Also called: DesignOps Manager, Design Operations Lead
Keeps large design teams organized: schedules, tools, budgets, hiring, and how designers work with engineers.
A design program manager runs the weekly planning meeting for 30 designers, untangles a deadline conflict between two product teams, and rolls out a new design tool. They are the person making sure creative work actually ships.
Approximate; mostly at tech companies and large agencies.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Bachelor's degree; often former designers or project managers.
Ways in: 4-year college, On-the-job training. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Design, Business, Project Management.
Growing faster than average. Grows as design teams get bigger.
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. AI handles status reports and scheduling; coordinating people, resolving conflicts and planning designer careers stay human.
Classes: Business or FBLA, AP Psychology, Speech and debate.
Official data: O*NET occupation 11-2021.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.