Manager, UX Design

KFC Europe•Irvine, CA

2h•$151,600 - $165,000

About The Position

Taco Bell is seeking a creatively driven Manager, UX/UI Design with strong visual craft, product thinking, and the ability to develop a talented design team. This hands-on leadership role establishes creative direction, helps designers strengthen their work, and contributes directly to design execution. The role calls for a sharp eye for typography, composition, imagery, interaction, and storytelling, alongside a clear understanding of usability and customer needs. The manager guides design across omnichannel experiences, including kiosks, digital menu boards, and restaurant technology. In collaboration with Product, Engineering, Brand Creative, Content, Strategy, and Research, the manager translates Taco Bell’s brand into intuitive, distinctive experiences across physical and digital environments. Advanced Figma proficiency and practical Adobe Creative Cloud expertise, particularly in Photoshop and Illustrator, are essential. The role manages and develops UX/UI and product designers, coordinates internal designers and contract partners, and partners with design leadership and Design Operations on capacity, priorities, and development. It also connects brand, usability, and product thinking; incorporates research, feedback, analytics, and accessibility; and supports design quality through implementation and release.

Requirements

At least 6 years of relevant experience in UX/UI, product design, or digital experience design.
At least 4 years of design management experience in an agency or corporate environment, including direct responsibility for coaching and developing designers.
Exceptional visual design skills, demonstrated through a portfolio of distinctive, thoughtfully executed digital experiences.
Advanced, hands-on Figma proficiency, including Auto Layout, components, variants, variables, shared libraries, responsive layouts, and interactive prototyping.
Strong Adobe Creative Cloud proficiency, particularly Photoshop and Illustrator, including creating, refining, and preparing visual assets for digital use.
A track record of translating brand identity into usable, accessible interfaces and cohesive experiences.
Experience guiding work from discovery and concept development through production and launch.
Strong understanding of interaction design, information hierarchy, accessibility, and design systems.
Ability to explain design decisions clearly, navigate feedback, and build productive relationships across disciplines.
Sound judgment in balancing creative ambition, customer needs, delivery timelines, and technical constraints.
A portfolio demonstrating individual design craft and leadership contribution, with examples showing the problem, role, creative direction, key decisions, and delivered outcome.

Nice To Haves

Experience with kiosks, digital menu boards, retail, hospitality, or other connected physical and digital experiences.
Motion design or micro-interaction skills that strengthen usability and brand expression.
Familiarity with front-end development concepts and close collaboration with engineers.
Thoughtful use of AI tools for exploration, prototyping, and documentation, supported by strong creative judgment and attention to quality.

Responsibilities

Establish creative and experience direction for assigned products and initiatives, connecting customer needs, brand expression, and business goals.
Translate ideas into concepts, polished interfaces, and interactive prototypes for evaluation and refinement.
Set and maintain high standards for typography, layout, color, imagery, hierarchy, and interaction design.
Lead constructive design critiques with specific, actionable feedback that improves work and develops designers’ judgment.
Stay involved from early exploration through implementation to ensure the delivered experience reflects the intended design.
Manage, coach, and develop UX/UI and product designers through clear expectations, regular feedback, and growth opportunities.
Delegate work with clear ownership and provide designers with the context and support needed to make decisions and deliver.
Coordinate internal designers and contract partners to maintain consistent quality and accountability.
Partner with design leadership and Design Operations to balance capacity, priorities, and development needs.
Build a collaborative environment where designers share ideas, challenge assumptions, and take pride in their craft.
Turn complex requirements into clear user journeys, flows, interfaces, and prototypes.
Adapt experiences to the needs of each surface while maintaining a cohesive Taco Bell identity.
Incorporate research, customer feedback, analytics, and accessibility considerations into design decisions.
Partner with the Design Systems team to evolve reusable patterns and components that support consistency and creative expression.
Account for restaurant conditions, including viewing distance, interaction speed, operational needs, and hardware constraints.
Collaborate with Product and Engineering to clarify requirements, assess feasibility, and resolve tradeoffs early.
Work with Brand Creative, Marketing, and Content Strategy to translate campaigns and brand assets into effective product experiences.
Present design recommendations with clear rationale, connecting creative choices to customer and business outcomes.
Establish review points, document decisions, and resolve conflicting feedback so work can move forward.
Ensure designs include the interaction states, annotations, assets, and specifications needed for implementation.
Participate in design QA and support resolution of visual and usability issues before release.