Staff Designer - Design Systems
About The Position
PermitFlow is redefining how America builds by leveraging applied AI to help construction companies navigate complex processes like permitting, licensing, and inspections. Our AI agent workforce accelerates development across various sectors, including housing, clean-energy, and infrastructure. The company has already processed over $20B in development, significantly reducing compliance time and de-risking projects. As the U.S. enters a new capital expenditure supercycle, PermitFlow is building the core AI infrastructure for future construction projects. The company has raised over $90M from prominent investors and has a hybrid work model with its HQ in New York City, preferring candidates based in or willing to relocate to NYC. This role is for the first Design Systems Designer and Architect, responsible for building and establishing 'Cornerstone,' the visual and interaction foundation for PermitFlow's product. This is a foundational role, not a maintenance one, focused on setting standards for product complexity. The ideal candidate will have a deep understanding of the entire system, a keen eye for detail and brand quality, and will collaborate closely with engineering leadership to design, ship, and iterate on components, patterns, and tokens. The role also includes the mandate to grow a team as the design system expands. The success of this role directly impacts the speed of development, product consistency, and user trust in critical workflows.
Requirements
- A portfolio with real point of view, not just system diagrams: craft, quality, accessibility, and visual cohesion are all a must.
- 10+ years in product design, with meaningful ownership of a design system across a multi-product environment; brand or visual design background is a plus.
- Strong command of component architecture, design tokens, and what it takes for a system to total adoption across teams and surfaces.
- A history of working shoulder to shoulder with frontend engineers to ship production-grade systems, not just handing off specs and moving on.
- A track record of setting & reinforcing accessibility standards.
- Clear communication about system tradeoffs, whether you're talking to designers, engineers, or executives.
- Mastery of Figma, Notion, and Linear; actively experimenting with the next best tool to add to our stack.
Nice To Haves
- Brand or visual design background is a plus.
Responsibilities
- Build and continually refine Cornerstone's core building blocks, components, patterns, and tokens designed for complex, workflow-heavy, AI-enabled experiences, with a strong eye for brand cohesion and polish.
- Set a multi-year direction for the design system and turn it into a roadmap that design, engineering, and product leadership can develop in concert.
- Design, prototype, and ship production-ready components hand in hand with a dedicated engineering team.
- Define how contribution, governance, and deprecation work in an AI-native working environment; balance shipping speed against system integrity; and adjust the model as the org grows.
- Bake accessibility, responsiveness, and performance into every part of the system from day one.
- Create the documentation, onboarding materials, and reference resources that make Cornerstone the quickest route to shipping well.
- Advocate for the system & guild in planning, design reviews, and roadmap conversations, and hold firm when speed and integrity are in tension.
- Mentor others in design systems craft as the practice grows, shaping what that craft looks like at PermitFlow for years ahead.
- Build real expertise in construction permitting, licensing, and inspections, leading with curiosity even if pre-construction is new territory for you.
Benefits
- Competitive salary and meaningful equity in a high-growth company
- 100% company-paid base medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees + healthcare FSA
- 401(k) savings plan
- Unlimited PTO and paid family leave
- Home office & equipment stipend
- Daily in-office lunch and dinner provided
- Commuter benefits (pre-tax transit and parking)
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
Education Level
No Education Listed
