Senior Engineering Manager- Design Systems & Accessibility

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Engineering Manager - Design Systems & Accessibility

Company: Salesforce

Location: Atlanta, Georgia, United States (Also open to New York, New York and San Francisco, California)

Job Type: Full time

Category: Engineering Management / Design Systems / Accessibility

Date Posted: September 03, 2026

Experience Level: 5-10 Years (Senior Level)

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead a specialized engineering team focused on Slack's core UI design system (Slack Kit) and championing accessibility across all product surfaces.

• Drive the technical vision and execution for frontend engineering initiatives, including modernizing CSS architecture and enhancing UI component libraries.

• Foster a high-performing, inclusive team environment through effective mentorship, coaching, and talent development.

• Collaborate closely with Product Management and Design to ensure a consistent, accessible, and high-quality user experience for all Slack users.

• Integrate AI software development tooling to maximize team efficiency and impact, aligning with Salesforce's Agentforce initiative.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is critical for maintaining and advancing the user experience of Slack, a flagship product of Salesforce. The focus on Design Systems and Accessibility indicates a strategic investment in product quality, user inclusivity, and brand consistency. The explicit mention of AI tooling suggests an emphasis on leveraging modern technologies for development efficiency.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Drive Slack's accessibility strategy in partnership with Product and Design counterparts, ensuring compliance with WCAG standards and best practices for users with disabilities (e.g., screen readers, keyboard navigation).

• Own the evolution and maintenance of Slack Kit, Slack's comprehensive design system and frontend component library, ensuring consistency and ease of use for internal development teams.

• Set technical direction and lead the execution of significant frontend engineering projects, such as modernizing the company's CSS architecture and improving build performance.

• Develop clear, multi-quarter roadmaps and milestones in collaboration with Engineering Leads to ensure timely and successful project delivery.

• Provide regular, constructive feedback, coaching, and career development opportunities for engineers on the team, fostering technical growth and professional advancement.

• Cultivate a sustainable, high-performing team culture that is both supportive and challenging, promoting psychological safety and innovation.

• Partner with Design and Product teams to translate user needs and business requirements into robust, scalable frontend solutions.

• Contribute to the hiring process, identifying and attracting top engineering talent to build and strengthen the team.

• Champion best practices in frontend development, code quality, testing, and deployment pipelines.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a dual focus on technical leadership and people management. The emphasis on accessibility strategy and Slack Kit ownership suggests a deep dive into the foundational elements of Slack's user interface. The inclusion of AI tooling integration points towards a forward-looking approach to engineering practices.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical training, fellowship, or work experience.

Experience:

• Minimum of 3 years of experience leading software engineering teams.

• Proven experience as a Senior or Principal Frontend Software Engineer, with a strong understanding of modern web technologies.

• Demonstrated experience in hiring, mentoring, and developing engineering talent. Required Skills:

• Engineering Leadership: 3+ years of experience managing and leading software engineering teams, including performance management and career development.

• Frontend Expertise: Strong background in Senior+ Frontend Software Engineering, with deep knowledge of JavaScript, HTML, CSS, and modern frontend frameworks.

• Design Systems: Experience with or a strong understanding of design systems, UI component libraries, and their implementation at scale.

• Accessibility: Comprehensive knowledge of web accessibility standards (e.g., WCAG) and best practices for building inclusive user experiences, including screen reader and keyboard navigation.

• Technical Strategy: Ability to set technical direction, define roadmaps, and drive execution for complex frontend initiatives.

• Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication, organizational, and time management skills.

• Collaboration: Proven ability to communicate effectively with cross-functional teams, including Product Management, Design, and other engineering groups.

• AI Tooling Integration: Understanding of how and where AI software development tooling can be deployed for maximum team impact.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with design systems and/or UI component libraries, specifically in building or maintaining them.

• Experience championing the needs of diverse user groups and advocating for inclusive design and development practices.

• Familiarity with modern CSS architecture patterns and best practices.

• Experience working in a large-scale SaaS environment.

• Knowledge of performance optimization techniques for frontend applications.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for "Senior+" frontend experience indicates a need for deep technical acumen in addition to leadership skills. The explicit mention of AI tooling integration suggests that candidates with experience in this area will be highly competitive. The preferred skill of championing diverse needs aligns with Salesforce's commitment to inclusivity.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Design System Contributions: Examples of contributions to or leadership of design systems, including documentation, component development, and adoption strategies. Showcase how the system improved consistency and developer efficiency.

• Accessibility Case Studies: Detailed case studies demonstrating a proactive approach to accessibility. This should include identifying accessibility barriers, implementing solutions, and measuring impact on user experience for diverse populations.

• Frontend Project Leadership: Evidence of leading significant frontend engineering projects from conception to deployment, highlighting technical challenges overcome, architectural decisions, and team collaboration.

• Process Improvement Initiatives: Examples of implementing new processes or tools that improved team efficiency, code quality, or development workflows, such as CI/CD pipelines, testing frameworks, or code review standards.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design & Optimization: Showcase examples of designing or optimizing engineering workflows, including agile methodologies, sprint planning, and cross-functional collaboration processes.

• System Implementation & Automation: Document instances where new systems or tools were implemented to enhance development processes, such as design system tools, accessibility testing platforms, or AI-powered development aids.

• Measurement & Performance Analysis: Demonstrate how you have defined and tracked key performance indicators (KPIs) for engineering teams and projects, focusing on metrics related to productivity, code quality, accessibility compliance, and system performance.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a role focused on design systems and accessibility, a portfolio that clearly articulates the candidate's impact on product quality, developer productivity, and user inclusivity is crucial. Demonstrating an understanding of process improvement and system implementation will be key to showcasing leadership capabilities.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• General US Range: $172,500 - $260,100 annually.

• Select Major Metropolitan Areas (e.g., San Francisco, New York): $207,800 - $285,800 annually.

Explanation of Range: This range is based on industry benchmarks for Senior Engineering Manager roles in the US technology sector, considering factors such as experience level, leadership scope, and the strategic importance of design systems and accessibility. The higher range for specific metropolitan areas reflects the increased cost of living and competitive talent markets in those regions.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive Health & Wellness: Medical, Dental, Vision insurance, Mental health support programs.

• Work-Life Balance: Generous time off programs, Paid parental leave.

• Financial Security: Life insurance, Disability insurance, 401(k) retirement plan, Employee stock purchasing program.

• Professional Development: Opportunities for continuous learning and career growth.

• Employee Perks: Access to company-wide benefits and resources.

Working Hours: The standard working hours are 40 hours per week, typical for a full-time role. However, the hybrid work arrangement offers flexibility, allowing for a balance between in-office collaboration and remote work.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary ranges provided are based on the AI-generated data, reflecting Salesforce's compensation structure for this role in different US regions. The benefits package is extensive, covering health, financial security, and work-life balance, which are highly valued by senior technology professionals.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Software & Technology, specializing in AI-powered CRM solutions. Salesforce is a leader in digital transformation, with a strong emphasis on innovation, customer success, and corporate social responsibility. The acquisition of Slack positions them at the forefront of workplace collaboration and communication technology.

Company Size: Salesforce is a large enterprise, employing tens of thousands of people globally. This means ample resources, structured processes, and opportunities for career mobility, but also a need for strong individual initiative and adaptability within a large organization.

Founded: Salesforce was founded in 1999, pioneering the Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model. Its history is marked by continuous innovation and strategic acquisitions, including Slack in 2021, aiming to integrate AI deeply into its customer relationship management and collaboration platforms.

Team Structure:

• Operations Focus: The role sits within the Frontend Engineering organization, specifically focused on the Slack Kit and Accessibility teams. This team is crucial for defining and implementing the user interface standards across Slack.

• Reporting: The Senior Engineering Manager will likely report to a Director or VP of Engineering within the Slack product organization.

• Collaboration: This role requires close collaboration with Product Managers, UX Designers, and other Engineering Managers and individual contributors across Slack and potentially other Salesforce product teams.

Methodology:

• Agile Development: Expect a strong adoption of agile methodologies for iterative development, continuous feedback, and rapid iteration.

• Data-Driven Decisions: Emphasis on using data and user feedback to inform design and engineering decisions, particularly regarding accessibility improvements and feature adoption.

• Design System Governance: A structured approach to managing and evolving the design system, involving clear processes for contribution, review, and release.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Salesforce's culture is heavily influenced by its "Trailblazer" ethos, emphasizing innovation, customer focus, and core values. The integration of Slack brings a dynamic, collaborative energy. The mention of "Agentforce" points to a strategic direction focused on AI-driven customer engagement and internal productivity.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Senior Engineering Manager role, signifying a significant level of responsibility. It's a pivotal position for individuals looking to lead critical platform components (design systems, accessibility) within a major tech company. It requires a blend of deep technical expertise in frontend development and strong people management skills.

Reporting Structure: You will report to a Director or VP of Engineering, overseeing a team of talented engineers responsible for Slack's foundational UI. This position offers visibility into senior leadership and strategic decision-making within the Slack engineering organization.

Operations Impact: The work directly impacts the usability, consistency, and inclusivity of Slack for millions of users worldwide. By leading the design system and accessibility efforts, you will shape the core user experience of a product critical to global business communication, driving customer satisfaction and adoption.

Growth Opportunities:

• Technical Specialization: Deepen expertise in design systems, accessibility, and advanced frontend architecture, potentially becoming a recognized authority in these areas within Salesforce.

• Leadership Advancement: Progress to Director-level roles, managing larger teams or multiple engineering functions within the Slack or broader Salesforce organization.

• Cross-Functional Leadership: Opportunity to lead initiatives that span across product, design, and various engineering disciplines, broadening your influence and strategic impact.

• Mentorship & Coaching: Develop strong leadership and coaching skills by guiding and growing a team of engineers, contributing to the talent pipeline for the company.

• Industry Influence: Contribute to industry best practices in design systems and accessibility through internal advocacy and potential external contributions (e.g., conferences, open source).

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers a clear path for career progression within a leading technology company. The focus on specialized areas like design systems and accessibility provides opportunities for deep technical mastery, while the management aspect allows for growth into broader leadership roles.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Salesforce operates a hybrid work model. This role is based in an office location (Atlanta, New York, or San Francisco) but allows for remote work days, promoting flexibility and work-life balance. The office environment is designed to foster collaboration, innovation, and a strong sense of community among employees.

Office Location(s): The primary focus is on Atlanta, Georgia, with opportunities also available in New York, New York, and San Francisco, California. These are major tech hubs offering excellent connectivity, amenities, and access to a diverse talent pool.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Spaces: Offices are equipped with modern meeting rooms, common areas, and potentially open-plan seating to encourage spontaneous interactions and team synergy.

• Technology & Tools: Access to state-of-the-art hardware, software, and internal tools necessary for effective engineering and management. This includes robust development environments and collaboration platforms.

• Team Interaction: Regular opportunities for team meetings, design reviews, engineering syncs, and social events to build strong working relationships and a cohesive team culture.

Work Schedule: The standard work schedule is 40 hours per week. The hybrid model allows for flexibility in how and where these hours are spent, enabling employees to balance personal needs with professional responsibilities, while ensuring sufficient in-office time for collaborative activities.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid work arrangement is a key feature, offering flexibility while maintaining the benefits of in-person collaboration essential for design system and accessibility work. The choice of major tech hubs for office locations suggests a commitment to attracting top talent from diverse regions.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter will review your application and may conduct an initial phone screen to assess basic qualifications and alignment with the role.

• Hiring Manager Interview: Expect a conversation with the hiring manager to delve deeper into your leadership experience, technical background, and understanding of design systems and accessibility.

• Technical Deep Dive/Panel: This may involve technical discussions with senior engineers or an architecture review focused on frontend systems, design patterns, and accessibility strategies. Be prepared to discuss your approach to problem-solving and technical decision-making.

• Team/Culture Fit Interviews: You'll likely meet with potential team members and peers to assess collaboration style, cultural alignment, and your ability to foster a positive team environment.

• Executive/Director Interview: A final interview with senior leadership to discuss strategic vision, impact, and alignment with Salesforce's broader goals.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Structure for Impact: Organize your portfolio to clearly showcase your leadership in design systems and accessibility. Use a consistent structure for each case study: Problem, Solution, Your Role, Tools/Technologies, Results (quantifiable where possible).

• Highlight Process & Collaboration: For each project, emphasize the processes you followed, how you collaborated with design and product teams, and how you managed technical trade-offs.

• Quantify Accessibility Wins: Whenever possible, use metrics to demonstrate the impact of your accessibility work. This could include reductions in reported accessibility issues, improvements in user satisfaction scores for users with disabilities, or successful audits.

• Showcase Design System Maturity: For design system examples, demonstrate not just the components but also the governance, adoption strategies, and how the system evolved over time.

• Tailor to Salesforce/Slack: Research Salesforce's core values, mission, and Slack's product vision. Frame your experiences and examples in a way that aligns with these.

Challenge Preparation:

• Design System Scenario: Be ready to discuss how you would approach building or scaling a design system in a complex organization like Salesforce, considering adoption challenges, governance, and maintenance.

• Accessibility Strategy: Prepare to outline a strategy for improving accessibility across a large product like Slack, addressing challenges like legacy code, diverse user needs, and ongoing maintenance.

• Team Management Case Study: Be prepared to discuss a challenging situation you faced as a manager, how you handled it, and the outcome. Focus on your leadership approach, problem-solving skills, and ability to foster a positive team dynamic.

📝 Enhancement Note: A strong portfolio is essential for this role, especially showcasing tangible impact in design systems and accessibility. The interview process is structured to assess technical depth, leadership capabilities, and cultural fit within Salesforce's collaborative environment.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Frontend Frameworks: Experience with modern JavaScript frameworks (e.g., React, Vue.js, Angular) is highly probable given Slack's architecture.

• CSS Preprocessors/Methodologies: Familiarity with Sass, LESS, or modern CSS-in-JS solutions will be beneficial for CSS architecture discussions.

• Design System Tools: Experience with tools like Storybook, Figma, or other component documentation and prototyping platforms.

• Version Control: Git is standard for all software development.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Product Analytics: Tools like Amplitude, Mixpanel, or internal analytics platforms to track feature adoption, user engagement, and identify areas for improvement in UX and accessibility.

• Performance Monitoring: Tools for monitoring frontend performance, load times, and error rates.

• Accessibility Testing Tools: Experience with automated accessibility checkers (e.g., Axe, WAVE) and manual testing methodologies.

CRM & Automation:

• Internal Tools: Salesforce's own CRM and internal development platforms will be part of the ecosystem.

• Project Management: Tools like Jira, Asana, or Trello for roadmap planning, task management, and sprint tracking.

• CI/CD: Familiarity with continuous integration and continuous deployment pipelines (e.g., Jenkins, GitLab CI, GitHub Actions) for efficient software delivery.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency with modern frontend technologies, design system tooling, and a strong understanding of accessibility testing frameworks are expected. Experience with analytics and CI/CD tools will demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the software development lifecycle.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Customer 360: A commitment to understanding and serving the customer across all touchpoints, ensuring that design systems and accessibility directly contribute to positive customer experiences.

• Innovation: Encouraging experimentation, embracing new technologies (like AI tooling), and fostering a culture where creative solutions to complex problems are valued.

• Equality: A deep-seated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, making accessibility a core tenet of product development and ensuring that all users feel welcome and empowered.

• Trust & Transparency: Building and maintaining trust with customers and employees through open communication, reliable products, and ethical practices.

• Giving Back: A focus on social responsibility and making a positive impact on the community and the world.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Partnership: Emphasis on strong, collaborative relationships between Engineering, Product Management, and Design to ensure alignment on vision, strategy, and execution.

• Iterative & Feedback-Driven: A culture that values continuous feedback loops, both internally within teams and externally from users, to drive product improvements.

• Knowledge Sharing: Encouraging the sharing of best practices, learnings, and technical expertise across teams through documentation, presentations, and informal discussions.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salesforce's core values are integral to its culture. For this role, demonstrating alignment with Equality, Innovation, and Customer 360 will be particularly important, as the work directly impacts user experience and inclusive product development.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Scaling Design Systems: Managing the complexity and adoption of a design system across a large, rapidly evolving product like Slack, ensuring consistency while allowing for necessary flexibility.

• Prioritizing Accessibility: Balancing the ongoing effort to maintain and improve accessibility with aggressive feature development timelines and other technical initiatives.

• Technical Debt Management: Addressing legacy code and architectural challenges within a mature product to enable modernization efforts, such as CSS architecture updates.

• Leading Distributed Teams: Effectively managing and fostering team cohesion within a hybrid work environment across different geographic locations.

• Integrating New Technologies: Successfully incorporating AI tooling into existing workflows and ensuring engineers are equipped to leverage these advancements effectively.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Leadership Training: Access to Salesforce's extensive leadership development programs, focusing on strategic thinking, talent management, and organizational influence.

• Industry Conferences & Workshops: Opportunities to attend leading conferences on frontend development, design systems, and accessibility to stay abreast of industry trends and best practices.

• Mentorship Programs: Participation in mentorship programs, either as a mentee to learn from senior leaders or as a mentor to guide emerging talent.

• Specialized Certifications: Potential to pursue certifications related to accessibility standards or advanced frontend technologies.

• Exposure to AI Innovation: Direct involvement in leveraging cutting-edge AI tools within software development, positioning you at the forefront of technological advancement.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role presents significant challenges that are typical for leading critical platform components in a large tech company. However, these challenges are coupled with substantial growth opportunities, providing a rich environment for professional development and career advancement.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• Design System Strategy: "How would you approach evolving Slack's design system to accommodate new product initiatives while ensuring consistent adoption across diverse engineering teams?" (Focus on governance, adoption strategies, and scalability.)

• Accessibility Vision: "Describe your vision for accessibility at Slack. What are the key pillars of your strategy to ensure inclusivity for all users?" (Highlight proactive measures, compliance, and user advocacy.)

• AI Integration Plan: "How would you identify and implement AI software development tooling to improve your team's productivity and technical output?" (Discuss assessment criteria, pilot programs, and change management.)

• Technical Modernization: "Imagine we need to modernize Slack's CSS architecture. What would be your approach, considering potential risks and benefits?" (Focus on planning, phased rollout, and impact assessment.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "How do Salesforce's core values, particularly Equality and Innovation, resonate with your leadership philosophy and your approach to building inclusive products?" (Connect your experiences to company values.)

• "Describe your experience building and nurturing high-performing, inclusive engineering teams in a hybrid work environment." (Share examples of fostering psychological safety and collaboration.)

• "How do you measure the success and impact of a design system and accessibility initiatives?" (Prepare to discuss relevant metrics and KPIs.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Narrative Arc: For each case study, tell a compelling story: the challenge faced, the strategic approach taken (especially concerning design systems or accessibility), your specific contributions as a leader, and the measurable outcomes.

• Visual Aids: Use screenshots, diagrams, and brief demos where appropriate to illustrate the impact of your work. For accessibility, show examples of how features were improved. For design systems, showcase component libraries and usage.

• Focus on Leadership: Emphasize your role in driving decisions, influencing stakeholders, and enabling your team. It's not just about what was built, but how you led the effort.

• Address Trade-offs: Be prepared to discuss any challenges, trade-offs, or lessons learned during your projects. This demonstrates critical thinking and resilience.

• Anticipate Questions: Think about potential questions related to scalability, maintainability, cross-functional collaboration, and managing diverse technical opinions.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating strategic thinking, a deep understanding of design systems and accessibility, and strong leadership capabilities. Be ready to articulate how you would apply your experience to the specific challenges and opportunities at Salesforce/Slack.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Engineering Manager position:

• Submit your application through the Salesforce careers portal using the provided link.

• Tailor your Resume: Emphasize your experience in engineering management, design systems, accessibility, and frontend development. Quantify achievements and highlight leadership responsibilities.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Prepare a concise portfolio that showcases your most impactful projects related to design systems and accessibility, focusing on leadership, process, and measurable results.

• Prepare for Case Studies: Practice articulating your approach to common challenges in design systems, accessibility, and team leadership, referencing your portfolio examples.

• Research Salesforce & Slack: Understand the company's mission, values, and the strategic importance of Slack. Familiarize yourself with their current design language and accessibility commitments.

⚠️ 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.

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