Head of Product Design
Purpose of the Role
To establish the design competencies and structures needed to deliver our product strategies. Ensure that our design function is optimised for productivity, quality, and building for the future.
About the Role
The Head of Product Design works across Redgate to understand the business, design, and operational concerns that impact the way our product is built and develop strategy to improve our design approach.
You'll work as part of the Product Division Leadership Team to define objectives for the division, and work through groups (such as the Coaches and Lead Product Designers) to deliver on these objectives. As Head of Product Design you'll line manage the Lead Product Designers and User Research Coach, and help set context and direction for those roles.
As Head of Product Design, you'll be consistently exhibiting the behaviours shown below:
Skills
Leadership
- Builds strategy (vision/direction) for design and fits in with Redgate's overall strategy.
- Can work and engage at all levels in the company and is able to get things done through influence and persuasion.
- Excellent change management skills, understand how to change and effect lasting change in organizations.
- Lead changes and drive continual improvement across the organisation.
- Constantly works to influence, innovate and inspire others to deliver on strategy.
- Thinks in terms of systems - doesn't reinvent the wheel, doesn't apply heroic effort - instead works to build systems to help Redgate help itself.
- Effectively manages costs (budgets, initiatives).
- Owner of Redgate's policies for product design
Mentorship
- Actively develops designers, giving them opportunities and motivation to improve and grow professionally with a focus on technical improvements.
- Grows the skills of others by mentoring, coaching, delegating or teaching as appropriate.
- Empowers teams with clear context/direction.
Role-Specific
- Passionate about all aspects of product design and strategy with deep knowledge in software design.
- Tracks Redgate's technology relative to the rest of the world and brings in insight and innovation.
- Perform exploration, experimentation and evaluation around our current design system choices to deliver guidance and practice consolidation.
- Act as custodian of common design artifacts and approaches.
- Own, maintain, and drive adoption of standards, patterns, and processes to ensure our approach is centred on customer value.
Communication
- Builds strong relationships outside the company to help understand trends that could impact Redgate.
- Great communicator both verbally and written. Able to communicate ideas succinctly and clearly.
- Represent and reflect Redgate's values in the industry.
- Communicate regularly and effectively with the company across multiple channels.
- Build strong relationships internally with stakeholders from across the business.
Emotional Intelligence
- Comfortable with transparency and feedback.
- Opinionated, but able to listen and adapt.
- Can operate successfully in a rapidly changing, fast moving environment whilst providing direction for your team.
Delivery
- Communicate regularly and effectively with the company across multiple channels.
- Have an action bias. When faced by uncertainty and risk, you make decisions nonetheless, learning from mistakes.
- Strong judgement, decision making and prioritizing skills (for the overall good of Redgate).
- Able to make analytical, data-driven decisions.
Business Knowledge
- Understands what makes great products.
- Clear awareness of our industry, technical markets and how they work.
- Understanding of the business constraints and of delivery capabilities.
- Able to propose and influence improvements outside sphere of responsibility.
- Understanding of relevant external forces (economic, legislative, technological etc).