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Design Systems Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

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 ...

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 ...

Speak

Product Designer, Design Systems

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$160K - $260K/yr

You'll own the design quality, semantics, and product usefulness of the system; engineering will own the technical architecture and implementation, with close collaboration on component APIs ...

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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 80% Full Time, 14% Part Time, 5% Contract, and 1% Nights. Highlights an 86% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 12% Remote job distribution.

Staff Visual Designer - Design Systems

Mercury

San Francisco, CA • On-site, Remote

Full-time

Re-posted 28 days ago

Job description

In 1954, architect Eero Saarinen designed a radically modern bank branch for Irwin Union in Columbus, Indiana. With glass walls, no private offices, and a floor plan that invited openness, it embodied a new kind of transparency in finance. The building was surrounded by trees, furnished by Herman Miller, and featured rustic brick flooring. Today, that space is a conference center, and that spirit of design-forward thinking in banking feels all but extinct.
Mercury believes that level of care and craft in design has been lost in modern finance and we're building a brand that brings it back. We're a financial technology company building products that feel extraordinary to use. We help people and businesses accomplish more with their money by turning banking* from a frustration into a catalyst for their ambitions.
Our Design Systems team sets the visual foundation that every product designer, every UI surface, and every expressive product moment builds on, from the foundations like type and color, to highly expressive brand-in-product moments that make Mercury feel considered.
We're looking for a Staff Visual Designer to raise the ceiling on craft across Mercury's design system and product experience. This is a senior individual contributor role for someone who can see the whole UI system and knows how to evolve it at scale.
Design Foundations is a brand-new team at Mercury, responsible for design systems, brand in product, and AI tools to help anyone build. This means this role has real agency to define it: supporting a highly collaborative team that's hungry to grow its craft, and a clean slate for setting the vision forward.
In this role, you'll:
  • Redefine and ship large, foundational improvements to Mercury's design language (things like type, color, and iconography) that scale beautifully across every product surface.
  • Partner with Brand and other craft leaders to bring expressive moments into the product and set direction for how brand and product visual language work together.
  • Set the craft bar for the design org: define what excellent looks like, and build the systems, guidelines, and references that make it repeatable.
  • Actively coach product designers on their craft, giving direct feedback that raises the quality bar across both individual work and the design system itself.
  • Partner with design systems designers and engineers to make sure visual decisions translate cleanly into scalable, maintainable components.
  • Represent design systems and visual craft in conversations with Brand, Engineering, and design leadership.
What you'll bring:
  • 10+ years of experience in visual design, with deep expertise in typography, color systems, and iconography at a product or brand scale.
  • A portfolio that shows range: foundational systems work as well as high-craft, expressive visual design.
  • Not just taste, but conviction and language to articulate what makes something successful.
  • A track record of coaching or mentoring other designers, with a clear point of view on what strong craft looks like and how to teach it.
  • Systems thinking, you're comfortable balancing expressive visual design with the pragmatic needs of a scalable design system for a data rich product.
  • Strong stakeholder management, comfortable winning buy-in from executives and cross-functional leaders on high-visibility work, backed by conviction.
  • Strong communication and presence: able to set direction, build alignment, and defend opinionated design decisions with both designers and engineers.
  • Proficient in design tools and front-end prototyping with React; comfortable working closely with engineers on how visual systems get built and maintained in code. Affinity for AI-assisted prototyping. Motion design skills are a plus.

*Mercury is a fintech company, not an FDIC-insured bank. Banking services provided through Choice Financial Group and Column N.A., Members FDIC.
Mercury values diversity & belonging and is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. All individuals seeking employment at Mercury are considered without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, marital status, ancestry, physical or mental disability, veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected characteristic. We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations throughout the recruitment process for applicants with disabilities or special needs. If you need assistance, or an accommodation, please let your recruiter know once you are contacted about a role.
#LI-AK1
Total Rewards
The total rewards package at Mercury includes base salary, equity (stock options/RSUs), and benefits.
Our salary and equity ranges are highly competitive within the SaaS and fintech industry and are updated regularly using the most reliable compensation survey data for our industry. New hire offers are made based on a candidate's experience, expertise, geographic location, and internal pay equity relative to peers.
Our target new hire base salary ranges for this role are the following:
US employees (any location):
$228,700-$285,900 USD
Canadian employees (any location):
$216,200-$270,200 CAD

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