Principal Product Designer, Design Systems (Hybrid)

Homebase

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

Hi, Future Homie! At Homebase, you’ll join a team that’s bold, fast-moving, and obsessed with helping small businesses thrive. We build with empathy, act with urgency, and take big swings that drive real-world impact. Here, every Homie shows up to raise the bar, support one another, and celebrate wins as a team. We’re not just building an app—we’re building unstoppable teams. So what do you say, are you in? 📍Your Impact Starts Here We're looking for a Principal Product Designer who sees design systems as a force multiplier. You'll build the foundations that let every designer at Homebase do their best work—creating patterns, tools, and standards that compound over time. This isn't about policing pixels; it's about architecting the infrastructure that makes exceptional product experiences repeatable and scalable. You sweat the small details because you know they're not small—they're what separates software that feels considered from software that just works. This role isn't merely about establishing processes; it's about laying down strong foundations that propel speed and precision hand in hand. You will be the architect of how our AI-driven, mobile-first platform takes shape—guiding every element from its inception to its impeccable execution. Your designs will set the standard that all product teams aspire to meet. These are the key ways you’ll contribute and create impact in this role:

Requirements

Proven design systems experience at scale: 10+ years crafting exceptional experiences for complex consumer products, with 4-5+ years specifically building and scaling design systems where quality and velocity coexist.
Exceptional visual design mastery: Deep command of typography, spacing, color theory, hierarchy, motion, and interaction design—your portfolio demonstrates relentless attention to craft.
Platform precision expert: You understand what makes iOS feel like iOS and Android feel like Android, and you design with deep respect for platform conventions.
Scaling expertise: You’ve successfully grown design systems from supporting small teams to enabling dozens or hundreds of designers across multiple products—you know how to scale craft.
AI UX fluency: Proven ability to integrate AI into product experiences with thoughtful, polished execution that feels native, not bolted on.
Technical depth: Code or prototype at high fidelity to explore ideas and collaborate effectively with engineering on implementation details.
Detail obsessed: You notice the 2-pixel misalignment. You see the inconsistent spacing. You fix it because you can’t not fix it.
Quality champion with proven impact: Track record of measurably raising the craft bar across teams and products through your work, mentorship, and leadership.

Nice To Haves

Led design systems at high-growth consumer companies (Stripe, Airbnb, Figma, Spotify, Uber, Shopify, etc.).
Scaled systems supporting 50+ designers across multiple product lines.
Background in theming systems, content design at scale, or complex B2B products.
Public contributions showcasing exceptional craft (speaking, writing, open source work).
Portfolio demonstrating both systematic thinking and pixel-perfect execution across platforms.
Experience, background in, or understanding of front-end technologies (JavaScript, HTML, CSS)

Responsibilities

Own the system with laser-focus: Drive end-to-end ownership of our design system, setting uncompromising standards for visual design, interaction patterns, and component quality that scale across products.
Champion of Craft: Set the gold standard with work that is pixel-perfect, thoughtfully detailed, and meticulously executed, serving as a benchmark for excellence.
Balance scale with unmatched quality: Develop robust governance, tooling, and frameworks to maintain visual consistency and craft standards as the team and product suite grow.
Sculpt our AI design ethos: Pioneer the integration of AI design elements across products with finesse and intentionality, making intelligence feel intuitive and distinctly ours.
Master platform-specific nuances: Drive exceptional iOS and Android experiences with deep respect for platform conventions and the subtle details that separate good from exceptional.
Seamless design-engineering integration: Partner with engineers using code or high-fidelity prototypes to validate decisions and ensure implementation matches your exacting vision.
Elevate our collective design acumen: Mentor and guide designers on systems thinking and craft excellence, fostering a culture where quality is non-negotiable.
Build the kind of design system other companies look to emulate.