Design Strategy Manager

Role Overview

Design Strategy Manager at Etihad Airways, based in Abu Dhabi. This role leads identification, articulation and development of strategic design opportunities and initiatives for the end-to-end guest journey.

Company Overview

Etihad Airways is the UAE's national airline, shaping the future of global aviation. Operating from Abu Dhabi as a hub, the airline connects people across continents and cultures while pursuing its "Journey 2030" ambition to double its fleet, expand its network and grow its people for a new era of excellence.

Role Purpose

The Design Strategy Manager translates brand strategy into tangible experience design opportunities across every touchpoint of the guest journey. The role requires proven ability to convert brand and customer insights into compelling design strategies and implementable outcomes, collaborating closely with stakeholders across brand, guest insights, ground operations and crew & service.

Key Responsibilities

Strategy Development

• Lead creation of experience design principles to form a holistic guest experience strategy aligned with brand positioning and hospitality philosophy.
• Translate brand strategy into experience design strategies for the end-to-end guest journey.
• Develop a strategic narrative across multiple experience touchpoints and clearly articulate opportunities for guest benefit.

Opportunity Identification

• Identify experience design opportunities within the guest journey that will improve Etihad's premium position and market leadership.
• Use guest data, insights, market analyses, industry and lateral trends to identify and form experience design opportunities across the guest journey.
• Address opportunities spanning digital, physical and service design across booking, airport, cabin and post-flight touchpoints.

Solution Development & Delivery

• Develop experience design opportunities into tangible solutions in close partnership with internal stakeholders, with clear implementation plans agreed with stakeholders.
• Create business impact-led prioritized roadmaps from the pool of experience opportunities, with defined delivery timelines.
• Ensure strategies are grounded in operational realities and lead to implementable solutions in both the short and long term.
• Improve NPS and other guest performance metrics through developed solutions.

Governance & Documentation

• Articulate and capture experience design principles and strategic design guidelines that serve as guardrails for product development and service implementation.

Tools & Processes

• Identify and develop new tools, methods and processes to capture and share trends, insights, ideas and opportunities across the organization.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Design (Industrial, Interior or Transportation) with focus on user research and design strategy, or bachelor's degree in Design Research and Strategy, or relevant experience with proven track record.
• 7+ years of experience in developing experience design strategies in a consultancy or in-house capacity, ideally in aviation, hospitality or guest-experience-driven industries.

Skills & Competencies

• Expert in storytelling and articulation of concepts.
• Expert in turning insights into opportunities and value-driven solutions.
• Strong visual, written and verbal presentation skills.
• Ability to lead and command respect as the subject matter expert.
• Highly collaborative and proactive mentality to align with multiple stakeholders.
• Strategic mindset to see the big picture and form strategic narratives across multiple experience touchpoints.
• Solution-oriented approach grounded in operational realities.

Additional Information

• Etihad Airways will never ask for personal information, bank details or payment during the recruitment process. Interviews are conducted face-to-face or via video or telephone before any formal offer. Treat any request for money as fraudulent.