Engineering Manager, UI Tooling

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Engineering Manager, UI Tooling

Company: Airbnb

Location: United States

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Engineering Management / UI Tooling / Design Systems

Date Posted: April 03, 2026

Experience Level: 10+ Years

Remote Status: Remote Eligible (US)

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead and grow a team of engineers focused on UI Tooling, impacting hundreds of designers and engineers across Airbnb.

• Define and execute a multi-year technical roadmap for AI-powered design and engineering workflows, pushing the boundaries of designer and engineer enablement.

• Drive strategic cross-functional partnerships with Design, Product, and AI teams to integrate advanced tooling and AI capabilities.

• Oversee core areas including AI usage of the Design System, core UI development workflow tooling, core design workflow tooling, and collaboration platforms.

• Foster an inclusive, high-performance team culture that prioritizes psychological safety and continuous learning.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned within a critical infrastructure team at Airbnb, focusing on the intersection of design systems, developer experience, and emerging AI technologies. The "UI Tooling" aspect implies a strong emphasis on building and maintaining internal tools and platforms that enhance productivity and streamline workflows for both design and engineering functions. The "Engineering Manager" title indicates a leadership position responsible for team management, technical strategy, and cross-functional collaboration.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Provide dedicated leadership for the UI Tooling engineering team, fostering consistency, clarity, and long-term strategic direction.

• Manage, mentor, and develop a team of engineers specializing in design tooling, developer experience, and AI-powered workflows.

• Own and drive the multi-year technical roadmap, ensuring alignment with UI Foundation's broader goals and Airbnb's strategic infrastructure investments.

• Champion the adoption of AI-powered design-to-code workflows, positioning Airbnb as a leader in this domain through initiatives like Figma Code Connections and AI agents for UI development and prototyping.

• Build and maintain strong cross-functional alignment with Design, Product, AI/ML partners, and internal platform teams to advance designer and engineer enablement capabilities.

• Guide technical decisions across the team, including platform architecture, AI integration patterns, and system design, bringing a senior engineering perspective.

• Manage staffing, prioritization, and execution consistency for long-horizon platform investments, ensuring clear communication and unblocking team efforts.

• Partner with design and engineering leaders to identify workflow pain points and prioritize high-leverage tooling investments that directly impact product development.

• Foster an inclusive team culture grounded in psychological safety, high performance, and continuous improvement.

• Represent the UI Tooling team in organizational planning and investment conversations, influencing prioritization and surfacing dependencies across UI Foundation initiatives.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of people management, technical leadership, strategic planning, and cross-functional influence. The focus on "AI Usage of the Design System" and "AI-powered workflows" indicates a forward-looking approach, requiring the manager to guide teams in exploring and implementing cutting-edge technologies. The broad scope of responsibilities across design tooling, development workflow, and collaboration platforms suggests a need for a manager who can balance strategic vision with operational execution across diverse technical domains.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is listed, a strong technical background is implied, typically supported by a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.

Experience:

• 10+ years of progressive software engineering experience.

Required Skills:

• Proven ability to lead, develop, and grow engineering teams, fostering a culture of high performance and psychological safety.

• Strong technical foundation in frontend or cross-platform development, with the ability to engage credibly on complex architecture and system design decisions.

• Demonstrated track record of driving long-horizon platform investments from initial strategy through successful execution.

• Expertise in building or leading teams responsible for developer experience, design tooling, or design system infrastructure at scale.

• Deep familiarity with the Figma ecosystem, including plugins, Dev Mode, Code Connections, or similar design-to-code workflows.

• Strong cross-organizational influence and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to build alignment across diverse teams (Design, Product, AI/ML).

Preferred Skills:

• Experience working with AI-powered developer or designer tooling.

• Experience integrating Large Language Model (LLM) capabilities into product or workflow automation.

• Familiarity with accessibility standards and their implementation in tooling and design systems.

• Experience with motion design tooling or core motion frameworks.

• Understanding of prototyping platforms and tools.

• Experience with component development and documentation tooling.

📝 Enhancement Note: The experience requirements emphasize leadership in platform and tooling domains, specifically calling out design systems and developer experience. The "10+ years of software engineering experience, with 5+ years in an engineering management role" suggests a senior-level position requiring substantial leadership and technical depth. The specific mention of Figma and AI integration points to a need for candidates who are not only strong managers but also technically current and forward-thinking in their approach to product development workflows.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrated examples of successfully leading engineering teams through complex platform initiatives, showcasing strategic planning and execution.

• Case studies detailing the development and impact of internal tooling, developer experience enhancements, or design system infrastructure at scale.

• Evidence of cross-functional collaboration, illustrating how you've partnered with Design, Product, and other engineering teams to achieve shared goals.

• Documentation or presentations that highlight your approach to technical strategy, architecture decisions, and long-horizon roadmap development.

Process Documentation:

• Showcase your approach to defining and iterating on technical roadmaps, including how you gather requirements, prioritize, and measure outcomes.

• Provide examples of how you've managed the lifecycle of platform investments, from ideation and technical design through to deployment and adoption.

• Illustrate your methods for fostering collaboration and alignment across diverse stakeholder groups, including design, product, and engineering.

• Detail your strategies for driving adoption of new tools and workflows, particularly in areas like design-to-code or AI-enabled processes.

📝 Enhancement Note: While not explicitly stated as a "portfolio requirement" in the traditional sense, the job description heavily implies the need for candidates to demonstrate their experience through examples. The emphasis on "long-horizon platform investments," "strategic leadership," and "cross-functional influence" suggests that candidates will be evaluated on their ability to articulate past successes and approaches to managing complex technical initiatives. A strong candidate will be able to present tangible examples of their leadership impact on tooling, developer experience, and design system adoption.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

Benefits:

• Bonus: Eligibility for annual performance-based bonuses.

• Equity: Potential for stock options or grants.

• Benefits: Comprehensive benefits package, likely including health, dental, vision insurance, retirement plans (e.g., 401k), and paid time off.

Working Hours:

• The standard working hours are typically 40 hours per week, consistent with full-time employment. However, the remote-eligible nature of the role may offer flexibility in scheduling, with occasional work at an Airbnb office or attendance at offsites as agreed with the manager.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range provided is based on the information available ($212,000 - $265,000 USD). This range is typical for senior Engineering Manager roles in major US tech companies, especially in high-cost-of-living areas or for remote positions requiring extensive experience. The specific compensation will depend on factors such as the candidate's experience, skills, location, and internal equity. The inclusion of bonus, equity, and unique travel credits indicates a competitive total compensation package.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Hospitality, Technology, Travel, Marketplace. Airbnb operates at the intersection of these industries, leveraging technology to facilitate unique travel experiences and foster community connections.

Company Size: Airbnb is a large, publicly traded technology company, indicated by its significant employee count and market presence. This means established processes, but also opportunities for impact within a global organization.

Founded: 2007. This indicates a company with a mature product and a strong, established presence in the market, having navigated significant growth and evolution.

Team Structure:

• The UI Foundation team is responsible for the core design system, accessibility, motion, and the tooling that bridges design and engineering.

• The UI Tooling team is a sub-group within UI Foundation, acting as the crucial link between the Design Language System and the daily workflows of designers and engineers.

Methodology:

• Data-driven decision-making, using metrics to inform roadmap prioritization and measure the impact of tooling investments.

• Agile development methodologies, likely involving iterative development, continuous integration, and frequent feedback loops.

• Emphasis on user-centric design and development, ensuring that tooling and platforms meet the needs of designers and engineers.

• A focus on innovation, particularly in leveraging AI to enhance designer and engineer productivity.

Company Website: https://www.airbnb.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: Airbnb's culture is known for its focus on community, belonging, and creating unique experiences. For an engineering role like this, it translates to an emphasis on empowering internal users (designers and engineers), fostering collaboration, and driving innovation that benefits the entire product development ecosystem. The "UI Foundation" and "UI Tooling" teams are central to maintaining consistency and efficiency across Airbnb's vast product surface.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Senior Engineering Management position, overseeing a critical platform team. It signifies a role with substantial responsibility for technical strategy, team development, and cross-functional influence, operating at a level where decisions have a company-wide impact.

Reporting Structure: The Engineering Manager will likely report to a Director or Senior Director within the Engineering or Product Development organization, possibly within a broader UI Engineering or Product Platform group. They will directly manage a team of individual contributor engineers.

Operations Impact: The UI Tooling team's work directly impacts the productivity and efficiency of hundreds of designers and engineers, thereby accelerating product development cycles, ensuring design consistency, and enabling the adoption of new technologies like AI. This role has a significant indirect impact on Airbnb's ability to innovate and deliver high-quality user experiences.

Growth Opportunities:

• Technical Leadership: Opportunity to deepen expertise in platform architecture, AI integration, and design systems, potentially leading to roles managing larger engineering organizations or specialized technical areas.

• Product Strategy: Influence the strategic direction of designer and engineer enablement at Airbnb, shaping future investments in tooling and AI.

• People Management: Develop leadership skills by mentoring and growing a high-performing engineering team, with potential paths to managing multiple teams or leading broader engineering functions.

• Cross-functional Influence: Expand influence across product, design, and AI organizations, building a strong network and understanding of broader business objectives.

• Specialization: Opportunity to become a subject matter expert in areas like AI for developer productivity, advanced design tooling, or scalable design system infrastructure.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers a significant growth trajectory for experienced engineering leaders. The emphasis on AI and platform development positions the candidate at the forefront of technological innovation within a major tech company, providing ample opportunities for skill enhancement and career advancement into more senior leadership or specialized technical roles.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The position is "US - Remote Eligible," indicating that the primary work environment is remote. However, it also mentions "occasional work at an Airbnb office or attendance at offsites." This suggests a hybrid-friendly approach where remote work is the norm, but in-person collaboration is still valued for specific events or team gatherings.

Office Location(s): While remote-eligible, employees must reside in a state where Airbnb has a registered entity. The job description provides a link to check the up-to-date list of excluded states. This implies that while the role is remote, there are geographical constraints tied to employment registration.

Workspace Context:

• Remote Collaboration: Expect to utilize a robust set of collaboration tools (e.g., Slack, Zoom, Google Workspace, Confluence) for daily communication, team meetings, and project management.

• Tooling Focus: As the manager of the UI Tooling team, you will be deeply involved with the tools that enable remote design and engineering, likely including Figma, internal development platforms, and AI-driven productivity tools.

• Cross-functional Interaction: Frequent interaction with product managers, designers, other engineering teams, and AI/ML specialists, requiring strong communication and virtual collaboration skills.

Work Schedule: The standard work schedule is likely 40 hours per week. Remote eligibility may offer some flexibility in daily hours, but responsiveness during core business hours and for critical meetings or urgent issues will be expected. This flexibility is important for managing global teams or adhering to project deadlines.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Remote Eligible" status, coupled with the requirement to reside in specific states, indicates a well-structured remote work policy common in large tech companies. The mention of occasional office visits suggests a company culture that values both the flexibility of remote work and the benefits of in-person interaction for strategic alignment and team building.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Application Review: Initial screening of resumes and applications for alignment with experience and skills.

• Recruiter Screen: A call with a recruiter to discuss your background, interest in the role, and initial fit.

• Hiring Manager Interview: A deep dive into your experience, leadership philosophy, technical expertise, and strategic thinking, likely including discussions about past projects and team management.

• Technical Interviews: Sessions focused on your technical depth, system design capabilities, and understanding of frontend development, design systems, and potentially AI integration patterns.

• Peer/Team Interviews: Meetings with engineers and cross-functional partners (e.g., Design, Product) to assess collaborative style, technical contributions, and cultural fit.

• Final Round/Executive Interview: A final discussion, potentially with a senior leader, to confirm alignment with the role and company vision.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Focus on Impact: For each project or initiative presented, clearly articulate the problem, your role, the solution implemented, and most importantly, the measurable impact (e.g., efficiency gains, adoption rates, productivity improvements).

• Highlight Leadership: Showcase examples of how you've led teams, mentored engineers, driven technical strategy, and managed cross-functional relationships.

• Demonstrate Technical Acumen: Be prepared to discuss architectural decisions, technical challenges overcome, and your approach to system design, especially concerning platforms, tooling, and AI.

• Showcase Design System/Tooling Experience: Provide concrete examples of your involvement in building or managing design systems, developer tools, or internal platforms. If you have experience with Figma, AI tooling, or design-to-code, highlight these prominently.

• Address AI Integration: If you have experience with AI-powered tools or LLM integrations, prepare specific case studies or examples to discuss.

• Structure Your Examples: Organize your portfolio items logically, perhaps chronologically or by theme (e.g., Leadership, Technical Strategy, Team Development).

Challenge Preparation:

• Technical Deep Dive: Be ready for questions on frontend architecture, scalability, performance optimization, and system design principles relevant to building robust tooling and platforms.

• Leadership Scenarios: Prepare for situational questions about managing underperformers, resolving team conflicts, driving consensus, and fostering an inclusive environment.

• Strategic Thinking: Anticipate questions about how you would approach defining a multi-year roadmap for UI Tooling, integrating AI, or driving adoption of new technologies.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Prepare examples of how you've successfully partnered with design, product, and other engineering teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is likely rigorous, reflecting Airbnb's standards for leadership roles. Candidates should prepare to demonstrate not only technical competence but also strong leadership, strategic thinking, and the ability to influence across a complex organization. The portfolio review will be crucial for illustrating tangible impact and leadership experience.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design Tooling: Figma (plugins, Dev Mode, Code Connections), internal design platforms.

• Development Workflow: Component development and documentation tooling, design-to-code platforms, migration tooling.

• Collaboration Platforms: Internal tools for motion spec, prototyping, and general team collaboration.

• AI/ML Integration: Tools and frameworks for integrating AI capabilities, including LLMs, into design and development workflows.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Tools for tracking adoption rates, usage metrics, and performance of tooling.

CRM & Automation:

• While not a traditional CRM role, understanding how internal tools integrate with broader systems for user management and workflow automation is key.

• Expertise in building automation for developer workflows, code generation, and design implementation processes.

📝 Enhancement Note: The technology stack will heavily feature tools that bridge the gap between design and engineering. A strong emphasis on Figma and AI integration is evident. Candidates should be prepared to discuss their experience with building scalable internal platforms and tools that enhance developer productivity and streamline the product development lifecycle. Familiarity with JavaScript/TypeScript, frontend frameworks, and potentially Python for AI integrations would be beneficial.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Belonging & Community: Aligned with Airbnb's core values, this team likely fosters an environment where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to contribute their unique perspectives.

• User-Centricity: A strong focus on understanding and serving the needs of designers and engineers as internal customers, ensuring tooling directly addresses their pain points.

• Innovation & Experimentation: Encouragement to explore and integrate new technologies, particularly AI, to drive forward-thinking solutions for productivity and efficiency.

• Collaboration & Transparency: Open communication, knowledge sharing, and a collaborative approach to problem-solving and decision-making across functions.

• Impact & Ownership: A drive to deliver tangible results that improve the efficiency and effectiveness of product development across Airbnb, taking ownership of the platform's success.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Partnership: Expect close collaboration with Design, Product Management, AI/ML teams, and other engineering groups. This involves active listening, clear communication, and a shared commitment to achieving common goals.

• Iterative Feedback Loops: A culture that embraces constructive feedback to continuously improve tools and processes, with regular check-ins and reviews.

• Knowledge Sharing: Emphasis on documenting best practices, sharing learnings, and mentoring team members to elevate collective expertise.

📝 Enhancement Note: Airbnb's emphasis on "Belonging" is a key cultural differentiator. For this role, it means fostering an inclusive environment where engineers from diverse backgrounds can thrive and contribute their best work. The team likely values a proactive, collaborative approach to problem-solving, with a strong sense of ownership over the tools and platforms they build.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Innovation and Stability: Managing a team that needs to explore cutting-edge AI technologies while maintaining the stability and reliability of core UI tooling and design systems.

• Cross-functional Alignment: Ensuring consistent strategy and execution across multiple departments (Design, Product, AI/ML) with potentially competing priorities.

• Scalability: Building and maintaining tooling that can effectively serve hundreds of designers and engineers across a global organization.

• Adoption and Change Management: Driving the adoption of new tools and AI-powered workflows among a large user base, overcoming potential resistance to change.

• Technical Complexity: Navigating the intricate technical landscape of design systems, frontend development, and emerging AI integrations.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• AI/ML Integration Expertise: Deepen understanding and practical application of AI and LLMs in software development and design workflows.

• Platform Engineering Leadership: Gain experience in managing and scaling complex internal platforms and infrastructure.

• Design Systems Strategy: Expand knowledge in the strategic development and governance of enterprise-level design systems.

• Cross-functional Leadership: Hone skills in influencing and collaborating with diverse stakeholder groups at senior levels.

• Mentorship and People Development: Further develop leadership capabilities through coaching, mentoring, and growing engineering talent.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are typical for a role at the intersection of platform engineering, innovation, and large-scale adoption. Successfully navigating these will offer significant opportunities for professional growth, particularly in areas like AI integration and strategic platform leadership.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you define and prioritize a multi-year technical roadmap for a UI Tooling team, considering both immediate needs and future AI integrations?"

  • Preparation: Focus on frameworks for roadmap development (e.g., OKRs, RICE), balancing stakeholder input, technical debt, and innovation. Provide examples of how you've driven strategic platform investments and achieved measurable outcomes.

• "Describe a time you had to drive adoption of a new tool or workflow across a large engineering or design organization. What were the challenges, and how did you overcome them?"

  • Preparation: Prepare a STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) answer that highlights your change management strategies, communication skills, and ability to demonstrate value to users.

• "How do you approach technical leadership and decision-making for a team working on both established platforms and emerging AI technologies?"

  • Preparation: Discuss your philosophy on balancing technical debt with innovation, your process for evaluating new technologies, and how you guide architectural decisions while empowering your team. Include examples of guiding teams through complex technical challenges.

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Airbnb's mission and the UI Foundation team's role within it?"

  • Preparation: Research Airbnb's values (Belonging, Community, etc.) and how they relate to empowering internal teams. Understand the strategic importance of design systems and developer tooling in a large tech company.

• "How do you foster an inclusive team culture and ensure psychological safety for your engineers?"

  • Preparation: Provide specific examples of initiatives you've implemented to promote diversity, inclusion, and open communication within your teams. Discuss your approach to feedback and conflict resolution.

• "How would you measure the success and impact of the UI Tooling team?"

  • Preparation: Think about key metrics related to developer/designer productivity, tool adoption rates, system stability, and the impact on product development velocity.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each project, clearly define the problem, your leadership role, the technical solution, the collaborative process, and the quantifiable impact.

• Highlight AI & Figma Experience: If you have relevant experience, dedicate specific time to demonstrating your understanding and application of these technologies. Use visual aids if possible.

• Focus on Process & Strategy: Explain your thought process behind decisions, your approach to resource allocation, and how you align technical strategy with business objectives.

• Be Ready for Deep Dives: Anticipate detailed questions about your technical contributions, architectural choices, and team management practices.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparation should focus on demonstrating a strong blend of technical depth, strategic thinking, people leadership, and cross-functional influence. Candidates should be ready to articulate their impact with data and concrete examples, especially concerning platform development, design systems, and AI integration.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Engineering Manager, UI Tooling position:

• Submit Your Application: Complete and submit your application through the Airbnb Careers portal.

• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight relevant experience in engineering management, UI tooling, design systems, frontend development, and AI integration. Quantify your achievements with metrics whenever possible, focusing on impact and scale.

• Prepare Your Portfolio: Gather examples of past projects that showcase your leadership in platform development, team management, technical strategy, and cross-functional collaboration. Be ready to discuss your experience with Figma, AI tooling, and driving adoption of new technologies.

• Research Airbnb: Understand Airbnb's mission, values, and its approach to technology and product development. Familiarize yourself with the company's commitment to design, engineering, and AI.

• Practice Interview Responses: Prepare for behavioral, technical, and situational interview questions, focusing on leadership, strategic thinking, problem-solving, and cross-functional collaboration. Rehearse presenting your portfolio with a focus on impact and key takeaways.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description provides a comprehensive overview and strategic insights for the Engineering Manager, UI Tooling role at Airbnb. While based on the provided information and industry standards, candidates should always refer to the official Airbnb careers page for the most current and detailed information. The interview process and specific requirements may evolve.