Senior Product Designer (Design Systems)

The Design Project; Bristol; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A forward-thinking design agency is seeking a Senior Product Designer specializing in design systems. This role will focus on architecting and maintaining a library of UI components, ensuring usability and governance within a collaborative environment. The ideal candidate will possess 5-10 years of experience in UX/UI design, demonstrating strong skills in Figma and agile methodologies. A hybrid work model is offered, allowing flexibility with office presence in Bristol.

Qualifications

• 5-10 years in UX/UI design with a strong focus on design systems.
• Proven track record leading design system initiatives.
• Strong knowledge of responsive design and WCAG 2.1 AA or higher.

Responsibilities

• Architect, design, and maintain a comprehensive library of reusable UI components.
• Define and document design system components ensuring accessibility.
• Partner with UX/UI designers and developers to advance the design system.
• Deliver training and documentation to educate product teams.
• Guide design processes in an agile environment.

Skills

Design System Expertise

Figma Proficiency

UX/Product Design Craft

Responsive & Accessible Design

Systems Thinking

Agile Methodologies

Communication & Advocacy

Problem-Solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in Graphic/Interaction/Human-Computer Interaction

Tools

Figma

Jira

Asana

Trello

Confluence

Job description

Senior Product Designer (Design Systems) – Civica

Location: Bristol, England, United Kingdom

Job Type: FULL_TIME • Remote Status: Hybrid (On-site in Bristol)

Overview

Civica is seeking a Senior Product Designer focused on Design Systems to evolve the Firefly design system across a multi-product portfolio. The role emphasizes design system governance, accessibility, collaboration, and scaling design system assets in a large, public-sector oriented technology environment.

Primary Responsibilities

• Design System Development: Architect, design, and maintain a comprehensive library of reusable UI components, design tokens, and patterns within Figma, ensuring alignment with coded libraries.
• Component Creation & Governance: Define and document design system components, ensuring accessibility (WCAG), usability, and brand alignment.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with UX/UI designers, product managers, front-end developers, and QA engineers to advance the Firefly design system and its adoption.
• Training & Advocacy: Deliver training, workshops, and documentation to educate product teams on using the Firefly design system.
• Process & Workflow Optimization: Guide design processes in an agile environment, manage design system backlogs, and mentor junior designers.
• Quality & Documentation: Maintain high standards for design quality, consistency, usability, and accessibility across assets and implementations.
• Platform Evolution: Contribute to the strategic roadmap for Firefly to meet evolving product and business needs.

Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree in Graphic/Interaction/Human-Computer Interaction or related field, or equivalent practical experience.

Experience: 5-10 years in UX/UI design with a strong focus on design systems; proven track record leading design system initiatives and driving adoption in large organizations.

Required Skills

• Design System Expertise: Experience creating and managing scalable design systems, including component libraries, tokens, and style guides.
• Figma Proficiency: Expert-level use of Figma for UI design, prototyping, and managing design libraries.
• UX/Product Design Craft: Advanced skills in UX research, interaction design, IA, and visual design for complex products.
• Responsive & Accessible Design: Strong knowledge of responsive design and WCAG 2.1 AA or higher.
• Systems Thinking: Ability to design interconnected systems that balance user needs and business goals.
• Agile Methodologies: Experience with Agile/Scrum, sprints, user stories, and cross-functional collaboration.
• Communication & Advocacy: Ability to articulate design decisions and advocate for design system best practices.
• Problem-Solving: Strong analytical skills to translate user needs, business requirements, and technical constraints into effective solutions.

Preferred Skills

• Knowledge of design system governance and contribution workflows.
• Experience with user research methodologies and usability testing.
• Understanding design tokens and their cross-platform implementation.
• GovTech or public sector software experience.
• Mentorship or team leadership experience.

Tools & Methodology

Primary Tools: Figma (design libraries, components, variants, auto-layout). Familiarity with design system platforms and integration tools (e.g., conventions around tokens and documentation).

Analytics & Reporting: Familiarity with user analytics tools and feedback platforms to inform design system improvements.

CRM & Project Management: Awareness of Jira/Asana/Trello and Confluence for backlog management and documentation.

Office & Working Style

Office Type: Hybrid work model with in-office Bristol presence and remote flexibility.

Office Location: Bristol, England, United Kingdom.

Working Hours: ~40 hours per week with flexibility in a hybrid arrangement.

Interview Process

• Initial screening of CV and portfolio.
• Hiring manager or senior UX team interview focusing on design systems experience.
• Portfolio presentation and design challenge related to design systems.
• Cross-functional interview with development and product management.
• Final interview and offer consideration.

Application Requirements

Candidates should demonstrate proven leadership of design system initiatives and advanced skills in UX/product design, with a strong portfolio of scalable design solutions and accessibility expertise.