Lead/Principal Product Designer, Design Systems

As our Lead or Principal Product Designer focused on Design Systems, you'll own the strategy, execution, and evolution of our design system end to end. We're looking for someone who sees a design system as far more than a UI kit. To us, a true design system is a living product: it encompasses UI components and usage rules, a developer-facing storefront, parity between design and code, governance and operations, and training and adoption programs that help designers and developers actually use it well. That's the bar we're building toward, and we need someone who's built at that level before.

This is also a role for someone who has navigated the real complexity of multi-product design systems — bringing together several products, teams, and processes into a unified system while those products are still live, actively used, and being sold.

Alongside design systems ownership, you'll contribute hands-on product design work across our portfolio. The balance will lean heavily toward systems, but delivery work is part of the role — you'll be embedded in the product, not siloed from it.Title will be determined by experience.

Own the Design System as a Product

• Lead design system strategy across the product portfolio — treating it as a product with its own roadmap, users (designers and developers), and success metrics
• Build and evolve all layers of the system: UI components and usage rules, a developer-facing storefront, design-to-code parity, and the processes that keep them in sync
• Establish governance and operations: contribution models, documentation standards, adoption processes, and a sustainable workflow between design and front-end engineering
• Drive training and adoption — get designers and developers across teams using the system well, and build the culture that sustains it
• Lead design system audits and define strategies for unifying or sunsetting redundant patterns across products
• Partner closely with front-end engineering to close and maintain parity between Figma, Storybook, and production

Unify Across Products & Teams

• Drive design system consolidation across multiple live products — navigating the complexity of unifying while products are still in active use and development
• Bring together designers, developers, and product owners across teams around shared standards and ways of working
• Define patterns that scale across diverse user types — employees, managers, HR admins, executives — and across product contexts
• Identify and resolve systemic inconsistencies across the portfolio, advocating compellingly for the investment needed to address them

Deliver High-Quality Product Design

• Own design for assigned product areas from research through execution, contributing hands-on craft alongside systems work
• Design comprehensive user flows, wireframes, mockups, and prototypes with exceptional attention to detail
• Connect design decisions to product and business goals — demonstrating design's strategic value through the quality and clarity of your work
• Handle complex, ambiguous projects with minimal oversight
• Consider all constraints including accessibility, responsive design, edge cases, and localization

Mentor & Develop the Team

• Mentor designers at all levels on design systems thinking, craft, and how to contribute to and get value from the system
• Coach others on navigating ambiguity, managing change, and maintaining momentum during uncertain or difficult periods
• Model growth mindset and resilience — be a stabilizing presence when things are hard and a motivating one when things are going well
• Contribute to establishing team processes and standards that mature our practice

Collaborate & Communicate

• Present work with polish and confidence to stakeholders at all levels
• Build rapport with cross-functional partners in product, engineering, and business
• Advocate for design systems investment using data, clear rationale, and storytelling
• Champion design's strategic value in business and product discussions

Both levels own the same design systems scope — this role leads design systems strategy and execution regardless of title. The differentiator is the depth of strategic influence and org-level leadership:

Lead: Deep design systems expertise, strong product design execution, end-to-end ownership of the design system, working in close partnership with the Director on org-level strategy and practice building

Principal: All of the above, plus demonstrated track record of cross-org influence, establishing frameworks and standards that shape how design works at the company level, and operating as a strategic partner to design leadership

• 7–15 years of product design experience with a significant focus on design systems — though we care more about the depth and quality of your design systems experience than the number of years
• A philosophy that a design system is a product — with users, a roadmap, governance, and adoption programs — not just a component library
• Proven experience building or maturing a design system end to end: UI components, usage documentation, a developer-facing storefront, and design-to-code parity
• Experience establishing design system governance and operations: contribution models, documentation standards, and cross-team workflows
• Experience running training and adoption programs that get designers and developers actually using the system
• Strong command of the Figma-to-code pipeline: tokens, component architecture, Storybook integration, and handoff to production
• Experience unifying design systems across multiple live products — navigating consolidation while products are still actively used and sold
• Strong generalist product design skills: you can own delivery work end to end, not just the system
• Complex B2B product experience with multi-user, multi-role enterprise workflows
• Collaboration skills working effectively with product managers, engineers, and stakeholders across teams
• Mentorship experience helping other designers grow
• Communication skills presenting work confidently and influencing decisions with data and storytelling
• Portfolio showcasing design systems depth, end-to-end process, and high-quality craft
• Expertise in industry-standard tools such as Figma, Confluence, Notion, Google Drive
• Inclusive design expertise with understanding of WCAG standards and designing for diverse abilities, contexts, and user needs
• Agile/Scrum experience working in iterative, cross-functional product teams

• Background in B2B SaaS, HR tech, or employee experience products
• Experience contributing to broader design practice-building at a growing organization
• Familiarity with survey platforms, data visualization, or analytics tools
• Advanced inclusive design knowledge beyond WCAG basics
• Experience with design ops tooling and workflows

Compensation and Benefits
This position has a salary range of $120k- $150k which varies based on relevant experience. This role is also bonus eligible.

In addition to base pay, our total rewards package includes:

• PTO policy includes company holidays, sick time, vacation time, and floating holidays
• Remote
• Company pays a portion of individual health care premium
• Option to participate in a company-sponsored 401(k) 
• Training and education
• Professional development; all employees have access to a third party professional coach
• Tuition reimbursement program
• Opportunity to work for a purpose-driven organization using business as a force for good (https://www.bcorporation.net/) 

Join Energage at a pivotal moment as we mature our design practice and establish design as a strategic driver of business success and user experience excellence. We're building a unified experience that brings together employee engagement and talent management—strategic work that will enable employees, managers, and HR professionals to build great workplace cultures.

You'll work alongside the Director of Design and the broader design team as we tackle these challenges together, building on our team's deep domain expertise. You'll have significant influence on both product direction and how design operates within the organization—shaping what we build and building design's voice at the leadership table.

If you're energized by the challenge of building practice and elevating design's strategic influence—not just maintaining what exists—this role offers that rare combination of autonomy, impact, and meaningful work. You'll help transform how design contributes to the organization while delivering on high-stakes product initiatives.

Energage is a remote workplace with employees in various US locations. While our employees enjoy the flexibility of daily remote work, they are also given the occasional opportunity for in person interaction. This includes in our office in Exton Pa, or in a coworking space/out in their local area. This role is available for remote work in the following states: 

• Arizona
• Delaware
• Florida
• Georgia
• Maryland
• Michigan
• North Carolina
• Nebraska
• New Jersey
• New York STATE (NYC residents excluded)
• Pennsylvania
• South Carolina
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Wisconsin

If you reside outside of the above locations, you will not be considered for this role.

About Energage: 

Energage is a purpose-driven company that helps organizations turn employee feedback into useful business intelligence and credible employer recognition through Top Workplaces. Built on 19 years of culture research and the results from 23 million employees surveyed across more than 70,000 organizations, Energage delivers the most accurate competitive benchmark available. With access to a unique combination of patented analytic tools and expert guidance, Energage customers lead the competition with an engaged workforce and an opportunity to gain recognition for their people-first approach to culture. For more information or to nominate your organization, visit energage.com or topworkplaces.com. 

Energage is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Energage encourages all qualified candidates to apply, including those of any race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.