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Manager of Product Design

IMPORTANT: Please be aware, scammers may try to impersonate Zello by reaching out regarding job opportunities. We will never ask you for bank account information, checks, or other sensitive information as part of our hiring process. All correspondence will come from the zello.com email domain. If you’re unsure, please email recruiting@zello.com with questions.

About Zello

Zello is a voice-first communication platform, powered by our industry-leading push-to-talk technology, to improve collaboration and productivity for desk-less workers. With over 175+ million users, we’re the #1 rated push-to-talk app in the world, delivering 9 billion (yes, with a B) messages a month. 

At Zello, our company values are at the heart of what we do everyday. We’re proud to serve the frontline, we’re privileged to connect people in times of crisis across the globe, and we’re honored to support first responders.

And this is where you come in.

Manager of Product Design – Austin, TX – Hybrid

At Zello, design leaders roll up their sleeves. As a Manager of Product Design, you'll guide and grow a team of talented designers while contributing to the work yourself. You’ll lead with empathy and clarity, ensuring our design practice remains thoughtful, inclusive, and rooted in research. You’ll help shape our design vision and operations, align cross-functional teams, and ensure we continue building thoughtful, usable, and beautiful experiences for our 175+ million users.

Our users span frontline workers, HAM radio enthusiasts, Latin American teens, and more—which means building for a wide range of needs and technical abilities. You'll help the team navigate this complexity through principled, iterative design.

After a successful first year, you will have:

  • Built strong cross-functional partnerships, embedding design early in strategy and shaping product direction.

  • Delivered impactful features across platforms that improved usability, accessibility, and delight for a global frontline audience.

  • Raised design quality and consistency through clear critique, collaboration, and strong documentation practices.

  • Championed inclusive, research-driven design to support Zello’s diverse and multilingual user base.

  • Contributed hands-on to unblock teams, clarify direction, and drive progress in complex problem areas.

  • Contributed meaningfully to Zello’s long-term product vision and strategy, ensuring design perspective shaped future direction and priorities.

What you will do

  • Lead, mentor, and support a team of product designers—providing thoughtful feedback and guiding their growth.

  • Own design work in key product areas, especially where stakes are high, ambiguity is present, or momentum is needed.

  • Advocate for the role of design in shaping user experience across the company.

  • Partner closely with Product and Engineering leadership to shape roadmaps, prioritize work, and ensure design is embedded throughout the development process.

  • Ensure the design team delivers high-quality work across all phases—from research and exploration to development and refinement.

  • Define and evolve design standards, systems, and processes that help us scale while maintaining craft and care.

  • Facilitate critique and feedback sessions that are constructive and collaborative.

  • Contribute to product design efforts when needed—especially in high-impact or ambiguous areas.

  • Help recruit and onboard new design team members as we grow.

Who you are

  • You have 7+ years of product design experience, with at least 2 years in a people management or lead role.

  • You’ve designed complex digital products for diverse audiences and know how to navigate edge cases and conflicting needs.

  • You’re a strong communicator and collaborator, comfortable aligning multiple stakeholders around a shared vision.

  • You lead with curiosity, empathy, and a focus on outcomes—bringing both systems thinking and attention to detail.

  • You have experience in design operations, team planning, and helping designers grow their skills.

  • You’re confident in tools like Figma, Principle, and Origami, and understand the basics of HTML/CSS/JS.

  • You’re excited about the opportunity to both manage and make, and you’re not afraid to get into the details when needed.

We hire for potential, passion for our mission, and a knack for solving difficult problems over checking every qualification box. We have competitive pay, equity with significant upside, and intentionally design our benefits to encourage healthy and well-balanced employees, from flexible work schedules to unlimited paid time off. We even offer a sabbatical after every five years of service so you’re able to pursue and enjoy what matters most to you. And of course, we wouldn’t be a technology company in Austin without a ping-pong table and free snacks in our break room. Join us!

Zello provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

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Average salary estimate

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What You Should Know About Manager of Product Design, Zello

If you're a design enthusiast with a knack for leadership, Zello in sunny Austin is on the lookout for a Manager of Product Design to join our amazing team! Here at Zello, we're not just another company—we're the top-rated push-to-talk communication platform with over 175 million users relying on our technology to stay connected. As the Manager of Product Design, you'll have the unique opportunity to shape the future of user experience for a diverse audience, from frontline workers to teens in Latin America. You'll lead by example, guiding a team of talented designers while rolling up your sleeves to create delightful and meaningful designs yourself. Your mission will be to ensure our design practices are inclusive and research-driven, catering to the varied needs of our users. With strong cross-functional partnerships, your visionary leadership will align teams around our product direction while ensuring we deliver high-quality work that enhances usability and accessibility. This role offers the chance to make a real impact, whether it’s through mentoring your team, advocating for great design, or tackling complex problem areas. Plus, you’ll enjoy competitive pay, equity potential, and fantastic benefits that support work-life balance, including unlimited paid time off and even a sabbatical after five years. Join us at Zello and help redefine how millions communicate every day!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Manager of Product Design Role at Zello
What are the key responsibilities of the Manager of Product Design at Zello?

As the Manager of Product Design at Zello, you'll lead and mentor a team of product designers, advocate for user-focused design across the company, and partner closely with leadership in Product and Engineering. Your responsibilities will also include shape design processes, ensuring high quality work, and contributing hands-on to design challenges as they arise.

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What qualifications do you need to apply for the Manager of Product Design position at Zello?

To be a strong candidate for the Manager of Product Design role at Zello, you should have 7+ years of product design experience, including at least 2 years in a leadership capacity. We’re looking for candidates who have experience in designing complex digital products and possess a good understanding of design tools like Figma, as well as the basics of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

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How does Zello ensure collaboration within design teams and other departments?

Zello promotes collaboration by embedding design early in product strategy discussions. As the Manager of Product Design, you’ll facilitate communication between teams, guide design critiques, and work closely with product and engineering leaders to ensure that design is continuously integrated into our development process.

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What can a new Manager of Product Design expect during their first year at Zello?

During your first year as the Manager of Product Design at Zello, you can expect to build strong cross-functional partnerships and contribute significantly to product direction. You'll also focus on delivering impactful features that enhance user experience for our global audience and raising design quality through collaboration and feedback.

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What type of work environment can you expect as a Manager of Product Design at Zello?

Zello offers a hybrid work environment that encourages flexibility and collaboration. You’ll work in a culture that values creativity, inclusivity, and user-centric design, all while enjoying perks like free snacks and a ping-pong table to foster a fun and productive office atmosphere.

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Common Interview Questions for Manager of Product Design
Can you describe your design leadership style and its impact?

When describing your design leadership style, focus on how you prioritize empathy and clarity. Share examples of how you’ve mentored designers, facilitated constructive feedback sessions, and aligned teams towards a design vision, highlighting the successful outcomes.

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What experience do you have in managing cross-functional teams?

Discuss your experience collaborating with Product and Engineering teams, and how you've embedded design practices early in the product lifecycle. Provide specific examples of challenges faced and how you overcame those while maintaining alignment with design goals.

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How do you prioritize design tasks in a fast-paced environment?

Emphasize your approach to prioritization, including assessing the user impact, business value, and complexity of tasks. Share methodologies you use, such as design sprints or agile processes, to keep teams on track while still delivering high-quality work.

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Can you give an example of a complex design project you've led?

Prepare to share a specific complex design project where you tackled various user needs. Discuss your role, the challenges faced, and the methodologies you used to navigate ambiguity and conflicting requirements while keeping the team focused and productive.

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How do you ensure inclusivity in product design?

Highlight your commitment to inclusivity by explaining the research-driven approaches you implement, like user testing with diverse audiences. Speak about your dedication to creating accessible designs that cater to a wide variety of user abilities and environments.

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What tools do you use in your design process and why?

Mention the design tools you're proficient in, such as Figma or Principle, and explain why you choose these tools based on their capabilities to facilitate collaboration, enhance prototyping, and streamline design workflows, making the process more efficient for your team.

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How do you handle feedback on your designs?

Discuss your open-minded approach to feedback, emphasizing the importance of constructive criticism. Share how you incorporate feedback from stakeholders and team members into your work, continuously looking to improve and refine the user experience.

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Describe a time when you had to advocate for design's role in a project.

Provide an example where you successfully advocated for design's importance in a project. Highlight your communication strategies and how you worked to align stakeholders around shared goals, ultimately leading to enhanced user experience.

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What strategies do you utilize for mentoring designers?

Share your mentoring strategies, such as holding regular one-on-one sessions, fostering a culture of feedback, and involving your team in high-impact projects. Discuss how mentoring contributes to personal growth and team dynamics.

Join Rise to see the full answer
How do you maintain a balance between management responsibilities and hands-on design work?

Talk about your time management strategy and how you allocate time between mentoring and your own design contributions. Highlight examples where you’ve successfully balanced both roles to deliver on projects while also nurturing your team’s growth.

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Full-time, hybrid
DATE POSTED
March 29, 2025

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