Senior Design Manager, Yahoo News

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Design Manager, Yahoo News Company: Yahoo Location: US - United States of America Job Type: FULL_TIME Category: Product Design Management / Media Operations Date Posted: 2025-10-10T00:00:00 Experience Level: 10+ Years (with 5+ years in leadership) Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead and mentor a team of product designers to deliver innovative, user-centric design solutions for Yahoo News platforms.
• Drive a consistent visual language and cohesive user experience across all Yahoo News digital properties through cross-functional collaboration.
• Champion a data-informed design approach, leveraging user research and analytics to validate design decisions and optimize product performance.
• Establish and maintain high standards for visual, interaction, and AI-augmented design craftsmanship within a fast-paced media environment.
• Foster a creative, inclusive, and high-performing team culture that prioritizes professional growth and ownership.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned within the "Media Operations" or "Product Design Management" category, emphasizing the strategic leadership of design initiatives that directly impact user engagement and product success within the Yahoo News vertical. The focus on AI design tools and editorial collaboration highlights a unique aspect of media operations.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Team Leadership & Development: Lead, mentor, and inspire a team of product designers, providing guidance on craft, career development, and professional growth opportunities.
• Design Strategy & Execution: Define and drive the design vision and strategy for Yahoo News products, ensuring alignment with user needs, business objectives, and technical feasibility.
• User-Centric Design Advocacy: Champion a user-centered design philosophy, utilizing qualitative and quantitative data from user research and analytics to inform and validate design decisions.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner closely with Product Management, Engineering, Editorial, Marketing, and Central Design teams to ensure a cohesive and integrated user experience across all Yahoo News platforms.
• Quality & Craftsmanship Standards: Set and maintain rigorous standards for visual design, interaction design, and overall user experience quality across web, mobile, and emerging platforms.
• AI Design Integration: Explore and integrate AI design tools and methodologies to enhance the design process and develop AI-augmented product features for news consumption.
• Performance Measurement: Define, track, and report on key design metrics to measure team success and product impact, iterating on strategies to meet evolving business goals.
• Team Culture Cultivation: Foster an environment of creativity, ownership, collaboration, and professional excellence, encouraging innovation and continuous improvement.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities emphasize a blend of direct team management, strategic design leadership, and hands-on contribution to product innovation, particularly in the evolving landscape of AI-augmented features and media content delivery. The need to balance user needs, business goals, and technical feasibility is a core tenet of effective product design management.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Graphic Design, or a related field is highly beneficial and often implied by the experience level.

Experience:

• 10+ years of progressive experience in product design, with at least 5 years specifically in a design leadership or management role, responsible for team performance and strategic direction.
• Proven track record of successfully building, scaling, and managing high-performing design teams.
• Demonstrated experience in fostering effective cross-functional collaboration across diverse teams (Product, Engineering, Editorial, etc.).
• Experience designing and building AI-augmented product features is a significant advantage.

Required Skills:

• Product Design Leadership: Proven ability to lead, mentor, and grow a team of product designers, fostering a culture of excellence.
• User-Centered Design (UCD): Deep understanding and practical application of UCD principles, methodologies, and user research techniques.
• Visual Design Expertise: High standards and a strong portfolio showcasing exceptional visual design skills, including layout, typography, color theory, and branding.
• Interaction Design Proficiency: Mastery of interaction design principles, user flows, wireframing, and prototyping for complex digital products.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Demonstrated ability to work effectively with product managers, engineers, researchers, and editorial stakeholders.
• Communication & Presentation: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to articulate design rationale and influence stakeholders at all levels.
• Adaptability & Agility: Proven ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment with evolving priorities and business needs.
• Empathy-Driven Leadership: A leadership style focused on empowering, supporting, and inspiring team members.

Preferred Skills:

• Inclusive Design Principles: Knowledge of and commitment to creating accessible, equitable, and inclusive digital experiences for a diverse user base.
• Remote/Distributed Team Management: Experience effectively managing and fostering collaboration within remote or distributed design teams across different time zones.
• Mentorship & Talent Development: Enthusiasm and proven ability for mentoring designers at all career stages, from junior to senior.
• Media/Editorial Environment Experience: Prior experience working with editorial teams or within a media-led organization, understanding content workflows and news cycles.
• AI Design Tools Proficiency: Familiarity with emerging AI design tools and their application in product development workflows.
• Data Analysis & Insights: Ability to leverage data analytics and insights to inform design decisions and measure impact.

📝 Enhancement Note: The qualifications emphasize leadership experience, a deep understanding of user-centered design principles, and a strong portfolio. The "even better" section highlights crucial skills for a modern media company, including inclusive design, remote team management, and familiarity with AI tools, which are becoming increasingly vital in operations and product development.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Case Studies of Impact: Showcase 3-5 significant design projects with detailed case studies that illustrate your leadership, strategic thinking, and design process.
• Problem/Solution Framing: Clearly articulate the user problem or business challenge, your role in addressing it, and the innovative design solutions developed.
• Process & Methodology: Demonstrate a robust understanding of design thinking, user research, wireframing, prototyping, and usability testing methodologies.
• Metrics & Outcomes: Quantify the impact of your design work with relevant metrics (e.g., increased engagement, improved conversion rates, user satisfaction scores, efficiency gains). Focus on how your leadership influenced these outcomes.
• AI Design Integration Examples: If applicable, include examples where AI tools or AI-augmented features were conceptualized, designed, or implemented.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration Evidence: Highlight instances where you successfully collaborated with product, engineering, or editorial teams to bring designs to life.

Process Documentation:

• Evidence of establishing and documenting design processes, workflows, and best practices within a team.
• Examples of how design processes were optimized for efficiency and scalability, particularly in a fast-paced, iterative environment.
• Documentation of how design systems or style guides were developed or maintained to ensure consistency across platforms.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Senior Design Manager role, the portfolio should not only showcase design execution but also leadership, strategic thinking, and process improvement. Emphasis on quantifiable results and the ability to articulate complex design challenges and solutions is paramount. The inclusion of AI design integration is a key differentiator.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $143,625.00 - $299,375.00 per year.

Note on Salary: This range is provided for the United States market. Actual compensation will be determined by factors such as the candidate's location (cost of living adjustments may apply), specific skills, experience level, and overall qualifications.

Compensation Structure:

• Base Salary: As indicated in the range above.
• Incentive Compensation: Potential for discretionary annual bonus or commissions, aligning with company and individual performance.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive Healthcare: Medical, dental, and vision insurance plans.
• Retirement Savings: A robust 401k plan with potential company matching.
• Work-Life Balance Support: Backup childcare services to assist employees with unexpected care needs.
• Professional Development: Education stipends to support continuous learning, skill enhancement, and career growth.
• Additional Perks: Yahoo offers a wide array of other benefits, often including wellness programs, employee assistance programs, and potential equity or stock options, depending on the role and company policies.

Working Hours:

• Typically 40 hours per week, reflecting a full-time employment commitment.
• While core hours may exist for critical team collaboration, Yahoo offers flexible hybrid work options, suggesting adaptability in scheduling to accommodate project needs and personal well-being.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is competitive for a senior management role in the tech/media industry in the US. The inclusion of incentive compensation and a comprehensive benefits package, especially backup childcare and education stipends, demonstrates a commitment to employee well-being and development, which are attractive to operations and management professionals. The hybrid work model is standard but noted as flexible.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Digital Media & Technology. Yahoo operates as a global media and technology company, providing a wide range of digital content and services, including news, finance, sports, and more. Company Size: Yahoo is a significant player in the digital landscape, with a large employee base (estimated to be in the thousands, potentially 10,000+ globally). This size implies established processes, a broad organizational structure, and opportunities for cross-departmental impact. Founded: Yahoo was founded in 1994, giving it a long history and deep roots in the internet industry. This longevity suggests a company that has adapted to significant technological shifts and market changes, fostering a culture of resilience and innovation.

Team Structure:

• Reporting: The Senior Design Manager reports directly to the Head of Design, indicating a clear hierarchy and direct line of communication for strategic direction and oversight.
• Collaboration: The role necessitates close collaboration with Product Management, Engineering, Editorial, Marketing, and Central Design teams. This indicates a matrixed environment where design leadership is integrated into broader product development cycles.
• Design Team: You will lead a team of product designers, likely varying in experience levels, who are focused on the Yahoo News vertical.

Methodology:

• User-Centricity: A strong emphasis on user needs, validated through research and data insights, is a core design methodology.
• Data-Informed Decisions: Leveraging analytics and performance metrics to guide design choices and measure success.
• Agile & Iterative: The fast-paced nature of the media industry and Yahoo's operations suggest an agile approach to product development and design iterations.
• AI Integration: A progressive approach to exploring and integrating AI design tools and features to enhance user experiences and operational efficiency.

Company Website: www.yahoo.com

📝 Enhancement Note: Yahoo's established presence combined with its focus on evolving technologies like AI positions this role at the intersection of traditional media operations and future-forward product development. Understanding Yahoo's scale is key to grasping the potential scope of influence and the complexity of cross-functional collaboration.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Senior Management role, signifying a leadership position responsible for a specific product vertical's design strategy and team performance. It sits above individual contributor designers and potentially below a Director or VP of Design.

Reporting Structure: You will report to the Head of Design, providing direct leadership to a team of product designers. This structure allows for focused mentorship and strategic alignment within the Yahoo News domain.

Operations Impact: The design team's output directly influences user engagement, content consumption, advertising effectiveness, and overall user satisfaction for Yahoo News. As a Senior Manager, you will be instrumental in shaping the daily experience for millions of news consumers, impacting key business metrics such as time on site, ad impressions, and subscription conversions. Your leadership will ensure that design decisions are strategically aligned with revenue generation and brand perception goals.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership Advancement: Potential to grow into Director-level roles, overseeing larger design teams or multiple product verticals within Yahoo.
• Strategic Influence: Opportunity to shape the overall design strategy and vision for Yahoo's broader product portfolio, leveraging your experience in the news domain.
• Skill Specialization: Deepen expertise in AI-driven design, inclusive design, or specific areas of media product development through hands-on experience and internal/external training.
• Cross-Functional Leadership: Develop broader leadership skills by taking on more complex cross-functional initiatives or managing larger, more diverse teams.
• Industry Recognition: The visibility of Yahoo News provides opportunities to contribute to industry discussions, speak at conferences, and build a strong professional reputation.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers significant growth potential within a major media organization. The impact is directly tied to user engagement and business outcomes, making it a strategic position for operations professionals looking to influence key metrics within a large-scale digital product environment.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Yahoo offers a flexible hybrid work model. This means the role is not fully remote but allows for a blend of in-office and remote work. Specific office attendance requirements will be communicated by the recruiter, with potential for occasional in-person events or team sessions.

Office Location(s): The primary location is listed as "US - United States of America," suggesting flexibility across various Yahoo office locations within the US, or potentially a remote-first approach for candidates located within the US, with some travel to offices or events. Specific office details would need to be confirmed.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Hub: When in the office, the environment is likely designed to foster collaboration, with meeting rooms, communal spaces, and opportunities for spontaneous interaction with design, product, and engineering peers.
• Technology-Rich: Access to standard office technology, high-speed internet, and potentially advanced design software and hardware necessary for creative work.
• Team Interaction: Opportunities to engage with your direct design team, as well as other departments, fostering a dynamic and interconnected work atmosphere.

Work Schedule:

• Standard full-time hours (approximately 40 hours/week) are expected.
• The hybrid model and emphasis on flexibility suggest that while core responsibilities must be met, there is a degree of autonomy in managing the daily schedule to balance productivity and personal needs. This flexibility is crucial for operations roles that often involve deep work and iterative problem-solving.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid nature of the role is a key consideration. Candidates should be prepared for a mix of remote and in-office work, with specific expectations to be clarified during the application process. This model aims to balance flexibility with the benefits of in-person collaboration, which is often valued in design and operations leadership roles.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

1. Initial Screening: A recruiter or hiring manager will review your application and resume, focusing on alignment with the core requirements and experience.
2. Portfolio Review & Initial Interview: Candidates will be asked to present their portfolio. This will likely involve discussing 2-3 key projects, focusing on your leadership, strategic approach, problem-solving skills, and impact. This interview will also assess communication skills and cultural fit.
3. Hiring Manager Interview: A deeper dive into your management style, team leadership experience, design philosophy, and strategic thinking, often with scenario-based questions related to managing designers, handling conflict, and driving design initiatives.
4. Cross-Functional Stakeholder Interviews: Interviews with peers from Product Management, Engineering, and potentially Editorial to assess collaboration skills, ability to influence, and understanding of cross-functional dynamics.
5. Executive/Head of Design Interview: A final conversation with the Head of Design to discuss overall vision, strategic alignment, leadership potential, and cultural fit within the broader design organization.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Tell a Story: Structure your portfolio around compelling narratives for each project. Clearly define the problem, your role, the process, the solution, and the quantifiable results.
• Highlight Leadership: For this role, emphasize your leadership contributions, how you guided teams, mentored designers, and influenced strategy, rather than solely showcasing your individual design work.
• Quantify Impact: Use data and metrics to demonstrate the business impact of your design decisions and leadership. Show how you drove improvements in user engagement, conversion, or efficiency.
• Showcase AI Integration: If you have experience designing or leading the design of AI-augmented features, make this a prominent part of your presentation.
• Tailor to Yahoo News: Research Yahoo News's current product offerings, user base, and competitive landscape. Frame your experience in a way that demonstrates your understanding of their specific challenges and opportunities.

Challenge Preparation:

• Design Strategy Case Study: Be prepared to discuss how you would approach a specific design challenge for Yahoo News, such as improving user engagement with breaking news alerts or designing a new feature for personalized content discovery.
• Team Management Scenarios: Anticipate questions about how you handle underperforming team members, resolve design disagreements, and foster a positive team culture.
• Cross-Functional Problem Solving: Prepare to discuss how you would collaborate with product and engineering teams to balance design vision with technical constraints or tight deadlines.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is designed to assess leadership capabilities, strategic thinking, and collaborative skills, not just design execution. A strong portfolio that highlights leadership impact and a clear understanding of the media landscape will be crucial.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping Software: Proficiency in industry-standard tools such as Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, XD), InVision, or similar platforms for wireframing, high-fidelity mockups, and interactive prototyping. Figma is increasingly a dominant tool for collaborative design.
• Project Management & Collaboration: Tools like Jira, Asana, Trello, or Monday.com for task management, sprint planning, and tracking design project progress within an agile framework.
• Communication Platforms: Slack, Microsoft Teams for daily team communication, quick feedback loops, and cross-functional discussions.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Web Analytics: Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, or similar platforms to understand user behavior, track key performance indicators (KPIs), and inform design decisions.
• Data Visualization: Tableau, Looker, Power BI, or internal Yahoo dashboards for analyzing user data, tracking design metric trends, and presenting insights to stakeholders.
• User Research Platforms: Tools for conducting surveys, usability testing, and gathering qualitative feedback (e.g., UserTesting.com, Typeform, SurveyMonkey).

CRM & Automation:

• While not directly managing CRM, an understanding of how design impacts user journeys within CRM systems (e.g., lead nurturing, customer support interfaces) may be beneficial.
• Familiarity with workflow automation concepts to understand how design can streamline user processes.

Emerging Technologies:

• AI Design Tools: Experience or familiarity with AI-powered design assistants, content generation tools, or AI feature integration concepts.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role requires a strong command of modern design tooling and a solid understanding of analytics platforms used to measure product performance. Proficiency in collaborative tools is essential given the hybrid and cross-functional nature of the work. Familiarity with AI design tools is explicitly called out as a differentiator.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• User-Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and serving the user's needs, ensuring that design decisions prioritize a positive and valuable user experience.
• Data-Driven Innovation: Utilizing data and insights to inform strategy, measure impact, and drive continuous improvement in product design and user engagement.
• Collaboration & Transparency: Fostering open communication and teamwork across departments to ensure alignment, share knowledge, and build cohesive products.
• Excellence & Craftsmanship: Maintaining high standards for design quality, attention to detail, and execution across all product surfaces.
• Adaptability & Agility: Embracing change, responding quickly to evolving market trends and business priorities, and iterating on designs to meet new challenges.

Collaboration Style:

• Integrated Teams: Working closely within product pods, where designers are embedded with product managers and engineers to ensure seamless execution.
• Shared Ownership: A culture where design, product, and engineering share responsibility for product success and user outcomes.
• Constructive Feedback: An environment that encourages open, honest, and constructive feedback to elevate the quality of work and foster professional growth.
• Cross-Functional Partnerships: Building strong relationships with editorial, marketing, and central design teams to ensure a unified brand experience and effective product launches.

📝 Enhancement Note: Yahoo's stated values and the nature of media operations suggest a culture that values both user empathy and business results, with a strong emphasis on collaborative problem-solving and continuous improvement. The ability to integrate design seamlessly into the broader operational workflow is key.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Business Needs with User Experience: Navigating the inherent tension between immediate business objectives (e.g., ad revenue, engagement metrics) and delivering optimal user experiences.
• Pace of the News Cycle: Adapting design processes to the rapid, 24/7 nature of news content and breaking stories, requiring agility and efficient iteration.
• AI Integration Complexity: Effectively exploring, integrating, and designing for AI-augmented features while managing user expectations and ethical considerations.
• Maintaining Design Consistency: Ensuring a cohesive and high-quality user experience across diverse Yahoo News platforms (web, mobile apps, etc.) and varying devices.
• Managing Distributed Teams: Fostering strong team cohesion, collaboration, and productivity when working with remote or geographically dispersed team members.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• AI Design Leadership: Opportunity to become a thought leader in applying AI to design processes and product features within the media industry.
• Strategic Product Influence: Gaining deeper experience in shaping product strategy for a major digital media brand, influencing direction and impact.
• Cross-Disciplinary Expertise: Expanding knowledge in areas like editorial workflows, advertising technology, and data science through collaboration.
• Mentorship & Team Building: Developing advanced leadership and coaching skills by nurturing a talented design team.
• Industry Trends: Staying at the forefront of digital media, UX best practices, and emerging technologies through continuous learning and professional development.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are typical for a senior leadership role in a dynamic media environment, particularly with the integration of new technologies like AI. The growth opportunities are substantial, offering a path for significant career advancement and skill development.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe your philosophy for leading and motivating a product design team, especially in a fast-paced media environment." (Focus on empathy, clear goals, and fostering autonomy.)
• "How do you balance the needs of different stakeholders (e.g., editorial, product, engineering, advertisers) when making design decisions for a news platform?" (Emphasize data-driven prioritization and collaborative problem-solving.)
• "Walk us through a time you successfully integrated AI tools or designed an AI-augmented feature. What were the challenges and outcomes?" (Highlight your strategic thinking, user impact, and process.)
• "How would you approach establishing design standards and ensuring consistency across multiple Yahoo News platforms (web, mobile)?" (Discuss design systems, style guides, and cross-functional alignment.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you about Yahoo News and its role in the digital media landscape today?" (Show research into their current position, challenges, and opportunities.)
• "How do you foster a culture of inclusivity and belonging within a design team?" (Connect to your personal leadership style and experience with diverse teams.)
• "Describe your experience managing remote or hybrid teams. What strategies do you use to ensure effective collaboration and productivity?" (Detail your approach to communication, accountability, and team engagement.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Focus on Leadership: For each case study, clearly delineate your leadership role, the strategic thinking involved, and how you guided the team.
• Quantify Impact: Use metrics to demonstrate the success of your projects. Show how your team's work contributed to business goals or user satisfaction.
• Showcase Process & Problem-Solving: Detail your approach to tackling complex design challenges and how you leveraged user insights and data.
• Tell a Concise Story: Be prepared to present your key projects within a given timeframe, focusing on the most impactful elements. Practice your narrative to ensure clarity and engagement.
• Address AI Experience: If you have AI design experience, ensure it's prominently featured and discuss your approach and lessons learned.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating leadership, strategic thinking, collaborative ability, and a deep understanding of the media industry and user-centered design principles, with a particular emphasis on AI integration and managing diverse teams.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Design Manager position:

• Submit Application: Navigate to the Yahoo Careers portal via the provided URL and submit your comprehensive application, ensuring all fields are accurately completed.
• Resume Optimization: Tailor your resume to highlight your 10+ years of product design experience, specifically emphasizing your 5+ years in design leadership and management roles. Use keywords from the job description such as "user-centric design," "team leadership," "cross-functional collaboration," "AI design," and "media."
• Portfolio Preparation: Curate a portfolio that showcases your leadership achievements, strategic thinking, and impact. Prepare 2-3 detailed case studies that exemplify your ability to lead design teams, drive user-centered initiatives, and contribute to business objectives, particularly with examples related to AI integration or media products.
• Research Yahoo News: Thoroughly research Yahoo News's current product offerings, target audience, competitive landscape, and recent developments. Understand their mission and how design contributes to their success.
• Prepare for Case Studies & Scenarios: Anticipate interview questions and potential design challenges related to managing design teams, driving product strategy in a fast-paced media environment, and integrating AI technologies. Practice articulating your thought process and solutions clearly and concisely.

⚠️ 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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