At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead and grow the design team, shaping how developers experience observability.
- Company: Fast-growing, venture-backed observability company on a mission to simplify developer experiences.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, equity participation, and a flexible remote-first work environment.
- Other info: Collaborative culture with opportunities for mentorship and professional growth.
- Why this job: Join a mission-driven team and make a real impact in the observability space.
- Qualifications: 8+ years in product design with leadership experience in high-growth environments.
The predicted salary is between 80000 - 120000 £ per year.
Caddie is hiring on behalf of a fast-growing, venture-backed observability company on a mission to make observability radically easier for every developer. This company is building a modern, OpenTelemetry-native platform designed for seamless interoperability across today’s observability ecosystem. Their mission is simple but ambitious: deliver the best observability experience in the world. To get there, they are looking for a Director of Design to help define and scale how developers and SREs experience observability.
Your role
The company is looking for a Director of Design to lead the design team and define how developers and SREs experience observability. Reporting to the VP of Product, you will own the design function end to end. You will set the vision, build the team, and ensure the company ships world-class experiences across the platform.
Duties and Responsibilities
- Lead and grow the design team, setting high standards for craft, process, and output.
- Define and drive the design vision across the product, ensuring coherence as the platform scales.
- Partner with Product Management and Engineering leadership to shape product strategy and roadmap priorities.
- Establish and evolve design practices, processes, and rituals that help the team do their best work.
- Stay hands on where it matters. Jump into critical design challenges and set the bar for quality.
- Build a culture of frequent customer interaction, ensuring the team's work is grounded in real user workflows and pain points.
- Recruit, mentor, and develop designers as the team scales with the company.
What you bring
- 8+ years of product design experience, with 3+ years leading and managing design teams.
- Proven experience designing and leading design for complex, data-dense interfaces for technically sophisticated users.
- Track record of building strong partnerships with Product and Engineering leadership.
- Ability to operate at both strategic and tactical levels. Comfortable setting vision and rolling up your sleeves.
- Experience scaling a design team in a high-growth environment.
- Based in or willing to work CET timezone hours.
Bonus points if you
- First-hand experience and or deep understanding of the craft of operating software.
- Experience in observability, monitoring, or developer tools.
- Experience building design systems from the ground up.
What they offer
- Competitive salary
- Equity participation
- Flexible, remote-first work environment
- Collaborative and highly supportive team culture
Director of Design in Bedford employer: Caddie AI
Contact Detail:
Caddie AI Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Director of Design in Bedford
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to folks in your industry, especially those who work at companies you're interested in. A friendly chat can open doors and give you insider info that could help you stand out.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your portfolio! As a Director of Design, your work speaks volumes. Make sure your portfolio is up-to-date and highlights your best projects. Tailor it to showcase your experience with complex interfaces and team leadership.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for interviews by diving deep into the company’s products. Understand their design philosophy and be ready to discuss how you can enhance their user experience. This shows you're genuinely interested and ready to contribute.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, we love seeing candidates who take that extra step to connect with us directly.
We think you need these skills to ace Director of Design in Bedford
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter for the Director of Design role. Highlight your experience in leading design teams and working with complex interfaces, as this will show us you understand what we're looking for.
Showcase Your Vision: In your application, share your design vision and how you plan to elevate the user experience for developers and SREs. We want to see your strategic thinking and how you can contribute to our mission of making observability easier.
Highlight Collaboration Skills: Since you'll be partnering with Product Management and Engineering, emphasise your experience in building strong relationships across teams. We value collaboration, so let us know how you've successfully worked with others in the past.
Apply Through Our Website: Don't forget to submit your application through our website! This helps us keep everything organised and ensures your application gets the attention it deserves. We can't wait to see what you bring to the table!
How to prepare for a job interview at Caddie AI
✨Know Your Design Vision
Before the interview, take some time to think about your design philosophy and how it aligns with the company's mission. Be ready to articulate your vision for observability and how you would lead a design team to achieve that.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
Prepare examples of how you've successfully led design teams in the past. Highlight specific instances where you set high standards, mentored designers, or built strong partnerships with product and engineering teams.
✨Be Hands-On with Examples
Bring along a portfolio that showcases your work on complex, data-dense interfaces. Be prepared to discuss the challenges you faced and how you tackled them, demonstrating your ability to jump into critical design challenges.
✨Understand User Workflows
Research the target users—developers and SREs—and their pain points. During the interview, share insights on how you would build a culture of customer interaction within the design team to ensure the work is grounded in real user needs.