# Christina Rodriguez > Design Ops Leader @Adobe | Previously at Bill, Zendesk, & Capital One Location: Oakland, California, United States Profile: https://flows.cv/christinarodriguez I approach Design Operations as a design problem itself, one that requires the same user-centered thinking, systematic methodology, and iterative refinement we apply to product design. With 10 years of experience, I partner with design teams and senior leadership to diagnose operational friction points, prototype new processes, and scale solutions that unlock both team potential and business value. Currently at Bill.com, I treat our design systems, workflows, and team rituals as products with real users: our designers, stakeholders, and ultimately our customers. Whether I'm redesigning our product development lifecycle to reduce handoff friction, facilitating leadership reviews that actually drive decisions, or integrating AI tools to eliminate repetitive tasks, I start with user research: What's breaking? What's working? What would make this team 10x more effective? This design-driven approach to operations means I'm constantly testing assumptions, measuring impact, and iterating based on feedback. The result? Design processes that actually serve the people using them, smoother collaboration between global teams, and ultimately better experiences for BILL's customers. I'm particularly excited about applying these principles to AI product development, where the pace of change requires operations that can evolve as quickly as the technology itself. I believe the best design operations feel invisible, like infrastructure that just works. ## Work Experience ### Senior Manager, Design Operations @ Adobe Jan 2025 – Present ### Senior Lead of Strategic Initiatives @ BILL Jan 2024 – Jan 2025 Aligned cross-functional senior leadership on strategic business goals across key pillars, driving company-wide operational initiatives and establishing cross-product systems for operational parity Led comprehensive strategic design research with 50+ stakeholders across Product and Design, diagnosing operational gaps and translating findings into actionable strategic recommendations for cross-functional improvements Orchestrated 3-month Design Modernization Workshop that uplifted skills, standardized best practices, and directly influenced Design's strategic contribution to FY26 objectives Designed and facilitated strategic alignment workshops with senior leadership to define future-state experiences and secure cross-functional buy-in for key initiatives Launched Design Community of Practice (CoP) establishing a knowledge-sharing platform that fosters cohesive design identity across our decentralized organization Mentored senior individual contributors and managers across the Design organization through modernization initiatives, enabling broader organizational impact Defined complex business problems and translated them into actionable design challenges and strategic opportunities for cross-functional teams ### Senior Manager, Product Design Operations @ Zendesk Jan 2023 – Jan 2024 Scaled operational excellence by implementing 6 design rituals and reviews across the global Design Team, increasing product development lifecycle efficiency and strengthening cross-functional collaboration with Product teams Streamlined Solution Discovery Reviews through a design-wide quality initiative focused on Jobs-To-Be-Done, Adoption, and Innovation frameworks, now integrated into the standard Product Development planning process Partnered with Senior Director of Innovation to develop comprehensive design strategy for customer experience vision, leading cross-functional forums that aligned MVP experiences, secured resourcing, and drove successful execution Designed and facilitated a 3-day AI utilization workshop using the Alternative Future Framework with 70 designers, driving adoption of AI tools across research, ideation, prototyping, concepting, and branding—resulting in measurably increased designer confidence with AI tools, improved world-building skills, and direct integration of AI work into Zendesk product development ### Manager, Product Design Operations @ Zendesk Jan 2022 – Jan 2023 Built and scaled the Design Operations organization from the ground up, establishing foundational workflows and support systems that enabled more efficient design outcomes across Product Design Led the Design Operations team twice over one year, managing 6 Design Operations Managers and establishing a comprehensive two-year operations roadmap that guided organizational growth and strategic initiatives Served as Interim Director of Design Operations for 6 months, leading team execution of org-wide initiatives that elevated design team maturity, improved cross-functional alignment, and scaled tooling globally Executed strategic roadmap initiatives including launching Community of Practice, Design Week, design portfolio reviews, Design All Hands, and design sizing standards, creating comprehensive operational infrastructure Established foundational governance and standardization frameworks that improved cross-functional alignment, optimized creative processes, and provided strategic clarity throughout all stages of design development Managed and mentored Design Program Managers through coaching, performance goal-setting, and development planning, successfully elevating several team members into broader leadership roles across the organization Established strategic partnerships for Design Ops and developed leadership team standards roadmap, strengthening cross-functional relationships and elevating design's organizational influence ### Senior Design Program Manager | Content Design & Architecture @ Zendesk Jan 2020 – Jan 2022 Audited and optimized processes across Content Design, UX Research, Architecture, and Design System teams, resulting in improved project scoping accuracy, enhanced partner collaboration, and increased team satisfaction through better workload visibility and understanding Co-created Design Diversity and Inclusion group with Global DEI team, delivering a new Zendesk DEI page and establishing inclusive operational frameworks across the design organization ### Senior Design Program Manager | Gravity Design System @ Capital One Jan 2017 – Jan 2020 | San Francisco Bay Area Managed operations and relationships for the Design Systems product team. Programmed and executed workshops with stakeholders to achieve roadmap alignment across design, engineering, and brand teams. Facilitated the creation of project roadmaps, ensuring alignment with brand and engineering to guide future work streams. Managed an agile process in sync with project roadmaps. Conducted research across the enterprise to align and prioritize design efforts. ### Design Program Manager | Design Management @ Capital One Jan 2017 – Jan 2017 | San Francisco Bay Area Co-developed design management standards that enhanced operational efficiency across 10 Design Program Managers, establishing frameworks for consistent practice and improved team performance Planned and facilitated the Barn Raise event, coordinating pro bono design services for Bay Area nonprofits including local San Francisco partners like La Cocina, connecting designers with community impact opportunities Co-led service design workshops with nonprofit partners including Glide Memorial Church, facilitating journey mapping and service blueprinting sessions that applied design thinking to community challenges Helped create San Francisco's first safe injection site and free goods program for underserved populations, applying service design methodologies to address critical public health and community needs through pro bono work with the Glide Foundation ### Principal Coordinator | Adaptive Path & AP.org @ Capital One Jan 2015 – Jan 2017 | San Francisco Bay Area Partnered with Adaptive Path leadership team to plan and execute service design workshops with stakeholders, including Credit Card, Small Business, and Home Loans product teams. Managed relationships with principal coordinators and directors, ensuring consistent communication across teams to create alignment across Adaptive Path and other Capital One Design groups. ### Client Services @ Schwab Charitable Jan 2015 – Jan 2015 | San Francisco Bay Area Educated clients and financial advisors on the benefits of donor-advised funds, serving as the primary point of contact for irregular account applications and contributions. Coordinated with clients, advisors, and financial institutions to open accounts and facilitate stock distribution during time-sensitive periods. Utilized Salesforce to track leads, document complaints, and provide metrics on sign-up rates, collaborating closely with operations and senior management to open special accounts for high-end clients. Verified tax-exempt status of domestic and international charities and developed procedures to enhance cross-team communication efficiency. ### Donor Relations Specialist @ Schwab Charitable Jan 2014 – Jan 2015 | San Francisco Bay Area ### Reseach and Development @ League of Women Voters of California Jan 2012 – Jan 2013 ## Education ### MBA in Design Strategy California College of the Arts Jan 2017 – Jan 2019 ### Bachelor's degree in International Relations and Affairs California State University-Sacramento Jan 2008 – Jan 2010 ## Contact & Social - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cmarier --- Source: https://flows.cv/christinarodriguez JSON Resume: https://flows.cv/christinarodriguez/resume.json Last updated: 2026-04-07