# Jennifer Burkhardt > Strategic Transformation & Change Leader | AI Adoption & Workflow Enablement | Design & Product Ops Location: Rohnert Park, California, United States Profile: https://flows.cv/jenniferburkhardt My work often sits between enterprise transformation and design/creative operations leadership, helping organizations navigate scale, AI adoption, and cross-functional complexity. I design systems for designers and their partners – combining strategic perspective with hands-on collaboration to surface risks early and help teams make better decisions before problems compound. Automation has always been part of my operating system, but never as a replacement for human judgment. I focus on keeping people meaningfully in the loop, removing unnecessary effort, and creating space for better thinking. In recent roles, I’ve partnered with large, distributed UX and creative orgs navigating scale, complexity, and rapid change – often working at the intersection of design, product, and engineering to clarify priorities and improve how decisions get made. I’m currently exploring leadership roles in UX/Design Operations, Product Operations, and Enterprise Transformation programs supporting organizations navigating scale, AI adoption, or operational complexity. ## Work Experience ### Strategic Operations Consultant @ Thumbtack Jan 2025 – Present | San Francisco Bay Area Conducted a comprehensive operational audit of Brand Design workflows, intake systems, and tooling. Delivered an org design + operating roadmap, including prioritization frameworks, planning rhythms, and early AI-enabled workflow pilots to scale high-quality creative output. ### Strategic Operations Consultant @ Indeed Jan 2025 – Jan 2025 | San Francisco Bay Area Led planning infrastructure, operating cadence, and AI workflow enablement across a 250-person global UX organization. Built templates, prompt libraries, and internal learning forums that supported responsible adoption and improved cross-functional execution. ### Head of Design Strategy & Operations @ Hearst Jan 2022 – Jan 2024 Transformed global creative production operations across 50+ brands, leading accessibility compliance initiatives and organizational restructuring. Key Achievements: - Spearheaded global production workflows and creative operations, streamlining approvals across cross-functional teams and improving operational efficiency by 20% - Led WCAG accessibility compliance across global portfolio, achieving 100% readiness for European Accessibility Act implementation - Developed comprehensive governance frameworks enabling seamless collaboration across teams and regions while reducing operational bottlenecks by 30% - Built dashboards and tracking systems providing real-time insights for strategic decision-making across leadership teams - Designed mentorship programs fostering professional growth and improving team engagement by 30% ### Design Operations Manager @ Cisco Meraki Jan 2021 – Jan 2022 | San Francisco Bay Area - Strengthened Feature Development Pipeline with User-Centric Development: Optimized the process for incorporating user feedback into the product roadmap, ensuring that feature requests were efficiently prioritized and seamlessly integrated into the development pipeline, enhancing the overall user experience. - Budget Management: Developed a comprehensive budget tracker that facilitated accurate forecasting and identified significant cost savings, directly impacting the efficiency of the Design and Research teams. - Tool Procurement and Management: Managed the procurement and provisioning of new design and research tools, ensuring that the teams had access to the latest resources to optimize their work. - Established and Unified Documentation Repositories: Collaborated with Design Ops teams across Cisco business units to establish standardized documentation repositories, including a comprehensive project tracker, ensuring consistency, transparency, and accessibility across teams and projects. - Led Multiple Programs: Founded and managed several key programs, including Quarterly Planning, Learning & Development, and a Design Thinking initiative, contributing to a more structured and proactive team culture. ### Creative Production Manager @ Patreon Jan 2020 – Jan 2020 - Consulted on Motion Asset Production: Identified optimal software and workflows for the production of motion assets, providing strategic recommendations to design leadership on best practices. ### Head Of Production @ Thumbtack Jan 2019 – Jan 2020 | San Francisco Bay Area - Team Leadership: Led the hiring, onboarding, and management of a diverse team of production artists, designers, producers, and developers, significantly expanding the team’s capacity and impact. - Project Planning and Execution: Drove quarterly planning and prioritization with design, product, and marketing leadership, ensuring alignment with organizational goals across multiple projects. - Process Development: Established rituals for project kickoffs, reviews, and post-mortems, fostering a creative environment that encouraged healthy risk-taking and innovation. - Relationship Building: Developed and maintained strong relationships with functional stakeholders, ensuring smooth collaboration and effective project execution across the company. ### Creative Production Manager @ Thumbtack Jan 2019 – Jan 2019 | San Francisco Bay Area - Workflow Optimization: Designed and implemented workflow improvements that enhanced team output and facilitated collaboration across disciplines, including interactive, product, and print design. - Vendor Management: Managed the vetting and onboarding of contractors and agencies to support the growing demands of production, ensuring high-quality output and adherence to brand standards. - Promoted to Head of Production: Recognized for success in cross-functional collaboration and workflow management, leading to a promotion to Head of Production. ### Lead, Interactive Graphic Production @ Apple Jan 2015 – Jan 2019 | Sunnyvale, CA Led global production operations for Apple Marcom, supporting launch creative across web, email, retail, and integrated marketing campaigns through scalable systems, automation, and craft-focused workflows. - Global Production Leadership: Led and managed a dynamic team of designers, artists, and technicians, developing scalable processes and tools that supported global product launches. - Process and Workflow Design: Created and refined processes for effective team collaboration, consistently delivering high-quality motion and static interactive assets for major product events. - Cross-Functional Collaboration: Worked closely with multidisciplinary teams to ensure consistent communication and execution across projects, maintaining Apple’s high standards for quality and innovation. - Team Mentorship: Provided leadership and mentorship to senior artists, empowering them to lead their own teams through complex product launches. ### Graphic Production Artist @ Apple Jan 2015 – Jan 2015 | Sunnyvale - Ensured Pristine Quality of Execution: Upheld Apple’s exacting standards by consistently delivering flawless graphical elements, setting the benchmark for quality across global teams. Led by example, scaling these high standards through meticulous attention to detail and a commitment to excellence that resonated across all levels of the organization. - Cross-Functional Collaboration: Built strong relationships with motion, engineering, and brand design teams to ensure the quality and consistency of deliverables across product launches. - Workflow Documentation: Played a key role in designing workflows that significantly increased production output, enabling the team to meet the demands of Apple’s fast-paced launch schedule. ### Web Design / Development @ Freelance / Graphic Design Services Jan 2012 – Jan 2015 Worked with a variety of small businesses designing and developing their online presence. ### Email Production Manager @ BabyCenter Jan 2013 – Jan 2015 - Analyzed email campaign performance using SQL, segmentation, and cohort analysis to identify drivers of engagement and conversion - Investigated performance issues (e.g., low open rates, declining engagement) and translated findings into changes in targeting, messaging, and send strategy - Tested and optimized subject lines, audience segments, and send timing to improve campaign effectiveness - Partnered cross-functionally with marketing, design, and engineering to implement data-informed improvements to campaign execution ### Media Coordinator @ Extension Media Jan 2012 – Jan 2013 Managed online assets (client and house material); designed for web/print; created and edited online newsletters; secured, qualified, and posted press releases; collaborated with internal and external editorial contacts to ensure timely execution of content; social media; seo. Websites include: http://eecatalog.com http://autodeskcatalog.com http://chipdesignmag.com http://electroiq.com and more! ### Production Assistant @ Extension Media Jan 2011 – Jan 2012 Web Development and Print Production ## Education ### Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Design and Illustration California College of the Arts ## Contact & Social - LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/jenniferburkhardt1 - Portfolio: https://www.jennb.work/ --- Source: https://flows.cv/jenniferburkhardt JSON Resume: https://flows.cv/jenniferburkhardt/resume.json Last updated: 2026-04-13