Lead Design Program Manager

Principal Design Program Manager (DPM)Blink UX is the product design firm crafting your next breakthrough. We partner with ambitious companies like Amazon, Google, and NASA to create transformative products and experiences through strategy, research, and design. With headquarters and labs in Seattle and studios in Boston, San Diego, San Francisco, New York City, and Bengaluru, we partner with clients around the world.This opportunity is a part of Blink's Embedded practice which supports long-term opportunities with some of Blink's largest client partners.Location:Remote- must be located in Denver, CO or Seattle, WA areaDuration: ongoingWhat you'll be doingWe are seeking a Principal Design Program Manager (DPM) to be the operating backbone for eComm Design. This person owns how design work gets requested, planned, tracked, reviewed, and delivered across web and app. They are equal parts program leader and systems builder: running high-visibility programs and our Experimentation & Growth sprints, while also building the Jira, reporting, and review structures that keep 20+ designers visible, protected, and shipping. This role will partner daily with Design, Product, Engineering, Research, and Marketing stakeholders - raising their hand when something needs to be called out, not smoothed over. We are also looking for someone who uses AI in their own workflow and helps the team do the same.Key ResponsibilitiesDesign Operations & SystemsOwn the Jira operating model for eComm Design: ticket intake, kanban board, sprint planning, status definitions, sub-task rules, and how blocked or stalled work gets flaggedHelp maintain the team dashboard and reporting so leadership can see work in progress without needing a meetingDrive story pointing and due dates on every ticket, and coach designers and Product partners until it sticksTrack designer capacity, spot overload and underuse early, and help the manager make resourcing calls with real dataRun the ops cadence: check-ins, ticket clean-up, and auditsDocument ways of working so process survives turnover and new teammates can get up to speed fastProgram Ownership & DeliveryLead design program management for major initiatives, from kickoff through post-delivery dev supportRun the working rhythm: daily design syncs, UX x PM working sessions, and weekly status updatesTranslate cross-domain timelines (Product, Dev, Offers, Biller, QE) into design milestones, handoff dates, and clear risksKeep design aligned with finalized requirements and call out early when design is running ahead of themManage scope by documenting the original ask and making mid-project changes visible and debatableExperimentation & GrowthFacilitate the Experimentation & Growth sprint cycle: check-ins, grooming, sprint review and planning, and candidate prioritizationKeep experiment tickets tied to KPIs, owners, dependencies, and outcomes so results can be found and reusedHelp evolve a more outcome-driven experimentation process and how results are shared with leadershipStakeholder Management & Leadership CommunicationSchedule and manage team Studio Reviews, Director office hour reviews, and Hot Sheet updatesGive senior leaders a clear read on status, tradeoffs, and asks, and get decisions unstuck when they are waiting on one personRun kickoffs that bring in Design early, so designers are co-creators and not order-takersManage inbound requests: push back on side-channel asks, set expectations on priority, and hold the line on intakeNavigate disagreements between teammates and partners and surface tension instead of absorbing itAI Enablement & Workflow InnovationUse AI (Claude, Jira and Confluence connectors, Figma) to speed up reporting, status updates, and admin work, and own the accuracy of everything you sendHelp design teams find real use cases for AI, with a focus on building confidence and saving timeTeam Contribution & InfluenceAct as a thought partner to the design manager on team health, capacity, and prioritiesPartner with peer DPMs on shared practices, and coach new DPMs and project coordinatorsChampion the value of design visibility, tracking, and shared definitions of done across the team and partner orgsWhat we are looking forRequired Skills & Experience7+ years of program or project management in a design, product, or technology environment, with a record of delivering complex, cross-functional workDeep Jira fluency: workflows, dashboards, JQL, custom fields, and reporting. Automation experience is a plusProven experience designing and rolling out process or operating models, not just following themExperience with Agile practices (sprints, grooming, story pointing, retros) in a mixed team where not every pod runs the same wayStrong working knowledge of design processes, Figma, design systems, and UX terminologyConfluence and documentation habits that keep knowledge shared and currentComfort presenting status, risks, and tradeoffs to Directors and VPs, in writing and liveAbility to work with ambiguity and juggle several large programs, each with its own stakeholders and paceWorking knowledge of AI tools such as Claude, plus curiosity and a track record of helping others adopt themStrong facilitation and conflict skills: direct, friendly, and willing to name the issueBachelor's degree or equivalent experience. PMP, SAFe, or similar certification is a plus$132,000 - $145,000 a year DOEBlink is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, gender, age, veteran status, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status or disability.