Lead Design Ops Manager
Interview Stages
| Stage | Interviewer(s) | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Recruiter Screen | [Recruiter Name] | 30 min |
| Hiring Manager Screen | [Hiring Manager Name] | 45 min |
| Round 2: PM | [PM Interviewer] | 45 min |
| Round 2: Designer | [Designer Interviewer] | 45 min |
| Round 2: Engineer | [Engineering Interviewer] | 45 min |
| Final/Culture Round | Executive or Culture Team Member | 30 min |
Recruiter Screen
Focus Areas: Leadership Readiness, Systems Thinking, Strategic Influence
- What's an example of a system or initiative you've led that transformed how a design org operates?
- What does "leadership without management" mean to you in an operations context?
- How do you define impact at a lead level?
Hiring Manager Screen
Focus Areas: Cross-Org Strategy, Operational Vision, Coaching
- Walk me through a time you shaped team operations, rituals, or systems across an entire org.
- How do you prioritize what work to take on when supporting multiple leaders or teams?
- How do you mentor or elevate others while still executing at a high level?
Round 2 Interviews
PM Interview
Focus Areas: Strategic Planning, Partnership, Execution Support
- How do you partner with PMs and design leaders during roadmap or planning cycles?
- Tell me about a time you helped clarify ownership and accountability across multiple functions.
- What's your role in keeping timelines on track while upholding design quality?
- How do you advocate for design in a cross-functional leadership context?
Designer Interview
Focus Areas: Culture, Enablement, Design Quality
- What role do you play in improving or protecting design quality through operations?
- Share a time you helped reshape or rebuild a team's rituals, cadences, or practices.
- How do you support both junior and senior designers in doing their best work?
- What's your approach to improving creative velocity and team health at the same time?
Engineering Interview
Focus Areas: Multi-Team Coordination, System Design, Communication
- Tell me about a time you helped reduce friction between design and engineering at scale.
- What systems or rituals have you co-created to ensure smooth cross-functional delivery?
- How do you balance the needs of engineers with design team processes and timelines?
- What operational documentation or tooling have you built that improved transparency?
Final/Culture Round
Focus Areas: Vision, Influence, Leadership Maturity
- What's your leadership philosophy as a Design Ops Lead?
- How do you shape org culture through systems, storytelling, or operational practices?
- Tell me about a time you made things better for others behind the scenes.
- What are you building toward — and how do you want to grow in the next 1–2 years?