Senior Design Manager

Grindr

Senior Design Manager leading product design and developing a team at Grindr. Focused on innovation with AI tools while maintaining design quality and strategy.

Posted 5/14/2026full-timeSan Francisco • California • 🇺🇸 United StatesSenior💰 $161,250 - $215,000 per yearWebsite

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Lead and develop a team of product designers - setting a high craft bar, giving direct and actionable feedback, and creating the conditions for designers to do their best work
Own the design quality and strategic direction for your product area, staying close enough to the work to make strong creative calls and credibly push back when the work isn't there yet
Partner with product and engineering leadership to shape roadmap decisions upstream - not just reviewing designs after direction is set, but helping set direction
Build the structures, rituals, and standards that make the design team more consistent, more efficient, and more impactful over time - without adding process for its own sake
Hire and develop strong design talent, raising the overall density of the team and maintaining a high bar through growth

Requirements

What you’ll need

7+ years of product design experience, including at least 3 years managing and developing designers in a professional setting
Experience working in both large, structured design organizations and smaller, resource-constrained environments - with the ability to bring the best of both to a lean team
Strong design craft - a portfolio or body of work that demonstrates you have not drifted away from the work and can evaluate quality with credibility and specificity
Track record of developing designers - not just managing workloads, but actively coaching individuals, delivering hard feedback, and helping people grow into larger scopes
Demonstrated ability to operate as a cross-functional partner at the leadership level - influencing product direction, navigating competing priorities, and building trust with PM and engineering peers
Experience hiring designers and maintaining a high talent bar through a recruiting process - not just backfilling seats but building a team deliberately

Benefits

Comp & perks

Health, Dental & Vision Full premium coverage for you. Partial coverage for dependents.
Family Formation Up to $300,000 in fertility and family-building support, covering IVF, surrogacy, egg freezing, and adoption.
Retirement: 401(k) with 6% match and immediate vesting.
Compensation: Industry-competitive compensation, company bonus, and equity for every employee.
Gender-Affirming Care: Industry-leading gender-affirming offerings with up to 90% cost coverage, access to Included Health, monthly stipends for HRT, and more.
Time Off & Rest Flexible vacation policy. Two company-wide rest weeks per year.
Other Benefits: Monthly stipends for cell phone, internet, wellness, food, and commuting, breakfast/lunch

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills & Tools

product designdesign qualitydesign craftportfolio developmentcoachingfeedback deliverycross-functional collaborationinfluencing product directionrecruitingteam building

Soft Skills

leadershipcommunicationmentoringtrust buildingstrategic thinkingcreativityproblem-solvingadaptabilitycollaborationefficiency