HMH is a learning technology company committed to delivering connected solutions that engage learners, empower educators and improve student outcomes. As a leading provider of K–12 core curriculum, supplemental and intervention solutions, and professional learning services, HMH partners with educators and school districts to uncover solutions that unlock students’ potential and extend teachers’ capabilities.

HMH serves more than 50 million students and 4 million educators in 150 countries. For more information, visit www.hmhco.com

Senior UX Design Manager – Design System
The UX Team at HMHCO, part of Digital Product Design (DPD), focuses on building an intuitive digital experience for teachers, students, and administrators in and out of the classroom. We work to simplify and delight teachers and administrators while helping students to achieve success with the HMHCO product lines.

We are looking for a Senior UX Design Manager to lead the strategic direction and execution of our design system, ensuring its evolution aligns with business goals, user needs, and technological advancements. This role requires a proven leader with a deep understanding of design systems, cross-functional collaboration, and a passion for fostering inclusive and scalable user experiences. You will collaborate across teams, mentor designers, and ensure the design system remains a cornerstone of efficient, innovative product development. This role reports directly to the VP of Digital Product Design.

Responsibilities:

Design System Leadership

· Define the vision, strategy, and priorities for the design system to support consistent, scalable, and user-centered design practices.

· Lead the evolution of the Figma design system library, ensuring components meet both aesthetic and functional requirements across platforms.

· Establish best practices and guidelines for component design, accessibility, and interaction patterns to be adopted across platforms.

Strategic Collaboration and Communication

· Act as the primary liaison between UX, engineering, and product teams, ensuring alignment and clarity on design system goals, workflows, and deliverables.

· Facilitate workshops and feedback sessions to promote adoption, gather insights, and iterate on the design system roadmap.

· Partner with stakeholders to prioritize design system updates, balancing user needs, business priorities, and technical feasibility.

Team Leadership and Development

· Manage and mentor a team of designers and engineers, fostering professional growth and encouraging collaboration.

· Identify opportunities for team development and implement best practices to ensure high-quality, efficient delivery.

· Inspire and guide team members to advocate for design system adoption and innovation within their respective projects.

Implementation and Execution

· Oversee the seamless transition of components from design (Figma) to development (React-based Storybook), ensuring efficient and accurate implementation.

· Drive the creation and maintenance of clear documentation, workflows, and guidelines to streamline usage and onboarding for all stakeholders.

· Establish version control processes to maintain integrity and clarity across design and development teams.

Roadmapping and Decision-Making

· Develop and maintain a multi-quarter roadmap for the design system, setting clear milestones and adapting to shifting business priorities.

· Use data and stakeholder feedback to make informed decisions about design system updates, features, and resource allocation.

Qualifications

· Bachelor’s Degree in design or a related field (e.g., UX, visual design, interaction design) or equivalent experience.

· 10+ years of UX design experience, including 3+ years leading teams or initiatives related to design systems.

· Expertise in design tools like Figma and a solid understanding of design system frameworks, methodologies, and principles.

· Strong technical acumen with knowledge of front-end development practices, particularly React and Storybook.

· Exceptional communication and collaboration skills, with experience presenting to stakeholders and advocating for design system adoption.

· Proven ability to manage cross-functional teams and align stakeholders on design system objectives and timelines.

· Experience with Agile methodologies and integrating UX workflows into Agile product development processes.

Preferred Qualifications

· Knowledge of version control systems such as Git.

· Familiarity with gamification and/or content strategy integration within design systems.

· Experience managing complex design and engineering environments for enterprise platforms.

Physical Requirements

· Might be in a stationary position for a considerable time (sitting and/or standing).

· Constantly operates a computer and other office productivity machinery, such as a calculator, copy machine, and computer printer.

· Must be able to collaborate with colleagues via face-to-face, conference calls, and online meetings.

· Ability to work in cross-functional teams and as well as work independently.

The Information Technology organization is transforming to realize our mission: Become a leader in HMH’s digital transformation, and as a strategic partner, innovate and deliver highest value, competitive advantage solutions across all corporate and business functions. Our ambition is to be a digital leader through innovation and develop and deliver leading edge technology such as robotic process automation and artificial intelligence to solve some of HMH’s greatest operational business challenges. Our professionals will have business relevant skills to connect our HMH partners to technologies that propel the businesses to deliver the greatest value for HMH and our customers.

We are building a team of IT professionals with an insatiable appetite to learn, a relentless focus on customer service, a technological curiosity toward future possibilities, and a creativity in solving business challenges with leading technologies. Our team will find ways to work together, create a sense of community where it’s safe to take risks and learn together, develop our careers, and all have an opportunity to work on new technologies. We will work together, learn together and have fun together. As a team, we will lead HMH’s digital transformation.