Senior Manager, UX Design

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Manager, UX Design

Company: Ōura

Location: San Francisco, California (Hybrid)

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: UX Design Leadership / Product Design Management

Date Posted: April 23, 2026

Experience Level: 10+ years

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead and mentor multiple UX design teams, fostering a culture of excellence and continuous improvement in design craft and strategy.

• Drive the vision and execution of the Ōura App experience, ensuring coherence, quality, and user-centricity across all product touchpoints.

• Act as a hands-on design practitioner and a key collaborator with product and engineering leadership to define and deliver impactful features.

• Elevate the overall UX thinking and design quality across the organization through active participation in critiques, working sessions, and strategic planning.

• Play a pivotal role in recruiting, hiring, and onboarding new design talent to build and scale the design team effectively.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is a blend of people management and hands-on design leadership, requiring a candidate who can both guide teams and contribute directly to design execution. The emphasis on "high-influence individual contributor at a staff or principal level" and "rolling up your sleeves" indicates a need for deep UX expertise alongside leadership capabilities.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Oversee and manage multiple UX design teams, ensuring clear expectations, robust feedback loops, and dedicated investment in designer growth and development.

• Conduct regular 1:1s, career conversations, and provide actionable feedback to designers, supporting their professional development and confidence.

• Lead and facilitate design critiques, brainstorms, and working sessions to elevate the quality of UX thinking and output.

• Build strong, collaborative relationships with Design Leads and Product Leadership to align on roadmap priorities and advocate for user needs.

• Demonstrate deep fluency in UX disciplines, including research, interaction design, information architecture, and systems thinking, to guide team efforts.

• Take direct responsibility for critical features as needed, contributing to design from concept through final polish, balancing management with hands-on work.

• Actively participate in recruiting, hiring, and onboarding designers, contributing to the strategic growth and cultural development of the design organization.

• Champion and steward the design team's culture, norms, and best practices, ensuring an exceptional and collaborative working environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a dual focus on people leadership (managing teams, mentorship) and strategic design execution (driving vision, hands-on contribution, raising quality bar). The expectation to "act as DRI on features as needed" indicates a practical, hands-on approach to management.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While not explicitly stated, a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, or a related field is typically expected for senior management roles in UX design.

Experience: 8+ years of design experience, with a minimum of 4 years in a high-influence individual contributor role (e.g., Staff or Principal Designer) demonstrating the ability to set direction and elevate quality without formal authority.

Required Skills:

• Exceptional UI craft and strong systems thinking, evidenced by a portfolio showcasing cohesive, large-scale experiences.

• Deep fluency in mobile design principles, including interaction patterns, platform conventions, motion design, and creating engaging user experiences.

• Strong aesthetic point of view with the ability to articulate it clearly, while remaining open to feedback and collaboration.

• Proficient in curating imagery, motion, and visual storytelling to build trust, evoke emotion, and align with brand identity in health and fitness contexts.

• Excellent communication skills, capable of articulating design decisions, identifying missing elements, and diagnosing system breakdowns.

• Proactive cross-functional collaboration skills, with a demonstrated ability to build relationships and seek connections entrepreneurially.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience working on health, wellness, or other trust-sensitive products, with a nuanced understanding of emotional tone, clarity, and credibility.

• Proven track record of improving design teams through mentorship, cultural contributions, and sustained investment in design quality.

• Familiarity with design systems and their application in driving coherence and velocity across a growing product.

• Experience partnering with user researchers, synthesizing insights, and leveraging data to validate design decisions.

• Experience navigating the intersection of product design and brand, understanding when and how to maintain design quality standards.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirements emphasize a blend of strong individual design expertise (craft, systems thinking, mobile fluency) and leadership acumen (influence, collaboration, mentorship). The specific mention of AI and agentic tools suggests a forward-thinking approach to design practice.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase a minimum of two to three distinct projects demonstrating large-scale, cohesive user experiences across multiple platforms or features, not just isolated screens.

• Highlight your ability to apply systems thinking to create coherent and scalable design solutions, particularly within a growing product ecosystem.

• Present examples of exceptional UI craft, including visual design, interaction patterns, and motion design that enhance user engagement and brand perception.

Process Documentation:

• Detail your approach to user research and how insights were synthesized and applied to pressure-test and inform design decisions.

• Illustrate your experience with design systems, including how they were utilized to ensure coherence and improve development velocity.

• Provide examples of how you've navigated the intersection of product design and brand identity, demonstrating how you maintain quality and consistency.

• Explain your collaborative process with product management and engineering, showing how you ensure alignment and effective execution of design strategies.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio requirements are heavily focused on demonstrating systems thinking, cohesive experience design at scale, and the practical application of UX principles within a complex product environment, reflecting the senior nature of the role.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on the provided regions and experience level, the estimated salary range for this Senior Manager, UX Design role in San Francisco (likely Region 1) is $198,050 - $233,000 USD per year.

Benefits:

• Competitive salary and equity packages.

• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance.

• Dedicated mental health resources.

• A complimentary Ōura Ring for personal use, plus employee discounts for friends and family.

• Generous paid time off: 20 days of PTO, 13 paid holidays, and 8 days of flexible wellness time off annually.

• Paid sick leave and parental leave.

Working Hours: Typically 40 hours per week, with the expectation of hybrid work in the San Francisco office at least half-time. Flexibility may be available depending on team needs and project demands.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary estimations are based on Ōura's provided regional ranges for US locations and the specified hybrid work arrangement in San Francisco, which typically falls into a higher cost-of-living and thus higher pay tier. The stated ranges are $198,050 - $233,000 for Region 1. The benefits package is comprehensive and aligns with standard offerings for senior roles in the tech industry, with a unique perk of the Ōura Ring itself.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Health Technology / Wearable Technology. Ōura operates in the rapidly growing health and wellness sector, focusing on data-driven insights derived from wearable technology to empower individuals in managing their health. This context means a strong emphasis on user trust, data privacy, and making complex health information accessible and actionable.

Company Size: Ōura is described as a quickly growing company. While an exact number isn't provided in the raw input, "quickly growing" suggests a stage where processes are being refined, and there's a significant opportunity for impact and shaping future direction. This size often means a dynamic environment with opportunities to influence strategy and culture.

Founded: Ōura was founded in 2013, indicating a mature startup or scale-up phase. This history suggests established product lines, a developed market presence, and a solid understanding of its user base and industry challenges.

Team Structure:

• The UX Design team likely comprises multiple sub-teams, each potentially focused on different aspects of the Ōura App experience (e.g., Activity, Sleep, Readiness, User Profile, Onboarding).

• This role reports to Design Leadership (e.g., Head of Design, VP of Product Design), with direct management of multiple UX Designers and potentially Leads across these sub-teams.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Design: Ōura's core product relies on data, so design decisions will heavily leverage user research, analytics, and insights from the Ōura Ring itself.

• Iterative Development: As a tech company, expect agile methodologies, rapid prototyping, A/B testing, and continuous iteration on features based on user feedback and performance metrics.

• User-Centricity: The mission to "empower every person to own their inner potential" underscores a deep commitment to understanding and serving user needs, particularly in the sensitive domain of health and wellness.

Company Website: https://ouraring.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company context emphasizes a mission-driven organization in the health tech space, suggesting a need for designers who are not only skilled but also empathetic and trustworthy. The "quickly growing" status implies opportunities for influence and career progression within a dynamic environment.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Senior Managerial role within the UX Design function, operating above individual contributor roles (like Staff/Principal Designer) and below Director or VP levels. It signifies a transition into formal people leadership while retaining significant influence over design strategy and execution. The role requires managing multiple teams, indicating a scope of responsibility for a substantial portion of the product's design output.

Reporting Structure: The Senior Manager, UX Design will report to senior design leadership (e.g., Head of Design or VP of Product Design). They will directly manage a team of UX Designers and potentially UX Leads, fostering their growth and overseeing their contributions to the product roadmap. This role acts as a crucial bridge between individual contributors and executive design leadership.

Operations Impact: The impact of this role is significant and multi-faceted. By leading multiple design teams, the Senior Manager directly influences the user experience of millions of Ōura users, shaping how they interact with their health data and insights. Their strategic guidance ensures that design efforts align with business objectives, enhance user satisfaction, drive engagement, and contribute to the overall success and growth of Ōura's product ecosystem. They are instrumental in translating user needs and business goals into a coherent and compelling app experience.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership Progression: Potential to advance to Director or VP of Design roles, managing larger teams and broader design portfolios.

• Strategic Influence: Opportunity to shape the long-term design strategy and product vision for Ōura, influencing key product decisions and cross-functional initiatives.

• Mentorship & Development: Deepen expertise in people management and leadership, becoming a sought-after mentor and leader within the design community.

• Specialization: Opportunity to focus on specific areas of design leadership, such as establishing new design processes, building out specialized design functions (e.g., design systems, AI integration), or leading design for major product initiatives.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role represents a significant step into formal leadership within UX design. Growth opportunities are clearly defined towards higher levels of management and strategic influence within the company, leveraging both people management skills and deep design expertise.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is designated as Hybrid, with an expectation to work from the San Francisco office at least half-time. This suggests a modern office environment designed to support collaboration, focused work, and team interaction.

Office Location(s): San Francisco, California. This location places the role within a major tech hub, offering access to a vibrant ecosystem of talent, innovation, and networking opportunities. Specific office details (e.g., amenities, accessibility) are not provided but are typical for a company like Ōura.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Spaces: The hybrid model implies the office will feature meeting rooms, common areas, and potentially open-plan spaces conducive to team discussions, design critiques, and cross-functional brainstorming sessions.

• Tools & Technology: Designers will have access to industry-standard design software, hardware, and collaborative tools necessary for high-quality UX work. This includes design and prototyping software, project management tools, and communication platforms.

• Team Interaction: The hybrid setup encourages in-person interaction with direct reports, peers, and cross-functional partners, fostering stronger relationships and more spontaneous idea exchange. The expectation to be in the office at least 50% of the time ensures active participation in team culture and collaborative activities.

Work Schedule: Standard full-time working hours (approximately 40 hours per week) are expected, but the hybrid nature allows for some flexibility in structuring the work week. The emphasis on "at least half-time" in the office provides a clear guideline for in-office days.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid work environment in San Francisco is designed to balance focused individual work with essential in-person collaboration, crucial for a leadership role involving team management and cross-functional partnerships.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter will likely conduct an initial call to assess basic qualifications, experience, and cultural fit.

• Hiring Manager Interview: A conversation with the direct hiring manager (likely a Design Director or VP) to delve deeper into leadership experience, management style, and strategic thinking.

• Portfolio Review & Design Deep Dive: A dedicated session where candidates present their portfolio, walking through key projects. This will focus on their design process, problem-solving, systems thinking, UI craft, and impact. Expect detailed questions about their contributions and decision-making.

• Team/Peer Interviews: Meetings with other Design Leads, Product Managers, or Senior Designers to evaluate collaboration skills, ability to influence, and how they would integrate into the existing team structure.

• Leadership/Executive Interview: A final conversation with a senior leader (e.g., VP of Product, Head of Design) to assess overall strategic alignment, vision, and leadership potential.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Focus on Impact: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your specific role and contributions, the design process, the solutions, and the measurable outcomes (e.g., increased engagement, improved conversion, user satisfaction scores). Use data and metrics wherever possible.

• Showcase Systems Thinking: Highlight projects where you designed cohesive experiences at scale, demonstrating your ability to think beyond individual screens and consider the entire user journey and product ecosystem.

• Demonstrate Leadership in Practice: Even if not a formal management role previously, showcase instances where you led initiatives, mentored junior designers, influenced product direction, or raised the quality bar for your team.

• Tailor to Ōura: Understand Ōura's mission, product, and user base. Frame your experience and portfolio examples to resonate with their focus on health, wellness, data-driven insights, and user trust.

• Be Prepared for "How": Beyond the "what," be ready to explain the "why" behind your design decisions and the "how" of your collaborative process.

Challenge Preparation:

• Design Strategy Exercise: You might be asked to critique an existing Ōura feature or propose design improvements for a hypothetical scenario, demonstrating your strategic thinking and problem-solving approach.

• Management Scenario: Be prepared to discuss how you would handle common team management challenges, such as managing underperformers, resolving design disagreements, or prioritizing competing project demands.

• Presentation Skills: Practice presenting your portfolio clearly, concisely, and engagingly within a set time limit. Ensure your narrative flows logically and highlights your key strengths.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is designed to thoroughly assess both design leadership capabilities and hands-on UX expertise. The portfolio review is critical, requiring candidates to demonstrate not just visual design skill but also strategic thinking, systems expertise, and measurable impact.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma (highly probable given industry trends), Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop).

• Prototyping & Interaction: Protopie, Principle, InVision, or Figma's built-in prototyping capabilities.

• Collaboration & Project Management: Jira, Asana, Trello, Miro, Confluence.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Product Analytics: Amplitude, Mixpanel, Google Analytics, or similar platforms for tracking user behavior and feature adoption.

• Data Visualization: Tableau, Power BI, or internal dashboards for reporting on key UX metrics and KPIs.

• User Feedback Tools: SurveyMonkey, Typeform, UserTesting.com, or in-app feedback mechanisms.

CRM & Automation: While not directly a UX tool, understanding how CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce) and marketing automation platforms integrate with the user journey can be beneficial for context.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the job description doesn't list specific tools, the industry standard for a company like Ōura, especially for a Senior UX Manager role, would heavily involve Figma for design and prototyping. Familiarity with product analytics platforms is crucial for a data-driven approach.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Empowerment: A core value, reflected in the mission to empower users and also in how the company empowers its employees and their growth.

• Health & Well-being: Central to the product and company ethos, suggesting a culture that prioritizes employee health and work-life balance.

• Data-Driven: Decisions are informed by data and insights, fostering a culture of continuous learning and optimization.

• Excellence & Craft: A strong emphasis on high-quality design and execution, driven by a passion for creating exceptional user experiences.

• Collaboration & Transparency: Essential for a hybrid, growing team, encouraging open communication and shared ownership.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Partnership: Expect a highly collaborative environment where designers work closely with product managers, engineers, researchers, and data scientists. The emphasis is on building strong relationships and working together towards shared goals.

• Feedback-Rich Environment: The role involves leading design critiques and providing feedback, indicating a culture where constructive feedback is valued and exchanged to elevate the quality of work.

• Agile & Iterative: Collaboration will likely follow agile methodologies, involving regular check-ins, iterative development cycles, and a willingness to adapt based on new information and insights.

📝 Enhancement Note: The culture at Ōura appears to be mission-driven, user-focused, and committed to employee well-being and high standards of craft. Collaboration is key, especially in a hybrid environment, with an expectation for proactive engagement and effective communication.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Management and Craft: The primary challenge will be effectively managing multiple teams while remaining hands-on enough to contribute meaningfully to design quality and mentor designers effectively.

• Scaling Design Processes: As Ōura grows, ensuring design processes remain efficient and scalable will be crucial. This involves refining workflows, implementing best practices, and potentially establishing new standards.

• Navigating Ambiguity: In a fast-paced, growing company, there may be evolving priorities and strategic shifts that require adaptability and strong problem-solving skills.

• Integrating AI/Agentic Tools: Staying ahead of the curve in integrating new AI technologies into the design workflow and guiding the team in their adoption will be an ongoing challenge and opportunity.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Leadership Development: Formal training and mentorship in people management, strategic leadership, and team building.

• Industry Trends: Opportunities to explore and implement cutting-edge design practices, including AI integration, advanced interaction design, and new prototyping techniques.

• Cross-Functional Exposure: Deepen understanding of product strategy, engineering constraints, and business objectives through close collaboration.

• Mentorship: Opportunity to mentor and develop a team of talented designers, shaping the next generation of UX leaders.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are typical for a senior leadership role in a growing tech company, focusing on balancing diverse responsibilities and adapting to evolving technologies and business needs. Growth opportunities are strongly oriented towards advancing leadership skills and staying at the forefront of design innovation.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you approach setting up design processes for a new feature area within the Ōura App, considering the need for both speed and quality?" (Focus on process, collaboration, and metrics).

• "Describe a time you had to push back on a product decision that you believed would negatively impact the user experience. How did you handle it, and what was the outcome?" (Focus on advocacy, influence, and data-driven arguments).

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you most about Ōura's mission and product, and how do you see UX design contributing to it?" (Focus on mission alignment and strategic understanding).

• "How would you foster a collaborative and inclusive culture within a hybrid design team?" (Focus on leadership style and practical strategies for hybrid work).

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each project, clearly outline the problem statement, your role, the design process, key decisions, challenges encountered, solutions implemented, and the measurable impact. Use a consistent structure.

• Highlight Leadership & Influence: Even if not a formal management role, point to instances where you led initiatives, mentored others, influenced roadmaps, or drove design quality.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use data (user metrics, conversion rates, engagement scores, etc.) to demonstrate the success of your design solutions.

• Showcase Systems Thinking: Emphasize how your designs fit into a larger product ecosystem, demonstrating scalability and coherence.

• Be Ready for Deep Dives: Anticipate detailed questions about your process, rationale, and specific contributions. Be prepared to discuss trade-offs and alternative solutions.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating a blend of strategic design thinking, strong people management skills, and a clear understanding of Ōura's mission and product. The portfolio presentation is a key component, requiring a narrative that highlights impact, leadership, and systems-level thinking.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Manager, UX Design position:

• Submit your application through the Ōura Careers page or the provided Greenhouse link.

• Tailor your Resume: Highlight your 8+ years of design experience, emphasizing your 4+ years in high-influence individual contributor roles and any leadership or mentorship experience. Quantify achievements wherever possible.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 of your strongest projects that best demonstrate your UI craft, systems thinking, mobile design expertise, and impact at scale. Ensure it clearly articulates your process and role.

• Prepare Your Narrative: Practice presenting your portfolio, focusing on storytelling, impact, and your approach to collaboration and problem-solving. Be ready to articulate your leadership philosophy and management style.

• Research Ōura: Familiarize yourself with Ōura's mission, values, product, and recent news. Understand their target audience and the competitive landscape in health tech.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.

---