About the Role
Our client is a major player in the digital and technology landscape, currently strengthening its design organisation. The design function is evolving from isolated craftsmanship toward a unified and scalable system that supports high‑quality delivery across teams.
As a Design Coach within the Design Operations (DesOps) environment, you won’t be creating designs yourself. Instead, your contribution lies in empowering designers, product squads and leaders to work more effectively, collaboratively and consistently.
This role has a high leverage effect: success is measured by adoption, behavioural change and long‑term maturity growth across the organisation.
Your Mission
You help create the conditions for design excellence at scale. You enable teams to turn DesignOps strategies, tools and frameworks into concrete day‑to‑day practices that are embedded in real delivery work.
You act as the link between:
* Leadership & DesignOps priorities
* Craft ambassadors & quality standards
* Designers & the operational needs of product teams
Key Responsibilities
1. Design Enablement & Adoption
* Support designers and teams in applying shared methods, practices and design standards.
* Ensure smooth adoption of DesignOps initiatives such as methodologies, tools, frameworks and platforms.
* Translate abstract strategy into practical habits, routines and collaborative models.
2. Coaching & On‑the‑Job Guidance
* Coach designers directly in their context, focusing on shaping problem‑solving, collaboration and alignment practices.
* Guide teams through the full design thinking cycle, from research and discovery to delivery.
* Serve as a trusted thought partner for design leadership on topics such as team maturity and operational challenges.
3. Facilitation & Capability Building
* Create and facilitate workshops, trainings and learning moments that elevate overall design maturity.
* Support onboarding and continuous upskilling of designers in shared ways of working.
* Foster environments where teams can reflect, improve and grow together.
4. Change & Culture Catalyst
* Promote design as a strategic capability across the organization.
* Encourage collaboration, experimentation and a mindset of continuous improvement.
* Help teams navigate ambiguity with structure, clarity and confidence.
5. System & Stakeholder Collaboration
* Work closely with community leads, chapter managers and DesignOps peers to maintain alignment and cohesion.
* Connect initiatives across the ecosystem to reduce fragmentation and avoid siloed efforts.
* Gather insights from teams to refine and improve the DesignOps system continually.
Profile We’re Looking For
Experience & Mindset
* Around 8+ years of combined experience in hands‑on design and coaching roles.
* Strong exposure to the end‑to‑end design process within complex, agile organisations.
* Proven ability to drive adoption and behavioural change—not just create frameworks.
* Broad design background (UX, service design, product design, etc.) is considered an advantage.
* Comfortable influencing across multiple levels without formal authority.
Skills That Make You Successful
* Excellent facilitation and coaching abilities, both one‑on‑one and in group settings.
* Strong systems thinker, able to spot patterns, dependencies and leverage points.
* Analytical, able to turn strategy into actionable, easy‑to‑use guidance.
* High emotional intelligence and strong stakeholder sensitivity.
Personal Traits
* Positive, supportive and energising in interactions.
* Curious and reflective; always learning from real‑world situations.
* Practical mindset focused on what works in real teams.
* Strong communication skills in English, plus proficiency in either French or Dutch.
What You’ll Gain
* A highly impactful position shaping how design functions at scale.
* Exposure to organisation‑wide transformation initiatives.
* The opportunity to influence culture, not just delivery.
* A strong community of fellow coaches, craft leads and design leaders.