Sr. Design System Designer (Temporary-Remote)

Arthrex•Pelican Bay, FL

6d•Remote

About The Position

The Senior Design System Designer is responsible for transforming our existing design guidelines, foundations, and component libraries into a cohesive, well-documented, and governable design system. This role will define how elements such as color, typography, spacing, and components are used in real product scenarios; create scalable documentation that can be surfaced in an accessible design system website; and establish governance practices so the system can be maintained and evolved over time.

Requirements

7+ years of experience in UX / Product Design or related field, with 5+ years focused on design systems (creation, management, or scaling).
Demonstrated experience building and documenting design systems in Figma (foundations, tokens, components, libraries).
Portfolio showcasing design system work: foundations, components, documentation, and governance/process examples.
Bachelor’s degree in Design, HCI, Interaction Design, or related field preferred, or equivalent practical experience.
Focused on formalizing and documenting an existing design system.
Remote position with close collaboration across UX Design, UX Research, and Development.
Expected to work efficiently and autonomously, building on existing guidelines and components.
Advanced experience in Figma with design systems (foundations, tokens, components, documentation).
Strong background in documenting design systems and defining governance and contribution models.
Proven ability to create clear, practical guidance for designers, developers, and stakeholders.
Advanced proficiency in Figma, including components, variants, libraries, styles, and documentation within Figma.
Strong understanding of visual design fundamentals: color theory, typography, spacing, grid systems, and hierarchy.
Solid interaction design skills, including component states, feedback, and motion where applicable.
Working knowledge of accessibility standards (e.g., WCAG) and how they impact color, type, and component usage.
Familiarity with design tokens and how they connect design to code (e.g., CSS variables, component libraries, frontend frameworks).
Understanding of responsive web design and native mobile patterns across platforms.
Proven ability to write clear, structured, and user-friendly documentation, including do/don’t examples and visual explanations.
Strong communication and facilitation skills to guide cross-functional teams and build alignment around system decisions.
Ability to translate complex design concepts into guidance that is understandable for both designers and developers.
Experience defining and implementing governance models for design systems (intake, approvals, versioning, deprecation).
Ability to design contribution workflows and criteria that enable teams to propose and improve system elements.
Experience using metrics and feedback loops to improve system adoption and quality.
Highly organized, self-directed, and comfortable working in a remote, collaborative environment.
Strong sense of ownership and urgency, with the ability to prioritize impact and deliver within a defined 6 month engagement.
Comfortable working from an existing starting point (guidelines and components) and focusing on pragmatic, scalable solutions rather than large-scale reinvention.

Responsibilities

Audit and organize existing brand attributes, design principles, foundations (color, typography, spacing, grid, motion, elevation), and component libraries for web and native mobile.
Define and document design tokens (e.g., color [light and dark themes], type, spacing) and how they map to product experiences and platforms.
Rationalize and standardize components in Figma, including variants, states, and responsive behavior.
Create comprehensive usage guidelines for: Color: semantic palettes, interactive states, accessibility rules, and common do/don’t scenarios. Typography: hierarchy, responsive rules, usage by context, and content guidance. Layout & Spacing: grids, spacing scales, layout patterns, and page templates. Components: purpose, anatomy, interaction behavior, states, content guidelines, and platform-specific nuances.
Write clear, concise documentation that explains both the “what” and the “why” behind design decisions.
Structure documentation content for use in an accessible design system website (information architecture, page templates, and reusable documentation patterns).
Define and document governance processes, including: Intake and evaluation for new components or pattern requests. Change management, approvals, and release/versioning practices. Deprecation criteria and communication for retiring patterns and components.
Recommend metrics and feedback mechanisms to track design system adoption, quality, and effectiveness.
Establish contribution guidelines that clarify who can propose, design, and approve system changes.
Partner closely with UX Designers, UX Researchers, Developers, and Product Owners to ensure the design system reflects real needs and constraints.
Facilitate workshops, working sessions, and reviews to align on taxonomy, patterns, and usage standards.
Collaborate with the UX team responsible for building and maintaining the design system website to ensure documentation is structured for easy implementation and ongoing maintenance.
Create onboarding and enablement materials (e.g., quick-start guides, overviews, Figma usage instructions) to support adoption across teams.
Advocate for accessibility, usability, and consistency across all experiences that leverage the design system.
Provide regular progress updates and recommendations to UX leadership, ensuring key milestones are met within the 6 month timeframe.