Overview
A department built around two strategic pillars: UX alignment across partner and web tools (through a shared design system) and API alignment across platform services (through Integration & Federated API Engineering). Served PlayStation platform and infrastructure teams across a ~600-person organization.
Achievement
I led the evolution of my remit from cloud front-end engineering into a broader Product UX & Tooling department built around two strategic pillars. The first was UX alignment: through the Partner and Web Tools Design System, I positioned UX consistency as a platform capability rather than a visual polish effort — connecting engineering reuse, partner-facing product maturity, and a shared toolkit across internal tooling surfaces. The second was API alignment: through the Integration & Federated API Engineering subteam, I drove the idea that internal products need strong integration layers to create coherent platform workflows, which directly evolved into the SIS API mandate. I managed the department as a business owner for internal tooling across a roughly 600-person organization, with a direct team of around 10 people including engineers, designers, team leads, and an engineering manager. Beyond delivery, I drove a shift-left operating model for UX, architecture, KPIs, and quality; clarified product management responsibilities and roadmap ownership across internal initiatives; and co-authored a global team structuring proposal covering Centers of Excellence, regional ownership, and cross-timezone collaboration.
Outcomes
- ◆ Expanded scope from cloud front-end engineering into Product UX & Tooling, supporting PlayStation Plus and SIE-wide platform tooling
- ◆ Led a department of ~10 people including engineers, designers, team leads, and an engineering manager
- ◆ Established three subteams: UX Design, Internal Tool Development, and Integration & Federated API Engineering
- ◆ Supported tooling and product UX needs across a ~600-person platform organization
- ◆ Drove shift-left operating model for UX, architecture, KPIs, and quality across product-aligned programs
- ◆ Clarified product management responsibilities, roadmap ownership, and product maturity expectations across internal platform initiatives
- ◆ Co-authored a global team Centers of Excellence proposal covering regional ownership, cross-timezone collaboration, and career development
Key Learning
This role taught me how to move from managing delivery to designing an operating model for a product-oriented engineering department. I built stronger capabilities in organizational design, product strategy, stakeholder management, and leadership through influence — and learned how to improve organizational behavior without relying solely on formal authority.