Location

Medidata follows a hybrid office policy in which employees who are hired for an in-person position are expected to work on site a certain number of days per week in accordance with Company policy.

About our Company:

Medidata is powering smarter treatments and healthier people through digital solutions to support clinical trials. Celebrating 25 years of ground-breaking technological innovation across more than thirty six thousand trials and 11 million patients, Medidata offers industry-leading expertise, analytics-powered insights, and one of the largest clinical trial data sets in the industry. More than 1 million users trust Medidata's seamless, end-to-end platform to improve patient experiences, accelerate clinical breakthroughs, and bring therapies to market faster. Discover more at www.medidata.com.

About the Team:

We are looking for a strategic, systems-thinking leader to join our Product Design organization as the Director of Design Operations. In an ambitious org of 50+ team members, you will be the operational architect ensuring that our design machine is perfectly synced with the broader business. You will bridge the gap between high-level strategic direction and cross-functional execution, focusing on the human and technical systems that allow our designers to thrive and integrate effectively across Strategy, Product and Engineering.

This role is ideal for a seasoned operations leader who excels at navigating large, complex organizations to find the right partners, build meaningful relationships, and communicate organizational strategy at scale.

Responsibilities:

1.Cross-Functional Architecture & Alignment

• The Connective Tissue: Serve as the primary operational partner to Product and Engineering leads to ensure design is effectively integrated into the product development lifecycle.
• Stakeholder Orchestration: Build and maintain strong working relationships across disciplines, ensuring alignment around cross-functional goals, success metrics, and delivery expectations.
• Process Engineering: Evaluate and evolve design leadership rituals and implement models (e.g., Working Backwards) to drive clarity across parallel Revised JD 1 efforts.

2. Design Team Operating Model

• Workload Management: Design and operate scalable systems for managing design requests and intake, providing leadership with clear visibility into resourcing needs and team throughput.
• Resource & Capacity Planning: Lead quarterly and annual business planning, including budget management and headcount strategies to ensure the team is structured for success. 
• Tooling & Infrastructure: Own the design technology stack and ensure that core operational resources (e.g., Design Systems, AI automation) are deployed to reduce operational burden.

3. Strategy Translation & Execution

• Operational Roadmapping: Take high-level strategic direction and break it down into actionable operational roadmaps and project management ecosystems.
• Impact Tracking: Define and monitor design KPIs—such as team engagement scores and throughput—using data to report on value delivered to the business.
• Change Leadership: Support design maturity by guiding teams through change thoughtfully, helping the broader organization understand and value design's contribution.

4. Cultivating the Team & Culture

• Team Health: Champion psychological safety and a culture of growth, supporting onboarding and peer connection to build a resilient, high performing team.
• Soft Skills Mentorship: Mentor designers in stakeholder management and persuasive storytelling to help them articulate the value of their work to cross functional partners.

Qualifications:

• Operational Rigor: Demonstrated success building and scaling complex operational systems for intake, prioritization, and workflow orchestration at scale.
• Strategic Influence: Proven ability to influence stakeholders at multiple levels, navigating ambiguity to build rapport with both senior executives and cross functional staff.
• Systems Thinking: A "systems architect" mindset that translates organizational symptoms into root causes and scalable solutions.
• Data Fluency: Comfort identifying and reporting on performance metrics to advocate for resources and validate strategic initiatives.
• Pragmatic Leadership: A collaborative and empathetic leadership style focused on team health, psychological safety, and removing roadblocks to execution.
• Communication Fluency: Ability to communicate with precision and intentionality across levels, simplifying complexity for executive audiences while remaining credible and relatable to practitioners.
• 8-10+ years of experience in Design Operations, Program Management, or Product Operations in a fast-paced enterprise environment. 
• Proven track record of managing resource allocation and budgets within high growth SaaS organizations. 
• Familiarity with modern alignment frameworks (e.g., PR/FAQs, Agile) and interest in exploring AI to improve team effectiveness.

As with all roles, Medidata sets ranges based on a number of factors including function, level, candidate expertise and experience, and geographic location.

The salary range for positions that will be physically based in the NYC Metro Area is  $157,500 - $210,000. 

The salary range for positions that will be physically based in the California Bay Area is $166,500 - $222,000.

The salary range for positions that will be physically based in the Boston Metro Area is $155,250 - $207,000.

The salary range for positions that will be physically based in Texas or Ohio is $138,750 - $185,000.

The salary range for positions that will be physically based in all other locations within the United States is $141,000 - $188,000.

Base pay is one part of the Total Rewards that Medidata provides to compensate and recognize employees for their work.  Most sales positions are eligible for a commission on the terms of applicable plan documents, and many of Medidata’s non-sales positions are eligible for annual bonuses.  Medidata believes that benefits should connect you to the support you need when it matters most and provides best-in-class benefits, including medical, dental, life and disability insurance; 401(k) matching; unlimited paid time off (subject to management discretion); and 10 paid holidays per year.

Equal Employment Opportunity:

In order to provide equal employment and advancement opportunities to all individuals, employment decisions at Medidata are based on merit, qualifications and abilities. Medidata is committed to a policy of non-discrimination and equal opportunity for all employees and qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth or medical or common conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, familial status, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, veteran status, military service, application for military service, genetic information, receipt of free medical care, or any other characteristic protected under applicable law. Medidata will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with known disabilities, in accordance with applicable law.

Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.

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