Senior Design Manager, Design Technology

Working at Atlassian

Atlassians can choose where they work whether in an office, from home, or a combination of the two. That way, Atlassians have more control over supporting their family, personal goals, and other priorities. We can hire people in any country where we have a legal entity. Interviews and onboarding are conducted virtually, a part of being a distributed-first company.

About the Role

As a Senior Design Manager (Design Technology capability), you will establish and grow Atlassian's Design Technology practice, leading a team of Design Technologists who bridge the gap between design and engineering. You are a player-coachresponsible for both people management and hands-on technical leadershipdriving the integration of advanced prototyping, AI tooling, and design technology practices across all of Atlassian Design, including the Atlassian Design System. Your work will enable teams to deliver world-class, scalable, and inclusive experiences for millions of users.

You'll join the Atlassian Design System (ADS) leadership team, reporting to the Head of Design for ADS, a multidisciplinary group building the foundational tools, components, and guidelines that power the user experience across all Atlassian apps. The ADS team partners closely with product, engineering, and accessibility experts to create scalable, inclusive, and coherent design solutions at enterprise scale. You'll shape the future of Atlassian's prototyping culture, champion best practices, and accelerate innovation through AI tooling and AI-toolchain workflow improvements for all of Atlassian Design.

Key Responsibilities

• Establish and develop the Design Technology practice at Atlassian, setting vision and standards for technical prototyping and design tooling.
• AI literacy applied to prototyping and AI vibe coding tools
• Lead, coach, and develop a team of Design Technologists, fostering craft excellence, technical depth, and a culture of innovation.
• Drive adoption and evolution of design technology practices, including advanced prototyping, motion, and AI-led interaction patterns.
• Collaborate with cross-functional leaders (Design, Product, Engineering) to align design technology strategy with business and product goals.
• Sponsor and refine organizational processes to improve efficiency, scalability, and quality across the design talent lifecycle.
• Champion inclusive design and accessibility, ensuring all solutions leverage and extend Atlassian's design system.
• Lead through change and ambiguity, providing strategic direction and support to your teams.
• Mentor and grow technical craft, supporting career development and upskilling across the design organization.

• 10+ years of experience designing + building software products, with 5+ years of experience managing and mentoring product designers.
• Experience with AI/ML in design and accessibility is a must.
• Deep understanding in design technology, prototyping, and advanced front-end development technologies
• Strong strategic and systems thinking. You know how to shape direction, clarify ambiguity, and help teams focus on the right problems.
• Effective communicator and collaborator. You've built trusted relationships across design, product, engineering, and marketing, and are comfortable engaging with executive stakeholders.
• Known for your craft leadership. You support and grow high-quality interaction and visual design, and guide the work toward elegant, durable solutions.
• Track record of shaping and scaling design tooling solutions and best practices across organisations.
• Proven ability to hire and grow design talent. You give thoughtful feedback, coach for impact, and create an environment where designers can grow through challenge, support, and trust. You inspire, not just direct.

• Practice-building: You will not only lead a team but also define and mature the Design Technologist specialization at Atlassian, shaping how this craft evolves in the age of AI and rapid prototyping.
• Technical depth: You have a comprehensive knowledge of prototyping methods across mobile and web apps to develop interactive prototypes that clearly communicate technical design concepts.
• Impact at scale: Your work will directly influence the quality, efficiency, and innovation of Atlassian's product experiences, enabling teams to move faster and deliver better outcomes for customers.