Design Systems Designer Location: New York, NY

ESRhealthcare•New York, NY

6d•Hybrid

About The Position

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.

Requirements

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.
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.
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.
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 Haves

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).
Experience in enterprise, multi-product, or regulated environments is a plus.
Experience with AI-assisted design processes.
Familiarity with Adobe Experience Manager or other CMS platforms.
Experience in financial services, insurance, or other regulated industries.

Responsibilities

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