Senior Program Manager, Design

The Community you will join

Airbnb’s Design Operations team ensures the Design organization runs effectively and at scale, enabling teams to deliver products that are usable, lovable, and globally impactful. This team partners closely with Design, Product Management, Engineering, Marketing, Creative and business leaders, fostering strong alignment and seamless day-to-day operations. The environment is highly collaborative, fast-moving, and focused on scaling design impact through operational excellence.

The Difference You Will Make
As a Senior Design Program Manager, you will drive the end-to-end program management of a design team focused on delivering critical product initiatives. You will scope, plan, execute, and launch programs that directly impact Airbnb’s hosts and guests while aligning closely with roadmap commitments. Success in this role means ensuring cross-functional alignment, proactively managing risks, and driving operational consistency that enables Design to deliver measurable outcomes at scale.

A Typical Day

• Partner with Design Managers, Directors, and cross-functional leaders to align on program scope, timelines, goals and deliverables.
• Establish operating rhythms across design teams, including communication cadences, resource planning, and leadership check-ins.
• Support the planning and execution of quarterly and annual product launches, ensuring design workstreams are delivered with quality and on time.
• Serve as the bridge across Design, Engineering, Product Marketing, Business teams and other key cross-functional partners, ensuring visibility, communication, and risk management.
• Anticipate and resolve obstacles across teams, proactively elevating risks and implementing solutions.
• Uphold design standards and best practices by driving consistent adoption of the design process & tools and continuously refining workflows to improve quality and efficiency

Your Expertise

• 7+ years of experience in Consulting, Program Management, Product/Project Management, or related fields.
• Proven ability to manage and deliver impactful design initiatives in large digital product organizations.
• Strong track record in navigating ambiguity, structuring solutions, and driving initiatives from conception through launch.
• Strategic mindset with the ability to balance long-term thinking with near-term execution.
• Demonstrated leadership in mediation, negotiation, and conflict resolution, with the ability to influence senior stakeholders.
• Experience establishing systems and scalable processes where little exists, with a flexible, solutions-oriented mindset.
• Passion for organizational excellence, detail orientation, and thriving in a fast-paced, hyper-growth environment.
• Deep appreciation for the Product Design process and experience working within cross-functional, product-driven organizations.