Senior Design Manager

• Opportunity to define and scale Service Design capability and ensure Product Operating Model success from a design perspective across Qantas
• Flexible ways of working – hybrid model with 3 days onsite
• Full-time permanent position based at our Head Office in Mascot, Sydney

We've always been pioneers, and we're proud to see that spirit in our people today. Our resilience has helped us through good and tough times, and it still drives us to keep pushing challenging expectations today. Join a growing design practice shaping the future of travel. We're designing integrated customer experiences across digital, physical and human touchpoints, grounded in empathy, powered by creativity and fuelled by purpose.

As the Senior Design Manager at Qantas, you will establish and scale our Service Design capability as a strategic function across the airline while ensuring the Product Operating Model's success. You will define how design integrates within our Product Operating Model, ensuring design thinking, customer-centred approaches and all design disciplines are embedded across portfolios facilitating a cross-functional, co-creative and collaborative approach.

Working closely with Product, Tech, Operations, Brand, and Enterprise leadership, you will build the frameworks, standards and practices that enable consistent, end-to-end design across Qantas – from initial customer research through to implementation and continuous improvement.

Your key responsibilities include:

Service Design Capability Development – Define, establish and build the Service Design practice at Qantas, including methodologies, tools, standards and ways of working, across design teams and broader product squads. Create frameworks and operational practices for service blueprinting, journey mapping, and customer research that can scale across multiple portfolios and customer segments, that connects customer insights to business outcomes.

Product Operating Model Integration - Partner with Product and Technology leadership to embed service design within the Product Operating Model framework as a supportive and consultative function. Evolve how service design integrates with product discovery, definition, development, delivery and continuous improvement cycles for seamless customer value delivery.

Cross-Domain Service Design capability leadership - Lead Service Design capability uplift that span multiple touchpoints and portfolios – from digital products to ground operations to customer care. Develop service blueprint and customer journey approach that will identify opportunities, dependencies and pain points across the airline.

Strategic Stakeholder Engagement - Influence enterprise OKRs and strategic initiatives through customer-centred insights and service design thinking. Lead workshops and design sprints that solve complex customer and business challenges. Represent the Design practice in strategic forums, ensuring customer experience is a first-order consideration in business decisions.

Practice Growth and Mentorship - Mentor and develop service designers and experience designers across the practice. Foster a culture of design excellence, collaboration and continuous learning.

You'll have:

• 10+ years of experience in Service Design and Experience Design, with at least 4 years in senior leadership roles.
• Proven track record establishing or scaling service design capabilities within complex, multi-portfolio organisations.
• Deep expertise in service design methodologies including blueprinting, journey mapping, systems thinking and design research.
• Experience integrating design practices within product operating models, agile frameworks or transformation programs.
• Strong facilitation and stakeholder management skills, with ability to influence at executive level.
• Experience in transport, aviation, travel or similarly complex service industries is highly valued.
• Expert knowledge of service design tools: Miro, Figma, journey mapping and blueprinting frameworks.
• Experience with Confluence, Jira, and cross-functional documentation practices.
• Track record of building and mentoring high-performing design teams.

Why Qantas?

You’ll join a team where creativity and passion are encouraged. Our people come together to allow us to dream big and deliver successfully.

There are many different opportunities across our team, which means you’ll be able to grow both personally and professionally at Qantas. Your development is a priority for us – so that you can maintain the high standards our customers have come to expect and can continue to develop over time. You’ll be supported from day 1 with on the job training and coaching as well as our formal training opportunities. While you may start in this role, we’ve got a great track record of supporting our people to take their career in so many different directions, the destinations are endless.

The Qantas employee benefits program offers amazing benefits that extend well beyond travel.

• We love to travel: Enjoy heavily discounted air travel within Australia and across the globe, both for you and your family and friends, as well as exclusive deals on accommodation and holidays.
• We have flexible leave options: Make use of leave and flexible working opportunities including 18 weeks paid parental leave (plus superannuation payments on all paid and unpaid parental leave until your child turns 1) and additional purchased leave options for eligible employees.
• We’ll give you access to thousands of rewards: Through our partnerships we can offer you discounts across shopping, food and wine, insurance, health and wellbeing, leisure and entertainment. You can also take advantage of our salary packaging program including motor vehicles, eligible portable electronic devices and professional memberships.
• We’ll support your wellbeing: Whether it’s learning to better support your own and others’ mental health, our interactive wellbeing app or your very own tailored nutrition plan.

Qantas is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing a working environment that embraces and values diversity and inclusion.  We encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, and people of all backgrounds to apply.  If you have any support or access requirements, we encourage you to advise us at time of application.  Your personal information will be kept confidential in compliance with relevant privacy legislation.

Be a part of something special and play your part in the Qantas story – get in touch today.

Applications close on the 11th of November

Please note: Applications will only be considered for candidates who have the right to work in Australia / New Zealand without restriction or sponsorship.