Job Description:

The Director of Design Operations is responsible for the operational effectiveness and scalability of the VA function, working in close partnership with the VA VP.

This role focuses on designing, implementing, and continuously improving the systems, processes, tools, and performance frameworks that enable the team to operate at scale.

As the group expands automation, introduces new tools and formats, and advances initiatives such as Publishing 2.0, this leader helps to ensure that the VA team adapts deliberately and efficiently, maintaining quality, consistency, and financial discipline while enabling innovation.

Role & Responsibilities:

1. Operational excellence and scalability:

- Partner with the VP to translate strategic priorities into practical operating models, workflows, and measurable performance frameworks.

- Establish metrics across capacity, turnaround time, quality, and cost efficiency.

- Develop workforce planning and vendor strategies aligned to demand and growth.

2. Automation and tooling advancement:

- Evaluate, pilot, and implement AI and automation solutions across the design, asset management, and publishing workflows.

- Work with the VP and cross-functional partners to prioritize investments and align experimentation with enterprise governance.

- Drive disciplined adoption of new tools to improve productivity and reduce manual effort.

3. Workflow and publishing evolution:

- Design scalable processes that support modular content, multi-format outputs, and evolving publishing models, including Publishing 2.0.

- Anticipate operational impacts of new delivery channels and suggest adjustments to roles, handoffs, and quality controls accordingly.

- Collaborate across teams to ensure alignment.

4. Continuous improvement and performance insight:

- Establish a culture of operational rigor and ongoing process refinement.

- Identify evolving capability needs and support skill development within the team.

- Provide regular operational insights and performance reporting to the VP and leadership team.

Preferred Candidate Profile:

- Should have 14 to 18 years of relevant experience from Design operations or creative operations leadership roles in consulting or research firms (proposal, report, presentation teams) or Global in-house creative studios (e.g., Gartner, Accenture, Big 4, large tech firms) or Content production operations teams.

- Experience running high-volume production environments with defined SLAs, throughput, and quality controls.

- Experience managing high-volume delivery environments with tight turnaround times and standardized outputs.

- Strong track record in workflow design, process optimization, and quality management.

- Hands-on experience integrating tools and automation (including AI) into production workflows.

- Clear ownership of operational metrics, capacity planning, utilization, turnaround time, and cost efficiency.