Senior UX Designer, Design System

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior UX Designer, Design System

Company: Tanium

Location: Addison, TX (Hybrid); Bellevue, WA (Hybrid); Durham, NC (Hybrid); Emeryville, CA (Hybrid)

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Design Operations / Product Design

Date Posted: April 17, 2026

Experience Level: Senior (5+ years)

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Design and implement scalable, repeatable patterns and componentry for Tanium's platform, serving as a foundational element for both design and engineering teams.

• Drive the evolution of user interfaces for complex enterprise software applications, focusing on seamless navigation, intuitive usability, and adherence to accessibility standards.

• Conduct user research, analyze feedback, and iterate on designs to continuously optimize user experience and satisfaction within Tanium's product ecosystem.

• Foster strong cross-functional collaboration with product managers, software engineers, and fellow UX/UI designers to translate requirements into high-quality, functional solutions.

• Develop interactive prototypes and conduct usability testing to validate design concepts and gather actionable insights for iterative design improvements.

📝 Enhancement Note: While this role is for a Senior UX Designer, the focus on a Design System and its implementation within an enterprise software context strongly aligns with aspects of Design Operations. The emphasis on creating scalable patterns and components directly impacts GTM efficiency by ensuring a consistent brand and user experience across all product offerings, which is a key GTM enabler.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design System Leadership: Lead the design and ongoing development of Tanium's design system, ensuring its scalability, maintainability, and alignment with product strategy and emerging AI capabilities.

• Component & Pattern Design: Create and document reusable UI components, patterns, and design tokens that form the building blocks of Tanium's user interfaces, adhering to atomic design principles.

• User-Centered Design Strategy: Champion user-centered design principles throughout the product development lifecycle, from conceptualization to final implementation, ensuring user needs are paramount.

• Cross-Functional Partnership: Collaborate closely with product management, engineering, and other design disciplines to gather requirements, define project scope, and ensure successful integration of design system elements into product features.

• Prototyping & Validation: Develop high-fidelity interactive prototypes to visually communicate design concepts and conduct rigorous usability testing to gather qualitative and quantitative feedback for design iteration.

• Accessibility & Inclusivity: Ensure all designed components and patterns meet accessibility standards (e.g., WCAG) and promote inclusive design practices across the platform.

• Technical Design Collaboration: Work alongside engineers to understand technical constraints and opportunities, ensuring designs are feasible and efficiently implemented, particularly in the context of complex enterprise software and AI integrations.

• Documentation & Governance: Create comprehensive documentation for the design system, including usage guidelines, best practices, and governance models, to facilitate adoption and consistency across teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: The primary responsibilities highlight a strategic leadership role within the design system. This implies not just designing components but also establishing best practices, influencing adoption, and potentially contributing to the governance and evolution strategy of the design system, which is crucial for maintaining GTM consistency and efficiency.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

Experience:

• Minimum of 5 years of progressive experience in UI/UX design, with a significant focus on designing and maintaining design systems for enterprise-level software.

• Proven experience in technical, B2B software environments, understanding the unique needs and challenges of enterprise users.

• Demonstrated experience with user research methodologies, including interviews, surveys, and contextual inquiry, to inform design decisions.

Required Skills:

• Design System Expertise: Deep understanding of systems design, atomic design principles, design tokens, and the lifecycle of a design system.

• UI Design Proficiency: Strong visual design skills with an excellent command of typography, color theory, layout, and visual hierarchy.

• Figma Mastery: Advanced proficiency in Figma for interface design, prototyping, and design system management.

• User-Centered Design: Comprehensive knowledge of user-centered design principles, heuristics, and best practices.

• Prototyping Tools: Experience with industry-standard prototyping tools beyond Figma, such as InVision, Sketch, or Adobe XD, for creating interactive mockups.

• Usability Testing: Proven ability to plan, execute, and analyze usability tests to drive design improvements.

• Cross-Functional Communication: Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to articulate design decisions and collaborate effectively with diverse stakeholders.

• Technical Aptitude: Familiarity with software development processes and an understanding of how design integrates with engineering workflows.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience designing for AI and Agentic AI technologies, understanding their unique UX implications.

• Proficiency in data visualization and dashboard design principles and tools.

• Experience with front-end development concepts (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) to better inform design feasibility.

• Knowledge of accessibility standards (e.g., WCAG 2.1 AA) and experience implementing them in design.

• Familiarity with Agile and Scrum development methodologies.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on B2B technical solutions and AI technologies suggests a need for designers who can translate complex functionalities into user-friendly interfaces. The "Senior" designation implies leadership potential, requiring not just execution but also strategic input into the design system's long-term vision and adoption across the organization.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Design System Components: Showcase a minimum of 2-3 distinct design system projects, demonstrating the creation of scalable UI components, patterns, and styles.

• B2B/Enterprise Software Case Study: Include at least one in-depth case study of a complex B2B or enterprise software application you designed, detailing the problem, your process, and the impact.

• Figma Work Samples: Highlight specific examples of your work within Figma, including design system setup, component libraries, and interactive prototypes.

• Process & Problem-Solving: Demonstrate your approach to user research, problem identification, and iterative design solutions, with a clear articulation of your design rationale.

• Collaboration & Impact: Provide evidence of successful collaboration with cross-functional teams (engineering, product management) and quantifiable outcomes or improvements resulting from your designs.

Process Documentation:

• Design System Development: Detail your process for defining, building, and maintaining a design system, including how you approach component creation, documentation, and governance.

• User-Centered Design Workflow: Illustrate your end-to-end UX design process, from user research and ideation through wireframing, prototyping, testing, and final design handover.

• System Integration: Explain how you ensure design system elements are integrated seamlessly into product development workflows and how you collaborate with engineering on implementation.

• Iterative Improvement: Showcase examples of how you have used user feedback and data to iterate on and improve existing designs or components within a system.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Senior UX Designer role focused on a Design System, the portfolio should emphasize not just individual UI skills but the strategic thinking behind creating and scaling design solutions. The ability to articulate process, demonstrate understanding of system thinking, and showcase impact on B2B enterprise products is critical.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• The annual base salary range for this full-time position is $110,000 to $330,000 USD. This range is an estimate and may be adjusted based on factors such as location, education, skills, training, and experience.

• Regional Adjustments: Given the hybrid nature and multiple locations (Addison, TX; Bellevue, WA; Durham, NC; Emeryville, CA), salary bands will likely vary significantly. Emeryville, CA (San Francisco Bay Area) and Bellevue, WA (Seattle Area) typically command the highest salaries due to higher cost of living and market demand for senior tech talent. Addison, TX and Durham, NC may fall on the lower end of this range, though still competitive for senior roles.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive Health: Medical, dental, and vision insurance plans.

• Family Support: Family planning benefits.

• Savings & Spending Accounts: Health Savings Account (HSA), Flexible Spending Account (FSA), and Transportation Savings Account.

• Retirement Planning: 401(k) retirement savings plan with a company match.

• Insurance Coverage: Life, accident, and disability insurance, including business travel accident insurance.

• Employee Support: Employee Assistance Programs (EAP).

• Time Off: Volunteer Time Off (VTO) – 5 days per year.

Working Hours:

• Standard full-time working hours are approximately 40 hours per week.

• Given the hybrid work arrangement, flexibility may be expected to accommodate collaboration with teams across different time zones and potentially varied in-office days.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range provided is exceptionally broad, reflecting the significant cost of living and market variations across the listed hybrid locations. Candidates should research specific salary benchmarks for Senior UX Designers in their target location (Emeryville, CA; Bellevue, WA; Addison, TX; or Durham, NC) using resources like Glassdoor, Levels.fyi, or industry-specific compensation reports to set realistic expectations. The benefits package is robust and typical for a senior-level position in the tech industry.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology / Cybersecurity / Endpoint Management / Autonomous IT. Tanium operates in a critical sector, providing solutions for IT operations and security management for large enterprises and governments. This implies a need for robust, reliable, and secure solutions.

Company Size: Tanium is a significant player in the enterprise software market. While the exact employee count isn't specified here, the breadth of its operations and its established presence suggest a mid-to-large size organization with established processes but still maintaining agility.

Founded: Tanium was founded in 2007. This history indicates a company that has matured beyond a startup phase, likely possessing established product suites, operational frameworks, and a defined corporate culture, while still embracing innovation, particularly in AI.

Team Structure:

• Design System Team: This role is part of a dedicated Design System team, suggesting a strategic focus on creating and maintaining a unified design language and component library.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: The role requires close collaboration with Product Managers and Software Engineers, indicating a matrixed or agile team structure where designers work embedded within or closely alongside development teams.

• Reporting: While not explicitly stated, a Senior UX Designer typically reports into a Design Lead, UX Manager, or Head of Product Design, with functional reporting lines within product teams.

Methodology:

• User-Centered Design: A core methodology emphasizing understanding user needs through research and iterative design.

• Atomic Design: A specific approach to building design systems, suggesting a structured and scalable method for component creation.

• Agile Development: Implied through the need for close collaboration with engineering and iterative product development cycles.

• AI Integration: A forward-looking methodology, as Tanium is positioning itself as an "Autonomous IT company" driven by AI.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Tanium's focus on "Autonomous IT" and AI integration suggests a forward-thinking culture that values innovation and data-driven decision-making. The design system role will be crucial in translating these advanced technological capabilities into intuitive user experiences for enterprise clients.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Senior-level position, indicating a high degree of autonomy, responsibility, and expected impact. Senior UX Designers are expected to lead complex projects, mentor junior designers, and contribute to strategic design decisions. In a Design System context, this means influencing the overall design direction and adoption across multiple product teams.

Reporting Structure: The Senior UX Designer will likely report to a Design Manager or Lead within the Product Design or UX department. They will work closely with Product Managers and Engineering Leads on specific product initiatives and design system evolution.

Operations Impact: The Design System team has a significant impact on operational efficiency and Go-To-Market (GTM) strategy. A well-defined and adopted design system leads to:

• Faster Development Cycles: Engineers can leverage pre-built components, reducing development time.

• Consistent User Experience: Ensures brand consistency and predictability across all Tanium products, improving customer adoption and satisfaction.

• Reduced Design Debt: Minimizes redundant design efforts and ensures a unified look and feel.

• Scalability: Enables the company to scale its product offerings more efficiently.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership: Potential to grow into a Design Lead or Manager role, overseeing a team or a specific design domain.

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in design systems, UX architecture, or AI/ML product design.

• Cross-Functional Mobility: Opportunities to move into Product Management or specialized UX research roles.

• Mentorship: Opportunity to mentor junior designers and contribute to the overall growth of the design practice within Tanium.

• Strategic Influence: Continue to shape the future of Tanium's product design and user experience strategy.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Senior" title and Design System focus imply a strategic role. Growth typically involves moving into leadership positions, deeper specialization within design operations or product design, or transitioning to product management, leveraging the broad understanding of product development gained from this role.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid work model. This means employees are expected to work a portion of their week in the office and a portion remotely. The specific balance will vary by team and location.

Office Location(s): Addison, TX; Bellevue, WA; Durham, NC; Emeryville, CA. These are geographically dispersed hubs, requiring strong remote collaboration tools and practices.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Spaces: Offices likely feature collaborative work areas, meeting rooms equipped for hybrid meetings, and potentially quiet zones for focused work.

• Technology Stack: Access to modern design and collaboration tools (Figma, Slack, Jira, etc.) is essential for effective hybrid work and cross-functional collaboration.

• Team Interaction: Regular team meetings, design critiques, and cross-functional sync-ups will be part of the routine, facilitated by both in-person and virtual communication channels.

Work Schedule: A standard 40-hour work week is typical, with flexibility often provided. However, given the hybrid nature and distributed teams, core working hours for collaboration will be important, and occasional adjustments may be needed to align with different time zones.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model necessitates strong asynchronous communication skills and proficiency with remote collaboration tools. Candidates should be comfortable working independently and as part of a distributed team, while also being able to contribute effectively during in-office days.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter or hiring manager will review applications and conduct an initial phone screen to assess qualifications and cultural fit.

• Portfolio Presentation & Design Challenge: Candidates will likely be asked to present their portfolio, focusing on relevant design system and B2B enterprise software projects. A design challenge or a deep dive into a specific case study may be included to assess problem-solving skills and design thinking.

• Cross-Functional Interviews: Interviews with Product Managers and Engineering Leads to evaluate collaboration skills, technical understanding, and ability to work within an agile development environment.

• Hiring Manager Interview: A final interview with the hiring manager to discuss role expectations, career growth, and team dynamics.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate for Relevance: Select 2-4 of your strongest projects that directly showcase your experience with design systems, B2B enterprise software, and complex UI challenges.

• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the problem statement, your role and responsibilities, your design process (research, ideation, iteration), key decisions made, and the measurable impact or outcomes.

• Highlight Design System Work: Specifically detail your contributions to design systems, including component design, pattern creation, documentation, and adoption strategies. Showcase your Figma proficiency.

• Focus on Process & Rationale: Explain why you made certain design decisions. Demonstrate your understanding of user-centered design principles and how you applied them.

• Quantify Impact: Where possible, use metrics to demonstrate the success of your designs (e.g., improved conversion rates, reduced support tickets, faster development times).

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand Tanium's Business: Research Tanium's products, target market (enterprise IT/security), and their positioning as an "Autonomous IT company."

• Design System Principles: Be prepared to discuss core design system concepts (atomic design, tokens, component libraries, governance) and how they apply to enterprise software.

• B2B UX Considerations: Think about the unique challenges and user needs in enterprise software (complexity, workflows, integrations, security).

• AI UX: Consider the implications of designing for AI and agentic AI technologies.

• Communication: Practice articulating your thought process clearly and concisely, as if presenting to both designers and engineers.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process will likely be rigorous, testing both design craft and strategic thinking. A strong portfolio that clearly demonstrates experience with design systems and B2B enterprise software is paramount, along with the ability to articulate a user-centered design process and its impact.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: The core design and prototyping tool. Proficiency is essential for creating and managing design system components, UI mockups, and interactive prototypes.

• Design System Management Platforms: While Figma is primary, understanding how design systems are managed and versioned (e.g., Zeroheight, Storybook integrations) is beneficial.

• Prototyping Tools: Beyond Figma, familiarity with tools like InVision, Sketch, or Adobe XD can be advantageous for specific project needs or historical context.

Analytics & Reporting:

• User Research Platforms: Tools for conducting surveys, interviews, and usability testing (e.g., UserTesting.com, Lookback, Qualtrics).

• Analytics Tools: Understanding how to interpret data from tools like Google Analytics, Mixpanel, or Amplitude to inform design decisions and measure impact.

CRM & Automation:

• Project Management Tools: Jira, Asana, Trello for tracking design tasks, sprints, and project progress.

• Collaboration Tools: Slack, Microsoft Teams for real-time communication and team coordination.

• Documentation Tools: Confluence, Notion, or similar platforms for documenting design system guidelines, processes, and research findings.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in Figma is non-negotiable for this role. The ability to leverage various tools for research, prototyping, and collaboration will be critical for success in a hybrid, cross-functional environment. Understanding how design systems integrate with development workflows and analytics platforms is also key.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• User-Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and addressing user needs through design.

• Collaboration & Transparency: Open communication and teamwork across design, product, and engineering.

• Excellence & Craftsmanship: A dedication to high-quality design, attention to detail, and continuous improvement.

• Innovation: Embracing new technologies and approaches, such as AI, to solve complex problems.

• Efficiency & Scalability: Building robust systems and processes that enable rapid growth and consistent delivery.

Collaboration Style:

• Integrated Teams: Designers work closely with product managers and engineers, often embedded within agile squads.

• Design Critiques: Regular opportunities for designers to share work, receive constructive feedback, and engage in peer-to-peer learning.

• Cross-Functional Syncs: Frequent meetings to ensure alignment on product roadmaps, feature development, and design system updates.

• Data-Informed: Decisions are ideally backed by user research, analytics, and product performance data, fostering a culture of evidence-based design.

📝 Enhancement Note: Tanium's emphasis on "Autonomous IT" and AI suggests a culture that values proactive problem-solving and intelligent solutions. The design team likely mirrors this by focusing on creating intuitive, efficient, and forward-thinking user experiences.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Design System Adoption: Ensuring consistent adoption and effective utilization of the design system across diverse product teams and potentially siloed engineering groups.

• Balancing Innovation and Consistency: Integrating new AI features and technologies while maintaining the integrity and consistency of the established design system.

• Cross-Time Zone Collaboration: Effectively working with teams and stakeholders across multiple geographical locations and time zones in a hybrid environment.

• Technical Complexity of B2B Software: Designing intuitive interfaces for complex enterprise solutions that require deep domain knowledge and cater to specialized user workflows.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• AI/ML UX Specialization: Gain in-depth experience designing for advanced AI and Agentic AI technologies, a rapidly growing field.

• Design System Leadership: Develop skills in design system strategy, governance, and community building.

• Cross-Disciplinary Learning: Deepen understanding of engineering processes, product management strategies, and cybersecurity domain knowledge.

• Industry Conferences & Training: Opportunities to attend relevant UX, design system, and AI/ML conferences, or pursue certifications.

• Mentorship: Benefit from and contribute to a mentorship culture within the design team and broader organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are typical for a senior role in a design system focused on enterprise software. The growth opportunities are significant, particularly in the emerging field of AI/ML UX and in developing leadership skills related to design systems.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you successfully implemented or significantly contributed to a design system. What were the key challenges, and how did you overcome them?" (Focus on process, collaboration, and impact on adoption.)

• "How do you balance the need for design consistency with the requirement to innovate and introduce new features, especially with emerging technologies like AI?" (Highlight your approach to design system evolution.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What do you know about Tanium and our mission to provide Autonomous IT solutions?" (Research the company's market position, products, and AI strategy.)

• "How do you approach collaboration with engineers and product managers, especially in a hybrid work environment?" (Discuss your communication style, use of collaboration tools, and experience in cross-functional teams.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure: Organize your presentation logically: Introduction of Tanium and the role, overview of your portfolio, deep dives into 2-3 key projects, and a concluding summary.

• Storytelling: For each project, craft a narrative that highlights the problem, your role, your process, your solutions, and the outcomes. Use visuals effectively.

• Design System Focus: Clearly articulate your contributions to design systems, showing components, patterns, and how they were documented and implemented.

• B2B Enterprise Context: Emphasize your understanding of enterprise user needs and how your designs address complex technical challenges.

• Figma Demonstration: Be prepared to showcase your Figma skills, perhaps by walking through a component library or a prototype.

• Q&A Readiness: Anticipate questions about your design decisions, collaboration methods, and how you handle feedback.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating strategic thinking, a deep understanding of design system principles, and proven experience in B2B enterprise environments. Being able to articulate your process and impact, especially concerning AI and hybrid work, will be crucial.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior UX Designer, Design System position:

• Submit Application: Navigate to the Tanium careers page or the provided Greenhouse link and submit your resume and any required introductory information.

• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight your experience with design systems, B2B enterprise software, and Figma. Ensure your portfolio is easily accessible and showcases relevant projects.

• Resume Optimization: Use keywords from the job description (e.g., "Design System," "Figma," "B2B," "Enterprise Software," "User Research," "Prototyping," "AI") to ensure your resume is ATS-friendly and clearly communicates your qualifications.

• Portfolio Walkthrough Practice: Practice presenting your portfolio, focusing on clear articulation of your process, design rationale, and the impact of your work. Be ready to discuss your design system contributions in detail.

• Company Research: Thoroughly research Tanium, their products, their market position, and their focus on "Autonomous IT" and AI. Understand their culture and values to tailor your responses and demonstrate genuine interest.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. While crafted to provide a comprehensive overview, all details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions. Specific expectations regarding in-office days for the hybrid model, exact team structure, and nuanced role responsibilities should be clarified during the interview process.