Gusto is a customer-obsessed company, whose mission is to create a world where work empowers a better life. We are seeking our second Design Program Manager to join the Product Design Team, a cross-disciplinary group of designers, UX writers, research and operations that is responsible for crafting delightful experiences that not only serve small businesses and their employees, but also have a profound and positive impact on the relationship between the two. Your role is to provide program management expertise as well as operational support to a design team that’s growing across 3 different offices (SF, Denver, NYC) in addition to our cross-functional partners by improving communication and collaboration, removing roadblocks, streamlining the product development process, and fostering a strong design culture. 

The ideal candidate will have proven program management experience and strong leadership skills. Excellent communication skills, ability to manage complex logistics, and a highly organized approach are mandatory. You'll utilize a full range of project management, as well as interpersonal skills to help keep our goals focused, contribute to plans that will be most impactful to the team, and execute specific programs intended to move the team forward. You’ll be a key contributor to scaling our design team, our culture, and the way we operate with a high level of responsibility, areas of ownership, and room for growth. 

Here’s what you’ll do day-to-day:

• Utilize a full range of organizational and interpersonal skills to help keep our teams on track, and execute specific initiatives intended to improve team culture and industry expertise
• Identify team needs with regards to process, tools, documentation, and asset management and introduce changes to make sure the team is working at optimum efficiency
• Proactively contribute best practices tips and templates to shared Design resources
• Shepherd design-led projects from concept to public release by coordinating the work of designers, researchers, writers, and engineers. This includes managing project schedules, clearly communicating goals and risks to stakeholders, and helping projects meet deadlines
• Keep a pulse on team morale, escalating risks to leadership and identifying opportunities for improvement

Here’s what we’re looking for:

• 5+ years of experience as a producer, project manager or program manager, including experience working with design, research, product and engineering teams
• Cares deeply about improving team effectiveness by leveraging systems, processes, and tools and has experience creating lean and scalable workflows
• An excellent communicator and influencer with an entrepreneurial ownership mentality who can work well with various groups and levels of the organization
• Ability to organize cross-functional activities into a complete plan, recognizing interdependencies, and establishing a framework for the team to execute on
• Ability to handle ambiguity, seek clarity and drive conversations forward
• Has genuine empathy for small business owners and employees and a deep desire to improve their lives

Bonus points if you have:

• Strong familiarity with design tools, software and prototyping methods
• Thorough knowledge of user-centered research and design processes as well as iterative development
• Experience with design systems

About Gusto

Our customers come from all walks of life and so do we. We hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds, not just because it's the right thing to do, but because it makes our company stronger. If you share our values and our enthusiasm for small businesses, you will find a home at Gusto. 

Gusto is a modern, online people platform that helps small businesses take care of their teams. On top of full-service payroll, Gusto offers health insurance, 401(k)s, expert HR, and team management tools. Today, Gusto offices in Denver, San Francisco, and New York serve more than 100,000 businesses nationwide.