Figma is a design and collaboration platform used by millions of designers, developers, and product teams. The company has grown quickly and is known for high product quality, strong engineering culture, and a user experience that feels polished and intentional.
As Figma scales, leadership is debating what the role of an Engineering Manager (EM) should be in a company that cares deeply about craft and user experience. Some leaders believe EMs should focus primarily on delivery, team health, and execution. Others argue EMs should also actively shape product quality, design-engineering collaboration, and the standards of craft that users feel in the product.
The tension is becoming more visible. Recent launches shipped on time, but internal reviews show inconsistent interaction quality across teams, increased rework late in the development cycle, and friction between design, product, and engineering over who owns UX quality decisions. Employee feedback also suggests some engineers feel craft is undervalued when roadmap pressure rises.
You are a product leader asked to define how the EM role should evolve so the company can scale without losing product quality.