UX Design Manager - Xcode & AI Developer Tools

Socket.dev; Cupertino (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Socket.dev is seeking a design leader to shape the vision and build a high-performing team for Apple's developer tools, including Xcode. You will balance strategic product thinking with hands-on design work, guiding projects across multiple domains while fostering cutting-edge visual and interaction design.

You will partner across engineering, product, and research to translate complex requirements into elegant interfaces, mentor managers, and scale design across a growth-focused organization

Qualifications

• Experience in a highly technical domain.
• Active engagement with AI dev tools and excited by what they make possible.
• Drives product vision that unites technical requirements with user focus.
• Ability to build strong partnerships, influence across organizations, and lead a team to deliver high quality outcomes.
• Portfolio demonstrating product design leadership, creative problem solving, and high quality visual design.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team designing for Xcode and other Apple developer tools.
• Carry your own design work while guiding projects across multiple domain areas.
• Provide substantive expert feedback while knowing when to draw on others' expertise.
• Build trust with your team and navigate organizational complexity of shipping at scale.

Skills

Technical domain experience

AI dev tools familiarity

Product vision

Partnership building

Team leadership

Job description

The Developer Experience Human Interface Design team conceptualizes and designs the user experience for Apple's developer tools. You will lead a team designing for Xcode and other tools used by millions of developers around the world to build, test, and ship software for Apple platforms. You'll work at the frontier of one of the most significant shifts in how software is authored, empowering developers to do the best work of their lives by leveraging artificial intelligence and large language models.

Description

We're looking for a design leader who is both a product thinker and a people builder — someone who can set a compelling vision, shape high-craft work, and create the conditions for a team to thrive. AI is changing what developer tools can do, and we want a leader who is actively engaged with that shift, bringing clarity and direction on how to leverage capabilities that are rapidly taking shape. This role requires range. You'll carry your own design work while guiding projects across multiple domain areas, give substantive expert feedback while knowing when to draw on others' expertise, and build deep trust with your team while navigating the organizational complexity of shipping at scale. We're looking for someone who can communicate and influence across disciplines and levels — who understands what motivates different people and knows how to make design's perspective land.

Minimum Qualifications

• Experienced in a highly technical domain.
• Actively engaged with AI dev tools and excited by what they make possible.
• Drives product vision that unites technical requirements with user focus.
• Ability to build strong partnerships, influence across organizations, and lead a team to deliver high quality outcomes.
• Portfolio demonstrating product design leadership, creative problem solving, and high quality visual design.

Preferred Qualifications

• 5+ years of industry experience as a UX designer, Human Computer Interaction designer, or related role.
• 2+ years of design management experience.