Staff Design Operations Program Manager

A race is won by the driver, but it's decided in the pit lane: the crew that changes four tires in under two seconds so the driver never has to think about anything but the road ahead. Design Ops plays that role for Mercury's 40+ person design team, building the systems, tools, process, and rituals that let designers focus entirely on the work, not the mechanics behind it. We're looking for a Staff Design Operations Program Manager to serve as that pit crew as we build radically different banking*.

You'll define where Design Ops needs to go and why, build the systems and judgment that let the design org compound its quality and velocity as it grows, and represent that point of view with design leadership, cross-functional partners, and outside the company.

This role owns strategy and execution. Design Ops is a team of one today, so you'll set direction and run the work yourself, from concept to delivery. You'll be relied on by other departments and executive stakeholders to move ambiguous, cross-functional problems to resolution.

Key Responsibilities

• Set and run Design Ops' strategy: Own the strategic direction for Design Ops (where the function needs to go, why, and what we're deliberately not doing), and drive it through execution yourself, from roadmap to delivery.
• Own Design's AI-first point of view: Set the strategy and decision framework for how Design adopts AI tooling and reshapes its process, in partnership with Design Leaders and Product Ops. Be ready to build yourself: the skills, agents, and workflows designers will use day to day. Partner with Procurement to secure access to new tools.
• Architect systems that scale: Design, build, and run the operating system that lets the design org keep scaling year over year without adding overhead. Keep processes lightweight: introduce only what's needed to advance quality and give the team visibility.
• Set and execute the design culture strategy: Define what culture and quality rituals should exist (all-hands, onsites, team rituals) and the outcomes they need to drive, then own the execution, looping in design managers or cross-functional partners for support.
• Build and run Design's external presence strategy: Own the strategy for how Mercury Design shows up externally to support hiring and brand, and drive execution, from content to events to award submissions in partnership with the Comms team.
• Define and run onboarding & enablement: Set the strategy and quality bar for how new designers ramp, in partnership with EPD Ops, and own the programming.
• Be the cross-functional connective tissue: Build relationships across Product Ops, Research Ops, Eng Ops, and design leadership that make you a first call on ambiguous, cross-functional problems. Break down silos, navigate competing priorities, and move multi-stakeholder programs to a conclusion, including with executive partners.
• Be a strategic thought partner to the VP of Design and design managers: Bring an independent point of view to conversations on team health, quality, and priorities, and translate design leadership's goals into Design Ops' strategy and roadmap.
• Define what gets measured: Set the success metrics and reporting cadence for design programs across the org, and use them to make the case for where to invest next, including additional Design Ops headcount as the function's remit grows.

The ideal candidate for the role has:

• A track record of independently setting strategy for a horizontal function: defining the thesis, not just executing a project list handed to you.
• Excellent interpersonal, presentation, and communication skills, including a demonstrated abilit