Design Systems Designer Location: New York, NY

Design Systems Designer

Location: New York, NY

Pay: 6-12 Months

MUST-HAVE QUALIFICATIONS (Non-Negotiable)

• Experience with enterprise-level design systems, contributing to components, patterns, and foundations across both web and application experiences.
• Ability to work independently, communicate design rationale clearly, and professionally push back when needed.
• Experience collaborating closely with engineering teams on scalable, component-based UI.
• Local to the NYC area and willing to work onsite in a hybrid model. No fully remote options available.

Preferred but not required:

• Experience with AI-assisted design tools or workflows.
• Understanding of design-to-code workflows and the ability to discuss implementation with engineers (HTML, CSS, JavaScript familiarity).

Role Overview

• New York Life is building the next generation of digital experiences for customers, supported by a scalable, enterprise-wide design system.
• Seeking a mid-level to senior Design Systems Designer to join the MADI Design System team on a contract basis, with strong potential to convert to full-time.
• This role suits a designer with significant design system experience who enjoys system thinking, component creation, documentation, and close collaboration with engineering.

What Youll Do

Design Systems & UI

• Contribute to the creation and maintenance of design system foundations, components, and patterns.
• Design scalable UI components that support multiple products and use cases.
• Build and manage components, variants, and documentation in Figma.
• Apply accessibility standards (WCAG, ADA) to system components.
• Participate in system audits and continuous improvements.

Design-to-Code & Engineering Collaboration

• Collaborate with front-end engineers to ensure consistent design-to-code implementation.
• Design with awareness of React component structures and responsive design considerations.
• Provide detailed documentation and support for component handoff.
• Refine components based on engineering and product feedback.

AI & Continuous Improvement

• Explore AI-assisted tools to improve efficiency, documentation, or component consistency.
• Contribute ideas to help the design system scale and improve over time.

Collaboration & Communication

• Partner with designers, product managers, and engineers across teams.
• Communicate design intent, guidelines, and system usage clearly.
• Provide constructive feedback and guidance to teams adopting the system.
• Help teams understand how and when to use system components effectively.

What Were Looking For

Experience

• 3–6 years in UI or product design.
• 1–2 years working with or contributing to a design system.
• Experience collaborating with front-end engineering teams.
• Experience in enterprise, multi-product, or regulated environments is a plus.

Technical Skills

• Strong proficiency in Figma, especially component libraries and variants.
• Working knowledge of HTML, CSS, and responsive design.
• Familiarity with React-based design systems.
• Understanding of accessibility requirements (WCAG, ADA).
• Experience in Agile product environments.

Professional Skills

• Comfortable working independently in a contract setting.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills.
• Organized, detail-oriented, and able to handle multiple priorities.
• Curious mindset and willingness to expand technical or system-related skills.

Nice to Have

• Experience with AI-assisted design processes.
• Familiarity with Adobe Experience Manager or other CMS platforms.
• Experience in financial services, insurance, or other regulated industries.

Additional Information

• Schedule: Full-time