Senior Program Lead Transfer (m/f/x)

Founded in 2007, the HPI d—school has become the European Center for Design Thinking Education. Students from all kinds of fields develop human-centred solutions to complex problems, working with partners from corporations, startups, NGOs, and public institutions. Today the d—school builds on that foundation. Beyond the question of how something can be built, it puts at the centre the question of what should be built, and for whom.

Your role

We are currently developing a conceptual evolution of Design Thinking in the age of AI. In a world where almost any digital idea can be easily executed, the harder question is what is worth building, and for whom. Transfer is where that question meets the world: interdisciplinary student teams work on real decisions that an external partner owns, with real consequences. We are looking for a colleague who loves that question and is excited to build the formats where it gets answered. You are looking for a role with real room to build, in which you create formats where capacities are built through action and reflection. You will work at the intersection of design, digital technology, and decisions that carry public and societal weight. Ideally you have made such real‑world decisions yourself and are excited to turn that experience into formats to empower others.

• Design programs: You translate the d—school's conceptual framework into running, repeatable formats. Building on the d—school's established Design Thinking practice, you develop the outward‑facing formats in which students work on real decisions that external partners own, together with our program team
• Run formats: You own these formats by independently designing, leading, and coordinating them. You define learning goals, structure the collaboration with partners around them, and set the standard by which the work is judged: the quality of reasoning, not the product delivered. You commit to what works and change what does not
• Build a team over time: You take on leadership of the transfer area as it grows. A Program Manager who executes the formats joins in a later hiring round, and you help define and select them. From the start, you own the format work and collaborate closely with our team
• Work with partners: You define what a format needs from a partner and set the standard for which partners fit. Together with our team, you bring project and content partners into your formats; and shape how they engage with students
• Coordinate within and beyond HPI: You work closely with the d—school and other HPI teams to realise formats inside an academic institution, and you run our international collaborations with partner universities
• Master's degree (or equivalent), preferably in design, digital technology, innovation, social sciences, or a related field
• Substantial experience making or shaping consequential real‑world decisions, ideally with or for external partners in business, public, civic, academic, or organizational settings
• Curiosity about translating that experience into repeatable, teachable formats for computer science, interdisciplinary and intercultural students, and the conceptual strength to do so in a still‑evolving field
• Solid grounding in design practice, ideally with design responsibility for products, services, or processes
• Confidence coordinating projects and diverse stakeholders, including across institutions and internationally
• Experience building partner‑based or project‑based formats is an advantage
• Familiarity with AI applications is an advantage
• Experience building and leading a team is an advantage
• Work experience in different industries, sectors, cultures, or ecosystems is an advantage
• Professional fluency in English; German desired, with willingness to develop it welcomed

What we offer

• A multifaceted job, embedded in an international and dynamic working environment and embedded in a vibrant ecosystem at the intersection of digital technology and design
• Real room to build and make a difference through empowering others
• Regular team events and workshops
• For problems of any kind (including those in your private life), you can use our external employee counseling service free of charge
• Attractive employee offers (corporate benefits)
• Possibility to work remotely (up to 2 days a week)
• 30 days of vacation plus two additional days off on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve
• Numerous sports facilities (tennis and basketball courts, beach volleyball court, calisthenics park, and participation in running events)
• Workplace on the HPI campus in Potsdam-Babelsberg (Griebnitzsee S-Bahn station), with fast transportation connections to Berlin