Design Operations Manager

About Mercari

We believe the world needs a place where people can exchange their loved goods. That’s why we built Mercari—to connect people who want to buy and sell things of emotional value through their mobile phones. Mercari has grown to become a leading community-powered marketplace that brings together millions of people every day.

Mercari Dev Meetups

Position

We are an innovative company at the cutting edge of technology and design. Our mission is to deliver exceptional and intuitive products and services that improve the lives of our users. The design sits at the core of our process, and we are passionate about creating seamless, efficient, and delightful experiences. To help us achieve our mission, we're looking for a Design Operations Manager to streamline our design processes and enable our design team to do their best work.

(Learn more about Mercari’s mission and values here.)

Key Responsibilities:

• Process Improvement: Analyze and optimize design workflows, reducing inefficiencies and ensuring best practices in design project management
• Resource Management: Allocate design resources effectively, balancing workload and prioritizing projects based on company goals and team capacity
• Tool Management: Oversee the selection, implementation, and training for design and project management tools to support collaborative work and streamline operations
• Cross-functional Collaboration: Serve as a bridge between the design team and other departments, facilitating communication and collaboration to ensure design objectives align with company goals
• Design Advocacy: Promote the value of design within the organization, educating other departments on design thinking and its impact on product development
• Mentoring: Offer guidance and support to designers, helping them develop their skills and careers within the organization
• Hiring and Onboarding: Assist in recruiting and onboarding new design team members, ensuring they integrate smoothly into the team and understand their roles and responsibilities

Unique and Bold Challenges

The Design Operations Manager will be a pivotal part of the Design/UX department, focusing on optimizing project management processes, tools, and workflows to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of our design team. This role involves close collaboration with designers, product managers, engineers, and other stakeholders across the company to ensure design projects are delivered smoothly and on time.

Your qualification

• Shared belief in the mission and values of Mercari Group and its various companies
• Minimum of 3-5 years of experience in Design Operations, Project Management, or a similar role within a design or creative team.
• Manage design team- including mentorship of designers
• Designing UI/UX for a similar or related industry such as e-commerce and mobile applications
• Experience in vendor management or external partners 
• Strong understanding of design processes, methodologies, and project management principles
• Excellent organizational skills, with a proven ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously
• Proficient in project management and design tools such as Jira, Asana, Trello, Figma, Sketch, and Adobe Creative Suite
• Exceptional communication and collaboration skills, with an ability to work well with both creative and technical teams
• A problem-solver with a keen eye for detail and a passion for optimizing workflows to increase productivity and creativity

Will be a plus

• Bachelor’s degree in Design, Project Management, Business Administration, or a related field
• Industryxperience in e-commerce or digital mobile app

What we offer

• Complete health and social insurance
• Incentive program
• Support systems, including those that benefit the employee’s family members
  *See this page for details.

Support

• Relocation support
• Language learning support
• Translation/interpretation support
  *See this page for details.

Additional details

Screening Criteria

If you’re passionate about streamlining design processes and thrive in a collaborative environment, we’d love to hear from you! Please submit your application, including a resume and a cover letter explaining your interest in the role and how you can make a difference

(See this page for details.)

Language Requirements

• Japanese: Proficient (CEFR - C1) required
• English: Independent (CEFR - B2) preferred

Check here for more information about CEFR.

Working Conditions

Employment Status

Full-time

• Probationary period: First 3 months after joining the company. (During this period your contract conditions will be the same as that of a permanent employee.)

Office

Roppongi

• Smoking is prohibited within our offices
• Mercari has introduced a work style policy called “Your Choice.” Each member is free to choose whether they want to work in the office or work fully remote. *Exceptions made for certain kinds of work.

Work Hours

• Full flextime (no “core time” or “flex time”)
  *Does not apply to all positions

Holidays

• Two days off per week (as well as national holidays, New Year's break, etc.)
• Paid leave, congratulatory and bereavement leave, relax days, sick leave

Salary

• Annual salary paid in 12 monthly installments (including fixed overtime allowance)
• Based on skills, experience, and abilities
• Reviewed twice a year