Engineering Design Manager Jobs in Illinois (NOW HIRING)

Location: Chicago, IL, United States

Date Posted: Jun 17, 2026

Category: Product Design

As the Senior Manager of Product Design, you will be responsible for leading key Meltwater applications through a distributed design team. Your role will involve guiding designers in the development of software interfaces, ensuring best-in-class interaction design, visual design, and user experience (UX). You will play a leading role in enhancing Meltwater’s platform experience, driving intuitive use and industry-leading outcomes. Additionally, you will mentor product designers in honing their craft through key practices.

• Team Leadership: Oversee the execution of product designers, ensuring their work meets high standards in interaction design, UI, and human-centered design.
• Creation and Craft: Develop a strong understanding of products by helping to lead the creation of workflows, user prototypes, wireframes, and visual designs.
• User-Centered Advocacy: Champion user-centered design principles in all projects.
• Strategic Guidance: Collaborate with teams to align design efforts with Meltwater's core business objectives, executing on the priorities and facilitating collaboration through design-driven processes.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Engage with designers and developers to ensure alignment with development requirements and systems documentation. Work with UX design research team to identify user pain points, assess products, and identify UX opportunities.
• Mentorship: Serve as a direct manager and mentor to designers, modeling exemplary behavior and defining what constitutes "great" design.
• Partnership Development: Collaborate with product managers (PMs) and directors to foster strong design and user experience outcomes.
• Facilitation of Innovation: Lead teams through ideation, feasibility assessments, and story-mapping workshops to enhance design and development processes.
• Design Process Communication: Act as a design steward by communicating the design process to cross-functional leaders, promoting a holistic view of user experience across the end-to-end journey.
• Design Quality Assurance: Conduct reviews of designs through product-based evaluations and system-wide assessments.
• Design Planning: Create important design plans that address the UX creation and product releases.
• Inspiration and Support: Inspire your teams and provide essential support for personal growth.
• User Experience Metrics: Drive user experience metrics and assess design effectiveness through research and user testing.
• Culture Building: Be a strong contributor to design culture while continuously helping the design practice to grow.

• Minimum of 10 years of experience in Product Design, Visual UI Design, UI/UX.
• At minimum 3-5 years of experience managing a design team.
• Minimum of 3-5 years working in SaaS and enterprise applications.
• Ability to analyze user feedback effectively and use data to inform decision-making.
• Point of view on industry best practices and design principles.
• Demonstrated ability to deliver products with a focus on final outcomes.
• Strong communication skills for presenting ideas clearly to business stakeholders.
• Strong experience collaborating with engineering teams to refine UX.
• Expert proficiency in Figma.
• Strong understanding of the Design Thinking process stages.
• Experience collaborating with other designers/design teams for system-wide improvements.
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Design or a related field.
• Familiarity with front-end technologies such as React and MUI.

• Flexible paid time off that allows an enhanced work-life balance.
• Excellent medical, dental, and vision options.
• 401(k) matching, life insurance, commuter benefits, and parental leave plans.
• Complimentary CalmApp subscription for you and your loved ones.
• Hybrid work style.
• Opportunities for ongoing professional development within an inclusive community.

For this role, the base salary range is $130,000 - $144,000. Compensation may also include a performance-based bonus opportunity.

We regularly review our compensation practices and conduct pay equity analyses to help ensure our decisions remain fair, objective, and market-aligned.

Meltwater is an Equal Opportunity Employer and Prohibits Discrimination and Harassment of Any Kind: At Meltwater, we are dedicated to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace where every employee feels valued, respected, and empowered. We are committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity and strive to provide a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment.

All employment decisions at Meltwater are made based on business needs, job requirements, and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion or belief, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, marital status, veteran status, or any other status protected by the applicable laws and regulations.

Meltwater does not tolerate discrimination or harassment of any kind, and we actively promote a culture of respect, fairness, and inclusivity. We encourage applicants of all backgrounds, experiences, and abilities to apply and join us in our mission to drive innovation and make a positive impact in the world.