Lead Designer – Design Systems

Lead Designer – Design Systems

Requirements

• A Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in UX design, digital media design, interaction design, human-computer interaction, or related field.
• At least 10 years of post school experience in digital design
• Deep knowledge of design theory, systems thinking, and brand expression, with the ability to translate abstract concepts into tangible, scalable design solutions.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams and manage complex projects from inception through execution, balancing both creative and practical considerations.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to present complex ideas clearly and persuasively to diverse stakeholders.
• Experience mentoring and guiding junior designers, promoting a culture of design excellence and continuous learning.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate closely with the CMO, CEO and design leadership to integrate the brand’s values and vision into every aspect of the design system.
• Bring a systems-thinking approach to high-level brand conversations, helping visualize the brand’s future as a living, dynamic system that adapts across both digital and physical experiences.
• Translate abstract brand concepts—such as tone, character, and purpose—into practical, reusable components that align with the brand’s evolution.
• Ensure the design system serves as both a representation of the brand and a functional toolkit that enhances design consistency and user experience across the organization.
• Lead the transformation of brand values into scalable design elements, including color systems, typography, motion, iconography, and interaction models.
• Work closely with brand and design teams to refine visual language that represents the brand’s personality while maintaining usability and accessibility.
• Guide the application of design systems through ongoing brand evolution, ensuring consistency and flexibility across teams during new product launches or subtle refreshes.
• Act as the connector between brand and product teams, balancing the emotional resonance and storytelling of the brand with the usability and functionality needs of product design.
• Ensure the design system embodies the brand’s spirit while not compromising on user-centered design principles, usability, accessibility, or performance.
• Champion the integration of brand identity into product design without losing sight of business goals, user needs, or technical feasibility.
• Develop and maintain frameworks, including design tokens, Figma libraries, and documentation, that scale the brand across various products and platforms.
• Create governance models that ensure the design system is effectively adopted and applied across all teams, empowering them to maintain brand integrity while fostering creative expression.
• Lead the evolution of the design system, continually refining tools and processes to ensure they meet the growing demands of the organization and the user base.
• Act as the primary point of contact for design system-related initiatives, ensuring that design teams, engineering, and product teams collaborate effectively to implement system components.
• Clearly articulate design decisions and strategies to both technical and non-technical stakeholders, ensuring alignment and securing buy-in for the design system.
• Foster an open, collaborative environment that encourages continuous feedback, iteration, and refinement of the design system.
• Uphold the highest standards of design quality, ensuring that the design system is both aesthetically compelling and functionally efficient.
• Lead the development of best practices and processes for system adoption, ensuring that every component is well-documented, easy to use, and adaptable across teams.
• Foster a culture of innovation within the design team, staying at the forefront of emerging design trends and technologies, and applying them to enhance the design system.

Preferred Qualifications

• Ownership: Takes full responsibility for shaping the brand’s visual and experiential identity through the design system.
• Leadership: Leads by example, guiding design teams and stakeholders to ensure the design system is adopted and applied effectively across the organization.
• Strategic Vision: Drives the long-term evolution of the brand’s design system, ensuring it remains aligned with company goals and user needs.
• Empathy: Advocates for the end user and the brand, ensuring that design decisions balance both emotional resonance and functional excellence.