UX/UI Manager

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: UX/UI Manager

Company: Outerknown

Location: Carlsbad, CA, US

Job Type: Full Time

Category: Digital Experience & Conversion Optimization

Date Posted: March 20, 2026

Experience Level: Mid-Senior Level (3-5 years)

Remote Status: On-site (4 days in office expectation)

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive the end-to-end digital customer experience, focusing on conversion performance, brand aesthetic, and scalability for Outerknown, Firewire Surfboards, and Slater Designs.

• Lead the Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) program, establishing a robust testing framework and defining data-driven UX strategies that align with revenue, margin, and customer growth objectives.

• Own the comprehensive UX/UI vision for all digital touchpoints, ensuring a cohesive, user-friendly, and brand-aligned experience across websites and landing pages.

• Collaborate cross-functionally with Marketing, Product, Engineering, and Merchandising teams to translate business goals into impactful UX/UI execution and measurable business outcomes.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a manager, overseeing the strategic direction and execution of UX/UI and CRO initiatives. While the "Oversees: None" indicates no direct reports, the managerial title and responsibility for driving programs and strategy imply a senior individual contributor role with significant influence and leadership in their domain. The role is critical for driving e-commerce performance and requires a strong understanding of digital marketing and its interplay with user experience.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO):

  • Own and drive the end-to-end CRO program, including roadmap development, prioritization, execution, and comprehensive reporting.
  • Define and maintain a rigorous testing framework encompassing hypothesis quality, statistical rigor, testing velocity, and win rate.
  • Translate customer insights and data into clear, impactful test hypotheses directly tied to key business metrics such as Average Order Value (AOV), Conversion Rate (CVR), Revenue Per Visitor (RPV), and Lifetime Value (LTV).
  • Identify and quantify opportunity sizing through impact modeling prior to test execution.
  • Establish and manage a prioritized experimentation backlog across all stages of the customer funnel.
  • Drive continuous optimization cycles, ensuring learnings are incorporated into future tests and strategic product decisions.
  • Own the reporting cadence (weekly/monthly/quarterly), delivering clear insights and actionable recommendations, not just raw results.
  • Leverage AI and automation to identify friction points, generate test ideas, and accelerate analysis and insight generation.

• User Experience (UX) & User Interface (UI) Design:

  • Own the end-to-end UX/UI vision for all digital properties, ensuring consistency, usability, and strong brand alignment.
  • Lead the design of high-impact website surfaces, including the homepage, Product Listing Pages (PLPs), Product Detail Pages (PDPs), checkout flows, and landing pages.
  • Create detailed user journeys, flows, wireframes, and high-fidelity designs, grounded in data analysis and user behavior.
  • Establish, evolve, and maintain a scalable design system, including components, patterns, and design tokens.
  • Ensure designs are technically feasible, performant, and aligned with engineering capabilities and constraints.
  • Drive UX consistency across all digital touchpoints, including websites, landing pages, and marketing campaigns.
  • Partner with Engineering and Product teams to ensure high-quality visual and functional implementation and conduct User Acceptance Testing (UAT) to validate designs and functionality prior to release.
  • Balance speed-to-market with design refinement, understanding when to prioritize quick iteration versus meticulous polish.

• Consumer Insights & Research:

  • Own customer insight generation from both qualitative and quantitative sources, including heatmaps, session recordings, surveys, user interviews, analytics, and funnel data.
  • Translate research findings into prioritized UX improvements, test hypotheses, and strategic recommendations.
  • Identify behavioral patterns and friction points across different customer segments (new vs. returning, device type, acquisition channel).
  • Build and maintain a centralized insights repository accessible to all relevant teams.
  • Leverage AI for UX audits, heuristic analysis, and identifying personalization/dynamic UX opportunities.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration:

  • Partner closely with the Analytics team to ensure clean tracking, experiment design integrity, and accurate attribution.

  • Collaborate with Marketing to align UX/UI efforts with campaign strategies and brand messaging.

  • Work with Product and Engineering teams to ensure seamless integration of UX/UI designs and CRO test implementations.

  • Liaise with Merchandising to understand product strategies and ensure digital experiences support sales goals.

  • Engage with Customer Service to gather user feedback and identify pain points.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities are clearly delineated into three core areas: CRO, UX/UI Design, and Consumer Insights, with an overarching emphasis on cross-functional collaboration. The mention of AI leverage is integrated into multiple accountability sections, highlighting its importance. The inclusion of specific metrics like AOV, CVR, RPV, and LTV underscores the business-critical nature of this role. The explicit mention of UAT and leading the briefing of UX/UI requirements for development indicates a hands-on approach to project management within the design and optimization lifecycle.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

Experience:

• 3-5 years of demonstrated experience in Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) or User Experience (UX) design, preferably within an e-commerce or retail environment.

• Proven track record of managing and executing A/B testing programs and maintaining a testing calendar.

• Experience in developing and evolving design systems.

Required Skills:

• Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO): Deep understanding of CRO methodologies, A/B/n testing, multivariate testing, and statistical analysis. Ability to define testing frameworks and drive continuous optimization cycles.

• UX/UI Design: Proficiency in creating user journeys, flows, wireframes, and high-fidelity designs. Experience with design tools such as Figma is essential.

• Prototyping: Skilled in using prototyping tools (e.g., Figma) for rapid iteration and concept visualization.

• Data Analysis & Interpretation: Ability to analyze website analytics, user behavior data (heatmaps, session recordings), and experiment results to derive actionable insights and inform strategy.

• Strategic Thinking: Capacity to develop a data-driven UX strategy aligned with business objectives and translate business goals into UX/UI execution.

• Communication & Collaboration: Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Ability to articulate complex ideas clearly and influence stakeholders across various departments.

• Attention to Detail: Meticulous approach to design, testing, and data analysis to ensure accuracy and quality.

• Initiative & Proactivity: Demonstrated ability to take ownership, identify opportunities, and drive projects forward independently.

Preferred Skills:

• AI Leverage: Experience utilizing AI tools for CRO, UX/UI audits, rapid prototyping, and personalization.

• Graphic Design: Background in graphic design, with an eye for visual aesthetics and brand consistency.

• Retail/E-commerce Experience: Previous experience in the retail or e-commerce sector, understanding its unique challenges and customer behaviors.

• Design System Management: Experience in building, maintaining, and scaling design systems.

• User Research: Experience conducting user interviews and usability testing.

• Understanding of Web Technologies: Basic understanding of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to better collaborate with engineering teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: The required experience level of 3-5 years aligns well with a manager role that requires both hands-on execution and strategic oversight. The inclusion of "Figma or other prototyping tool experience" as a required skill, and "AI leverage" and "Graphic design" as preferred, provides clear direction on technical and domain expertise. The emphasis on "retail experience a plus" is directly tied to the company's industry.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase end-to-end CRO case studies demonstrating your process from hypothesis generation to impact measurement, including specific metrics and ROI.

• Present UX/UI design projects that highlight your strategic thinking, user journey mapping, wireframing, prototyping (Figma examples highly valued), and final design execution.

• Include examples of how you've leveraged data and user insights to drive design decisions and optimization efforts.

• Demonstrate experience in developing or contributing to design systems, illustrating component libraries and pattern usage.

Process Documentation:

• Detail your approach to defining and managing a CRO testing roadmap and prioritization framework.

• Outline your process for user research, insight generation, and translating findings into actionable UX improvements and test hypotheses.

• Describe your workflow for creating wireframes, user flows, and high-fidelity designs, including your interaction with engineering.

• Explain your methodology for ensuring A/B testing integrity, from experiment design to statistical analysis and reporting.

• Illustrate how you manage User Acceptance Testing (UAT) to ensure quality and alignment with requirements before release.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis here is on demonstrating a structured, data-driven process for both CRO and UX/UI design. Candidates should be prepared to walk through their methodologies and showcase quantifiable results. The explicit mention of Figma and design systems is crucial for portfolio content.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $75,000 - $95,000 per year.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance plans.

• Paid time off, including vacation, sick leave, and holidays.

• Retirement savings plan with company match (e.g., 401(k)).

• Employee discounts on Outerknown and associated brand products.

• Opportunities for professional development and continued learning.

Working Hours:

• Standard full-time hours, with an expectation of 4 days in the office per week. The role requires approximately 40 hours per week, with flexibility often provided for individuals who consistently meet performance objectives.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range of $75,000 - $95,000 is competitive for a UX/UI Manager role with 3-5 years of experience in the Carlsbad, CA area, considering the cost of living and the specialized nature of CRO and UX/UI management. The "4 day in-office expectation" is a key detail for candidates to note regarding work environment.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Apparel & Fashion, E-commerce, Surf & Outdoor Lifestyle. Outerknown is known for its commitment to sustainability and ethical manufacturing, while Firewire Surfboards and Slater Designs are prominent in the surf industry.

Company Size: While not explicitly stated, Outerknown is part of a larger group of brands (including Firewire Surfboards and Slater Designs), suggesting a medium-sized operation with a focus on direct-to-consumer (DTC) e-commerce. This size often implies a dynamic, fast-paced environment where individual contributions are highly visible.

Founded: Outerknown was founded in 2015, Firewire Surfboards in 2006, and Slater Designs in 2015. This indicates established brands with a digital-first approach to market, and a focus on innovation and quality.

Team Structure:

• Department: Digital. This role sits within the broader digital marketing and e-commerce function.

• Reporting Structure: Reports to the General Manager (GM) of eCommerce & Digital Marketing. This position has significant strategic oversight and influence within the digital team.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Interacts extensively with Creative, Production, E-commerce/Digital teams, and Customer Service. This requires strong interpersonal skills and the ability to bridge technical design, business objectives, and customer needs.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Emphasis on using analytics, A/B testing results, and user insights to inform all aspects of UX/UI and CRO strategy.

• Agile/Iterative Approach: The role involves continuous optimization cycles, suggesting an agile or iterative development and testing process.

• Brand-Centricity: A strong focus on maintaining and elevating brand experience across all digital touchpoints, balancing performance with brand identity.

Company Website: https://www.outerknown.com/ (and associated brand sites)

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's focus on sustainability and lifestyle brands (Outerknown, Firewire, Slater) suggests a culture that values quality, purpose, and a strong connection with its customer base. The digital team likely plays a crucial role in communicating these values online.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Managerial Individual Contributor role. It signifies a senior position with significant responsibility for strategy, execution, and program ownership within the digital experience domain. It requires a blend of deep technical expertise in UX/UI and CRO, coupled with strategic business acumen.

Reporting Structure: Reporting directly to the GM of eCommerce & Digital Marketing places this role at a strategic level within the digital organization, with direct access to senior leadership and significant influence on digital business outcomes.

Operations Impact: The role is directly accountable for key performance indicators such as Conversion Rate, Average Order Value, Lifetime Value, and overall digital revenue. Success in this role will have a direct and measurable impact on the profitability and growth of Outerknown, Firewire Surfboards, and Slater Designs.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in advanced CRO techniques, AI-driven personalization, or specific areas of UX research and design.

• Leadership: Potential to grow into a Director-level role overseeing a larger digital experience or product team as the company scales.

• Strategic Influence: Increased involvement in broader digital strategy, product roadmap planning, and cross-brand initiatives.

• Skill Development: Opportunities to attend industry conferences, pursue certifications, and gain exposure to new technologies and methodologies in UX/UI and CRO.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers a clear path for growth within the digital marketing and e-commerce space, particularly for individuals passionate about direct-to-consumer brands and sustainable practices. The focus on data and measurable outcomes provides excellent experience for future leadership roles.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role requires a 4-day in-office presence, indicating a hybrid work model with an emphasis on in-person collaboration. This suggests a structured office environment designed for team interaction, brainstorming, and focused work.

Office Location(s): Carlsbad, California. This location is known as a hub for lifestyle and outdoor brands, offering a vibrant community and potential networking opportunities within the industry.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The 4-day in-office expectation suggests opportunities for frequent face-to-face collaboration with cross-functional teams, essential for aligning on UX/UI vision and CRO initiatives.

• Tools and Technology: Access to industry-standard design and analytics tools will be provided, supporting efficient workflow and data-driven decision-making.

• Team Interaction: Regular opportunities to engage with colleagues in Digital, Creative, Product, and Marketing departments, fostering a dynamic and integrated work environment.

Work Schedule:

• Standard full-time hours (approximately 40 hours per week). While the 4-day in-office requirement is firm, there may be flexibility in daily hours for individuals who consistently meet performance expectations and deliver results. This balance allows for focused work and efficient execution of CRO and UX/UI tasks.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model with a significant in-office component indicates a preference for collaborative work and team synergy, which is beneficial for roles requiring frequent cross-functional alignment.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A brief call with a recruiter or hiring manager to assess basic qualifications, experience, and cultural fit.

• Portfolio Review: Presentation of your portfolio, focusing on 2-3 key projects that demonstrate your expertise in CRO and UX/UI design, highlighting your process, impact, and the metrics achieved. Be prepared to discuss your role, challenges, and outcomes in detail.

• Skills-Based Interview: Technical interview focusing on CRO methodologies, A/B testing principles, UX/UI design process, and your experience with relevant tools (e.g., Figma, analytics platforms).

• Cross-Functional/Behavioral Interview: Discussion with the GM of eCommerce & Digital Marketing and potentially other key stakeholders to assess strategic thinking, collaboration skills, problem-solving abilities, and how you handle challenges.

• Final Interview: May involve a deeper dive into strategic vision, leadership potential, and alignment with company values.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Quantify Everything: For CRO projects, emphasize the business impact with clear metrics (e.g., % increase in conversion rate, $ impact on revenue). For UX/UI, show how your designs solved user problems and contributed to business goals.

• Show Your Process: Clearly articulate your methodology for each project – from research and hypothesis generation to design, testing, and iteration. Use visual aids like flowcharts or diagrams.

• Highlight Collaboration: Be ready to discuss how you worked with engineers, marketers, and other stakeholders.

• Focus on Impact: Tailor your portfolio to showcase projects most relevant to e-commerce, conversion optimization, and brand experience.

• Prepare for the "Why": Be ready to explain the rationale behind your design and testing decisions.

Challenge Preparation:

• CRO Case Study: You might be asked to analyze a hypothetical website scenario and propose a CRO strategy, including test ideas and hypotheses.

• UX Design Challenge: You may be given a problem statement and asked to sketch out wireframes or user flows for a specific feature or page.

• Data Interpretation: Be prepared to interpret sample analytics data or A/B test results and draw conclusions.

• AI Application: Consider how you would leverage AI tools to enhance UX/UI or CRO efforts for a brand like Outerknown.

📝 Enhancement Note: Candidates should prepare a portfolio that not only showcases design skills but also a strong analytical and business-oriented approach to UX/UI and CRO. The emphasis on measurable outcomes and process is critical.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma (required), Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop).

• CRO & Experimentation: Google Optimize, Optimizely, VWO (Visual Website Optimizer), Adobe Target, or similar A/B testing platforms.

• Analytics & Reporting: Google Analytics (required), Adobe Analytics, Amplitude, Mixpanel.

• User Behavior Analysis: Hotjar, Crazy Egg, Mouseflow (for heatmaps, session recordings).

• Project Management: Asana, Jira, Trello, or similar tools for managing tasks, roadmaps, and backlogs.

• AI & Automation Tools: Potentially AI-powered design assistants, content generation tools, or advanced analytics platforms.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Google Analytics (GA4) for website traffic analysis, user behavior tracking, and conversion monitoring.

CRM & Automation:

• While not directly managed by this role, an understanding of how CRM data (e.g., customer segmentation, LTV) informs UX and CRO is beneficial. Familiarity with marketing automation platforms may also be relevant for campaign landing page optimization.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in Figma and a strong understanding of web analytics platforms like Google Analytics are essential. Experience with A/B testing tools and user behavior analysis tools is also critical. The mention of AI leverage suggests familiarity with emerging tools in this space.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Data-Driven Innovation: A commitment to using data and experimentation to drive continuous improvement and explore new digital experiences.

• Customer-Centricity: Placing the user experience at the forefront of all design and optimization decisions.

• Sustainability & Purpose: Alignment with Outerknown's core values of ethical manufacturing, environmental responsibility, and creating products with a positive impact.

• Collaboration & Transparency: A culture that encourages open communication, shared learning, and cross-functional teamwork.

• Agility & Adaptability: Embracing change, iterating quickly, and responding effectively to market trends and business needs.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: Actively seeks collaboration with Marketing, Product, Engineering, and Merchandising to ensure a unified digital strategy and seamless customer journey.

• Feedback-Oriented: Open to constructive feedback on designs and test results, fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

• Knowledge Sharing: Willingness to share insights, best practices, and learnings across teams to elevate the collective understanding of customer behavior and digital performance.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's ethos around sustainability and ethical practices is likely to permeate its internal culture, attracting individuals who value purpose-driven work. The emphasis on data and collaboration is key for success in this role.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Brand Experience with Conversion: Ensuring that optimization efforts enhance, rather than detract from, the premium brand image of Outerknown and its associated brands.

• Maintaining Testing Velocity & Impact: Achieving a high volume of meaningful tests that deliver statistically significant results, rather than just "testing for testing's sake."

• Stakeholder Alignment: Navigating competing priorities and perspectives from various departments (Marketing, Product, Merchandising) to gain consensus on UX/UI and CRO strategies.

• Scaling Design Systems & Frameworks: Evolving design systems and experimentation frameworks to support business growth and new product initiatives without compromising efficiency or quality.

• Translating Business Goals into UX: Effectively bridging the gap between high-level business objectives (revenue, margin) and detailed UX/UI requirements and test hypotheses.

• Leveraging AI Effectively: Integrating AI tools strategically to enhance, not replace, human expertise in design and analysis, ensuring ethical and impactful application.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced CRO & UX Techniques: Opportunities to explore advanced experimentation methods, personalization strategies, and cutting-edge UX research.

• AI in Digital Experience: Deep dives into AI applications for design, analytics, and customer journey optimization.

• Industry Conferences & Workshops: Attending relevant events focused on e-commerce, UX/UI, and CRO to stay abreast of industry trends and network.

• Mentorship: Potential to learn from senior leadership within the digital and e-commerce space.

• Leadership Skills: Developing management and strategic planning skills relevant to leading digital initiatives.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role presents a significant opportunity to impact a growing portfolio of lifestyle brands. The challenges are typical of fast-paced e-commerce environments, offering ample room for professional growth and skill development.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you approach developing a CRO roadmap for a brand like Outerknown, considering its unique values and target audience?"

• "Describe a time you had to balance short-term conversion gains with long-term user experience or brand integrity. What was your approach and outcome?"

• "Walk me through your process for translating a business objective, such as increasing LTV, into specific UX/UI improvements and A/B test hypotheses."

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you about Outerknown's commitment to sustainability, and how would you reflect that in the digital customer experience?"

• "How do you ensure alignment with stakeholders who may have competing priorities for website changes or features?"

• "Describe your ideal collaborative environment when working with engineering and marketing teams."

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Case Studies: For each project, clearly define the problem, your role, the process/methodology, the solution (design/test), the results (quantified impact), and key learnings.

• Focus on Impact: Prioritize showcasing projects with clear, measurable business outcomes. For CRO, this means percentage increases in KPIs; for UX/UI, it's solving user pain points that lead to engagement or conversion.

• Demonstrate Your Process: Use visuals to illustrate user flows, wireframes, prototypes, and testing setups. Explain your decision-making at each stage.

• Be Ready for Deep Dives: Anticipate questions about your specific contributions, the tools you used, and how you handled any challenges.

• Tailor to the Brands: If possible, show examples that demonstrate an understanding of lifestyle or apparel e-commerce.

📝 Enhancement Note: Candidates should prepare to demonstrate not only their technical skills but also their strategic thinking, understanding of the e-commerce landscape, and alignment with the company's brand values. The ability to articulate a clear, data-driven process is paramount.

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📌 Application Steps

To apply for this UX/UI Manager position:

• Submit your application through the provided ADP link.

• Portfolio Customization: Curate your portfolio to highlight 2-3 of your strongest CRO and UX/UI projects, emphasizing quantifiable results and your strategic process. Ensure your Figma work and any AI-leveraged projects are prominently featured.

• Resume Optimization: Tailor your resume to include keywords such as "Conversion Rate Optimization," "UX/UI Design," "A/B Testing," "Figma," "Data-Driven Strategy," and "E-commerce." Quantify your achievements wherever possible (e.g., "Increased conversion rate by X%," "Reduced bounce rate by Y%").

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your process and results for portfolio presentations, and prepare answers to common strategy and behavioral questions relevant to CRO, UX/UI, and cross-functional collaboration. Research Outerknown's current digital presence and brand values.

• Company Research: Thoroughly research Outerknown, Firewire Surfboards, and Slater Designs. Understand their brand ethos, target audience, and current digital footprint. Identify potential areas for UX/UI and CRO improvement based on your research.

⚠️ 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.