About the Role
Design Operations is crucial to the future success of our design teams and the Product department, enabling design teams to do their best work and ensuring they are equipped with the information and processes needed to deliver outstanding results.
As the Design Operations Lead, you’ll play a key role in driving transformation by supporting the Design leadership team and their direct reports in delivering the Product strategy. You will continually improve our working methods, ensuring projects and tasks are completed efficiently and have a lasting impact.
You will report to the Deputy Creative Director and work closely with other members of the Product leadership team, including the Creative Director, Director of Product Operations, and Director of Innovative Product.
Key Responsibilities
- Liaise with the Deputy Creative Director, Creative Director, and Director of Innovation to manage the day-to-day running of the design department.
- Ensure the design workflow consistently aligns with the business's improvement plans and engages relevant stakeholders at appropriate times.
- Provide leadership, coordination, and hands-on support to:
- Sessions that keep departmental and project stakeholders informed of design milestones, setting up appropriate check-ins to ensure deadlines are met.
- Track the team's progress and find opportunities to improve capabilities, resource allocation, engagement, and culture.
- Build and maintain alignment and close working relationships with Product Operations.
- Collaborate with Product Operations to establish processes for consistent project tracking and reporting from a Design perspective.
- Highlight dependencies between projects to ensure effective delivery.
- Help project leads identify and resolve risks and issues, escalating when necessary.
- Dive into specific projects to offer assistance (e.g., process mapping, capturing requirements, setting up workshops, producing presentations, liaising with other departments/stakeholders).
- Contribute to decision-making by understanding the subject matter.
- Identify where additional skills/resources are required to complete the projects.
- Keep our project delivery process under continuous review to ensure design is delivering value early and often.
- Elevate our Design department's profile within the external design community to attract the best talent.
Key Skills
- Proven success in delivering projects (formal PM experience not necessary).
- Experience in a design environment.
- Proficiency with tools like Jira and Confluence.
- Familiarity with Agile and Product Management concepts, principles, and practices.
- Experience in improvement programmes and supporting operational processes.
- Ability to navigate complexity and deliver valuable outcomes in a fast-paced environment.
- Natural curiosity regarding how things work and a desire to fix business problems.
- Ability to build relationships, collaborate, and communicate effectively at all levels.
- Strong strategic thinking and analytical skills.
- Positive, pragmatic outlook and resilience in handling setbacks.
- Organised and adaptable, not restricted by rigid processes.
- Understanding of technical aspects of projects to manage timelines, risks, and issues.
Desirable Skills
- Awareness of Design Operations practices in the industry.
- Experience in system implementations (ideally design-related).
- Knowledge of Design System management principles.
- Experience in the media or another fast-paced sector.
- Project management qualification.
- Process improvement and/or Agile working qualification.
Benefits
The nature of our industry means life at the Telegraph Media Group is fast-paced, demanding, and interesting. We also want it to be rewarding for everyone who works here by creating a suite of benefits that contribute to lifestyle choices and leisure activities. From dynamic working opportunities, medical cover, and parental leave (six months fully paid maternity leave and enhanced paternity/partner leave), to life assurance and season ticket loans, you can choose from a range of flexible benefits, designed to support your lifestyle and help you achieve a healthy work-life balance.
Training and development
With support from your manager and colleagues, you’ll also have access to a variety of training and development opportunities through The Academy. Covering a range of personal and professional skills, our courses enable you to develop an enjoyable and rewarding career.
Our commitment to inclusion
At Telegraph Media Group, we foster a diverse and inclusive workplace and we are committed to building a team that reflects a wide variety of skills, perspectives and backgrounds. We believe in equality of opportunity and welcome candidates from all backgrounds, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio-economic background, religion and/or belief.
We are proud to be a Disability Confident Employer as part of the government’s Disability Confident Scheme. If you are disabled or have a long-term health condition and would like support in applying for any of our roles or if you require any reasonable adjustments in the recruitment process with us, please make us aware.
To find out more about Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging at Telegraph Media Group, and for more information on our purpose, beliefs, and people values, please visit our website
