At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a team to shape Zopa's design system and enhance customer experience.
- Company: Join Zopa, an award-winning peer-to-peer lending and banking company.
- Benefits: Enjoy a hybrid work model, competitive salary, and a diverse workplace.
- Other info: Be part of a diverse team with opportunities for growth and creativity.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on finance while working with innovative design systems.
- Qualifications: Experience in leading design systems and collaborating with engineering teams.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.
About the Role
Zopa is an award‑winning peer‑to‑peer lending and banking company that prioritises people. Our mission is to redefine finance, and we are looking for a Design Systems Lead to shape the future of our customer experience.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead and develop a small team consisting of a Design Systems Designer and a Motion Designer
- Define and evolve the governance, processes and operating model for Zopa’s design system
- Partner closely with Mobile Engineering to keep design and code systems aligned
- Collaborate with Product, Design and Brand stakeholders on system adoption and evolution
- Review and prioritise requests for new patterns, components and system enhancements
- Define and track measures of system health, adoption, consistency and impact
- Help product teams move faster by creating scalable, reusable foundations
- Balance hands‑on design systems work with strategic leadership and organisational influence
- Shape how AI‑enabled workflows can leverage the design system to improve delivery speed and quality
- Drive consistency across customer experiences while making thoughtful trade‑offs where needed
Qualifications & Experience
- Led a design system or platform design capability within a product organisation
- Strong systems thinking across tokens, components, patterns, documentation and governance
- Experience partnering closely with Engineering and understanding design systems translation into code
- Comfortable working across native mobile experiences
- Managed and developed designers, building high‑performing teams
- Use evidence and measurable outcomes to guide prioritisation and decision making
- Confident setting boundaries, making trade‑offs and influencing senior stakeholders
- Balance technical depth with strong communication and stakeholder management
- Bringing clarity and direction in ambiguous environments
- Combine strategic thinking with a pragmatic, delivery‑focused mindset
Preferred Experience
- Familiarity with design‑to‑code pipelines and token architecture
- Experience embedding accessibility standards within design systems
- Practical experience using AI or automation to improve design workflows
- Experience with tools such as Figma MCP, Claude or ChatGPT
- Experience scaling organisations through multiple maturity stages
Work Location & Flexibility
Hybrid role – you will work from the London office 2–3 days a week. You can also work remotely from any location for up to 120 days a year, subject to having the right to work in the country of choice.
Diversity Statement
We are proud to offer a workplace free from discrimination. Diversity of experience, perspectives and backgrounds leads to better products for our customers and a unique company culture for our people. We are made up of nearly 50 nationalities, and our DE&I forum invites Zopians to make a difference. Our hiring process reflects this commitment – please let us know if you need any reasonable adjustments.
Design System Lead in London employer: Zopa Bank
Zopa is an exceptional employer that champions innovation and inclusivity, making it a fantastic place for a Design Systems Lead to thrive. With a hybrid work model based in London, employees enjoy the flexibility of remote work while being part of a diverse team that values collaboration and personal growth. Zopa fosters a culture of continuous improvement, offering opportunities to shape impactful design systems and leverage cutting-edge technology, all within a supportive environment that prioritises employee well-being and development.
