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.
$100K - $115K *
Lead and manage complex digital and AI programs, ensuring alignment with client goals and delivering high-quality solutions through strategic oversight and collaboration across cross-functional teams...
1 week ago
Principal Enterprise Architect
$154K - $208K *
Unlock your potential as you shape the architecture for consumer-facing platforms, driving innovation in AI and DTC technology. Collaborate across teams to establish standards and governance, ensuring...
Reposted 6 days ago
$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
$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
$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
$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
Product Manager, Derived Intelligence
$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
Product Manager, Derived Intelligence
$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
$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
$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
$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...
2 days ago
$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
$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...
Yesterday
$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
$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
$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
$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
$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
$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...
1 week ago
$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
$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
$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
$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...
1 week ago
$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...
1 week ago
Development Engineering Manager
$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
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.