Manager, Design

OVERVIEW

A thriving, mission-driven multimedia organization, NPR produces award-winning news, information, and music programming in partnership with hundreds of independent public radio stations across the nation. The NPR audience values information, creativity, curiosity, and social responsibility – and our employees do too. We are innovators and leaders in diverse fields, from journalism and digital media to IT and development. Every day, our employees and member stations touch the lives of millions worldwide. 

Across our organization, we’re building a workplace where collaboration is essential, diverse voices are heard, and inclusion is the key to our success. We are committed to doing the right thing in our journalism and in every role at NPR. This means that integrity, adherence to our ethical standards, and compliance with legal obligations are fundamental responsibilities for every employee at NPR.

INTRO TO POSITION

As the Manager of Design, you will lead NPR’s strategic design efforts, driving initiatives that elevate the overall design impact across multiple workstreams. Your focus will be on shaping the design vision and overseeing the development of design systems to enhance the quality and consistency of design output. This role is critical in amplifying the strategic influence of design within NPR’s digital products projects and across the NPR network, ensuring that design aligns with both user needs and business goals.

You will spearhead efforts to integrate design thinking into our operations, iterating on how our teams work together to produce creative, user-centered solutions. In collaboration with cross-functional teams, you will lead the evolution of design workflows, fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration.

This position is ideal for someone passionate about strategic design leadership, with the ability to balance creativity and business excellence.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Define and implement a design strategy that aligns with business goals, ensuring that design plays a key role in product and service development.
• Utilize analytics and user feedback to measure the impact of design decisions and iterate on design strategies to optimize performance.
• Leads and mentors a team of Product Designers and Design Technologists - preparing regular performance reviews, and making effective recommendations regarding any hiring, promotion, and discipline for these positions
• Partner with product management, engineering, marketing, research, and executive teams to align design initiatives with broader business objectives.
• Ensure that all design decisions are informed by user research, data, and user-centered design methodologies.
• Articulate design strategy and the value of design to partners and stakeholders, ensuring buy-in and alignment at all levels of the organization.
• Act as a point of contact for facilitation, workshops, and design services ensuring that ICs across the design team have what they need to help our colleagues across the organization participate in design.
• Collaborate with cross-division managers and individual contributors to improve design processes, tools, and infrastructure to enhance team productivity and collaboration.
• Encourage experimentation and innovation within the design team, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible while staying aligned with user needs and business priorities.
• Provide leadership, mentorship, and support to the design team, helping to elevate their skills and align their work with strategic goals.
• Identify opportunities for refining the design process, adopting new tools, and staying ahead of industry trends to maintain a competitive edge.
• Communicate the value of design and evangelize our work within NPR, throughout the Member station network, and the global design community.
• Personally work on the entire lifecycle of specific products, as needed: research, prototyping, design, and collaboration on implementation and iteration.

The above duties and responsibilities are not an exhaustive list of required responsibilities, duties and skills. Other duties may be assigned, and this job description can be modified at any time.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Proven track record of leading design strategies and shipping digital products and services that meet both user and business needs.
• 2+ years leading or managing a team or project, including skills in talent development, coaching, mentoring, objective setting and team motivation.
• Experience designing across multiple platforms (desktop, mobile, connected devices) and contexts, including both user-facing and internal tools.
• Strong proficiency in design thinking and agile project methodologies, with the ability to integrate these approaches into daily workflows.
• Versatility in prototyping techniques, from low to high fidelity, adapting methods based on project needs and timelines.
• Deep curiosity for user behavior and emerging technologies, with a focus on how they influence design and user interaction.
• Solid understanding of technology frameworks that power digital products, such as APIs, web and mobile platforms, content management systems, and Google Analytics for data-driven insights and decision-making.
• Experience using analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics) to track user behavior, assess product performance, and inform design iterations.
• A passion for storytelling and presenting design strategies clearly and persuasively to both internal teams and external stakeholders.

WORK LOCATION

• Remote Permitted: This is a remote permitted role. This role is based out of our Washington, DC office but the employee may choose to work on a remote basis from a location that NPR approves.

JOB TYPE

• This is a full time, exempt position.

COMPENSATION

Salary Range: The U.S. based anticipated salary range for this opportunity is $138,150 - 153,750 plus benefits. The range displayed reflects the minimum and maximum salaries NPR expects to provide for new hires for the position across all US locations.

Benefits: NPR offers access to comprehensive benefits for employees and dependents. Regular, full-time employees scheduled to work 30 hours or more per week are eligible to enroll in NPR’s benefits options. Benefits include access to health and wellness, paid time off, and financial well-being. Plan options include medical, dental, vision, life/ accidental death and dismemberment, long-term disability, short-term disability, and voluntary retirement savings to all eligible NPR employees. 

Does this sound like you? If so, we want to hear from you.

NPR is an Equal Opportunity Employer. NPR is committed to being an inclusive workplace that welcomes diverse and unique perspectives, all working toward the same goal – to create a more informed public. Qualified applicants receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ethnicity, national origin, ancestry, age, religion, religious belief, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions, lactation, and reproductive health decisions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, transgender status, gender non-conforming status, intersex status, sexual stereotypes, nationality, citizenship status, personal appearance, marital status, family status, family responsibilities, military status, veteran status, mental and physical disability, medical condition, genetic information, genetic characteristics of yourself or a family member, political views and affiliation, unemployment status, protective order status, status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking, or any other basis prohibited under applicable law.

If you are a person with a disability needing assistance with the application process, please reach out to employeerelations@npr.org.

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