Sr. User Experience Designer

AppFolio Inc • Goleta, CA

2d • $125,000 - $157,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior UX Designer owns the experience of identity and access management across AppFolio’s platform, including sign-in and authentication flows used across its products and tools customers use to manage roles and access for their own users. This platform design role focuses on the foundations and architecture that other product and design teams build on, requiring systems thinking and technical fluency alongside visual craft. The designer has ownership of a high-impact area and reports to the Director of Platform UX.

The role includes designing internal tools, documentation, and patterns for product teams; leading the end-to-end design of authentication and account permissions experiences; collaborating with product and engineering teams to resolve dependencies and align work with user and business goals; using research and data to guide decisions; contributing to and supporting correct use of the design system; presenting work to teams and stakeholders; and mentoring teammates. The designer is expected to work effectively with security, compliance, and technical constraints, and to use AI tools in the design process.

Requirements

• At least 4 years of experience in UX or product design.
• Demonstrated experience designing for security-sensitive, trust-critical, or infrastructure-level product areas, such as identity, authentication, or account management.
• Strong collaboration skills with product and engineering partners.
• Portfolio or work samples demonstrating rigor in complex, constraint-heavy problem spaces.
• Strong systems thinking and ability to design within constraints imposed by security, compliance, and technical architecture.
• Ability to translate complex technical or security constraints into simple, trustworthy experiences.
• Ability to handle increasingly complex projects, multiple workstreams, and cross-team dependencies with limited day-to-day oversight.
• Effective at giving and receiving design feedback and navigating difficult stakeholder conversations.
• Actively uses AI tools in the design process and is energized by exploring AI-native ways of working.

Responsibilities

• Design internal tools, documentation, and patterns that product teams rely on when building on the identity and permissions platform.
• Own the end-to-end design of authentication and account permissions experiences, including login, passkeys, and social sign-in.
• Work across product development teams to resolve dependencies and align work with user and business goals.
• Build confidence in design direction with product and engineering partners before acting.
• Use research and data to guide design decisions, determining when further evidence is needed and when to make a decision.
• Contribute improvements to the design system and help others apply it correctly.
• Present work clearly and confidently, tailoring communication to the audience.
• Mentor teammates and share knowledge as a trusted resource.

Benefits

• Benefits eligibility for regular full-time employees.
• Potential eligibility for discretionary bonuses based on role and/or employment type.
• Coaching and mentorship.
• Opportunities for professional growth and skill development.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed