Does one have to be good at programming to design algorithms?

[nuzzle]

I'm not aiming to be a good programmer, but what does one have to have before designing algorithms for a company?

You need a good understanding of the properties of a digital computer.

In principle it boils down to two things; Any algorithm must be mathematically finite and it must be computationally tractable. If you can take concepts of high mathematical sophistication and make them programmable in this way you'll be a success even if you never lay down a single line of code yourself.

In my experience there's a great demand for math graduates in many companies. Lots of programmers are at the math level of a high-school drop-out who can hardly count to ten. If they don't have someone to guide them through the math jungle they're totally lost. So don't sell yourself cheap.

I wish a had a stronger math profile. Someone has said something to the effect that "everytime you pass up a math course you can hear the sound of doors closing". It's so true.