The UI/UX Manager is the owner of the Summit K12 design system and user experience execution across the platform. This is an ownership role responsible for ensuring that design standards, interaction patterns, accessibility requirements, and user experience principles are consistently applied across all products.

This role translates platform experience strategy into scalable, enforceable design systems and ensures high-quality execution from discovery through delivery. The UI/UX Manager enables speed, consistency, and clarity for Product and Engineering teams by providing clear UX guardrails and reusable components.

Key Responsibilities

Core Responsibilities

1. Design System Ownership

Own and maintain the Summit K12 design system, including components, patterns, typography, color, accessibility standards, and interaction behaviors
Ensure the design system is documented, versioned, and actively used across all products
Partner with Engineering to ensure design system components are technically feasible and consistently implemented
Actively reduce UX fragmentation and design drift across teams

2. Platform UX Execution

Translate platform-level experience strategy into concrete UX standards and design solutions
Ensure consistent navigation, workflows, and interaction patterns across all user types
Review and approve UX designs to ensure alignment with platform standards
Serve as the final design authority within defined platform guardrails

3. User-Centered Design & Research

Lead and conduct usability testing, heuristic reviews, and user feedback synthesis
Ensure user research insights are incorporated into design decisions
Partner with Product Managers to inform discovery and validate solutions early
Advocate for accessibility, clarity, and simplicity in all user experiences
Integrate Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles into the design system and product roadmap, ensuring instructional scaffolds and interaction patterns are accessible and effective for the full range of learner abilities

4. Cross-Functional Partnership

Work closely with the Platform Product Manager to align UX decisions with platform business rules and system behavior
Collaborate with Product Managers to ensure feature designs comply with platform UX standards
Partner with Engineering throughout delivery to preserve design intent and quality
Support Customer Success and Implementation teams by improving usability and reducing friction

5. Design Operations & Delivery

Establish lean design workflows that support fast iteration and predictable delivery
Ensure clear design documentation and handoff artifacts
Balance hands-on design work with design review and governance
Prioritize work based on platform impact and user value

6. Team Leadership & Growth

Lead, mentor, and develop UI/UX designers
Set clear expectations for quality, ownership, and accountability
Build design capability and UX maturity across the organization
Foster a culture of user empathy, experimentation, and continuous improvement

Skills, Knowledge & Expertise

Required

6+ years of experience in UI/UX design, with experience owning design systems
Proven experience leading or managing designers
Strong understanding of user-centered design, design thinking, , Universal Design for Learning and interaction design
Experience with WCAG accessibility standards, including interpreting ACRs and remediation
Successfully cultivated design cohesion by partnering with cross-functional teams to implement shared design patterns
Strong operational mindset with the ability to define, implement, and maintain scalable design workflows
Proficiency in Figma or equivalent design tools

Preferred

Experience designing SaaS or platform-based products
Desire to leverage AI tools (e.g., Claude Design, V0) to accelerate design and development workflows
Experience collaborating with distributed, cross-cultural, or global product teams across multiple time zones
Experience working in lean or scaling organizations
EdTech or complex workflow product experience
Understanding of the specific workflows, daily challenges, and strategic priorities of teachers, school administrators, and district leaders

Success Indicators

A single, consistently applied design system across all products
Reduced UX inconsistency and rework during development
Faster delivery due to reusable patterns and clear standards
Positive usability feedback from teachers, students, and administrators
Product and Engineering teams report clarity and confidence in UX expectations

Benefits

Summit K12 offers a comprehensive benefits package. Highlights include:

Medical, dental, and vision insurance with multiple plan options
Company-paid short-term disability, long-term disability, and life insurance
401(k) retirement plan
Paid Time Off (PTO) program
10 paid holidays plus 1 floating holiday annually
Wellness resources and support programs

Summit K12 is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

UI/UX Manager

About this role