At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the creation and maintenance of a design system that enhances product development.
- Company: Dynamic tech company in Sheffield with a hybrid working model.
- Benefits: Competitive salary up to £70,000 and flexible working arrangements.
- Other info: Join a diverse team and enjoy opportunities for professional growth.
- Why this job: Shape the future of design and engineering while making a real impact.
- Qualifications: Experience in owning a design system and expert-level Figma skills required.
The predicted salary is between 42000 - 84000 £ per year.
Overview
Role: Design Systems Lead
Location: Sheffield
Working Model: Hybrid – 2 days a week in the office
Salary: Up to £70,000 Dependent on experience
Build the system that powers everything else. This role is for someone who loves creating order, clarity, and momentum at scale. As a Design Systems Lead, you'll take ownership of an established (or evolving) design system and shape it into something teams genuinely rely on. Your work will sit at the intersection of design and engineering, creating the foundations that help products ship faster, stay consistent, and scale with confidence. This is a high-impact individual contributor role where your decisions will influence how designers design and how engineers build.
What you’ll be doing
- Designing, building, and maintaining a design system that spans both design and code
- Creating reusable components, patterns, and guidelines in Figma
- Defining and managing design tokens (colour, spacing, typography, motion)
- Working closely with engineers to ensure design components map cleanly to coded components
- Setting clear standards for accessibility, responsiveness, and theming
- Producing clear documentation so teams know when and how to use the system
- Reducing UI and design decision fatigue so teams can move faster
- Evolving the system as the product, team, and complexity grow
What we’re looking for
- You don’t need to have done everything, but you must have real experience owning a design system.
- Proven experience designing, scaling, or maintaining a design system in a product environment
- Expert-level Figma skills (components, variants, variables)
- Strong understanding of modern frontend development and component-based architectures (e.g. React)
- Experience partnering closely with engineers on shared component models
- A product-led mindset — you design to solve real problems, not just to make things look good
- Comfort working in complex, data-heavy products
- A solid grounding in user-centred design and evidence-based decision making
Nice to have (but not essential)
- Hands-on experience contributing to or implementing a coded design system
- Familiarity with tools like Storybook, Tailwind, or token-based theming
- Background in B2B, industrial, or technically complex products
We welcome diverse applicants and are dedicated to treating all applicants with dignity and respect, regardless of background.
Design Systems Lead in Sheffield employer: Rebel Recruiters
Join a dynamic and rapidly expanding private equity-backed group in Derbyshire as a Group Financial Controller, where you will play a crucial role in shaping the finance function and driving strategic growth. Our company fosters a collaborative work culture that prioritises employee development, offering mentorship and opportunities for advancement within a high-performing team. With competitive salary packages and a commitment to diversity and inclusion, we provide an environment where your contributions are valued and your career can flourish.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Design Systems Lead in Sheffield
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to folks in the design and engineering circles, especially those who work with design systems. A casual chat can lead to opportunities that aren’t even advertised yet.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! Create a portfolio that highlights your experience with design systems. Include case studies that demonstrate how you’ve made an impact in previous roles—this will make you stand out!
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for interviews by brushing up on your knowledge of design tokens and component-based architectures. Be ready to discuss how you’ve collaborated with engineers to create seamless design systems.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, we love seeing candidates who are proactive about their job search.
We think you need these skills to ace Design Systems Lead in Sheffield
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion for Design Systems:When you're writing your application, let your enthusiasm for design systems shine through! Share specific examples of how you've owned or evolved a design system in the past. We want to see your love for creating order and clarity in action!
Be Clear and Concise:Keep your application straightforward and to the point. Use bullet points where possible to highlight your experience with Figma, component-based architectures, and collaboration with engineers. We appreciate clarity just as much as you do!
Tailor Your Application:Make sure to customise your application to reflect the job description. Highlight your relevant skills and experiences that align with what we're looking for. This shows us that you’ve done your homework and are genuinely interested in the role!
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 it gets into the right hands. Plus, it makes the whole process smoother for everyone involved!
How to prepare for a job interview at Rebel Recruiters
✨Know Your Design System Inside Out
Before the interview, make sure you thoroughly understand the design system you’ll be working with. Familiarise yourself with its components, patterns, and guidelines. Be ready to discuss how you’ve previously owned or evolved a design system and how that experience can benefit the team.
✨Showcase Your Figma Skills
Since expert-level Figma skills are crucial for this role, prepare to demonstrate your proficiency. Bring examples of reusable components or design tokens you've created. If possible, walk through a project where you used Figma to solve a design challenge, highlighting your thought process.
✨Bridge the Gap Between Design and Engineering
This role sits at the intersection of design and engineering, so be prepared to discuss how you’ve collaborated with engineers in the past. Share specific examples of how you ensured design components mapped cleanly to coded components, and how you tackled any challenges that arose during that collaboration.
✨Emphasise User-Centred Design
Make it clear that you design to solve real problems. Prepare to discuss your grounding in user-centred design and evidence-based decision making. Bring examples of how your designs have improved user experience in complex products, and be ready to explain your approach to accessibility and responsiveness.
