Are you passionate about enabling great design at scale? Do you thrive at the intersection of people, process, and systems—and love bringing clarity, structure, and focus to complex work? Excellent.

We are now seeking a skilled and proactive Design Operations Manager to lead and develop Elisa’s design operations.

In this role, you'll be responsible for the operational backbone of our design organization—ensuring that our people, tools, processes, and priorities are aligned to deliver high-quality, user-centric digital experiences across Elisa. You’ll lead a team that includes our Design System function and collaborate closely with design leadership, product, and technology partners.

About the job

This role is central to how design operates and scales at Elisa. It combines a deep understanding of digital design with strong program management and strategic thinking. You’ll focus on optimizing our design processes, driving adoption of the Elisa Design System, aligning priorities across teams, and supporting the growth and development of our vibrant design community.

You’ll join a professional, enthusiastic, and collaborative design community of around 40 designers, working on a wide range of digital services used by Elisa’s customers.

The position is located in our head office in Pasila, Helsinki and we have a hybrid work model in place, where the expectation is that Elisians will work on average three days a week at the office. 

Main responsibilities

• Own and evolve design operations across Elisa—including processes, ways of working, governance models, and tooling
• Lead the design resourcing and allocation process in partnership with team managers and Director of Design
• Lead the day-to-day and strategic development of the Elisa Design System in collaboration with your design system team
• Drive the prioritization and roadmap of design system initiatives and related work, aligning with design leadership and cross-functional partners
• Support the growth and engagement of our Elisa-wide design community, enabling knowledge sharing and professional development
• Represent design operations in leadership forums and cross-organizational collaboration

Who are we looking for? 

You might be the Design Operations Manager we are looking for if you bring deep understanding of digital design processes and experience of how a product and service design is delivered on a scale. You have the ability to build trust and drive alignment across diverse stakeholders—from individual designers to business and tech leadership. You also identify opportunities for operational improvement before they become problems with your proactive mindset!

You have

• 5+ years in digital design, design program management, or related fields
• Proficient with design and cooperation tools (e.g., Figma, Jira, Confluence, Miro)
• Proven ability to lead operational work
• Strong facilitation, documentation, and communication skills
• Strong program and project management skills – experience leading complex, multi-stakeholder design initiatives from concept to completion
• Ability to drive clarity in ambiguous situations, aligning teams and stakeholders around priorities and outcomes
• Familiarity with design systems and governance models
• Experience in change management or organizational development
• A systems-thinking mindset and a structured approach to problem-solving
• A user- and designer-centered approach to process development that supports creative work
• Excellent communication skills in English, both written and verbal
• Passion for building inclusive, psychologically safe, and empowered teams

What do we offer?

You have an opportunity to be part of designing Elisa's top-class digital services that millions of our customers use! We at Elisa highly appreciate our flexible working conditions, the endless learning opportunities and the friendly and laid-back culture, among other awesome things. We are proven to be one of the best and most equal workplaces in Europe.

Here are some compelling reasons to join Elisa as a Design Operations Manager:

• Opportunity to develop your skills 
• Friendly, humble, and experienced colleagues
• Leaders who support your growth and development
• Flexible work atmosphere that promotes work-life balance
• Culture of fostering continuous learning and innovation
• Impactful work - contribute to digital services used by millions of customers

Elisa employs over 6,000 professionals in 20 countries in a variety of positions, such as application developers, salespersons, designers, analysts, network infrastructure designers and builders, as well as business and customer service experts. Learn more about Elisa as an employer from our career pages!

Sounds interesting?

Don’t hesitate to send us your application and take the next step in your design career!

For more information about the role, please don't hesitate to contact the Head of Design, Jussi Mantere, at jussi.mantere [at] elisa.fi.

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