Creating great user experiences is no longer a niche ambition; it’s a foundational business strategy. Most organizations understand that UX matters, but aligning cross-functional teams around a consistent vision and executing on that vision is where many still fall short. That’s where the role of the program manager comes in.
While visionary executives can help champion design at the highest levels, the day-to-day effort of scaling UX maturity across an organization requires structure, coordination, and advocacy. Today, program managers, especially those embedded within or aligned closely with UX teams, are essential to making this happen.
Program Manager vs. Project Manager: Why It Still Matters
Let’s clear up a common point of confusion. Project managers focus on delivering specific initiatives on time and within scope. Program managers, on the other hand, own strategic outcomes across multiple projects. That distinction is key when it comes to UX, which is rarely a one-off deliverable and more often a continuous practice embedded across touchpoints.
As UX becomes increasingly central to business outcomes, the strategic lens that program managers bring is critical. They understand dependencies across departments, can communicate business priorities, and help align design decisions to broader company goals.
The Program Manager as a UX Amplifier
A strong program manager can help translate UX vision into action by:
- Aligning design initiatives with business strategies.
- Navigating cross-functional relationships to remove blockers.
- Tracking progress across product, engineering, and research.
- Advocating for design in planning, resourcing, and road-mapping discussions.
These aren’t just administrative tasks—they’re strategic enablers. Program managers help UX scale by ensuring that great design work doesn’t get lost in the shuffle of business priorities, conflicting timelines, or organizational silos.
The Rise of UX Program Managers and DesignOps
In many modern design teams, the role of the program manager has evolved. We now see specialized UX program managers or DesignOps professionals taking on this responsibility. These roles combine program management expertise with a deep understanding of design processes, systems thinking, and user-centered workflows.
Rather than being external advocates, they are embedded partners. They understand how Figma files evolve, how research insights inform product decisions, and how to operationalize feedback loops. In mature organizations, they sit within the design org, not just adjacent to it.
Collaboration, Not Control
The best program managers don’t gatekeep design decisions; they enable them. They create a collaborative context where communication flows easily, documentation is shared, and team rituals are effective. They provide clarity amid complexity and help surface patterns across teams and projects.
Whether it’s aligning stakeholders around a design system, managing a backlog of UX debt, or facilitating a cross-functional workshop, program managers help connect dots and keep momentum going.
Conclusion: Still a Secret Weapon (But Less of a Secret)
Program managers remain a vital partner for UX design success. What’s changed is that organizations now recognize this more openly. Whether through dedicated UX program managers or strategic DesignOps roles, the integration of program management into the design process helps teams deliver better experiences at scale.
For companies aiming to grow their UX maturity, investing in these roles isn’t just smart; it’s essential. Because when design, business, and operations work in sync, everyone benefits: the team, the company, and most importantly, the user. We can help.
