# Emily Parcell

> Leadership Coach  |  DesignOps Leadership  |  supporting designers to do their best work

Location: San Francisco Bay Area, United States
Profile: https://flows.cv/emilyparcell

I’m an operations-oriented leader, coach, and educator with a mission of removing barriers that prevent designers from showing up as their most creative selves.

Over the past 10 years leading product design teams for DIRECTV, Kaiser Permanente, Verizon, and Automation Anywhere, I’ve leveraged strong partnerships while dismantling complexity to improve the efficiency and quality of product design teams. 

My approach focuses on fostering leadership skills within the team to smooth the process of change while creating shared responsibility for our team culture and success. 

Through my company Human-Centered Leader, I support design leaders to realize their potential with confidence and clarity through 1:1 coaching, workshops, and team training.

## Work Experience
### IT Manager @ County of Santa Clara
Jan 2024 – Present

### Adjunct Professor @ California College of the Arts
Jan 2023 – Present
Create and deliver curriculum for a graduate-level design course in Storytelling

### Leadership Coach @ Human-Centered Leader
Jan 2021 – Present
Coach design leaders to strengthen communication skills and executive presence in addition to leading customized ideation, strategy, professional development, and culture programs for clients

### Instructor @ School of Visual Concepts
Jan 2022 – Present
Create and deliver curriculum for courses in leadership and communication for creatives transitioning into UX writing, research, and design

### Director, UX Design + Design Operations @ Automation Anywhere
Jan 2019 – Jan 2021
Established a centralized DesignOps practice for a growing team of designers, researchers, and documentation writers in addition to overseeing four product pods at a globally distributed enterprise software startup.

Focused on:
- Toolset standardization and change management process
- Design system creation
- Establishment of team rituals and review process
- Design of an equitable hiring and onboarding process
- Socialization of best practices across product areas
- Creation, advocacy, and documentation of a new way of working with cross-functional product teams

Leadership responsibilities:
- Oversaw the work of 8 designers over four emerging product areas
- Manage a team of 3 Design Operations specialists

### Design Manager @ Tigerspike
Jan 2014 – Jan 2019
Remotely led team culture and operations for America-based designers, researchers, and strategists at a global digital strategy consultancy.

Focused on:
- Standardization of approach to projects
- Socialization of best practices across offices and projects
- Design of global remote collaboration guidelines
- Creation of a centralized global work repository

Leadership responsibilities: 
- Directly managed 5 full-time designers and researchers who worked remotely
- Oversaw the work of numerous short-term contract designers

### Senior Product Designer @ Gild
Jan 2012 – Jan 2014 | San Francisco Bay Area
Led web design and strategy and oversaw marketing design for a B2B recruiting SAAS startup.

Focused on:
- Standards definition and documentation
- Process standardization and templatization
- Performance reporting and improvement strategy

Leadership responsibilities: 
- Hired and oversaw the work of a Staff Designer
- Managed the work of contract developers and designers

### Web + Graphic Designer @ Aspen Music Festival and School
Jan 2011 – Jan 2012
Led web and marketing design for a non-profit arts organization.

Focused on:
- Creation and execution of brand design systems
- Process standardization and templatization
- Documentation of guidelines and repeated annual processes

Leadership responsibilities: 
- Hired and managed seasonal Digital Media Assistant
- Oversaw recruitment, scheduling, and management of seasonal volunteers

### Web + Graphic Designer @ Arizona State University
Jan 2008 – Jan 2011
Responsible for web and print design for a K-12 outreach program associated with the university.

Focused on: 
- Creation and execution of brand design systems
- Templatization of work
- Documentation of repeated annual processes


## Education
### Co-Active Coach
Co-Active Training Institute

### Bachelor of Science in Design
Arizona State University

### Bachelor of Arts in Music
University of Arizona

### Interaction Design & UX Boot Camp
Cooper Professional Education

### Facilitating Creative Ideation
Cooper Professional Education

### The Art of Storytelling
Cooper Professional Education

### Mastering the Art of Feedback
Cooper Professional Education


## Contact & Social
- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/eparcell
- Portfolio: http://emilyparcell.com
- Portfolio: https://calendly.com/emilyparcell/coaching

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