Explore Design Manager Jobs

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.

What Does a Design Manager Do?

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.

Common Design Manager Specialties

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.

Skills Employers Look For

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.

Find Your Next Design Leadership Role

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.

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$80K - $95K *

Drive workforce readiness and training initiatives for new data center projects. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to develop effective training programs, ensuring employee competency and operat...

Reposted 2 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Transportation

$85K - $127K *

Partner with us to lead and manage healthcare architectural projects, overseeing all phases from planning to construction. Foster client relationships while ensuring quality, compliance, and effective...

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Real Estate & Construction

$85K - $127K *

Join a dynamic team to lead and manage healthcare architectural projects, overseeing all phases from planning to construction. Foster client relationships while ensuring quality, compliance, and effec...

Reposted 1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Real Estate & Construction

$106K - $164K *

Transform project delivery by leading healthcare architectural projects, managing budgets, schedules, and client relationships. Oversee all phases from planning to construction, ensuring quality and c...

2 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Real Estate & Construction

$100K - $169K *

Create innovative data products by collaborating with cross-functional teams to define metrics, analyze proprietary datasets, and deliver insights that drive customer value in the private capital mark...

1 week ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$100K - $169K *

Shape the future of data-driven products by owning the Derived Intelligence portfolio. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to define metrics, develop predictive models, and deliver innovative solu...

1 week ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$130K - $155K *

Lead the charge in managing creative projects by collaborating with cross-functional teams to align marketing goals with design initiatives. Drive innovation and efficiency while fostering a productiv...

Yesterday

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$130K - $155K *

Lead the charge in managing creative projects that align with marketing goals. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver high-quality brand initiatives while optimizing workflows and fosterin...

Yesterday

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$100K - $135K *

Unlock your potential by leading impactful projects from initiation to close. Collaborate with cross-functional teams, manage risks, and ensure timely delivery while utilizing AI tools to enhance prod...

United StatesRemote

2 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Healthcare

$85K - $100K *

Lead from the production floor to optimize processes and drive performance in a fast-paced injection molding environment. Collaborate with teams to meet production goals while ensuring quality and eff...

2 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$100K - $120K *

Lead the charge in managing process engineering projects, ensuring efficient execution of front-end phases for small- to mid-cap retrofit projects while collaborating closely with clients and stakehol...

2 days ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Real Estate & Construction

$95K - $120K *

Transform design visions into reality by leading a dynamic team of architects and designers. Drive project success through innovative solutions, technical expertise, and effective communication, ensur...

2 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Real Estate & Construction

$95K - $120K *

Elevate design excellence by leading a dynamic team of architects and designers, driving innovative solutions for K-12 education projects while ensuring compliance with safety and code requirements th...

2 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Real Estate & Construction

$120K - $150K *

Optimize inventory and warehouse operations, ensuring efficiency and productivity while collaborating cross-functionally to support hardware manufacturing and assembly processes...

2 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$105K - $175K *

Drive your career with a pivotal role in enhancing eCommerce technology. Lead cross-functional teams to deliver innovative solutions, ensuring platform performance and availability while managing comp...

6 days ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Retail & Consumer Goods

$80K - $95K *

Engage with the architectural community to drive product specifications and sales across multiple states. Collaborate with key decision-makers, deliver impactful presentations, and manage pipeline act...

2 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Real Estate & Construction

$110K - $130K *

Transform customer experiences by designing impactful lifecycle programs that guide onboarding, adoption, and renewal. Collaborate across teams to create seamless, data-driven journeys that enhance cu...

United StatesRemote

Today

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$78K - $90K *

Lead the charge in managing digital and AI projects, collaborating with cross-functional teams to deliver exceptional client solutions while enhancing your project management and consulting skills in...

Toronto, ONIn-Person

1 week ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Technical Services

$118K - $177K *

Lead the charge in mechanical design excellence, guiding a talented team to deliver innovative, modular solutions that meet customer and regulatory standards while driving continuous improvement acros...

Today

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Pharmaceuticals & Biotech

$118K - $177K *

Lead the charge in mechanical design engineering, overseeing CAD teams to ensure high-quality product designs that meet customer and regulatory standards while driving innovation and efficiency across...

Today

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Pharmaceuticals & Biotech

$118K - $177K *

Lead the charge in mechanical design engineering, driving quality and innovation in CAD practices. Collaborate across teams to develop scalable product designs that meet customer and regulatory standa...

2 days ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Pharmaceuticals & Biotech

$130K - $150K *

Champion innovative product design by creating user-centric experiences for diverse stakeholders in a dynamic B2B SaaS environment. Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams to drive product-led...

2 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Technical Services

$130K - $150K *

Transform product design by creating intuitive experiences for diverse users in a B2B SaaS environment. Collaborate closely with teams to iterate on complex workflows, ensuring accessibility and secur...

2 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Technical Services

$110K - $130K *

Champion innovation by leading a dynamic engineering team focused on rapid prototyping and advanced extrusion technologies, driving customer collaboration and technical excellence to accelerate produc...

Reposted 2 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$90K - $100K *

Lead the charge in creating impactful visual assets for corporate events, ensuring brand consistency and high-quality design. Collaborate across teams to elevate attendee experiences while managing mu...

2 days ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Hospitality & Recreation

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

  • What does a Design Manager do?question toggle

    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?question toggle

    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?question toggle

    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?question toggle

    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?question toggle

    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.