Chief of Staff and Operations Lead, Experience Design

Full-time - Senior

San Francisco, CA

Publishing Industries

About the position

We are seeking a Chief of Staff & Operations Lead to support and drive strategic initiatives for our Experience Design team within the Digital Experience & Customer Empowerment (GET (Growth Experience Technology)) organization. This role serves as a trusted advisor and thought partner to leadership, ensuring operational excellence, strategic alignment, and organizational efficiency to maximize team impact. The Chief of Staff & Operations Lead will help scale teams, improve workflows, and drive collaboration across business units such as Marketing, Sales, Engineering, and Customer Success. This role is ideal for a seasoned leader in design operations and experience design, with deep expertise in building and managing operational frameworks, fostering team collaboration, and ensuring seamless execution of strategic initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a trusted advisor to the VP of Experience Design, acting as a strategic partner and proxy when needed
• Drive operational excellence and strategy execution, ensuring alignment across the Experience Design team
• Manage and refine the organization's strategic roadmap, tracking key initiatives, verifying execution, and providing visibility into progress through dashboards and reporting
• Promote collaboration across functions, identifying opportunities to enhance team productivity, optimize workflows, and align with Autodesk's broader objectives
• Shape and scale the Design Operations function to support organizational growth and efficiency
• Design and guide executive meetings and workshops, including strategic planning, QBRs, organizational reviews, and team-building sessions
• Provide insight and structured recommendations to leadership to drive informed decision-making
• Frame and structure complex problems into clear models and trade-off frameworks to aid decision-making
• Manage internal and external communications, ensuring key messages are effectively shared across teams and leadership
• Drive governance, processes, and communication strategies for leadership staff meetings, ensuring clear tracking of priorities, blockers, and follow-ups
• Measure and improve team impact, ensuring alignment with company objectives and effectively communicating Experience Design's value to the business
• Own the development and execution of smart goals across the Experience Design team and ensure alignment with key business partners
• Oversee vendor and outsourcing management, ensuring teams have the resources they need
• Evaluate and implement tools and processes (e.g., Asana, Figma, Adobe) to enhance workflow efficiency
• Maintain a continuous pulse on team health and productivity through surveys, feedback collection, and engagement initiatives
• Foster a culture of collaboration, transparency, and continuous improvement across teams
• Develop strategies to scale team operations, ensuring they are adaptable for future growth

Requirements

• 8+ years of experience in design operations, experience design leadership, or program management
• Proven success leading high-performance experience design teams in a SaaS, subscription, or digital customer experience business
• Experience in building and scaling operational frameworks to support team growth and efficiency
• Deep understanding of Experience Design processes and workflows
• Strong influencing and relationship-building skills, with the ability to work effectively across multiple levels, from executives to junior staff
• Exceptional problem-solving skills, able to distill complex challenges into structured frameworks and actionable strategies

Nice-to-haves

• Has experience transforming Experience Design teams for greater impact
• Thrives in a fast-paced, high-impact environment, and enjoys tackling complex challenges
• Has experience in SaaS, subscription-based businesses, or companies focused on direct customer engagement
• Familiarity with Autodesk's core industries: Architecture, Engineering, Construction, Manufacturing, or Media & Entertainment

Benefits

• Health and financial benefits
• Time away and everyday wellness
• Annual cash bonuses
• Commissions for sales roles
• Stock grants
• Comprehensive benefits package