Manager Product Design (Chicago, Indianapolis, US)

About T2 Systems T2 Systems is the largest parking, mobility, and transportation provider in North America, with more than 25 years in the parking management industry and currently serving thousands of parking professionals. We integrate the best people, processes, and technology to provide powerful, high performance, and secure parking solutions. T2 Systems is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana with its Canadian office located in Burnaby, BC. Verra Mobility is a global leader in smart mobility. We develop technology-enabled solutions that help the world move safely and easily. We are fostering the development of safe cities, working with police departments and municipalities to install over 4,000 red‑light, speed, and school bus stop arm safety cameras across North America. We are also creating smart roadways, serving the world's largest commercial fleets and rental car companies to manage tolling transactions and violations for over 8.5 million vehicles. And we are a leading provider of connected systems, processing nearly 165 million transactions each year across 50+ individual tolling authorities. Verra Mobility Corporation is a dynamic, entrepreneurial company that operates with a people-first philosophy and approach. The company lives by its core values—Do What’s Right, Choose Courage over Comfort, Win Together, and Own It—in everything it does for its customers and team members. Our company seeks to grow, to continue to be the undisputed market leader with a bias for action, customer focus, teamwork, drive for results, and commitment to excellence. Position Overview Design Managers are the architects of experience and clarity inside empowered product teams. As vocal advocates for the user and for design’s strategic role, they guide designers, engineers, and product peers to translate complex mobility challenges into simple, trustworthy, and human-centered experiences that drive measurable outcomes. Operating as both leader and coach, Design Managers connect discovery with delivery—turning insight into systems, and systems into scalable design solutions that enhance the connected‑mobility ecosystem. Success in this role is measured not by artifacts produced, but by the impact design has on customer trust, usability, and adoption in complex, cross‑functional environments. Key Responsibilities Design Leadership Serve as the strategic advocate for design within empowered product teams. Guide designers in creating human-centered experiences that simplify complexity and build trust. Deliver intuitive, consistent, and accessible designs that increase customer satisfaction and adoption. Manage the design system as an internal product to accelerate the adoption of coherent, accessible patterns, treating empowered product teams as the primary customer. User Advocacy Champion user needs and usability throughout discovery and delivery. Ensure design decisions are grounded in evidence and aligned with measurable outcomes. Embed real user data and research into product decisions to de‑risk design and improve relevance. Champion UXR rigor to ensure insights are valid and actionable. Cross‑Functional Partnership Act as an equal partner to Product and Engineering in shaping product vision and strategy. Participate in discovery, scope definition, and trade‑off decisions to balance experience quality with delivery velocity. Ensure design trade‑offs are informed, deliberate, and transparent across Product and Engineering. System Thinking Translate insights into design systems that scale across products and platforms. Maintain consistency and clarity in the connected‑mobility ecosystem. Team Development Coach and mentor designers, fostering craft, curiosity, and collaboration. Build a culture where creativity thrives and design accelerates impact. Coach designers to connect craft decisions to customer and business outcomes. Communicate, model, and architect collaboration habits that solidify Design as an equal peer with Product and Engineering. The Ideal Candidate Will Bring The Following Capabilities Customer Focus Leads user‑centered design through research, testing, and observation—keeping the customer’s voice at the heart of every decision and driving measurable improvements in adoption, efficiency, and satisfaction. Strategic Mindset Shapes a cohesive design vision aligned with Verra Mobility’s mission, product strategy, and long‑term system evolution, while anticipating future user and technology trends. Decision Quality Makes timely, evidence‑based design decisions using data, research, and prototypes, ensuring clear ownership and strong cross‑functional alignment. Accountability Sets high standards for design quality and delivery, defines measurable outcomes, and builds a culture of ownership, clarity, and reliable follow‑through. Team Leadership Builds a collaborative, growth‑oriented design team—coaching craft, strengthening cross‑functional partnership, and fostering a supportive, high‑performance environment. Innovation Drives continuous experimentation and prototyping, blending creative exploration with scalable delivery and treating learning—successful or not—as fuel for progress. Communication Communicates user journeys and design rationale with clarity and empathy, tailoring message to audience and building alignment across design, product, and engineering. Qualifications Bachelor’s degree in Design, HCI, or related field; advanced degree preferred. 5+ years of experience in UX/UI or product design, including leadership roles. Expertise in design systems, user research, and evidence‑based design practices. Experience in SaaS or IoT platform companies, serving as a design leader within empowered product teams. Proven ability to translate complex challenges into simple, human-centered experiences. Skilled in guiding teams through discovery and delivery in cross‑functional environments. Strong communicator and advocate for design’s strategic role. Passion for driving measurable impact on trust, usability, and adoption. #J-18808-Ljbffr