Design System Manager / User Experience (remote contract)

Onward Search • Remote (Florida, United States, US) • $55 - $60 / hour • 3w ago

Overview

The Design Systems Manager will oversee the strategy, governance, and evolution of a multi-brand, mobile-first design system that powers digital experiences across native mobile, web, and onboard platforms. This role requires a systems-thinking leader skilled in design infrastructure, accessibility, and collaboration across product, engineering, and platform teams. The position involves both high-level strategic planning and hands-on execution, ensuring scalability, quality, and adoption across the organization.

Type: Contract

Schedule: Regular business hours EST time zone

Duration: 6+ months

Pay: $55 - $60/hr, paid weekly, benefits eligible

Design Systems Manager Requirements

5+ years of experience in UX/Product Design or front-end development, including 2+ years leading design systems.
Proven success managing multi-platform design systems across mobile and web.
Proficiency in Figma, design tokens, documentation platforms, and Git-based workflows.
Working knowledge of SwiftUI, Jetpack Compose, and React Native.
Strong understanding of WCAG accessibility, semantic design, and reusable component architecture.
Experience with design system governance, adoption strategies, and success metrics.
Familiarity with tools including Zeroheight, Storybook, GitHub, Jira, Confluence, and Bitbucket.
Exceptional collaboration, communication, and leadership skills.

Design Systems Manager Duties

Lead and evolve a scalable, mobile-first design system and visual language across multiple brands and platforms.
Manage and mentor a cross-functional team, including a Sr. Product Designer and Design System Engineer.
Define system governance, contribution policies, release cycles, and documentation standards.
Build and maintain design token architecture (color, typography, spacing, elevation) for SwiftUI, Jetpack Compose, and React Native environments.
Maintain and expand Figma libraries, ensuring alignment with Storybook and GitHub-based codebases.
Guarantee accessibility, performance, and platform-native consistency across all system assets.
Oversee documentation and publication through Zeroheight, maintaining up-to-date guidance and release notes.
Conduct training sessions, discovery workshops, and onboarding initiatives to promote adoption.
Partner with product, engineering, and design teams to ensure cohesion and alignment across all digital experiences.
Drive innovation and process improvement within design system workflows and tooling.

No deadline to apply.