Fully Remote Working Environment: A long-standing remote-first culture since 2004, promoting work-life balance and global collaboration.
• Personal Learning and Development Budget: €2,000 USD (approx. €1,850) per annum for professional growth, training, and skill enhancement relevant to design and management.
• Annual Compensation Review: Regular reviews to ensure competitive and equitable pay.
• Recognition Rewards: Programs to acknowledge outstanding contributions and achievements.
• Annual Holiday Leave: Standard company holiday allowance.
• Parental Leave: Support for new parents.
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP): Confidential support services for personal and professional well-being.
• Travel Opportunities: Occasional travel (up to 4 times yearly) to meet colleagues at in-person events ("sprints") in various global locations.
• Travel Perks: Priority Pass for airport lounge access and potential travel upgrades for long-haul company events, facilitating global collaboration.

Working Hours: Canonical operates with flexible working hours, accommodating different time zones within the EMEA region. While a standard 40-hour work week is typical, the remote nature allows for adaptive scheduling to facilitate collaboration across distributed teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary estimate is based on industry benchmarks for Senior Design Managers in the EMEA region, considering the company's size and reputation in the tech sector. The benefits package is comprehensive, with a strong emphasis on remote work support and professional development, aligning with the company's distributed workforce model.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Open Source Software, Cloud Computing, Operating Systems (Ubuntu). Canonical is a pioneer in making open-source software accessible and widely adopted globally, serving enterprise clients and developers.

Company Size: Over 1200 employees across 75+ countries, indicating a large, globally distributed, and experienced workforce.

Founded: 2004. Canonical has a long history as a remote-first company, demonstrating a mature approach to distributed work and a stable, experienced organizational structure.

Team Structure:

• The Design function is a key part of Canonical's product development, likely comprising various specialized teams (e.g., Infrastructure Design, Product Design, UX Research).
• The Infrastructure Design team specifically focuses on core systems that enable cloud experiences and software distribution.
• Reporting structure is likely hierarchical within the design function, with the Senior Design Manager reporting to a Director or VP of Design, and managing a team of UX designers.
• Cross-functional collaboration is central, with strong ties to Product Management and Engineering, especially Web Engineering.

Methodology:

• Data Analysis & Insights: Emphasis on quantitative optimization and understanding user needs from the open-source community and enterprise customers.
• Workflow Planning & Optimization: Continuous improvement of operational workflows, design system evolution, and efficient collaboration practices.
• Automation & Efficiency: Leveraging design systems and efficient processes to drive consistency and improve the speed of development and delivery.

Company Website: https://canonical.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: Canonical's identity as a remote-first, global open-source leader shapes its culture. The emphasis on "excellence," "thinking differently," and "working smarter" suggests a performance-driven environment that values innovation and continuous improvement. The "Infrastructure Design" team operates at the core of Canonical's offerings, meaning their work has significant technical depth and impact on developers and cloud users.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role represents a senior-level management position within the design function, with significant operational responsibilities equivalent to a senior operations or program manager in a technical setting. It requires not just design expertise but also leadership in process optimization, team development, and strategic stakeholder management within a complex technical product lifecycle.

Reporting Structure: The Senior Design Manager will likely report to a higher-level Design Director or VP of Design. They will be responsible for managing a team of UX designers focused on infrastructure products. This involves close collaboration with Product Managers and Engineering Leads who manage the development roadmap and execution of these infrastructure components.

Operations Impact: The role has a direct impact on the efficiency and quality of Canonical's core infrastructure products. By leading the Infrastructure Design team, the manager influences the usability and effectiveness of tools used for cloud experiences and software distribution, which are critical for Canonical's enterprise and developer customers. Improved design processes and outcomes can lead to faster product adoption, increased customer satisfaction, and better developer productivity, all of which are key operational metrics for a tech company.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership Advancement: Potential to move into director-level roles, managing larger design teams or broader product portfolios within Canonical.
• Strategic Influence: Opportunity to shape the future of design strategy for Canonical's infrastructure offerings and contribute to broader GTM (Go-To-Market) strategies by ensuring product usability and adoption.
• Skill Specialization: Deepen expertise in areas like developer experience (DevEx), cloud infrastructure design, or open-source community engagement, becoming a recognized authority.
• Cross-Functional Leadership: Opportunities to lead cross-functional initiatives that drive operational improvements across design, product, and engineering.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Senior Design Manager" title, combined with responsibilities like "improving operational workflows" and managing "technical stakeholders," positions this role as having significant operational oversight. The growth opportunities focus on developing leadership and strategic impact, key for senior operations professionals.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Fully Remote. Canonical has been a pioneer in remote work since 2004, fostering a distributed global workforce. This means there is no central office requirement for this role.

Office Location(s): While the role is "Home based - Europe, Murcia," and specified as "EMEA Region," Canonical's distributed nature means team members are spread across many countries. The company organizes in-person "sprints" 2-4 times per year in various global locations to foster team cohesion and strategic alignment.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The remote setup necessitates strong digital collaboration tools and practices. Expect frequent use of video conferencing, asynchronous communication channels (e.g., Slack, email), and collaborative document editing.
• Operations Tools & Technology: Access to standard design software, project management tools, and communication platforms. The team likely utilizes design systems and potentially specific tools for infrastructure design or cloud-related workflows.
• Team Interaction: Regular virtual team meetings, 1:1s with direct reports, and cross-functional syncs with product and engineering teams. The in-person sprints provide crucial opportunities for deeper team bonding and strategic discussions.

Work Schedule: Flexible working hours are a hallmark of Canonical's remote culture. While core hours may exist for critical team syncs, individuals have autonomy in structuring their workday to optimize productivity and accommodate different time zones within the EMEA region. This flexibility is crucial for effective global collaboration and maintaining work-life balance.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "fully remote" and "home-based" nature of this role means candidates must be self-motivated and adept at managing their work environment. The emphasis on global collaboration and occasional travel for sprints highlights the company's commitment to balancing remote flexibility with in-person team building.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter will likely conduct an initial call to assess basic qualifications, cultural fit, and interest in the role and Canonical.
• Hiring Manager Interview: A conversation with the hiring manager (likely a Director or VP of Design) to delve deeper into your experience, management style, and approach to design leadership and operational process improvement. Be prepared to discuss your portfolio and specific examples of team leadership.
• Team & Stakeholder Interviews: Interviews with designers on your potential team and key technical stakeholders (e.g., Product Managers, Engineering Leads) to evaluate your collaboration skills, technical understanding, and ability to drive consensus.
• Portfolio Presentation: A dedicated session where you will present a curated selection of your work, focusing on case studies that demonstrate your impact, leadership in design systems, and ability to improve operational workflows and outcomes.
• Final Interview: Potentially with a senior leader to discuss your strategic vision and long-term fit within Canonical.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Focus on Impact: For each case study, clearly articulate the business problem, your role, the design process, the solutions implemented, and quantifiable results (e.g., improved efficiency, user satisfaction, adoption rates).
• Showcase Leadership: Highlight instances where you've led teams, mentored designers, evolved design systems, or improved operational processes within design.
• Technical Acumen: Select projects that demonstrate your understanding of technical domains, especially related to infrastructure, cloud, or developer tools, if possible.
• Process Demonstration: Clearly explain your approach to user needs discovery, validation, and implementation guidance, showcasing how you manage the full design lifecycle.
• Conciseness: Be prepared to present your most impactful work efficiently, tailoring it to the specific requirements of the Infrastructure Design role.

Challenge Preparation:

• Be ready for a potential design exercise or a deep dive into a specific challenge you've faced in managing design teams or improving operational processes.
• Prepare to discuss how you would approach improving the design workflow for Canonical's infrastructure products, considering their remote-first nature and open-source community.
• Anticipate questions about how you foster a collaborative and high-performing design culture within a distributed team.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process for a senior management role in a tech company like Canonical will heavily emphasize leadership, strategic thinking, and the ability to drive operational improvements. The portfolio presentation is a critical component, requiring candidates to demonstrate not just design skill but also management acumen and impact.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop) – essential for UX/UI design, wireframing, and prototyping.
• Design Systems: Experience with creating, managing, and scaling design systems (e.g., using tools like Zeroheight or Storybook integration) is crucial for consistency and efficiency.
• Collaboration Platforms: Slack, Microsoft Teams, or similar for real-time communication and team coordination.
• Project Management: Jira, Asana, Trello, or similar for tracking tasks, workflows, and project progress.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Web Analytics: Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics (or similar) for understanding user behavior on web-based interfaces.
• Product Analytics: Tools like Amplitude, Mixpanel, or Pendo for tracking user engagement with software and infrastructure products.
• Data Visualization: Tableau, Power BI, or Looker for creating dashboards to monitor design team performance and product adoption metrics.

CRM & Automation:

• While not directly a CRM role, familiarity with how design integrates with CRM/Salesforce or marketing automation platforms (e.g., Marketo, HubSpot) can be beneficial for understanding the broader customer journey and GTM strategy.
• Workflow Automation: Understanding of how design tools or processes can integrate with broader development or operational automation pipelines.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in modern design tools and an understanding of how design integrates into broader product development and operational technology stacks are expected. The mention of "quantitative optimisation" suggests familiarity with analytics tools used to measure design impact.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Excellence: A commitment to high standards in all aspects of work, from individual design output to team processes and stakeholder interactions.
• Collaboration: Valuing open communication, teamwork, and shared learning, especially across distributed teams and diverse functional areas (design, product, engineering).
• Innovation: Encouraging new ideas, creative problem-solving, and a willingness to explore novel approaches to design challenges.
• Efficiency & Optimization: A focus on streamlining processes, improving workflows, and leveraging data to achieve better outcomes with fewer resources.
• Community Focus: Engaging with and understanding the needs of the open-source community and Canonical's broader customer base.

Collaboration Style:

• Transparent & Open: Encouraging open dialogue, constructive feedback, and knowledge sharing across the team and with stakeholders.
• Cross-Functional Integration: Actively working with product management and engineering to ensure design is embedded early and throughout the development lifecycle.
• Data-Informed Decision Making: Utilizing quantitative data and user insights to guide design decisions and process improvements.
• Continuous Improvement: A culture that embraces iterative development, learning from feedback, and constantly seeking ways to enhance processes and outcomes.

📝 Enhancement Note: Canonical's culture emphasizes high performance, global collaboration, and a strong connection to the open-source ethos. For a Senior Design Manager, demonstrating alignment with these values, particularly in fostering a collaborative remote environment and driving operational efficiency through design, will be key.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Managing a Distributed Team: Ensuring consistent performance, engagement, and professional development for designers spread across different geographies and time zones.
• Technical Complexity: Navigating the intricacies of infrastructure design, which requires a strong grasp of technical concepts and developer needs.
• Balancing Consistency and Innovation: Effectively managing design systems while allowing for flexibility and innovation to address unique product challenges.
• Stakeholder Alignment: Facilitating clear communication and consensus-building among diverse stakeholders with potentially competing priorities (e.g., product, engineering, community).
• Measuring Design Impact: Quantifying the impact of design initiatives on business objectives and user experience within complex infrastructure products.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Leadership Training: Opportunities to hone skills in people management, strategic planning, and cross-functional leadership.
• Technical Domain Deep Dive: Gaining deeper expertise in cloud computing, software distribution, and security through working on critical infrastructure projects.
• Community Engagement Expertise: Developing skills in understanding and engaging with the open-source community to drive product adoption and feedback.
• Industry Conferences & Certifications: Utilizing the personal development budget for relevant training, workshops, and conferences in design management, UX, or cloud technologies.
• Mentorship: Opportunities to be mentored by senior leaders at Canonical or to mentor junior designers, fostering leadership growth.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges listed reflect common issues in senior operational management roles within distributed tech companies. The growth opportunities are geared towards developing leadership capabilities and deepening technical and strategic expertise, aligning with career progression in operations and management.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you improved the operational workflow of a design team. What was the problem, what was your approach, and what were the results?" (Focus on process optimization, efficiency gains, and quantifiable outcomes.)
• "How do you balance the need for a consistent design system with the imperative for innovation in a rapidly evolving technical domain like cloud infrastructure?" (Demonstrate strategic thinking and an understanding of trade-offs.)
• "How would you foster a sense of team cohesion and collaboration among designers who are geographically distributed?" (Highlight your remote leadership and team-building strategies.)
• "Walk us through a complex design project you managed from inception to implementation. What were the key challenges, how did you engage technical stakeholders, and what was the ultimate impact?" (Prepare a detailed case study from your portfolio.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Canonical and our mission in open source and cloud computing?" (Show genuine interest and research into the company's values and market position.)
• "How do you see your role contributing to Canonical's culture of excellence and continuous improvement?" (Connect your leadership style and operational approach to company values.)
• "How do you measure the success of your design team and the impact of their work on business objectives?" (Focus on metrics, KPIs, and data-driven assessment.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure: Begin with a brief overview of your management philosophy and then dive into 2-3 deep-dive case studies. For each case study, clearly outline the problem, your role and leadership, the design process, key decisions, stakeholder engagement, and the measurable impact.
• Focus on Process & Operations: Emphasize how you managed the workflow, collaborated with engineering, evolved design systems, and ensured efficient delivery.
• Quantify Impact: Use data and metrics wherever possible to demonstrate the effectiveness of your team's work and your leadership.
• Storytelling: Frame your projects as narratives that highlight problem-solving, strategic thinking, and successful outcomes.
• Q&A Readiness: Be prepared to answer detailed questions about your design decisions, team management strategies, and how you handle challenges.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparing for this interview requires showcasing not just design expertise but strong operational management skills, a strategic mindset, and a deep understanding of how design contributes to business goals within a technical, remote-first organization.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Design Manager position:

• Submit your application through the Canonical Jobs portal.
• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 of your most impactful projects that best demonstrate your UX design leadership, team management experience, and ability to improve operational workflows within a technical context. Ensure case studies clearly articulate problems, processes, and quantifiable results.
• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight keywords and experiences related to design management, infrastructure design, stakeholder collaboration, operational process improvement, and remote team leadership. Quantify achievements wherever possible.
• Prepare Your Presentation: Practice presenting your portfolio case studies, focusing on your strategic approach, leadership contributions, and the operational impact of your work. Be ready to articulate your management philosophy and approach to remote team leadership.
• Research Canonical: Understand Canonical's mission, its role in the open-source ecosystem, its products (especially Ubuntu and cloud offerings), and its remote-first culture. Prepare to discuss how your skills and experience align with the company's values and the specific demands of this role.

⚠️ 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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