Design Operations Lead

About Us: At Booking.com, data drives our decisions. Technology is at our core. And innovation is everywhere. But our company is more than datasets, lines of code or A/B tests. We're the thrill of the first night in a new place. The excitement of the next morning. The friends you encounter. The journeys you take. The sights you see. And the memories you make. Through our products, partners and people, we make it easier for everyone to experience the world.

The Lead Design Operations Specialist (DesignOps) ensures the smooth running and administration of User Experience Operations (UXOps) programs, projects and initiatives, with a primary specialization in Design Operations (DesignOps). The Lead Specialist sets key program objectives and milestones and then works with Design craft leaders to implement and execute projects and tasks. They develop, manage, and maintain a portfolio of capabilities in areas such as design system, ways of working, and design tooling at Booking.com to improve effectiveness and efficiency and enable design at scale. To do so, they work with other UXOps team members, researchers, designers, and writers, and internal and external stakeholders across all levels of the company to deliver high-end outcomes that impact business objectives. The Lead Specialist owns a portfolio of topic areas focused on building the DesignOps function (i.e. design tooling, process improvement, or design knowledge management), and focuses on improving operational excellence for Booking.com Design through their deliverables.

Tasks & Responsibilities

• Owns and works on a portfolio of complex DesignOps programs and projects at once, ensuring they align with the broader UX and Product Operations strategy.
• Sets key objectives and milestones for the Design craft, then implements and executes projects/tasks to improve the end-to-end design lifecycle.
• Influences Design Directors and cross-functional partners to successfully execute delivery of operational improvements that raise the bar for design excellence.
• Works as the founding DesignOps portfolio lead and team consultant, identifying gaps in current creative workflows and architecting scalable solutions.
• Manages and monitors the performance of design-specific tools and vendor relationships (e.g., Figma) to ensure maximum ROI and team efficiency.
• Acts as a mentor and coach to other specialists, fostering a culture of operational excellence and a "Product Team as a Unit" mindset.
• Proactively identifies opportunities to bridge the gap between Design, Research, Content, and Product Management through unified operational support programs.

• DesignOps Mastery: 8+ years of professional experience, with at least 5 years of concrete experience building or managing Design Operations in a large-scale, global technology organization.
• The "Builder" Mindset: Proven track record of taking a DesignOps function from "zero to one"-including the formation of a strategic plan, stakeholder mapping, and initial process architecture.
• Technical Depth: Expert-level knowledge of the design technology stack.
• Design Systems Governance: Experience partnering with Design System teams to operationalize tokens, components, and handoff standards.
• Strategic Stakeholder Management: Demonstrated ability to act as a peer and advisor to Design Directors, translating high-level craft aspirations into concrete operational roadmaps.
• Portfolio Management: Advanced skills in managing multiple complex, ambiguous workstreams simultaneously using Jira or similar enterprise project management tools.
• UX and Product Synergy: Understanding of how DesignOps integrates into a broader UX and Product framework to support the "product team as a unit."
• Communication: Exceptional storytelling skills; able to communicate the value of DesignOps to non-design audiences (Product, Engineering, Finance).
• Education: Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience in Design, Business, or Operations.
• Benefits & Perks - Global Impact, Personal Relevance:

• Annual paid time off and generous paid leave scheme including: parent, grandparent, bereavement, and care leave
• Hybrid working including flexible working arrangements, and up to 20 days per year working from abroad (home country)
• Industry leading product discounts - up to 1400 per year - for yourself, including automatic Genius Level 3 status and Booking.com wallet credit

• Let's go places together: How we Hire
• If applicable: Detailed instructions on post-application requirements including any required application materials, deadlines, portfolios, coding challenges, or other assessments as defined by BU or department.
• This role does not come with relocation assistance.