Design System Lead

The Design System Lead is responsible for the continuation of work on v2 of our Design System. This role is critical in ensuring consistency, scalability, accessibility, and quality across all digital products and touchpoints.

You will be a hands-on design leader with deep expertise in interaction and UI design, strong systems thinking, and the ability to influence and collaborate across UX, Product, Engineering, and the wider business.

This role balances strategic vision with practical delivery - owning the Design System today while defining where it needs to go tomorrow.

The Design System Lead ensures ii's Design System is usable, well-documented, widely adopted, and continuously improved based on user feedback, data, and industry best practice.

The Design System Lead role sits within our UXOps team under the UXOps Manager, you'll work closely with our DesignOps Lead within the Design Architecture and Systems (DAS) squad alongside engineers and a product manager.

The Design System Lead will also work closely with UX Design Leadership to ensure the Design System meets the needs of the UX team. The wider UX team will be kept informed of progress, changes, and future plans., Design System Ownership & Governance

• Own the creation, evolution, and maintenance of ii's Design System.
• Define and document comprehensive design guidelines, principles, Components, and Patterns.
• Ensure alignment with brand, accessibility, usability, and technical standards.
• Establish governance processes to maintain quality and consistency over time.

Collaboration & Integration

• Work closely with UX Designers, Product Managers and Engineers to embed the design system across all products.

• Partner with Engineering to ensure smooth alignment between Figma, Storybook, and live implementations.

• Conduct audits of existing products to identify inconsistencies and opportunities for improvement.

• Work with the DAS squad to build a prioritised backlog of Design System improvements and future assets.

Adoption, Rollout & Evangelism

• Manage the rollout of the Design System (V2 and beyond) across design teams and products.
• Ensure all micro-apps are positioned to use the latest library, reducing fragmentation and outdated implementations.
• Advocate for the Design System and user-centred design practices beyond UX, including Engineering, Product, and the wider business.
• Effectively use storytelling and communication to clearly articulate and demonstrate the value of the Design System.

User Research, Testing & Data-Informed Design

• Conduct continuous user testing on components and patterns.
• Build pages and flows using new assets to validate how components work together in real contexts.
• Run deeper sessions with Design System users to uncover pain points and usage challenges.
• Base UI changes on data and user insight, clearly evidencing why changes are made.
• Use research and testing outcomes to justify decisions when challenged by stakeholders.

Documentation, Enablement & Upskilling

• Work with DesignOps lead to help create and maintain clear, usable documentation to ensure assets are used correctly and consistently.
• Prepare materials and updates for weekly Design System meetings.
• Upskill Designers and teams to reduce Design System-related issues and increase confidence in usage.
• Find ways to keep teams engaged with the Design System, even when they don't have direct access.

• Extensive experience in interaction or UI design, with a strong portfolio demonstrating Design System leadership.
• Proven, expert-level proficiency in Figma.
• Demonstrable UI design expertise with exceptional attention to detail.
• Solid understanding of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, and how they influence design decisions.
• Experience working in Agile development environments.
• Experience leading, mentoring, and coaching designers.
• Strong facilitation and workshop-leading skills.

Desirable

• Experience integrating Design Systems with Storybook or similar Component libraries.
• Experience driving adoption and change at scale within large or complex organisations.
• Familiarity with accessibility standards (e.g. WCAG) and inclusive design practices.

• Group Personal Pension Plan - 8% employer contribution and 4% employee contribution
• Life Assurance and Group Income Protection
• Private Medical Insurance - Provided by Bupa
• 25 Days Annual Leave, plus bank holidays
• Staff Discounts on our investment products
• Personal & Well-being Fund - Supporting your physical and mental wellness
• Retail Discounts - Savings at a wide range of high street and online retailers
• Voluntary Flexible Benefits - Tailor your benefits to suit your lifestyle

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