Job Title:
Lead Product Designer - Design Systems

Location:
100% Remote (U.S. Based applicants only)

Reports To:
Design Director

Compensation:
$85/hr - $100/hr

Duration:
Contract, 12+ Months, 40/hrs per week

Who We Are

We are Design Citizen; a human-centered talent agency working with organizations to create innovative, inclusive, and sustainable business solutions through design.

Our client, a mission-driven organization at the intersection of health and science, is seeking a
Senior Product Designer – Design Systems
for a 12+ month contract. This role is ideal for someone who thrives on crafting and scaling design systems, bringing together brand, usability, and technical clarity across an ecosystem of digital products.

Why This Role Matters

Design systems are the connective tissue behind great digital experiences. In this role, you’ll own the evolution of a cross-platform system that empowers product teams to build faster, more cohesively, and with greater impact. You’ll bring strong UX and visual design fundamentals to a mature design org, working alongside engineers, researchers, and content strategists to elevate consistency, accessibility, and beauty at scale.

If you’ve contributed to or led systems at large, product-driven organizations, and care deeply about marrying design excellence with operational scale, we’d love to hear from you.

What You’ll Do

Design Systems Leadership

• Hands-on experience contributing to or leading enterprise-grade systems
• Demonstrated ability to adapt best practices from established systems to meet unique organizational needs
• Ability to define and maintain visual standards
• Experience guiding and mentoring designers
• Promotes design excellence and fosters a culture of collaboration and growth
• Leads by example in craft, communication, and strategic thinking
• Maintains a library of patterns that support accessibility, responsiveness, and brand alignment
• Creates clear, comprehensive usage guidelines and onboarding materials
• Maintains documentation that supports designers, developers, and product teams
• Ensures documentation evolves with system updates and user feedback

UX and Visual Design Craft

• Mastery of UI principles including layout, typography, color theory, motion, and responsive design
• Designs scalable, reusable components and patterns that balance consistency with flexibility
• Understanding of WCAG guidelines and inclusive design principles

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Brings insights from working across different platforms, brands, and system architectures
• Collaborates with engineering to ensure design fidelity and performance
• Advocates for accessibility in design reviews and product planning
• Partners with accessibility experts to validate and improve system components

What You Bring

• 5+ years of experience in product design, with at least 2+ years focused on design systems
• Proven ability to balance consistency with flexibility in design systems
• Strong communication, strategic thinking, and leadership skills
• A mindset centered on accessibility, inclusivity, and usability
• Commitment to continuous improvement through feedback and iteration

Join Us

At Design Citizen, we believe that equitable and inclusive design is achieved when teams reflect the rich diversity of our communities. We are proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer, providing equal opportunities regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, gender, age, veteran status, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, or disability.

Learn more about us at:
designcitizen.com