Senior Manager - UX Design & Innovation

United; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 141,000 - 183,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flight privileges

Medical benefits

Dental benefits

Vision benefits

Parental leave

401(k)

Job summary

United Airlines is seeking a Senior Manager, User Experience to guide AI-driven, omnichannel travel experiences across its digital ecosystem. You will lead a team of designers and technologists to craft a scalable design system, Atmos, ensuring accessibility, brand alignment, and measurable outcomes.

You will partner with product and tech leaders to shape roadmaps, drive data-informed decisions, and scale intelligent interfaces across United’s apps and platforms.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in technology, Design or relevant field.
• 7+ years visual or interaction design experience.
• 3+ years supervisory experience.
• Experience with AI-driven, personalized travel experiences.
• Ability to define and evolve scalable design systems.
• Proven iOS design experience and familiarity with platform conventions.
• Strong capability to craft roadmaps and manage resources.
• Skilled in data-informed decision making and research.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder influence.
• Authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship.

Responsibilities

• Shape unified experience roadmaps across digital channels.
• Lead omnichannel vision across desktop, mobile, seatback, and notifications.
• Own Atmos design system evolution for consistency and accessibility.
• Champion shared ownership with stakeholders throughout projects.
• Drive AI integration with scalable, system-driven design solutions.
• Grow a high-performing design team through mentorship.

Skills

UX leadership

7+ years design

3+ years supervision

AI-driven design

Design systems

iOS design

Roadmapping

Data-informed decision-making

Stakeholder influence

Leadership & mentorship

Education

Bachelor's degree in technology, Design or relevant field

Tools

Atmos design system

AI-assisted design tools

Job description

Achieving our goals starts with supporting yours. Grow your career, access top-tier health and wellness benefits, build lasting connections with your team and our customers, and travel the world using our extensive route network. Come join us to create what’s next. Let’s define tomorrow, together.

Description

United's Digital Technology team is comprised of many talented individuals all working together with cutting-edge technology to build the best airline in the history of aviation. Our team designs, develops and maintains massively scaling technology solutions brought to live with innovative architectures, data analytics, and digital solutions.

Job overview and responsibilities

The Senior Manager, User Experience plays a pivotal role in shaping the next generation of intelligent, seamless digital travel experiences across United Airlines' digital ecosystem. This leader will drive the design vision for connected, AI-powered experiences across all digital channels, including the United mobile app, united.com, in-flight app, and other emerging touchpoints across the customer journey. Reporting to the Director of UX & Accessibility, this role will champion a forward-thinking design strategy that bridges business goals, technological innovation, and human-centered design.

Central to this role is strategizing and crafting an intelligent, scalable design system, the connective tissue that lets AI-driven personalization scale consistently across every surface while giving teams a shared foundation to build on quickly and cohesively.

This position will lead a team of product designers, strategists, and design technologists to create experiences that feel personal, predictive, and effortless. By leveraging AI, data-driven and research-driven insights, the Senior Manager will transform traditional digital interfaces into adaptive, intuitive omnichannel experiences built on a design system architected for intelligence and scale.

Key responsibilities include

• Partner with product and technology leaders to shape unified experience roadmaps that optimize current delivery while future-proofing design for scale and innovation.
• Guide the omnichannel experience vision across desktop, mobile, seatback, and notifications, removing roadblocks and ensuring quality, speed, and impact.
• Own the strategy and evolution of Atmos, United's design system, building it as an intelligent, scalable foundation that ensures consistency, accessibility, and brand alignment across every digital touchpoint. Shift accessibility left so inclusive design is a baseline practice across the team.
• Champion shared ownership of design outcomes by integrating stakeholder feedback early and often.
• Drive data- and research-informed design decisions, partnering with research and analytics teams to ensure every choice is evidence-based and tied to measurable outcomes.
• Champion the strategic integration of AI across platforms, embedding intelligent, predictive capabilities within scalable, system-driven design solutions that anticipate customer needs and unlock business value.
• Build a high-performing design team through talent development, mentorship, and exposure to strategic omnichannel challenges, keeping the team future-ready and equipped for scale.

Qualifications

What’s needed to succeed (Minimum Qualifications):

• Bachelor's degree in technology, Design or relevant degree
• 7+ years visual or interaction design experience required
• 3+ years supervisory experience required
• Expertise in crafting and delivering AI-driven, future-state travel and retail experiences, leveraging data and insights to anticipate customer needs and drive intelligent, personalized interactions.
• Demonstrated ability to define and evolve design systems that are future-proof, scalable, and aligned with brand standards, ensuring consistency and efficiency across all digital touchpoints.
• Proven expertise designing for iOS-based digital products, with a deep understanding of platform conventions, interaction patterns, and the craft required to deliver best-in-class native mobile experiences.
• Strong track record of shaping experience roadmaps, optimizing resources and deliverables, and ensuring designs are adaptable to meet evolving business and customer needs.
• Skilled in strategic research and data-informed decision-making, with expertise in identifying the right type and timing of research across the product lifecycle.
• Exceptional ability to communicate design vision, articulate rationale, and influence stakeholders, aligning teams around strategy, business goals, and customer outcomes.
• Demonstrated design leadership, including identifying talent, fostering growth, upskilling team members, and cultivating a culture of feedback through design critiques and continuous improvement.
• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States for any employer without sponsorship
• Successful completion of interview required to meet job qualification
• Reliable, punctual attendance is an essential function of the position

What will help you propel from the pack (Preferred Qualifications):

• 8+ years of digital product interaction design experience preferred
• 5+ years leadership experience managing a multidisciplinary design team (including strategists, research and interaction designers) in e-commerce/retail space preferred
• Experience leading or collaborating with agent-enabled design teams, reflecting fluency in how AI-assisted tools and workflows are reshaping the design process and the judgment to integrate them thoughtfully without compromising design quality or human-centered thinking.

The base pay range for this role is $140,600.00 to $183,108.00.

The base salary range/hourly rate listed is dependent on job-related, factors such as experience, education, and skills. This position is also eligible for bonus and/or long-term incentive compensation awards.

You may be eligible for the following competitive benefits: medical, dental, vision, life, accident & disability, parental leave, employee assistance program, commuter, paid holidays, paid time off, 401(k) and flight privileges.

United Airlines is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We recruit, employ, train, compensate, and promote without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, veteran status, or any other protected category under applicable law. We provide reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities. To request an accommodation, contact [e-mail]