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Design Systems Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Pebl

Design Systems Lead

Palo Alto, CA · On-site

$129K - $169K/yr

What Makes You a Great Fit Design systems are infrastructure. They determine how fast teams move, how consistent the product feels, and how much trust users place in every interaction. We're looking ...

Figma

Product Designer, Design Systems

San Francisco, CA · On-site +1

$222K/yr

We are seeking a Product Designer to join our Design Systems (Figma Pattern Library) team, dedicated to building and evolving shared patterns and components across Figma's expanding suite of products.

Yum! Brands

Design Systems Lead

Irvine, CA · Hybrid

$121K - $150K/yr

The Design Systems Lead is responsible for building, scaling, and governing Taco Bell's design system as a core product ecosystem, not just a UI toolkit, and drives impact across the business through ...

Grindr

Senior Visual Designer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$134K - $178K/yr

There is no sprawling design systems org here, no committee sign-off process, and no inherited system too entrenched to improve. What exists is a real ownership opportunity - the kind where the ...

Figma

Product Designer, Design Systems

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$164K - $294K/yr

We are seeking a Product Designer to join our Design Systems (Figma Pattern Library) team, dedicated to building and evolving shared patterns and components across Figma's expanding suite of products.

Yum

Design Systems Lead

Irvine, CA · On-site

$121K - $150K/yr

The Design Systems Lead is responsible for building, scaling, and governing Taco Bell's design system as a core product ecosystem, not just a UI toolkit, and drives impact across the business through ...

Yum Brands

Design Systems Lead

Irvine, CA · Hybrid

$121K - $150K/yr

The Design Systems Lead is responsible for building, scaling, and governing Taco Bell's design system as a core product ecosystem, not just a UI toolkit, and drives impact across the business through ...

Harvey

Product Designer, Design Systems

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$150K - $226K/yr

The design system is not just a library of components. It is the shared language between design, engineering, and AI that ensures consistency, quality, and confidence across every interaction. This ...

Paramount

Senior Designer, Design Systems

Burbank, CA · On-site

$111K - $146K/yr

You'll report to the VP of Design Systems and join a team that cares about quality at scale. Responsibilities: * Build, scale, and document a design system for web, iOS, Android, and TV. * Design ...

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Design Systems information

What is a design system?

Design systems are comprehensive collections of guidelines, reusable components, and standards that help teams create consistent, cohesive, and efficient user interfaces across products. They typically include visual style guides, UI components, usage documentation, and coding resources to streamline design and development processes. By using a design system, organizations can ensure brand consistency, improve collaboration between designers and developers, and accelerate product development.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a design systems specialist, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Design Systems Specialist, you need expertise in UI/UX principles, front-end development, and a strong understanding of design patterns, usually supported by a background in design or computer science. Familiarity with tools like Figma, Sketch, Storybook, and version control systems is essential to build and maintain scalable design systems. Strong communication, collaboration, and attention to detail set outstanding professionals apart in this field. These skills and qualities ensure cohesive user experiences, efficient workflows, and consistent brand implementation across digital products.

How does a design systems role typically collaborate with cross-functional teams, and what challenges might arise?

Professionals working in Design Systems frequently collaborate with product managers, engineers, and UX/UI designers to ensure consistency and efficiency across digital products. A key challenge is balancing the need for standardization with the creative needs of individual teams, which often requires strong communication and negotiation skills. Regular meetings, documentation, and design reviews are common practices to foster alignment and address feedback. Navigating differing priorities and integrating updates into an established system are also typical hurdles, making adaptability and problem-solving essential in this role.

What is the difference between Design Systems vs UX Designer?

AspectDesign SystemsUX Designer
Primary FocusCreating and maintaining a cohesive set of design standards, components, and guidelines for productsResearching, designing, and improving user experiences through wireframes, prototypes, and user testing
Skills & CredentialsDesign principles, UI components, branding, collaboration skillsUser research, interaction design, visual design, usability testing
Work EnvironmentCollaborates with product teams, developers, and UI designersWorks closely with users, product managers, and developers
Industry UsageCommon in organizations with large product ecosystems and multiple teamsFound across tech, e-commerce, and service industries focusing on user experience

While Design Systems focus on establishing consistent design standards and reusable components, UX Designers concentrate on understanding user needs and crafting intuitive experiences. Both roles collaborate closely to ensure products are visually cohesive and user-friendly, but their core responsibilities differ significantly.

What are popular job titles related to Design Systems jobs in California?

For Design Systems jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Design Systems jobs in California look for?

The top searched job categories for Design Systems jobs in California are:

What cities in California are hiring for Design Systems jobs?

Cities in California with the most Design Systems job openings:

Design Systems jobs near you
Infographic showing various Design Systems job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 88% Full Time, 7% Part Time, 3% Contract, and 1% Nights. Highlights an 88% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 9% Remote job distribution.

Design Systems Lead

Pebl

Palo Alto, CA • On-site

$129K - $169K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Retirement

Re-posted 12 days ago

Job description

Purpose in Every Position
Pebl puts a world of talent at your fingertips. With our AI-powered Global Work Platform™, companies can hire, pay, and manage employees in 185+ countries-removing risk, red tape, and guesswork from global growth. Backed by more than a decade of compliance leadership and local expertise, Pebl helps businesses move fast, stay compliant, and scale with confidence. With Pebl, companies everywhere can hire great talent anywhere.
Where Your Work Moves the Needle.
At Pebl, every team member drives our success. Joining us means more than filling a role-you're accountable for results and impact. Our values guide how we operate, execute, and collaborate across borders. By putting them into action, you'll help us scale faster, compete harder, and lead the future of global work.
What Makes You a Great Fit
Design systems are infrastructure. They determine how fast teams move, how consistent the product feels, and how much trust users place in every interaction. We're looking for a designer who understands this deeply - someone who brings both systems-level thinking and exceptional craft to the work.
In this role, you'll own and evolve our design system end-to-end: the component library, the token architecture, the documentation, and the workflows that connect design to production. You'll work in close partnership with engineering and product to ensure the system scales across web and mobile surfaces - and that it stays useful, adoptable, and ahead of the curve as our product and tooling landscape evolves.
This is a high-ownership, high-visibility role. You'll shape the shared language that every product team works from, and influence how designers and engineers across the org build together.
How You'll Make an Impact:
  • Own the architecture, strategy, and evolution of the design system - components, tokens, patterns, and documentation - across web and mobile surfaces
  • Design and ship production-ready components with a high bar for craft: well-defined states, variants, interaction models, responsiveness, and accessibility baked in from the start
  • Partner closely with frontend engineering to ensure system decisions translate cleanly into code - with shared ownership of quality, parity, and maintainability
  • Create clear, opinionated documentation and usage guidance: best practices, anti-patterns, decision frameworks, and contribution standards that teams can act on immediately
  • Build and maintain governance models that balance system integrity with the speed product teams need
  • Conduct regular audits to identify inconsistencies, gaps, and opportunities to improve component coverage and design-to-code parity
  • Lead the evaluation and integration of AI-powered design tooling - including Figma AI, MCP integrations, StoryBook MCP and generative workflows - into how the system is built and consumed
  • Anticipate shifts in the product, platform, and tooling landscape, and evolve the system proactively towards an agentic workflow.

Let's Connect If You Have:
  • 7+ years of product design experience, with at least 3 years owning or significantly contributing to a design system at a product company
  • An outstanding portfolio demonstrating systems-level thinking, component craft, and real impact at scale
  • Extraordinary visual design taste - a rigorous, opinionated eye for typography, color, spacing, and interaction quality that raises the bar across every surface
  • Expert-level Figma skills: component architecture, variables, tokens, auto-layout, and the discipline to keep a shared library production-aligned
  • Comfort working across the design-to-code workflow - you know your way around design tokens, Storybook, and GitHub, and can collaborate closely with engineers on implementation
  • Strong understanding of front-end fundamentals (HTML, CSS, React or equivalent) and how design decisions translate into code
  • Knowledge of accessibility standards and a commitment to inclusive design baked into every component by default
  • Strong written communication skills - you write documentation that is clear, opinionated, and easy to act on
  • Track record of leading cross-functional initiatives and influencing senior stakeholders on system strategy and investment

Bonus Points
  • Experience integrating AI tools into design and development workflows - AI-assisted prototyping, automated component generation, design-to-code pipelines
  • Background building or contributing to open-source design systems
  • Familiarity with design-to-code automation tools and AI-driven product development workflows
  • External thought leadership through writing, speaking, or open-source contributions in the design systems space
  • Experience in enterprise SaaS, fintech, or other complex, data-dense product environments

Why This Role Matters
A strong design system isn't just a component library - it's a force multiplier. It's what lets teams move faster without sacrificing quality. It's what keeps a product feeling coherent as complexity grows. And in an era where AI tools are increasingly part of the design and development workflow, a well-structured system becomes the foundation everything else is built on. We are a fast paced company, and impact is made fast.
Our Commitment to You
At Pebl, we're committed to supporting our team with comprehensive rewards and benefits designed to meet diverse needs across roles and locations. Our core offerings include:
  • Flexible Time Off - Take the time you need to recharge.
  • Parental Leave - Support for growing families.
  • Health and Dental Insurance - Where applicable, to cover you and your loved ones.
  • Retirement Savings + Employee Incentive Plan - Plan for the future while sharing our success.

Please visit our career page for more information.
Pebl is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
We power global teams and believe diverse perspectives drive innovation and impact. Employment decisions at Pebl are based on qualifications, merit, and business needs. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable law. We're committed to fostering an inclusive culture where every teammate can thrive and do the best work of their career-anywhere in the world.

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