User Interface/User Experience Principal - AgentExchange UX

Salesforce
Full-time$197k-345k/year (USD)Seattle, United States

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: User Interface/User Experience Principal - AgentExchange UX

Company: Salesforce

Location: San Francisco, CA, United States (Hybrid) / Seattle, WA, United States (Hybrid)

Job Type: Full time

Category: User Experience / Product Design Operations

Date Posted: 2026-07-30

Experience Level: 10+ years (Principal Level)

Remote Status: Hybrid (3 days in office per quarter)

🚀 Role Summary

  • Lead the strategic vision and execution of user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) design for Salesforce's AgentExchange platform, a critical B2B marketplace.

  • Drive innovation at the intersection of marketplace dynamics, enterprise-scale solutions, and AI-powered capabilities to enhance customer discovery and adoption of Salesforce ecosystem offerings.

  • Champion human-centered design principles, ethical considerations, and accessibility standards across all product touchpoints and design artifacts.

  • Act as a senior stakeholder and trusted advisor to product and technology leaders, influencing product roadmaps and driving consensus on complex, ambiguous projects.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a Principal level within UX, indicating a significant level of strategic influence, leadership, and responsibility for shaping product direction and design systems. The focus on "AgentExchange" and "AI CRM" highlights a strategic growth area for Salesforce, requiring sophisticated design thinking for a complex B2B marketplace environment.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

  • Define and articulate the product and feature vision for AgentExchange UX, guiding the design team through implementation in close collaboration with product management, engineering, and user research.

  • Serve as the primary liaison and bridge between design, product, engineering, and marketing teams across multiple disciplines to ensure cohesive product development.

  • Oversee the end-to-end design of multiple web and mobile application features, interfaces, and user experiences within the AgentExchange ecosystem.

  • Communicate complex, compelling design ideas and strategies to senior leadership through persuasive documentation, design reviews, and executive presentations to build consensus and secure buy-in.

  • Produce a variety of design artifacts, including prototypes, wireframes, storyboards, and concepts, to clearly articulate research findings and advocate for innovative solutions at the leadership level.

  • Lead the evolution and advocacy of design systems, creating designs that adhere to existing guidelines while contributing to systemic modifications and educating internal teams on design systems best practices.

  • Generate detailed final design specifications that enable accurate and efficient developer builds, ensuring high-quality product implementation.

  • Collaborate closely with developers and quality assurance experts throughout the product lifecycle to deliver a polished and functional final product.

  • Promote and educate stakeholders across the organization on new interface guidelines and design patterns, fostering a consistent and high-quality user experience.

  • Mentor and develop other designers on the team, facilitating their growth opportunities, advocating for team goals, and partnering with recruiting to attract and hire world-class, diverse talent.

  • Develop software solutions with global reach, emphasizing universal design principles and catering to users of multiple languages and abilities.

  • Champion accessibility and ethical design practices, actively encouraging product and engineering management to prioritize accessible features and address potential harms to underrepresented groups.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities emphasize strategic leadership, cross-functional collaboration, and a deep understanding of enterprise-level design challenges. The explicit mention of mentoring, leading design systems, and advocating for accessibility and ethics highlights the senior nature of this Principal role.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Related technical degree required. Bachelor's degree in Human-Computer Interaction, Graphic Design, Computer Science, or a related field is expected.

Experience:

  • 12–15+ years of experience designing and delivering complex software products from concept to completion within cross-functional teams.

  • Demonstrated experience shaping product vision and strategy at a senior leadership level.

  • Proven ability to deliver solutions independently and with distributed teams, managing stakeholder expectations effectively.

  • Deep understanding and practical application of user-centered design (UCD) methodologies and best practices.

  • Experience leveraging user analytics and research data to drive design decisions and iterate on product features.

  • Strong AI-fluency, including experience with emerging AI tools and new ways of working in AI-augmented environments.

  • Capability to explore innovative ideas, persuade stakeholders, and build consensus with senior leadership on fast-moving, ambiguous projects.

  • Demonstrated ability to produce original, high-quality design work that is conceptually strong, pushes creative boundaries, meets business needs, and is appropriately detailed for each project phase.

  • Executive-level communication, active listening, and relationship-building skills with a wide range of senior stakeholders across product and engineering.

  • Proven track record managing large design initiatives end-to-end, including the ability to manage competing priorities across multiple disciplines.

  • Demonstrated desire for continuous process improvement and a history of driving meaningful process enhancements at a team or organizational level.

  • Mastery of designing and thinking within design systems, with experience in evolving and teaching design systems approaches to others.

  • Experience holding difficult conversations regarding the ethical and equitable impact of designs, questioning assumptions that may cause harm, especially to underrepresented groups. Required Skills:

  • User Experience (UX) Design

  • User Interface (UI) Design

  • Creative Leadership

  • Visual Design

  • Systems Thinking

  • AI-Fluency

  • Design Systems Development and Management

  • Stakeholder Management and Influence

  • Product Vision and Strategy Articulation

  • Prototyping and Wireframing

  • Accessibility Standards (WCAG)

  • Cross-functional Collaboration

  • Mentorship and Team Development

  • Figma (Expert knowledge)

  • Enterprise Software Design Principles Preferred Skills:

  • E-commerce or App Marketplace Design

  • Experience with Salesforce platform or similar enterprise CRM solutions

  • User Research Methodologies

  • Storyboarding and Concept Visualization

  • Agile Development Methodologies

📝 Enhancement Note: The experience requirement of 12-15+ years strongly indicates a Principal or Lead UX role. The emphasis on AI-fluency, design systems, and influencing senior leadership are critical for success in this position at a company like Salesforce. The explicit requirement for a technical degree and expert Figma knowledge sets a clear bar for technical proficiency.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

  • A comprehensive portfolio showcasing end-to-end design process for complex software products, demonstrating problem definition, user research, ideation, prototyping, and final design execution.

  • Specific examples of work on B2B marketplaces, e-commerce platforms, or enterprise-scale applications that highlight your ability to handle complexity and diverse user needs.

  • Demonstrations of how you utilized user analytics, research findings, and A/B testing results to inform design decisions and drive measurable improvements.

  • Evidence of contributions to or leadership in the development, evolution, and adoption of design systems, including examples of reusable components and patterns.

  • Case studies that clearly articulate your role, the challenges faced, the design solutions implemented, and the quantifiable impact or business value achieved. Process Documentation:

  • Detailed walkthroughs of your design process for complex features or products, illustrating how you translate business requirements and user needs into intuitive interfaces.

  • Examples of how you have documented design decisions, user flows, and system interactions to ensure clarity for development and cross-functional teams.

  • Evidence of your ability to conduct and incorporate user research, usability testing, and heuristic evaluations to validate design choices and identify areas for optimization.

  • Demonstrations of your approach to iterating on designs based on feedback, data, and evolving project requirements, highlighting your adaptability and problem-solving skills.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Principal UX role at Salesforce, the portfolio is paramount. It must go beyond static visuals to demonstrate a deep understanding of process, strategic thinking, collaboration, and impact. The emphasis on design systems, AI integration, and enterprise-scale solutions is critical.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

  • San Francisco, CA / New York City Metro Area: $237,700 - $344,700 annually (Base Salary)

  • Other US Locations (including Seattle, WA): $197,300 - $313,700 annually (Base Salary)

Note: These ranges represent base salary only. Total compensation may include company bonus, incentive compensation (for sales roles), equity, and benefits, as applicable. The specific salary offered will depend on factors such as location, job level, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.

Benefits:

  • Comprehensive Time Off Programs

  • Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance

  • Mental Health Support Resources

  • Paid Parental Leave

  • Life and Disability Insurance

  • 401(k) Retirement Plan

  • Employee Stock Purchasing Program (ESPP)

  • Additional details available at: https://www.salesforcebenefits.com Working Hours:

  • Standard full-time role, typically 40 hours per week.

  • Hybrid work arrangement requires approximately 3 days in the office per quarter for collaboration and customer engagement.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary ranges provided are specific to Salesforce's compensation philosophy and regional adjustments. The distinction between SF/NYC metro and other areas is important for candidates. The inclusion of "incentive for sales roles" is noted, though this is a UX role. The benefits list is comprehensive and aligns with industry standards for large tech companies. The hybrid expectation of 3 days per quarter is quite minimal, leaning heavily towards remote flexibility.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Software / Cloud Computing / Artificial Intelligence (AI) CRM

Company Size: Salesforce is a major enterprise company, indicated by its "Enterprise" classification and extensive global presence. This means a structured environment with established processes, but also significant resources and opportunities for impact.

Founded: Salesforce was founded in 1999, giving it a long history of innovation and market leadership in the CRM space. This longevity suggests stability and a deep understanding of enterprise needs.

Team Structure:

  • The AgentExchange UX team is described as a "tight-knit team" working at the intersection of marketplace design, enterprise scale, and AI innovation.

  • This Principal role will likely report into a UX Director or VP, with direct influence over a team of designers and close collaboration with Product Management and Engineering leads.

  • Cross-functional collaboration is a core tenet, requiring strong partnerships with Product Owners, Engineers, User Researchers, Marketing, and potentially Sales teams. Methodology:

  • The team operates with a focus on human-centered design, leveraging user research and analytics to drive product iterations and ensure user satisfaction.

  • Systems thinking and thoughtful storytelling are valued, indicating a need for designers who can see the big picture and communicate complex ideas effectively.

  • Emphasis on AI-powered innovation and the "agentic era" suggests an embrace of cutting-edge technology and forward-thinking approaches to product development.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Salesforce's culture is built on its "Ohana" (family) philosophy, emphasizing trust, customer success, innovation, equality, and sustainability. The "Trailblazer" identity encourages individuals to be pioneers and drive change. For operations and design roles, this translates to a results-oriented environment with a strong focus on customer impact and continuous improvement.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Principal UX Designer. This is a senior individual contributor role with significant leadership responsibilities. It signifies expertise in UX/UI design, strategic thinking, and the ability to influence product direction and mentor other designers. It's a critical role for shaping the user experience of a major platform like AgentExchange.

Reporting Structure: The Principal Designer will work closely with senior leaders in Product and Engineering. While they may not directly manage a large team, they will be responsible for guiding design efforts, mentoring junior designers, and influencing the strategic direction of the AgentExchange UX.

Operations Impact: This role has a direct and substantial impact on the success of AgentExchange, Salesforce's B2B marketplace. By improving the discoverability, evaluation, and adoption of AI solutions, this role contributes directly to customer success, partner engagement, and revenue generation within the Salesforce ecosystem. The design of the marketplace directly influences how customers extend and leverage Salesforce's core AI CRM capabilities.

Growth Opportunities:

  • Strategic Leadership: Opportunity to shape the future of AI-driven marketplaces and define best practices for enterprise UX at Salesforce.

  • Skill Development: Deepen expertise in AI-powered design, complex B2B marketplace dynamics, and advanced design systems, potentially leading to Principal/Director roles.

  • Leadership & Mentorship: Develop leadership skills through mentoring junior designers, influencing cross-functional teams, and representing UX at executive levels.

  • Cross-Functional Exposure: Gain deeper insights into product management, engineering, and AI strategy within a leading enterprise software company.

  • Industry Influence: Contribute to the broader UX community through speaking engagements, publications, or contributions to design systems and best practices.

📝 Enhancement Note: The Principal UX Designer role is a significant career milestone. It offers the chance to lead strategic initiatives within a high-impact product area (AI CRM marketplace) and to grow into even more senior leadership positions or specialized expert roles within Salesforce.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid. The role requires a minimum of 3 days in the office per quarter, indicating a strong emphasis on in-person collaboration, team building, and engagement with local colleagues, while still offering significant remote flexibility.

Office Location(s):

  • San Francisco, California

  • Seattle, Washington Workspace Context:

  • The office environment is expected to foster collaboration, enabling designers to work closely with product managers, engineers, and researchers.

  • Access to industry-standard design tools (e.g., Figma) and potentially internal Salesforce design systems and research platforms will be provided.

  • Opportunities for informal knowledge sharing, design critiques, and team brainstorming sessions will be integral to the workspace, especially during in-office days.

Work Schedule: Standard full-time hours (approximately 40 hours/week). The hybrid nature allows for flexibility in managing work location between home and office, supporting work-life balance while ensuring key in-person touchpoints.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model with a low quarterly office requirement suggests flexibility but also a need for intentional in-person engagement during those periods. This is typical for senior roles where strategic alignment and team cohesion are paramount.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

  • Initial Screening: A recruiter will review your application and resume, focusing on alignment with the core requirements and experience level.

  • Portfolio Review: You will be asked to submit a portfolio with a password. This is a critical step where your design process, problem-solving skills, and impact will be evaluated. Be prepared to walk through 2-3 key projects.

  • Hiring Manager Interview: A conversation with the hiring manager to discuss your experience, leadership style, strategic thinking, and fit with the team and company culture.

  • Design Challenge / Whiteboarding Session: Potentially a design exercise or whiteboarding session to assess your problem-solving approach, design thinking, and ability to articulate ideas under pressure. This may involve a real-world scenario related to AgentExchange.

  • Team Interviews: Interviews with other designers, product managers, and engineers to assess collaboration skills, technical proficiency, and cultural alignment.

  • Executive/Senior Leadership Interview: A final interview with senior stakeholders to assess strategic vision, executive presence, and ability to influence at the highest levels.

Portfolio Review Tips:

  • Curate Strategically: Select projects that best showcase your experience with complex B2B marketplaces, enterprise software, AI integration, and design systems. Prioritize quality over quantity.

  • Show Your Process: For each project, clearly outline the problem, your role, the design process followed (research, ideation, iteration, testing), the challenges encountered, your solutions, and the measurable outcomes or impact.

  • Highlight Leadership: Emphasize instances where you led design initiatives, mentored junior designers, influenced product strategy, or advocated for key design principles (e.g., accessibility, ethics).

  • Quantify Impact: Wherever possible, use data and metrics to demonstrate the success of your designs (e.g., increased conversion rates, improved user satisfaction scores, reduced support tickets).

  • Password Protection: Ensure your portfolio is easily accessible via the provided password and loads efficiently.

Challenge Preparation:

  • Understand AgentExchange: Research the Salesforce AgentExchange platform, its purpose, target users, and its role within the broader Salesforce ecosystem. Understand the challenges of a B2B marketplace.

  • AI & Marketplace Dynamics: Be prepared to discuss your understanding of AI's role in marketplaces and how design can enhance AI-driven features and user trust.

  • Design Systems Thinking: Brush up on principles of scalable design systems, their benefits, and how you would contribute to or evolve one for a large platform.

  • Problem-Solving Framework: Practice articulating your thought process for tackling ambiguous problems, breaking them down, and proposing user-centered solutions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is rigorous, typical for a Principal role at a major tech company. The portfolio is the gatekeeper, so candidates must be meticulously prepared to demonstrate strategic impact and a robust design process.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

  • Figma: Expert knowledge is required. This will be the primary tool for wireframing, prototyping, UI design, and collaboration within design teams.

  • Prototyping Tools: Proficiency in tools like Figma's built-in prototyping capabilities, or potentially others like InVision, for creating interactive mockups.

  • Design System Tools: Familiarity with tools or methodologies for managing and contributing to design systems (e.g., Storybook, or Figma's component libraries).

Analytics & Reporting:

  • User Analytics Platforms: Experience using tools like Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, or internal Salesforce analytics tools to understand user behavior and inform design decisions.

  • User Research Tools: Familiarity with platforms for conducting user interviews, surveys, and usability testing (e.g., UserTesting.com, Qualtrics, SurveyMonkey).

  • Data Visualization Tools: Ability to interpret and present data using tools like Tableau, Power BI, or native Salesforce reporting capabilities to support design arguments.

CRM & Automation:

  • Salesforce Platform: While not explicitly stated as a design tool requirement, a strong understanding of the Salesforce ecosystem, its core CRM functionalities, and how users interact with it will be highly beneficial.

  • Project Management Tools: Familiarity with tools like Jira, Asana, or Trello for tracking design tasks and progress within agile development cycles.

📝 Enhancement Note: Figma is explicitly called out as an expert requirement. The other tools listed are standard for senior UX roles in enterprise software, emphasizing data-driven design and effective collaboration within development workflows.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

  • Trust: Upholding Salesforce's core value of trust by designing secure, reliable, and ethical user experiences, especially concerning AI and user data.

  • Customer Success: A relentless focus on enabling customer success through intuitive and effective marketplace experiences that help them discover and adopt valuable solutions.

  • Innovation: Driving innovation in AI-powered marketplaces and user interfaces, pushing creative boundaries to solve complex problems.

  • Equality: Championing accessibility, inclusivity, and ethical design practices, ensuring that products are usable and equitable for all users, particularly underrepresented groups.

  • Efficiency: Designing streamlined workflows and intuitive interfaces that enhance productivity for both customers and internal teams.

Collaboration Style:

  • Cross-functional Integration: A highly collaborative approach, acting as a bridge between design, product, engineering, and marketing to ensure aligned product development and a unified user experience.

  • Influence & Consensus Building: The ability to effectively influence senior stakeholders, articulate design rationale, and build consensus on strategic product decisions.

  • Mentorship & Knowledge Sharing: A culture of growth where experienced designers mentor junior talent, share best practices, and contribute to the collective knowledge base of the UX team.

  • Data-Informed Decision Making: Using data from user research, analytics, and A/B testing as a foundation for design decisions, while also applying creative intuition.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salesforce's core values (Trust, Customer Success, Innovation, Equality, Sustainability) are deeply embedded. For a UX Principal, translating these values into tangible design principles and practices is crucial for success and cultural fit.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

  • Complexity of B2B Marketplaces: Designing for a large-scale B2B marketplace with diverse user roles (buyers, sellers, developers, consultants) and complex transaction flows presents significant UX challenges.

  • AI Integration: Effectively integrating AI capabilities into the marketplace experience to enhance discovery, personalization, and trust, while managing user expectations and ethical considerations.

  • Balancing Enterprise Scale with Usability: Ensuring that features designed for enterprise-level adoption remain intuitive and user-friendly for a broad range of technical proficiencies.

  • Navigating Ambiguity: Working on fast-moving projects with evolving requirements and deadlines, requiring strong adaptability and strategic foresight.

  • Influencing Senior Leadership: Persuading senior stakeholders with diverse priorities to adopt design recommendations and invest in UX improvements.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

  • AI Design Specialization: Deepen expertise in designing for AI-driven products and platforms, staying at the forefront of this rapidly evolving field.

  • Marketplace Design Mastery: Become a leading expert in designing high-performing B2B marketplaces, understanding the intricacies of ecosystem dynamics and network effects.

  • Leadership Development: Enhance strategic leadership, executive communication, and team mentorship skills through a high-visibility role.

  • Design Systems Evolution: Contribute to the strategic direction and expansion of Salesforce's enterprise-wide design systems.

  • Industry Engagement: Opportunities to represent Salesforce at industry events, contribute to thought leadership, and network with peers.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers significant opportunities to tackle complex, cutting-edge challenges in AI and B2B marketplaces, providing a rich environment for professional growth and impact.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

  • "Describe a time you shaped the product vision for a complex enterprise software product. What was your process, and what was the outcome?" (Focus on strategic thinking, influence, and impact.)

  • "How would you approach designing a new AI-driven recommendation engine for a B2B marketplace like AgentExchange, considering user trust and transparency?" (Prepare to discuss AI ethics, data privacy, and user onboarding for AI features.)

  • "Walk us through your process for evolving or contributing to a large-scale design system. What are the key considerations for adoption and governance?" (Highlight your understanding of design system methodologies and scalability.)

  • "How do you build consensus with senior product and engineering leaders on design decisions, especially when there is disagreement or ambiguity?" (Emphasize your communication, persuasion, and stakeholder management skills.) Company & Culture Questions:

  • "What excites you about Salesforce's mission and the AgentExchange product specifically?" (Research Salesforce's AI CRM vision and the strategic importance of AgentExchange.)

  • "How do you ensure accessibility and ethical considerations are prioritized in your design work, especially for underrepresented user groups?" (Demonstrate your commitment to equality and responsible design.)

  • "Describe your experience mentoring junior designers and fostering a collaborative team environment." (Showcase your leadership and team development capabilities.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

  • Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, clearly articulate the problem statement, your role and responsibilities, the design process, key decisions made, challenges overcome, and the quantifiable results or impact achieved.

  • Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals (screenshots, mockups, prototypes) to illustrate your design solutions effectively. Explain why you made certain design choices.

  • Focus on Impact: Quantify the success of your projects with metrics wherever possible. If direct metrics are unavailable, articulate the strategic value or potential impact.

  • Be Ready for Deep Dives: Anticipate questions about specific design choices, trade-offs made, and alternative solutions considered.

  • Tailor to Salesforce: Briefly explain how your experience and approach align with Salesforce's values and the specific needs of the AgentExchange UX team.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparation should focus on demonstrating strategic leadership, a deep understanding of complex design challenges (especially in AI and marketplaces), and the ability to influence at executive levels. The portfolio is the primary tool for this demonstration.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this User Interface/User Experience Principal position:

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

  • Customize your Resume: Ensure your resume clearly highlights your 12-15+ years of experience in software product design, leadership roles, AI fluency, design systems expertise, and experience with complex B2B platforms. Use keywords from the job description naturally.

  • Prepare Your Portfolio: Curate 2-3 of your strongest projects that showcase end-to-end design process, strategic impact, and experience relevant to B2B marketplaces and enterprise software. Ensure it's password-protected and easily navigable. Be ready to present these projects in detail.

  • Research Salesforce & AgentExchange: Understand Salesforce's AI CRM vision, its core values, and the strategic importance of the AgentExchange platform. Familiarize yourself with its current state and potential future directions.

  • Practice Your Narrative: Rehearse your responses to potential interview questions, focusing on strategy, leadership, problem-solving, and your unique contributions. Prepare to articulate your design process and portfolio projects compellingly.

⚠️ 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.

Application Requirements

Candidates must have 12-15+ years of experience in software product design with a proven track record of shaping product vision at a senior leadership level. A related technical degree is required, along with expert knowledge of design tools like Figma and strong AI-fluency.