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Design Systems Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

In this role, you'll focus on design-to-code systems, creating the infrastructure, tooling, and component libraries that enable UI developers to build faster, more consistent, and more accessible ...

In this role, you'll focus on design-to-code systems, creating the infrastructure, tooling, and component libraries that enable UI developers to build faster, more consistent, and more accessible ...

In this role, you'll focus on design-to-code systems, creating the infrastructure, tooling, and component libraries that enable UI developers to build faster, more consistent, and more accessible ...

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Design Systems information

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.

Is UX a stressful job?

A UX designer's job can be stressful due to tight deadlines, the need for user-centered solutions, and balancing stakeholder expectations. However, many find it rewarding as it involves creative problem-solving and collaboration. Managing workload and clear communication can help reduce stress levels in this role.

What does a systems designer do?

A systems designer develops and plans the structure of complex systems, such as software, hardware, or organizational processes. They create detailed specifications, collaborate with teams, and use tools like diagrams and modeling software to ensure the system functions efficiently and meets user needs.

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.

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 are system design jobs?

System design jobs involve creating and planning the architecture of complex software or hardware systems to ensure they are scalable, efficient, and reliable. These roles often require skills in software engineering, understanding of infrastructure, and knowledge of design principles, with professionals frequently using tools like diagrams and modeling software. They are common in technology companies and may require experience with system architecture, coding, and collaboration with development teams.

What are design systems?

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 jobs can DT get you?

A career in Design Systems can lead to roles such as Design Systems Designer, UX Designer, UI Designer, or Front-End Developer. These positions typically require skills in design tools, coding, and understanding of user experience principles, often involving collaboration with product teams. Certifications in design or development tools can enhance job prospects.
What cities in California are hiring for Design Systems jobs? Cities in California with the most Design Systems job openings:
Infographic showing various Design Systems job openings in California as of June 2026, with employment types broken down into 86% Full Time, 10% Part Time, 1% Temporary, 2% Contract, and 1% Nights. Highlights an 91% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 7% Remote job distribution.
Director of Product Management, Design Systems

Director of Product Management, Design Systems

Salesforce, Inc.

San Francisco, CA • On-site

$182K - $224K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement

Posted 4 days ago


Salesforce rating

7.8

Company rating: 7.8 out of 10

Based on 48 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

102nd of 191 rated software companies


Job description

To get the best candidate experience, please consider applying for a maximum of 3 roles within 12 months to ensure you are not duplicating efforts.
Job Category
Product
Job Details
About Salesforce
Salesforce is the #1 AI CRM, where humans with agents drive customer success together. Here, ambition meets action. Tech meets trust. And innovation isn't a buzzword - it's a way of life. The world of work as we know it is changing and we're looking for Trailblazers who are passionate about bettering business and the world through AI, driving innovation, and keeping Salesforce's core values at the heart of it all.
Ready to level-up your career at the company leading workforce transformation in the agentic era? You're in the right place! Agentforce is the future of AI, and you are the future of Salesforce.
About the Role
As Salesforce leads the industry into the agentic enterprise era, the Lightning Design System must evolve beyond a component library into an intelligent platform that supports AI-assisted UI generation, conversational experiences, and human-agent co-creation at enterprise scale. As Director of Product Management for design systems tooling and AI, you will define and own this transformation.
Your mandate has two parts. First, you will build the AI-ready design system layer: the component metadata schemas, semantic ontologies, and structural specifications that enable LLMs and agents to safely compose and render Salesforce UI at runtime. Second, you will own the creator tooling platform: the suite of designer and developer-facing products that supercharge how builders work with the design system today and in the agentic future.
This is a strategic, cross-functional leadership role. You will operate at the intersection of design systems, AI platform, and enterprise UX, setting a multi-year vision and executing with a high-performing team.
What You'll Be Doing
AI-Ready Design System
  • Define the product strategy and multi-year roadmap for embedding AI capabilities within design systems, establishing the architectural direction for how components, metadata, and semantic ontologies enable generative and conversational enterprise UIs.
  • Ensure Design Systems stays at the forefront of AI innovation by defining its AI infrastructure strategy and ship zero-to-one platform capabilities.
  • Lead complex technical decision-making across code generation, agentic workflows, and evaluation strategies.
  • Define the guardrails, governance model, and trust criteria that ensure AI-driven UI composition meets Salesforce's accessibility, security, and brand standards.

Creator Tooling Platform
  • Own the roadmap for the full suite of designer and developer-facing tooling: UI code validators, linters, Figma plugins, etc.
  • Define requirements for AI-powered creator productivity features that meaningfully accelerate designer and developer velocity.

Organizational Leadership & Alignment
  • Serve as a senior strategic advisor and cross-functional liaison for design systems, driving alignment between the central UX org and AI platform groups.
  • Build high-trust relationships with engineering leads, design leadership, and executive stakeholders; synthesize complex technical and design concepts into compelling narratives for executive audiences.
  • Enable customers and ecosystem partners to build AI-ready applications on the Salesforce platform

What we're looking for
Required Qualifications
  • 10+ years of product management experience, including meaningful time on design systems, developer platforms, creator tooling, or enterprise frontend infrastructure.
  • Proven ability to define and execute multi-year strategic roadmaps in complex, matrixed organizations, and to align diverse stakeholders without direct authority.
  • Proven experience shipping developer tools, infrastructure products, or AI-powered technical systems
  • Strong technical depth working knowledge of AI/ML concepts, LLM capabilities and constraints, and agentic workflows.
  • Deep understanding of design system principles: CSS architecture, design tokens, component governance, and accessibility standards.
  • Exceptional communication and storytelling skills. Able to move between detailed technical discussions and executive narrative with ease.

Preferred Qualifications
  • Hands-on familiarity with SLDS, Lightning Web Components, or another enterprise-scale design system (e.g., Carbon, Fluent, Material, Spectrum).
  • Experience building in multi-product environments.
  • Experience designing metadata schemas, ontologies, or semantic data models for AI/ML consumption.
  • Background in creator tooling: design-to-code tools or developer IDE integrations.

Unleash Your Potential
When you join Salesforce, you'll be limitless in all areas of your life. Our benefits and resources support you to find balance and be your best, and our AI agents accelerate your impact so you can do your best. Together, we'll bring the power of Agentforce to organizations of all sizes and deliver amazing experiences that customers love. Apply today to not only shape the future - but to redefine what's possible - for yourself, for AI, and the world.
Accommodations
If you need a reasonable accommodation during the application or the recruiting process, please submit a request via this Accommodations Request Form.
Please note that Salesforce uses artificial intelligence (AI) tools to help our recruiters assess and evaluate candidates' resumes and qualifications throughout the recruiting process. Humans will always make any candidate selection and hiring decisions. Please see our Candidate Privacy Statement for more information about how we use your personal data and your rights, including with regard to use of AI tools and opt out options.
Posting Statement
Salesforce is an equal opportunity employer and maintains a policy of non-discrimination with all employees and applicants for employment. What does that mean exactly? It means that at Salesforce, we believe in equality for all. And we believe we can lead the path to equality in part by creating a workplace that's inclusive, and free from discrimination. Know your rights: workplace discrimination is illegal. Any employee or potential employee will be assessed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications - without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, transgender status, age, disability, veteran or marital status, political viewpoint, or other classifications protected by law. This policy applies to current and prospective employees, no matter where they are in their Salesforce employment journey. It also applies to recruiting, hiring, job assignment, compensation, promotion, benefits, training, assessment of job performance, discipline, termination, and everything in between. Recruiting, hiring, and promotion decisions at Salesforce are fair and based on merit. The same goes for compensation, benefits, promotions, transfers, reduction in workforce, recall, training, and education.
In the United States, compensation offered will be determined by factors such as location, job level, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Certain roles may be eligible for incentive compensation, equity, and benefits. Salesforce offers a variety of benefits to help you live well including: time off programs, medical, dental, vision, mental health support, paid parental leave, life and disability insurance, 401(k), and an employee stock purchasing program. More details about company benefits can be found at the following link: https://www.salesforcebenefits.com.Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance and the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring, Salesforce will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
At Salesforce, we believe in equitable compensation practices that reflect the dynamic nature of labor markets across various regions.The typical base salary range for this position is $197,300 - $313,700 annually. In select cities within the San Francisco and New York City metropolitan area, the base salary range for this role is $237,700 - $334,700 annually.The range represents base salary only, and does not include company bonus, incentive for sales roles, equity or benefits, as applicable.

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