Deputy Head of Design Operations

Description

Job Summary: We are seeking a Deputy Head of Design Operations to design, establish, and evolve the Experience Design operating model in Mexico, ensuring efficiency and scalability. Key Highlights: 1. Lead customer-centric transformation with disruptive thinking 2. Generate real impact and contribute to the success of individuals and businesses 3. Foster an environment of growth, learning, and international mobility Deputy Head of Design Operations Country: Mexico **NOW IS THE TIME** Santander ( www.santander.com ) is evolving from being a **globally impactful brand** to a **technology-driven organization**, with people at the heart of this journey. Together, we are leading a **customer-centric transformation** that values **disruptive thinking**, the courage to challenge what is possible, and the ability to **innovate**. This is more than a strategic shift: **it is an opportunity to grow, learn, and make real impact**. Our mission is to help more **individuals and businesses thrive**. We embrace a strong risk culture and expect all our teams to adopt a proactive and responsible approach to risk management. We are **Banco Santander México**, a leading financial institution that, through over 160 years of reinvention, has become a borderless organization present in more than 40 countries, representing 95 nationalities and multicultural teams sharing 4 languages. **THE IMPACT YOU WILL GENERATE** We are looking for a highly motivated Deputy Head of Design Operations based in Santa Fe. **Objective:** Design, establish, and evolve the Experience Design operating model in Mexico, ensuring alignment with the global Design framework and guaranteeing efficient, scalable, and consistent local execution. This role does not execute design directly but enables the area’s operations through governance, capacity management, tools, standards, and cross-functional coordination—ensuring impact on efficiency, delivery speed, quality, and customer experience. **Key Responsibilities:** * Define and evolve the Experience Design operating model: Design the area’s operational framework, establishing processes, rituals, prioritization mechanisms, and work standards. * Govern the Design System and methodological standards: Oversee adoption and evolution of the Design System, establishing guidelines, adoption metrics, and quality control mechanisms. * Manage capacity and resource allocation: Administer team capacity planning, monitoring workload, prioritization, and talent distribution. * Administer tools, platforms, and contracts: Select, consolidate, and manage the area’s technology stack, negotiating with vendors, evaluating costs, and ensuring compliance. * Provide executive visibility into operational performance: Build and maintain area metrics, developing reports and indicators on capacity, efficiency, and maturity to support leadership’s strategic decisions. * Enable a customer\-centric culture through operations: Integrate operational practices that reinforce experience standards. **WHAT YOU WILL BRING TO THE TEAM** Our people are our greatest strength. Each individual contributes unique perspectives that make us stronger as a team and as an organization. We value who you are and amplify what you bring. The following requirements represent the essential knowledge, skills, and competencies for this position. **Minimum 4 years of professional experience in:** * Operations management within creative or digital teams * Implementation of operational frameworks * Scaling operational models * Agile environments **Education** * Bachelor’s degree in Design, Engineering, Business Administration, or related field. * Postgraduate degree preferred in Management, Innovation, or Digital Transformation. **Languages** * Advanced English **Technical Skills** * Deep understanding of UX / UI / Research. * Knowledge of Design Systems (structure, tokens, components, governance). * Standards governance. * Understanding of the digital product lifecycle. * Agile (Scrum / Kanban) **Interpersonal Skills** * Agile leadership * Tactical initiative prioritization * Executive communication * Cross-functional stakeholder negotiation * Adaptability to change * Strong problem-solving ability **WE VALUE YOUR IMPACT** Your contribution matters—and we recognize it. At Santander, you can expect a fair and competitive compensation package reflecting your impact and the value you will deliver. Take a moment to understand what we mean: * We offer more than a salary: our benefits are designed to support your life, your goals, and your well-being—today and in the future * Your health is our priority. Through BeHealthy, our global wellness program, we promote the holistic well-being of our teams * We know family is most important. That’s why we offer childcare support and family programs tailored to each life stage * We empower our teams to go further through growth opportunities, international mobility, and broad career paths * We believe in the power of helping: you can dedicate part of your working hours to volunteering We are here to **keep you motivated**, help you **achieve your goals**, and **celebrate your achievements** at every step of the way. **LOCAL COMPLIANCE** Santander takes pride in being an organization that provides equal opportunities regardless of age, gender, disability, marital status, race, religion, or sexual orientation. We are committed to delivering an inclusive and accessible selection process for all candidates. **WHAT’S NEXT?** If everything you just read resonates with you, apply now and join our team. **READY TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP?**