# Aaron Pinkwasser

> Senior AI Product Design Program Manager | Ex-Airbnb

Location: San Francisco, California, United States
Profile: https://flows.cv/aaronpinkwasser

Strategic AI Program/Operations Manager with proven success building and scaling high‑performing UX and AI product design teams. Expert at creating unified roadmaps, organizational change strategies, service blueprints and scalable systems that improve collaboration, agility, and stakeholder engagement.  Experienced coaching teams, partnering with executives, and driving service design initiatives to enhance user and stakeholder experiences. 

During my 4+ years at Airbnb, I drove internal initiatives that enhanced the Design organization's ways of working, bridged critical business functions, and operationalized cross-functional interaction models that notably improved product quality.

Currently leading programs for Joule (SAP's AI Assistant) that enable UX designers to build AI assistants and agents that accelerate delivery of new AI capabilities, and guiding conversational design strategy and guidelines to improve natural-language agent interactions.

Recently developed a unified UX roadmap, organizational-change strategy, and service blueprint; implemented repeatable processes and playbooks; and led team integrations and coaching to measurably improve delivery, collaboration, and organizational effectiveness.

My expertise spans all facets of UX Design Operations, including:
* Program Management: Orchestrating seamless product design processes.
* Tools and Automations: Implementing standardized tools and automations for efficiency.
* Strategic Operations: Creating scalable systems with a keen focus on measurement.
* Learning and Culture Programming: Developing impactful programs and live training events.

Signature skills:
* Leadership: Team Leadership and Management, Strategic Planning and Execution, Operational Strategy Orchestration, Continuous Learning and Development, Strategic Guidance & Insight, Relationship Building, Problem Solving, Team Building and Mentoring, Stakeholder Management, Cross-Functional Collaboration, Communication Strategy, Coalition Building

* Program & Product Management:  AI Product Design, AI Product Strategy, Strategic Design Program Management, Product Roadmap Planning & Prioritization, Product Development & Launch Team Leadership, Cross-Functional Roadmap Planning, Operational Strategy Development

* Tooling Expertise: Tooling Expertise: Figma, Jira, AirTable, Asana, Miro, Mural

When I'm not working, you can find me at the pottery studio, skiing, or going on urban adventures with my dog Radar.

## Work Experience
### Senior UX Design Program Manager, Business AI Product Design @ SAP
Jan 2024 – Present | Palo Alto, California, United States
Leading programs for Joule (SAP's AI Assistant) that enable UX designers to build AI assistants and agents that accelerate delivery of new AI capabilities, and guiding conversational design strategy and guidelines to improve natural-language agent interactions.

Developed a unified UX roadmap, organizational-change strategy, and service blueprint; implemented repeatable processes and playbooks; and led team integrations and coaching to measurably improve delivery, collaboration, and organizational effectiveness.

▪	Owned budgets, finances, and OKRs, aligning team goals with strategic objectives and boosting goal achievement by 60%.
▪	Built AI Product Design roadmaps and dashboards in Airtable, enhancing project transparency and increasing on-time delivery to 90%.
▪	Led quarterly portfolio and capacity planning, improving resource allocation and increasing project throughput by 20%.
▪	Created and maintained playbook, SOPs, and systematized automations to streamline workflows and reduce process inconsistencies by 30%.
▪	Developed the Service Blueprint, improving cross-functional collaboration and delivery quality to the highest standards.
▪	Mentored and coached teams, including key leadership, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and increasing team satisfaction scores by 15%.
▪	Scaled operations through a combination of workflow automation and tooling
▪	Organized and facilitated the team offsite in Germany, strengthening team cohesion and enhancing cross-functional collaboration.

### Senior UX Design Operations Program Manager @ Airbnb
Jan 2022 – Jan 2024 | San Francisco, California, United States
Responsible for improving the velocity of the UX Design organization through standards and rituals, ultimately ensuring that high quality features are shipped against the roadmap. Created, owned, and evolved key programs and operating rhythms that enabled Design Program Managers to scale and deliver exemplary product experiences in a creative, focused environment. Partnering closely with leadership from Product, Design, Engineering, and Marketing, drove company priorities through seamless day-to-day operations and strong stakeholder alignment, with an eye towards scale and efficiency.

▪	Developed the Design Operations Team's operating system and playbooks, standardizing best practices and improving team collaboration, decision-making, and efficiency.
▪	Designed and managed the UX Design organization's staffing system, mitigating project risks and increasing project completion rates by 15%. 
▪	Spearheaded the strategy and implementation of a cross-functional product roadmap planning system in AirTable, fostering seamless collaboration between Product, UX Design, and Engineering. I established intake processes, prioritization frameworks, and training programs, enabling efficient resource allocation and proactive risk management.
▪	Defined key metrics and collected data to quantify process improvements, resource allocation, and roadmap execution, providing actionable insights for VPs.
▪	Identified tooling and automation gaps, implementing solutions that achieved 100% adoption and improved team productivity while maintaining design standards.

### Senior UX Research and UX Writing Program Manager @ Airbnb
Jan 2021 – Jan 2022 | San Francisco, California, United States
Served as a trusted advisor to UX Research Director and UX Writing Director, partnering to establish and manage the priorities, roadmap, and cross-functional operational model for how the UX Research and UX Writing teams engage with stakeholders (UX Design, Product, Marketing, Localization, etc.). Managed team operating cadence, including communication structures, leadership cadence, headcount, and budget.

▪	Directed quarterly and annual planning processes, delivering roadmaps that improved project completion rates to 90%
▪	Streamlined internal communications, and automated weekly project status reporting and escalations 
▪	Created functional team operating models, boosting team velocity by 15% through improved communication cadence and quality standards
▪	Provided visibility into projects, resource utilization, and team performance, enhancing operational efficiency
▪	Optimized operations for UX Research and Writing teams by establishing standards, creating a team identity, and increasing collaboration resulting in improved quality, scalability, repeatability, and progress reporting to leadership and XFN partners
▪	Streamlined roadmap process, improving efficiency and productivity by prioritizing and reporting on high-priority projects, resulting in a more predictable and faster production of high-quality work

### UX Design Program Manager @ Airbnb
Jan 2019 – Jan 2021 | San Francisco
Directed the daily operations for the Payments UX Design Team, and the Customer Service UX Design Team to coordinate the strategy and execution of the work of the UX Researchers, UX Writers, and UX Designers with the Product and Engineering Teams to execute against the Product Roadmap. Served as an integral member of the Design Leadership Team, establishing new systematized and scalable processes to increase efficiency, optimization, collaboration, and communication.

▪	Transformed chaotic operations into a highly efficient and collaborative team by implementing standardized processes, resulting in improved productivity, scalability, and quality, with other teams seeking our guidance for scaling 
▪	Implemented a successful pilot tool and created ambassadors, resulting in 100% adoption of Asana as project management tool, weekly data updates for accuracy, and increased collaboration and productivity
▪	Revitalized team culture by implementing new weekly and monthly connection touchpoints, resulting in increased engagement, communication, collaboration, productivity, and velocity within the Payments Design Team
▪	Established operational models and managed team rhythms, reducing planning meetings by 50% and increasing coordination
▪	Aligned UX Design teams to one prioritization framework and resource management system, increasing velocity by 20%
▪	Managed resourcing and project allocation, achieving a 90% completion rate of projects each quarter

### UX Design Program Manager at Airbnb @ ustwo
Jan 2019 – Jan 2019 | San Francisco, CA
Working on site at Airbnb HQ as an embedded Program Manager, managing a $3M retainer contract for a team of 6 UX Designers to successfully deliver quality digital design projects on time and on budget within various teams across Airbnb. Responsibilities include resource management, account management, project management, mentorship/coaching, budget management, contract negotiations, and business development.

▪	Successfully managed a $3M retainer contract for a team of 6 UX Designers at Airbnb, resulting in 100% allocation, contract renewal, and satisfied client through cross-functional collaboration, best practices implementation, and effective resource and budget management
▪	Developed best practices and templates for managing design projects while managing resource allocation, budgets, and billing for retainers and concurrent SOWs, resulting in consistent, quality results

### Marketing Manager – Marketing Strategy & High Performance Team Development @ Bill Baren Coaching
Jan 2014 – Jan 2018 | Oakland, California
▪	Successfully launched the company's largest premium product, resulting in 1,200 new students worth $1.5M, while leading project management during high-pressure, chaotic operations
▪	Transformed lead generation for company's largest live event with a high-impact marketing campaign, resulting in 1,500 registrations and $1.7M revenue
▪	Spearheaded growth from $3M to $5M in 4 years while streamlining marketing operations post-acquisition, successfully merging 2 departments and optimizing efficiency to facilitate a seamless transition and integration

### Marketing Manager @ The Big Shift Coaching
Jan 2014 – Jan 2018
Executed strategic direction to C-level staff for marketing campaign development, concept design, and strategy, including live events, product launches, and evergreen sales funnels. Directed daily operations for copywriting, sales, data, engineering, and marketing staff. Managed internal digital agencies, external creative agencies, independent contractors, and vendors to produce effective and timely marketing collateral.

● Led project management during high-pressure, chaotic operations, establishing streamlined systems to ensure project delivery by deadline, under budget, and according to quality specifications; served as the Project Manager for the company’s largest product launch, resulting in 1,200 new students worth $1.5M.
● Oversaw design and execution of a high-impact marketing campaign for the company’s largest live event, generating 1,500 registrations with 678 attendees generating $1.7M in revenue.
● Harnessed marketing, sales, and creative team strengths to drive revenue growth from $3M to $5M in 4 years.
● Restructured marketing operations following a company merger to integrate 2 marketing departments, synchronizing operations to improve efficiency.

### Marketing Manager – Digital Marketing Strategy & Project Management @ Healing Holidays
Jan 2013 – Jan 2014 | London, UK
▪	Generated a 30% increase in web traffic and an 18% increase in web-based sales inquiries within 8 months as the primary contact for media and public relations, industry expert communications, tradeshows, partnerships, and clients, optimizing press coverage and brand image
▪	Saved $110K in one year by restructuring marketing operations and bringing project management of 4 websites in-house, reducing reliance on costly contractors and vendors
▪	Secured a $130K partnership with Conde Nast Traveler Spa Guide Online, resulting in $32K cost savings for the company through impactful negotiations
▪	Secured a $16K advertising campaign with Malaysian Tourism at 62% margin, resulting in $30K savings through successful negotiations
▪	Negotiated partnerships and advertising campaigns, saving company costs and achieving significant margins


## Education
### Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in International Business, Minor: Japanese Language & Culture
The George Washington University

### Japanese Business Semester Abroad
Waseda University

### Bachelor of Business Administration - BBA in International Business
The George Washington University

### Bachelor's Degree in International Business
The George Washington University

### Waseda University


## Contact & Social
- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/aaronpinkwasser

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Source: https://flows.cv/aaronpinkwasser
JSON Resume: https://flows.cv/aaronpinkwasser/resume.json
Last updated: 2026-04-13