Sr Staff Experience Designer

PayPal•Austin, TX

29d•Hybrid

About The Position

We are seeking a Senior Staff Designer with exceptional visual craft skills, strong storytelling abilities, and a solid foundation in systems thinking to join our core Design Systems team. In this role, you will drive the evolution of PayPal's visual language and interaction patterns, working closely with the Principal Designer and cross-functional partners. You will design high-impact components, craft narratives that bring the design system to life, and collaborate with designers across the organization to ensure seamless, end-to-end experiences. You will help steward our brand, ensuring that every customer interaction is beautiful, intuitive, and unmistakably PayPal.

Requirements

8+ years relevant experience and a Bachelor's degree OR Any equivalent combination of education and experience.
Significant Experience: Bachelor's degree in a design-related field or equivalent practical experience, with 8+ years in product design and a minimum of 3+ years specializing in design systems.
A Strong Portfolio: A portfolio showcasing your expertise in visual design, systems thinking, and storytelling. We want to see your ability to contribute to and evolve design systems, with clear examples of components, documentation, and how those systems support complete user experiences. Your portfolio must demonstrate strong visual craft and attention to detail.
Systems-Oriented Approach: Solid experience in creating, maintaining, and scaling design systems for complex, multi-platform product environments. You think in patterns and bring structure to ambiguity.
Strong Visual Design Skills: Mastery of the formal elements of design, including typography, color theory, layout, and motion. You have a keen eye for detail and an aesthetic sensibility that inspires others.
Clear Communicator: The ability to articulate the "why" behind your design decisions and bring stakeholders along on the journey. You are comfortable creating beautiful components and presenting your work to leadership and cross-functional teams.
Collaborative Mindset: A proven track record of working effectively with cross-functional partners to ship high-quality products. You lead with empathy and value diverse perspectives.
Proficiency with Modern Design Tools: Expert-level skills in Figma, particularly with features like libraries, variants, and Auto Layout. Familiarity with design-to-code workflows and tools is a plus.

Responsibilities

Develop and articulate clear objectives in enhancing user and customer experiences that deliver results and meet organizational goals
Influence decision-making at the senior leadership level
Perform the most highly complex digital and physical products and services using domain knowledge and extensive business expertise
Develop and deliver innovative strategies that benefit customers and product users
Lead major business projects which impact the Experience Design job family
Design, evaluate, and select process, product, and service improvements based on thorough understanding of user and customer needs and industry trends
Mentor and guide junior team members in user-centered design practices.
Advance the Visual Language: Contribute to the evolution of our design system's visual foundation, including color, typography, iconography, and motion. Push the boundaries of our aesthetic while ensuring scalability, accessibility, and brand alignment across our global product ecosystem.
Enable through Storytelling: Create compelling narratives, presentations, and documentation that communicate the vision, purpose, and value of the design system. Inspire designers, engineers, and product managers to adopt and champion the system.
Apply Systems Thinking to End-to-End Experiences: Use a holistic, systems-based approach to solve complex design challenges. Partner with Experience Designers (XD) across diverse workstreams to ensure the design system effectively supports seamless customer journeys.
Deliver Exceptional Craft: Set a high bar for design quality through hands-on work on critical system components and patterns. Deliver pixel-perfect specifications and comprehensive documentation that enables teams to build with confidence.
Influence and Guide: Mentor designers across PayPal through critiques, workshops, and collaborative design sessions. Help elevate the visual and interaction design skills of the broader team.
Collaborate Cross-Functionally: Work in close partnership with Engineering, Product Management, Brand, and Accessibility teams to ensure our design system is not only beautiful but also technically sound, scalable, and inclusive.
Support Governance and Scale: Contribute to the governance and contribution model of the design system, helping it remain a living, evolving resource that adapts to the needs of our customers and our business.