At a Glance
- Tasks: Shape and scale design operations for innovative automotive and digital experiences.
- Company: Join Toyota Connected Europe, a leader in automotive design.
- Benefits: Hybrid work model, competitive salary, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Collaborative environment with a focus on efficiency and impact.
- Why this job: Tackle complex design challenges and influence the future of design at Toyota.
- Qualifications: Experience in Design Ops and strong data skills required.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 75000 £ per year.
London (Hybrid) | Toyota Connected Europe
About the role:
We’re hiring a Design Operations expert to build and scale the operational backbone of Toyota Experience Design (TxD). Our design teams work across digital products, in-car experiences, and strategic initiatives, partnering with product, engineering, and business stakeholders across Europe and globally. As the organisation grows, we’re looking for someone to bring clarity, structure, and performance visibility to how design operates and scales.
This is a systems-focused role, responsible for improving how we plan, prioritise, deliver, and measure design work, ensuring our design teams can operate efficiently while maintaining high quality.
What you’ll be doing:
- Define and evolve a lightweight design operating model across various design teams.
- Improve how work is planned, scoped, and delivered.
- Support quarterly planning, prioritisation, and roadmap alignment.
- Improve visibility of capacity, demand, and dependencies.
- Build and maintain clear reporting frameworks.
- Track key design performance metrics.
- Reduce waste, duplication, and coordination overhead.
- Facilitate communication across distributed teams.
What we’re looking for:
- Experience in Design Ops operating in complex, cross-functional organisations.
- Track record of improving ways of working and operational efficiency.
- Strong data and reporting skills (Excel, Jira dashboards, etc).
- Comfortable working with tools like Jira, Confluence, Airtable, Figma, and AI.
- Ability to manage multiple workstreams and dependencies.
- Strong stakeholder management and communication skills.
- Strong commercial awareness: understands cost, budget, efficiency, trade-offs, etc.
- Systems thinker with a pragmatic, outcome-focused approach.
- Comfortable working in ambiguity and driving clarity.
- Focused on enabling teams, not controlling them.
What this role is not:
- Not a tooling rollout or transformation programme
- Not a people management position
Why join us:
- Work on complex, large-scale design challenges across automotive and digital.
- Partner directly with senior stakeholders and influence how design operates within Toyota Connected Europe.
- Opportunity to shape and scale a high-impact design function.
- Time-boxed role with clear outcomes and visibility of impact.
Design Ops Specialist: Scale & Optimize (Hybrid London) employer: Toyota Connected Europe
At Toyota Connected Europe, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer that fosters a collaborative and innovative work culture. As a Design Ops Specialist in our hybrid London office, you will have the unique opportunity to influence large-scale design challenges while partnering with senior stakeholders across Europe. We offer a supportive environment that prioritises employee growth, providing you with the tools and resources to excel in your role and make a meaningful impact within the automotive and digital sectors.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Design Ops Specialist: Scale & Optimize (Hybrid London)
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in the design ops space, especially those at Toyota Connected Europe. A friendly chat can open doors and give you insights that might just land you an interview.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! Prepare a portfolio or case studies that highlight your experience in improving operational efficiency and managing complex projects. Make sure to tailor it to what Toyota is looking for in a Design Ops Specialist.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice makes perfect! Get ready for interviews by rehearsing answers to common questions about design operations and stakeholder management. We recommend doing mock interviews with friends or using online platforms.
✨Tip Number 4
Apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, it shows you’re genuinely interested in joining our team at Toyota Connected Europe.
We think you need these skills to ace Design Ops Specialist: Scale & Optimize (Hybrid London)
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application:Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter for the Design Ops Specialist role. Highlight your experience in Design Ops and how it aligns with our needs at Toyota Connected Europe. We want to see how you can bring clarity and structure to our design teams!
Showcase Your Skills:Don’t forget to emphasise your data and reporting skills! Mention your experience with tools like Excel, Jira, and Figma. We’re looking for someone who can improve operational efficiency, so let us know how you've done this in the past.
Be Clear and Concise:When writing your application, keep it straightforward and to the point. We appreciate clarity, just like we aim to bring clarity to our design operations. Make sure your key achievements stand out!
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you don’t miss any important updates about the role. We can’t wait to hear from you!
How to prepare for a job interview at Toyota Connected Europe
✨Know Your Design Ops Inside Out
Make sure you’re well-versed in the principles of Design Operations. Brush up on how to define and evolve design operating models, as this will be crucial for the role. Be ready to discuss your past experiences in improving operational efficiency and how you’ve tackled complex, cross-functional challenges.
✨Showcase Your Data Skills
Since strong data and reporting skills are key for this position, prepare to demonstrate your proficiency with tools like Excel, Jira, and Confluence. Bring examples of how you've used data to track performance metrics or improve ways of working in previous roles.
✨Communicate Clearly and Confidently
This role requires excellent stakeholder management and communication skills. Practice articulating your thoughts clearly and confidently. Think about how you can facilitate communication across teams and share examples of how you’ve done this in the past.
✨Embrace Ambiguity and Drive Clarity
Be prepared to discuss how you handle ambiguity and drive clarity in your work. Share specific instances where you’ve navigated uncertain situations and brought structure to a project. This will show that you’re a systems thinker who can thrive in a dynamic environment.
