Lead Design Ops
Interview Stages
| Stage | Interviewer(s) | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Recruiter Screen | [Recruiter Name] | 30 min |
| Hiring Manager Screen | [Hiring Manager Name] | 45 min |
| Strategic Case Study | All Hiring Team | 60 min |
| Round 2: Design Leadership | [Design Leaders] | 45 min |
| Round 2: Team Leadership | [Team Leaders] | 45 min |
| Round 2: Cross-functional | [Cross-functional Partners] | 45 min |
| Final/Executive Round | Executive Team Members | 45 min |
Recruiter Screen
Focus Areas: Leadership, Strategic Vision, Communication
- What drew you to design operations leadership, and what excites you about this opportunity?
- Tell me about a time when you led a strategic design operations initiative across multiple teams.
- How do you approach building and leading a design operations team?
Hiring Manager Screen
Focus Areas: Strategic Leadership, Team Development, Organizational Impact
- How do you approach creating a long-term vision and strategy for design operations?
- Tell me about a time you built or transformed a design operations function.
- How do you measure and communicate the business impact of design operations?
Strategic Case Study
Focus Areas: Strategic Vision, Organizational Change, Impact Measurement
The candidate should present a comprehensive case study of a strategic design operations initiative they led that had significant organizational impact. The presentation should cover their vision, how they built alignment with leadership, their approach to implementation, how they led their team through the change, and the measurable business outcomes. The case study should demonstrate their ability to think strategically, lead teams, drive organizational change, and deliver measurable results.
Round 2 Interviews
Design Leadership Interview
Focus Areas: Strategic Partnership, Design Enablement, Organizational Influence
- How do you partner with design leadership to enable design excellence at scale?
- Tell me about a time you influenced design strategy through operational improvements.
- How do you balance standardization with the need for creative flexibility?
- What approaches have you used to scale design operations across a growing organization?
Team Leadership Interview
Focus Areas: Team Building, Talent Development, Operational Excellence
- How do you approach building and developing a high-performing design ops team?
- Tell me about a time you had to make difficult decisions about team structure or resources.
- How do you foster a culture of continuous improvement in your team?
- What's your approach to setting goals and measuring success for your team?
Cross-functional Interview
Focus Areas: Strategic Partnerships, Organizational Influence, Change Management
- How do you build strategic partnerships across the organization?
- Tell me about a time you led a cross-functional initiative that required significant change.
- How do you align design operations with broader organizational goals and strategies?
- What's your approach to navigating organizational politics and building consensus?
Final/Executive Round
Focus Areas: Strategic Vision, Business Impact, Leadership
- What's your vision for how design operations can drive business success?
- How do you approach building relationships with executive stakeholders?
- Tell me about a time you had to make a difficult strategic decision with limited information.