Director, Product Design
What is Design?
Design isn't just how it looks
Design isn't just how it works
Design isn't just usability
Design is the act of ensuring real value is delivered to real people
Which is the goal of all Product People... but, designers are in a particularly vital spot as they are going to be relied upon to be the ones that know those we aim to serve better than anyone else on the team (not just Product, but the entire company). You'll know their grand desires as well as the minutiae of their daily needs.
What is a Director?
- Squads serve the customer
- IC's serve the squad... making sure they bring their full self to the quest of continuous value delivery AND continuous improvement of daily work
- Managers serve the IC's... making sure they have what they need to do what they do best every day... and they have opportunities to learn and grow.
- Directors serve a function, and the desired outcomes of the function's existence... making sure that strategy and organizational design puts everyone in the best position to continuously deliver value that customers love – and work for the business.
- Directors ensure those within your function are put in a position to win.
- Directors ensure those that interact with your function come to expect true collaboration; meaning they know they can ask for help, they know those in your function will ask for help when needed, and they look forward to pursuing opportunities together.
As a director, the expectation is that you are working within a strategy, but with little guidance on the specifics. But you thrive in this ambiguity. You not only get shit done, but you make sure everyone is working together to continuously get shit done a bit better every day.
Required responsibilities / assignments
Function Leader
We serve a specific function and the people executing against its Assignments. Our goal is continuous improvement of the tools and processes (balancing autonomy and focusing on feedback loops) to ensure everyone knows what success means, has the tools to achieve success, and are engaged throughout the journey in pursuit of success.
Business Knowledge,Community,Systems Design and Management,Mentorship,Process Knowledge
Hiring Manager
Bringing new folks into our community is one of the most important activities any of us will do. We ensure a good candidate experience, a great interviewer experience, and ultimately a talent/opportunity fit we are excited about.
Business Knowledge,Project Management
People Manager
We help those we serve achieve their personal growth and work goals – using servant leadership principles of empowering and trusting, transparency, providing clarity, and ensuring 360-degree accountability.
Communication,Community,Goal Management,Mentorship
Recruiter / Sourcer
Our sole goal is to help fill the top of the funnel with "Hell Yeah" candidates
Community
Product Teammate
We are the builder, thinkers, the foundation for our business. Our business exists to provide value primarily via software – and we have the tremendous honor of being the caretakers of the software. Our motto as Product People is; Continuously Deliver Value – that Clients and Partners Love – and works for the business.
Product Knowledge,Process Knowledge,Business Knowledge,Goal Management,Collaboration
Optional responsibilities / Assignments
Customer Insight Excavator
We take in stories, feedback, complaints, and solution requests (from customers) – and convert them into Product gold called Insights
Data Analyst
We seek evidence that helps us decide on the direction we will take. There is a saying "if all we have are opinions, let's use mine... but if we have data, let's use that". CareerPlug aspires to be data-influenced in all product decisions. We are the engine that powers that influence.
Forward Progress Facilitator
A team/squad is a collection of individuals coming together to accomplish some mission. To accomplish a mission, the team needs to make forward progress. We are the facilitators of this forward progress... ensuring that with every action we take brings us closer to achieving our mission 💪🏾 We know it takes a team to succeed, and are committed to ensuring WTWT and collaboration. Regardless of our processes, meeting style and cadences, and communication methods; we ensure progress (next steps, priorities, and deliverables) are as clear as possible.
In-app guide admin
We collaborate on the in-app guide needs
Insights to Opportunity Alchemists
We ensure the opportunities on our opportunity tree are organized and rich with evidence that supports further investment. This evidence comes from everywhere, but is primarily sourced from Insights.
Opportunity Tree Caretaker
We ensure the opportunities we focus on are in alignment with the product strategy and give us the best chance at achieving our ultimate goals of continuous value delivery. We succeed if the Oppties we select results in helping us meet our product strategy goals.
Post-launch--Built-in-quality Guard
There can be no Value without Quality. We ensure we are building that quality in. From selecting opportunities, to shaping solutions, how we decompose and sequence the build out, and even how we do staged rollouts of our launches. We are looking for ways to ensure quality at every turn.
Pre-launch--Built-in-quality Guard
There can be no Value without Quality. We ensure we are building that quality in. From selecting opportunities, to shaping solutions, how we decompose and sequence the build out, and even how we do staged rollouts of our launches. We are looking for ways to ensure quality at every turn.
Sorcerex of Truth
We ensure that all stakeholders can rely on the product sources of truth. When they need to know... they can find out – just like ✨ magic 🪄
Value Shaper
We shape the solutions aimed at the desired outcome within Opportunities. We are the missionaries within Product obsessively focused on the five big value attributes while seeking continuously improved ways to deliver value that our clients/partners love and work for the business.
Visual/UI Designer
We are relied upon by our squadmates for our strong design opinion (simple, elegant, brand-aware, desirable, viable, feasible, and usable) while being flexible and open to ideas during the collaborative convergence
Eligibility
- Take on and met/exceed the expectations of the 5 Assignments defined above
- Earn the 10 Ability milestones defined above
- CareerPlug
- Business Knowledgeneeds Milestone 2
- Optional Milestone 1, based on the optional role of Customer Insight Excavator
- Required Milestone 2, based on the required role of Function Leader
- Required Milestone 1, based on the required role of Hiring Manager
- Optional Milestone 3, based on the optional role of Opportunity Tree Caretaker
- Required Milestone 1, based on the required role of Product Teammate
- Optional Milestone 2, based on the optional role of Value Shaper
- Communicationneeds Milestone 2
- Optional Milestone 2, based on the optional role of Data Analyst
- Optional Milestone 2, based on the optional role of In-app guide admin
- Optional Milestone 3, based on the optional role of Insights to Opportunity Alchemists
- Optional Milestone 2, based on the optional role of Opportunity Tree Caretaker
- Required Milestone 2, based on the required role of People Manager
- Optional Milestone 2, based on the optional role of Sorcerex of Truth
Product - Collaborationneeds Milestone 1
- Optional Milestone 2, based on the optional role of Data Analyst
- Optional Milestone 3, based on the optional role of Forward Progress Facilitator
- Optional Milestone 2, based on the optional role of In-app guide admin
- Optional Milestone 1, based on the optional role of Opportunity Tree Caretaker
- Optional Milestone 1, based on the optional role of Post-launch--Built-in-quality Guard
- Required Milestone 1, based on the required role of Product Teammate
- Optional Milestone 2, based on the optional role of Sorcerex of Truth
- Optional Milestone 2, based on the optional role of Value Shaper
- Process Knowledgeneeds Milestone 3
- Optional Milestone 1, based on the optional role of Customer Insight Excavator
- Optional Milestone 2, based on the optional role of Forward Progress Facilitator
- Required Milestone 3, based on the required role of Function Leader
- Required Milestone 2, based on the required role of Product Teammate
- Product Knowledgeneeds Milestone 3
- Optional Milestone 3, based on the optional role of Insights to Opportunity Alchemists
- Optional Milestone 2, based on the optional role of Opportunity Tree Caretaker
- Optional Milestone 3, based on the optional role of Post-launch--Built-in-quality Guard
- Required Milestone 3, based on the required role of Product Teammate
- Optional Milestone 3, based on the optional role of Value Shaper
- Project Managementneeds Milestone 2
- Optional Milestone 2, based on the optional role of Forward Progress Facilitator
- Required Milestone 2, based on the required role of Hiring Manager
Delivery - Stakeholder / feedback managementneeds Milestone 0
- Optional Milestone 1, based on the optional role of Forward Progress Facilitator
- Optional Milestone 2, based on the optional role of Opportunity Tree Caretaker
- Optional Milestone 2, based on the optional role of Post-launch--Built-in-quality Guard
- Optional Milestone 2, based on the optional role of Sorcerex of Truth
Discovery / Shaping - Data analysis / synthesisneeds Milestone 0
- Optional Milestone 2, based on the optional role of Data Analyst
- Optional Milestone 1, based on the optional role of Value Shaper
- Decomposition & Sequencingneeds Milestone 0
- Optional Milestone 2, based on the optional role of Post-launch--Built-in-quality Guard
- Optional Milestone 2, based on the optional role of Value Shaper
- Product Discoveryneeds Milestone 0
- Optional Milestone 1, based on the optional role of Customer Insight Excavator
- Optional Milestone 3, based on the optional role of Insights to Opportunity Alchemists
- Optional Milestone 1, based on the optional role of Opportunity Tree Caretaker
- Optional Milestone 1, based on the optional role of Value Shaper
- Qualitative Researchneeds Milestone 0
- Optional Milestone 3, based on the optional role of Customer Insight Excavator
- Optional Milestone 1, based on the optional role of Insights to Opportunity Alchemists
- Optional Milestone 1, based on the optional role of Value Shaper
Engineering - Software Testingneeds Milestone 0
- Optional Milestone 1, based on the optional role of Pre-launch--Built-in-quality Guard
Leadership - Communityneeds Milestone 2
- Required Milestone 1, based on the required role of Function Leader
- Required Milestone 2, based on the required role of People Manager
- Required Milestone 1, based on the required role of Recruiter / Sourcer
- Goal Managementneeds Milestone 2
- Optional Milestone 2, based on the optional role of Opportunity Tree Caretaker
- Required Milestone 2, based on the required role of People Manager
- Required Milestone 1, based on the required role of Product Teammate
- Mentorshipneeds Milestone 3
- Required Milestone 3, based on the required role of Function Leader
- Required Milestone 2, based on the required role of People Manager
- Prioritization Strategy (Sense and Respond)needs Milestone 0
- Optional Milestone 3, based on the optional role of Opportunity Tree Caretaker
- Systems Design and Managementneeds Milestone 3
- Required Milestone 3, based on the required role of Function Leader
- Optional Milestone 1, based on the optional role of Opportunity Tree Caretaker
- Business Knowledgeneeds Milestone 2
- 0 cumulative Ability milesIf you are unfamiliar with the MAAP philosophy, cumulative Ability miles will not mean anything to you. It is a simple and easiest to understand if youplay around with it, and create your unique job description!
Alternative / Equivalent titles
- Official Internal Title:Product Design - Mgmt - 4.1 (Director)
- Official External Title:Director, Product Design
- Director, Product UX Design