Lead Design Engineer, Design System

Condé Nast is a global media company producing the highest quality content with a footprint of more than 1 billion consumers in 32 territories through print, digital, video and social platforms. The company’s portfolio includes many of the world’s most respected and influential media properties including Vogue, Vanity Fair, Glamour, Self, GQ, The New Yorker, Condé Nast Traveler/Traveller, Allure, AD, Bon Appétit and Wired, among others.

Job Description

Location:

London, GB

About Condé Nast Technology

At Condé Nast Technology, our mission is to fuel the success of our brands in both business and creativity by crafting the next-generation of content publishing, loyalty, and commerce experiences. We are a collective of product managers, designers, engineers, strategists, and researchers united in our dedication to building innovative, user-centric products.

As a part of our dynamic team, you will collaborate with international colleagues spanning the globe, engaging with stakeholders in our US and UK headquarters, as well as across our 10 other markets. Our commitment to cross-functional collaboration is paramount; you will work closely with our functional pillars in CNT, covering Product, Engineering, Architecture, Design, UX, and Data. Additionally, you will collaborate with our business partners in Consumer Marketing, Commercial, Licensing, Editorial, and Brand, embodying our emphasis on seamless teamwork and holistic innovation.

About Our Design Team

Within CNT, our team comprises seasoned designers with a wealth of expertise in crafting exceptional customer experiences through product design, brand identity, visual design, UX content design, and research. We firmly believe that cultivating a robust design culture is not just a priority but a necessity for the delivery of outstanding products.

At the core of our philosophy is the understanding that a well-formed design culture transcends individual projects; it is a foundation upon which we build a legacy of innovation and user-centric solutions. Through collaboration, creativity, and a commitment to continuous improvement, our design team is dedicated to shaping the future of digital experiences, one thoughtful design at a time.

About the role

In the role of Engineering Lead for the Verso Design System, you play a critical role in steering the continual evolution and maintenance of our sophisticated design system, shaping the visual identity, and enhancing user experiences across multiple brands. Operating at the nexus of design and engineering, your leadership is pivotal in seamlessly integrating our design principles into a mature and comprehensive system.

Managing a small, highly skilled team, you champion the continuous improvement and expansion of our design system. Providing mentorship and guidance, you cultivate a collaborative and high-performance team culture, ensuring that individual goals align with broader organizational objectives.

Overseeing the extensive library of design tokens, you ensure they encapsulate the essence of our visual identity. Collaborating closely with designers, you integrate new tokens, maintain consistency, and optimize for efficiency in the design workflow. Your leadership extends to envisioning and creating new design system features, exploring innovative solutions that elevate capabilities and ensuring the system performs to a high standard.

What will you be doing?

• Manage a small, highly skilled team focused on the continuous improvement and expansion of our design system. Provide mentorship, guidance, and support to foster a collaborative and high-performance team culture.
• Collaborate with team members to align individual goals with broader team and organisational objectives. Encourage professional development and skill enhancement within the team.
• Oversee the extensive library of design tokens, ensuring they encapsulate the essence of our visual identity. Collaborate closely with designers to integrate new tokens, maintain consistency, and optimize for efficiency in the design workflow.
• Lead the envisioning and creation of new design system features. Collaborate with the team to explore innovative solutions and improvements that elevate the design system’s capabilities.
• Take ownership of comprehensive documentation for the design system. Create clear, accessible, and up-to-date documentation that serves as a valuable resource for designers, developers, and other stakeholders.
• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including designers, product managers, and developers, to gather insights into evolving design needs.
• Work in harmony with the Associate Design Director to ensure the design system aligns with the overall design vision and strategy.
• Uphold the integrity of the design system by conducting regular quality assurance checks.
• Facilitate peer code review amongst the team.
• Contribute to overall engineering culture at Condé Nast Technology by delivering product demos.

The ideal candidate has:

• Showcase a portfolio that exemplifies your mastery in systems thinking, coupled with advanced front-end development and a keen understanding of visual design.
• Demonstrate a profound understanding of the design systems landscape, underscored by your experience in both building and contributing to design systems.
• Exhibit a track record marked by the successful development and delivery of web or mobile products.
• Deep understanding of JavaScript, HTML, CSS, and the fundamentals of web development.
• Expertise in modern web technologies such as React and TypeScript. GraphQL experience is a plus.
• Strong understanding of coding standards and best practices in web development, accessibility, and design system governance.
• If you have experience with Figma, especially in the development of plugins, highlight this as a distinctive part of your skillset.
• Showcase your familiarity and hands-on experience with hypothesis-driven design.
• Emphasize your confidence and enthusiasm as a collaborator and communicator.
• Communicate your experience with, or express a strong desire to learn, working within a globally distributed team.
• Communicate complex software architecture to a non-engineering group.
• Experience building web APIs and integrating APIs into client facing applications.

What benefits do we offer?

• 25 days holiday and extra days of annual leave for life events
• Core hours
• Competitive pension scheme
• Bupa Private Healthcare
• Enhanced maternity leave and family leave
• Season ticket loans
• Cycle to work scheme
• Employee Assistance programme
• Bring your dog to work
• A wide variety of wellness benefits including gym discounts
• Discounts and Magazine Subscriptions
• Condé Nast Learning Hub where you’ll find all Condé Nast-developed learning courses and training.

What happens next?

If you are interested in this opportunity, please apply below, and we will review your application as soon as possible. You can update your resume or upload a cover letter at any time by accessing your candidate profile.

Condé Nast is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, age, familial status and other legally protected characteristics.

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