Design Managers guide creative teams and shape products, services, and brand experiences. They connect design strategy with business goals, mentor designers, and collaborate with partners across product, engineering, marketing, and research. Explore vetted Design Manager opportunities paying $100,000 or more on Ladders.
Responsibilities vary by organization and specialty. Design Managers may set team priorities, oversee design systems and workflows, provide feedback on concepts, and ensure that work meets customer needs and quality standards. They also hire and develop talent, advocate for design in leadership discussions, and help teams deliver consistent results.
Roles may focus on product design, user experience (UX), user interface (UI), visual design, brand, or service design. Some managers lead a multidisciplinary team, while others concentrate on a particular product area or customer journey. Review each job description to understand the team's scope, reporting structure, and expectations.
Employers often seek people leadership, clear communication, strategic thinking, and a strong grasp of design principles and user-centered methods. Depending on the role, experience with prototyping, research, design systems, accessibility, and collaboration tools may be valuable. Familiarity with product development and the ability to connect design decisions to measurable outcomes can also help.
Compare opportunities by specialty, industry, location, work arrangement, and team scope. Ladders focuses on vetted professional jobs with salaries of $100,000 or more, helping experienced design leaders discover roles aligned with their skills and career goals. Explore current Design Manager openings and identify the opportunity that fits your next step.
Commercial Director- Model Audit, Model Build and Transactions Advisory
$125K - $150K *
Shape the future of financial modelling by leading a dynamic team responsible for analyzing and auditing complex financial models, ensuring reliability, and driving growth within a collaborative envir...
Reposted 2 days ago
Manager, Implementation Management
$102K - $140K *
Shape the future of customer success by leading implementation strategies, fostering cross-functional partnerships, and driving scalable processes for new customer rollouts in a dynamic B2B SaaS envir...
2 weeks ago
$195K - $230K *
Drive growth by leading go-to-market strategies for TMC partnerships, building and executing plans from the ground up. Collaborate cross-functionally to influence product development and represent the...
3 weeks ago
Sr. Engineer - Design Services
$79K - $122K *
Join a team that's dedicated to delivering innovative municipal engineering solutions. You'll manage complex projects, oversee data analysis, and provide technical support while collaborating with int...
1 week ago
Senior Software Engineer, Containers
$157K - $184K *
Engineer and elevate our core product by developing innovative features, tools, and infrastructure while collaborating closely with a dedicated team to maintain high-quality standards and drive techni...
Reposted 4 weeks ago
$120K - $140K *
Lead a dynamic software engineering team, ensuring quality delivery and operational excellence while fostering collaboration across business units and driving innovation in energy efficiency solutions...
2 weeks ago
Director of Engineering, Database Excellence
$230K - $345K *
Lead the charge in database excellence to enhance reliability, performance, and sustainability of GitLab's datastores. Shape long-range strategies while collaborating across teams to drive success in...
Reposted 1 week ago
$150K - $185K *
Lead cross-functional teams to drive excellence in software development for a SaaS platform, ensuring timely delivery and high-quality outcomes while fostering a collaborative engineering culture. Inn...
Reposted 3 weeks ago
$80K - $100K *
Unlock your potential as you support project management efforts, ensuring client satisfaction and effective execution of construction projects. Collaborate with teams to maintain schedules, budgets, a...
4 weeks ago
Associate Director, Strategic Sourcing
$130K - $170K *
Drive procurement excellence by optimizing vendor strategies, leveraging AI, and enhancing technology sourcing. Collaborate with leadership to shape a strategic roadmap that maximizes value and effici...
2 weeks ago
Strategy & Transformation Senior Manager - Insurance
$146K - $288K *
Champion transformative change in the insurance sector by leading client engagements, managing multidisciplinary teams, and driving measurable outcomes through innovative solutions and strategic insig...
1 week ago
Senior Operational Strategy Director
$203K - $304K *
Champion innovative operational strategies in clinical research, driving excellence in bid defense meetings and proposal development. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to enhance study execution...
4 weeks ago
$124K - $155K *
Engineer complex HVAC systems for large-scale projects, guiding teams and ensuring quality while driving design and technical excellence. Collaborate with clients and oversee project delivery from con...
Reposted 4 days ago
Lead Technical Program Manager - Remote
$125K - $150K *
Join a team that's driving complex, cross-functional programs that enhance client engineering requests and ensure timely delivery. You'll shape processes, manage dependencies, and support Tier 1 clien...
3 weeks ago
$80K - $90K *
Launch your design career by creating user-driven experiences and collaborating with cross-functional teams. Develop wireframes, prototypes, and polished UI while growing your skills in a dynamic envi...
Reposted 1 week ago
Director, Technical Experience
$135K - $160K *
Drive the strategic vision for Technical Support, enhancing service delivery and operational efficiency while championing AI transformation and innovation to elevate customer experience and achieve bu...
Reposted 4 days ago
$115K - $125K *
Drive portfolio success by leading and mentoring Property Managers, optimizing operations, and enhancing marketing strategies while ensuring compliance and effective communication with stakeholders...
Reposted 2 weeks ago
Director of Operations - California
$146K - $187K *
Lead and inspire local managers to achieve operational, clinical, and financial goals while enhancing patient care and team performance in California's healthcare landscape. Foster collaboration and c...
2 weeks ago
Legal Project Manager, Employment Litigation & Discovery
$95K - $115K *
Lead the charge in managing complex employment litigation and discovery processes. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure timely, high-quality results while enhancing legal project manageme...
1 week ago
$135K - $160K *
Join a team that's transforming established businesses by leading software engineering efforts. Drive modernization, coach teams, and implement innovative solutions while delivering high-quality softw...
1 week ago
$135K - $160K *
Take ownership of software engineering initiatives within established companies. Lead teams, modernize development processes, and enhance code quality while delivering impactful software solutions. Co...
1 week ago
$133K - $157K *
Champion development initiatives by leading strategic land acquisition and project execution. Oversee feasibility analysis, manage multidisciplinary teams, and ensure compliance with zoning and munici...
1 week ago
Senior Product Designer, Developer Platform
$110K - $130K *
Transform developer experiences by designing intuitive growth-focused products. Collaborate with a dedicated team to enhance usability, streamline onboarding, and boost retention for impactful voice-d...
Reposted 2 weeks ago
$170K - $240K *
Lead the charge in shaping data architecture strategies, driving innovation across platforms, and mentoring teams to optimize data governance and AI integration for scalable solutions that deliver mea...
3 weeks ago
$110K - $130K *
Elevate your career by managing impactful customer engagements, driving project success, and optimizing processes through innovative solutions. Collaborate with teams to deliver exceptional results an...
Yesterday
What does a Design Manager do?
A Design Manager leads designers and helps set design direction, priorities, and quality standards. The role often includes coaching and hiring, reviewing work, coordinating with cross-functional teams, and aligning design decisions with customer and business needs.
What types of Design Manager jobs are available?
Openings may include product design, UX, UI, visual, brand, or service design management. Some roles lead a broad design function; others focus on a product, team, or specific area of the customer experience.
What qualifications are commonly required for Design Manager roles?
Employers commonly look for relevant design experience, a portfolio or record of shipped work, and experience leading or mentoring people. Requirements vary, but may include expertise in a design specialty, cross-functional collaboration, and familiarity with design systems and user research.
How much do Design Managers earn?
Compensation varies by employer, location, industry, experience, and scope of responsibility. Ladders features vetted professional jobs paying $100,000 or more, including qualifying Design Manager opportunities.
How can I find Design Manager jobs on Ladders?
Browse Design Manager openings on Ladders and compare roles by specialty, location, work arrangement, and responsibilities. Review qualifications and compensation details in each listing to find a strong fit.