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Senior Design Manager Jobs in Kentucky (NOW HIRING)

Senior Manager, Product Design

Lexington, KY · Hybrid

$125K - $166K/yr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Xometry is hiring a Senior Manager of Product Design to lead a team of designers within one or more Strategic Product and Technology Organizations (STOs). You are accountable for delivery, quality ...

Senior Manager, Product Design

Lexington, KY · On-site

$125K - $166K/yr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Xometry is hiring a Senior Manager of Product Design to lead a team of designers within one or more Strategic Product and Technology Organizations (STOs). You are accountable for delivery, quality ...

Architecture Senior Project Manager

Lexington, KY · On-site

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

GRW offers a wide variety of services for our clients' building design projects. Our ... As a Senior Project Manager, you will work closely with our architectural staff as well as ...

$165 - $275/hr

## Sr Mgr/Dep Director ASIC Digital Design IP ENGINEERINGApplylocations: Santa Claratime type: Full timeposted on: Posted Yesterdayjob requisition id: JR-2603672**About GlobalFoundries:

New

Showing results 21-40

Senior Design Manager information

See Kentucky salary details

$63.5K

$136K

$186.7K

How much do senior design manager jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 16, 2026, the average yearly pay for senior design manager in Kentucky is $135,966.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $119,924.00 and $159,587.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

How much does a senior design manager make?

A senior design manager typically earns between $100,000 and $160,000 annually, depending on industry, location, and experience. They often oversee design teams, require strong leadership skills, and may have expertise in design tools like Adobe Creative Suite or CAD software.

What is the difference between Senior Design Manager vs Design Director?

AspectSenior Design ManagerDesign Director
CredentialsBachelor's or Master's in Design, Architecture, or related field; experience in project managementSimilar educational background; often more extensive experience and leadership credentials
Work EnvironmentLeads design teams on multiple projects, collaborates with clients and stakeholdersOversees entire design departments, sets strategic vision, and manages senior teams
Industry UsageCommonly used in architecture, product, and interior design firmsTypically found in larger organizations with broader strategic responsibilities

The main difference between a Senior Design Manager and a Design Director lies in scope and strategic influence. Senior Design Managers focus on managing design teams and project execution, while Design Directors oversee overall design strategy and department leadership, often with higher-level responsibilities.

How does a senior design manager typically collaborate with cross-functional teams to drive project success?

As a Senior Design Manager, you will work closely with product managers, engineers, marketing, and other stakeholders throughout the design process. Effective collaboration involves facilitating design reviews, ensuring alignment between business objectives and creative direction, and proactively seeking feedback from multiple departments. You’ll often act as a bridge between the design team and other functions, translating technical or business requirements into actionable design solutions. This collaborative dynamic is essential for delivering cohesive, user-centered products and achieving shared project goals.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a senior design manager, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Senior Design Manager, you need advanced design expertise, leadership experience, and a strong portfolio, often supported by a degree in design or a related field. Familiarity with design tools like Adobe Creative Suite, Figma, and project management platforms such as Asana or Jira is typically required. Exceptional communication, team leadership, and stakeholder management skills set top performers apart. These abilities are crucial for delivering high-quality design solutions, leading creative teams, and aligning design objectives with business goals.

Is a senior design manager a stressful job?

A senior design manager role can be stressful due to responsibilities such as overseeing design teams, managing project deadlines, and coordinating with other departments. The level of stress often depends on workload, company culture, and project complexity, but strong leadership and time management skills can help mitigate it.

What is a senior design manager?

Senior Design Managers are experienced professionals who lead and oversee design teams within an organization. They are responsible for setting design strategies, managing multiple projects, mentoring designers, and ensuring that design outputs align with business objectives. Senior Design Managers collaborate with stakeholders across departments, drive innovation, and maintain high-quality standards in all design processes. Their role is crucial in bridging creative vision with practical execution, ensuring that projects meet both user needs and business goals.

What are popular job titles related to Senior Design Manager jobs in Kentucky?

For Senior Design Manager jobs in Kentucky, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Senior Design Manager jobs in Kentucky look for?

The top searched job categories for Senior Design Manager jobs in Kentucky are:

What cities in Kentucky are hiring for Senior Design Manager jobs?

Cities in Kentucky with the most Senior Design Manager job openings:

Infographic showing various Senior Design Manager job openings in Kentucky as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 83% Full Time, 15% Part Time, and 1% Contract. Highlights an 93% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 5% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $135,966 per year, or $65.4 per hour.

Senior Manager, Product Design

Xometry

Lexington, KY • Hybrid

$125K - $166K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Re-posted 12 days ago


Job description

Xometry is hiring a Senior Manager of Product Design to lead a team of designers within one or more Strategic Product and Technology Organizations (STOs). You are accountable for delivery, quality, and team performance. This is not a coordination role. You are responsible for ensuring your team delivers clear, high-quality, executable design work on time, with no surprises, through leadership and hands-on execution. You will partner with Product and Engineering leadership to shape direction, enforce standards, and remove ambiguity.

How You'll Contribute:

Team Performance

  • Lead and develop a team of designers (Senior and mid-level)
  • Set clear expectations for ownership, quality, and communication
  • Hold designers accountable for outcomes, not just outputs
  • Address performance issues directly and quickly

Product Thinking and Problem Framing

  • Frame ambiguous problems into clear design direction before execution begins
  • Ensure design decisions are grounded in user and business outcomes, not aesthetics alone
  • Drive clarity on what problem is being solved before work starts, not after
  • Push back on poorly defined requirements rather than accepting them at face value

Delivery and Execution

  • Own design delivery across your team (quality, pacing, predictability)
  • Ensure work is complete, structured, and ready for Engineering
  • Enforce a clear definition of done
  • Surface risks and tradeoffs early

Cross-Functional Partnership

  • Partner with Product and Engineering to define scope and priorities
  • Ensure design is influencing direction, not reacting to requirements
  • Resolve ambiguity and alignment issues quickly
  • Act as an escalation point for unclear or misaligned problem framing

AI-Enabled Execution

  • Ensure design outputs are structured and unambiguous
  • Support workflows that enable AI-assisted development
  • Drive adoption of tools and practices that improve speed and reduce rework
  • Can describe specific AI-assisted design workflows, not just tools used

Systems Thinking

  • Ensure design decisions scale across surfaces, platforms, and future use cases
  • Maintain coherence across the broader design system and product ecosystem
  • Identify downstream implications of design choices on other teams' work

Quality and Standards

  • Maintain a high bar for interaction design, usability, and consistency
  • Ensure alignment with design systems and accessibility standards
  • Lead design reviews focused on clarity and execution readiness

What You'll Bring to Xometry:

  • 10+ years of experience in product design, including 2+ years managing designers
  • Proven track record of driving product decisions through design and systems thinking
  • Experience working closely with Product, Research, and Engineering teams
  • Strong ability to translate ambiguous problems into clear, executable design direction
  • Experience operating in fast-paced, product-driven environments
  • Excellent communication and storytelling skills
  • Examples of AI-assisted workflows in portfolio (e.g., AI-generated prototypes, prompt-driven design systems, AI-supported research synthesis)
  • Experience with B2B, marketplace, or operational platforms
  • Experience working with design systems and component-based design
  • Exposure to AI-assisted design or development workflows
  • Experience scaling teams or processes in growing organizations

The estimated base salary range for new hires into this role is $180,000-$200,000.00 annually + bonus depending on factors such as job-related skills, relevant experience, and location. We also offer a competitive benefits package, including 401(k) match, medical, dental and vision insurance; life and disability insurance; generous paid time off including vacation, sick leave, floating and fixed holidays, maternity and bonding leave; EAP, other wellbeing resources; and much more.

#LI-Hybrid


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About Xometry

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

Xometry (NASDAQ: XMTR) powers the industries of today and tomorrow by connecting the people with big ideas to the manufacturers who can bring them to life. Xometry's digital marketplace gives manufacturers the critical resources they need to grow their business while also making it easy for buyers at Fortune 1000 companies to tap into global manufacturing capacity.

Industry

Software development

Company size

501 - 1,000 Employees

Headquarters location

Gaithersburg, MD, US

Year founded

2013