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- Tasks: Lead the evolution of our Design System and ensure its adoption across teams.
- Company: Join a leading digital investment platform with a strong customer-first approach.
- Benefits: Enjoy a competitive salary, hybrid working, and a comprehensive benefits package.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on user experience in a dynamic financial services environment.
- Qualifications: Extensive UI design experience and proven leadership in Design Systems required.
- Other info: Collaborative culture with opportunities for professional growth and influence.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 75000 £ per year.
Location: Manchester
Working Pattern: Hybrid, 3 days in the office and 2 days remote
Salary: £60,000 – £75,000
Domain: Digital Investment Platform / Financial Services
Experience Required: Extensive experience in interaction or UI design, including proven design system leadership
Company Overview: Our client is a leading UK-based digital investment platform, supporting over 500,000 customers and managing assets under administration approaching £75 billion. Operating nationwide, the business provides a flat-fee investment service, giving customers access to a wide range of UK and international investment options including shares, funds, trusts and ETFs. With nearly 30 years in the market, the organisation has built a reputation for resilience, innovation and customer-first thinking. The UX function plays a central role in shaping digital experiences across the platform, and the Design Systems Lead will be instrumental in driving consistency, scalability and quality across all digital products.
The Role: This is a pivotal, hands-on leadership role responsible for owning and evolving version 2 of the organisation’s Design System. Sitting within the UX Operations team and working closely with the DesignOps Lead, Product Manager and Engineering partners, you will take full ownership of the Design System and drive its adoption across the business. The role balances strategic vision with practical delivery. You will build, refine and govern the Design System while ensuring it is scalable, accessible, well-documented and widely adopted. You will act as an internal evangelist, championing best practice and bringing teams together around a shared design language. This position requires a strong personality and the ability to influence senior stakeholders, manage differing perspectives within a team of 14 to 15 designers, and stand confidently behind design decisions grounded in research and data.
Key Responsibilities
- Design System Ownership and Governance: Own the ongoing evolution and maintenance of the Design System (V2 and beyond). Define and document principles, components, patterns and guidelines. Establish governance processes to ensure quality, consistency and alignment with brand, accessibility and technical standards. Build and manage a prioritised backlog of Design System improvements in collaboration with the delivery squad.
- Collaboration and Integration: Partner closely with UX Designers, Product Managers and Engineers to embed the Design System across all products and micro-apps. Align design outputs between Figma, component libraries and live implementations. Conduct audits to identify inconsistencies and improvement opportunities.
- Adoption, Rollout and Evangelism: Lead the rollout and adoption of the Design System across teams and wider business areas, including Marketing and CRO. Facilitate workshops and training sessions to upskill designers and increase confidence in usage. Communicate progress, updates and future plans clearly to stakeholders. Use storytelling and evidence to demonstrate the value of the Design System.
- User Research and Validation: Conduct testing on components and patterns to validate usability and effectiveness. Use research, insight and data to inform UI decisions and justify change. Run sessions with internal users of the Design System to identify pain points and improvement areas.
- Documentation and Enablement: Work with DesignOps to ensure documentation is clear, accessible and practical. Prepare materials for regular Design System updates and meetings. Support the team in understanding design tokens and their application within the system.
Key Skills and Experience
Essential: Extensive experience in interaction or UI design, with demonstrable Design System leadership. Expert-level proficiency in Figma. Strong UI background with exceptional attention to detail. Experience pushing adoption of a mature or evolving Design System across teams. Solid understanding of HTML, CSS and JavaScript and how these inform design decisions. Experience working in Agile environments. Proven leadership, mentoring and facilitation skills. Confident workshop delivery and stakeholder management.
Desirable: Experience integrating Design Systems with Storybook or similar component libraries. Experience driving adoption and change within large or complex organisations. Familiarity with accessibility standards such as WCAG and inclusive design practices.
Remuneration and Benefits: Salary between £60,000 and £75,000 depending on experience. Hybrid working model, 3 days in the Manchester office and 2 days remote. Competitive benefits package including pension contribution, private medical insurance, life assurance, income protection and staff discounts. 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays. Additional wellbeing and flexible benefits options.
Culture and Fit: This role requires a collaborative and confident individual who can balance strong opinions with openness to challenge. You will be working within a sizeable UX team where contribution and alignment are key. The ability to influence, bring people on board and create shared ownership of the Design System is essential.
Design Systems Lead employer: Forward Role Recruitment
Contact Detail:
Forward Role Recruitment Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Design Systems Lead
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the design and tech space. Attend meetups, webinars, or even casual coffee chats. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! Create a portfolio that highlights your best work, especially projects related to design systems. Make sure it’s easy to navigate and visually appealing – after all, you’re applying for a design role!
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for interviews by practising common design questions and scenarios. Think about how you’d explain your design decisions and the impact of your work. We recommend doing mock interviews with friends or using online platforms to get feedback.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, we love seeing candidates who are proactive and engaged with our platform. Let’s get you that Design Systems Lead role!
We think you need these skills to ace Design Systems Lead
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter to highlight your experience in interaction or UI design, especially any leadership roles you've had with design systems. We want to see how your skills align with the Design Systems Lead role!
Showcase Your Work: Include a portfolio that demonstrates your design system work and any projects where you've driven adoption across teams. Visuals can speak volumes, so let your designs do the talking for you!
Be Authentic: When writing your application, let your personality shine through! We appreciate candidates who are genuine and passionate about design. Share your thoughts on design principles and how you approach collaboration.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you don’t miss out on any important updates from our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at Forward Role Recruitment
✨Know Your Design System Inside Out
Before the interview, make sure you thoroughly understand the current version of the Design System and its evolution. Be prepared to discuss how you've previously owned and evolved design systems, and share specific examples of how you've driven adoption and ensured consistency across teams.
✨Showcase Your Collaboration Skills
This role requires working closely with UX Designers, Product Managers, and Engineers. Prepare to discuss your experience in cross-functional collaboration. Think of examples where you've facilitated workshops or training sessions that helped teams adopt a design system effectively.
✨Demonstrate Your Leadership Style
As a Design Systems Lead, you'll need to influence and mentor others. Be ready to talk about your leadership approach, how you manage differing perspectives, and how you’ve successfully led teams through change. Highlight any specific instances where your leadership made a significant impact.
✨Prepare for Technical Questions
Since a solid understanding of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript is essential, brush up on these topics. Be prepared to discuss how these technologies inform your design decisions and how you've integrated them into your design processes in the past.