Product Design Manager, Design Systems

United States Digital Space LLC; Toronto; Hybrid; CAD 172,000 - 215,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health & dental coverage

Life insurance

Disability benefits

Mental health benefits

Family building benefits

Child care

Pet benefits

Health Care Savings Account

RRSP with company match

Flexible PTO

New parent leave 18 weeks

Commuter benefits

Job summary

the company in Toronto is seeking a Design Systems Manager to lead the Product Language (LPL) and its cross-surface implementation across product, marketing, and brand. You will own the craft, partner with design, engineering, and marketing, and guide a growing team of design systems practitioners.

The role reports to the Director of Design Foundations and involves strategic leadership, team development, and collaboration with engineering on architecture, releases, and quality.

Qualifications

• 7+ years in product or brand design, including 2+ years managing designers.
• Direct experience leading a design system at scale: components, patterns, guidelines, and shipped-to-code workflows.
• Fluency across mobile and web platforms with working understanding of how systems are consumed by engineers.
• Experience managing a design systems team.
• Strong track record of partnership with engineering on architecture, releases, and quality.

Responsibilities

• Set the strategy and roadmap for the company Product Language (LPL) across product, marketing, and brand surfaces.
• Lead the AI transformation of the system: integrate AI into LPL tooling, adoption workflows, and designer experience.
• Represent Design Systems in reviews and other senior leadership forums.
• Partner with Design Systems DPM and engineering managers to maintain system health and unblock teams.
• Own the LPL component contribution and review process end-to-end, from intake through release.
• Communicate system decisions and quality standards across product, engineering, and marketing.

Skills

Design Systems

People management

Cross-functional collaboration

AI tooling familiarity

Job description

At the company, our purpose is to serve and connect. We aim to achieve this by cultivating a work environment where all team members belong and have the opportunity to thrive.

the company is looking for a Design Systems Manager to join Design Foundations, the infrastructure layer of the company's design organization. Design Systems at the company is an integral part of the overall user experience. Our design system spans product surfaces, marketing, and brand, officially known as the the company Product Language (LPL) and shipped directly to code. You'll own the craft and execution of that system, partner closely with design, engineering, and marketing, and lead Design systems work through a period of active global growth and capability expansion.

This role reports to the Director of Design Foundations and works alongside a dedicated DPM and Engineering managers, and a tight-knit team of design systems practitioners.

Responsibilities:

Strategy & Vision

• Set the strategy and roadmap for the company Product Language (LPL) across product, marketing, and brand surfaces, in partnership with the Director of Design Foundations and engineering leadership and the Design Systems team

• Lead the AI transformation of the system: integrate AI into LPL tooling, adoption workflows, and the day-to-day designer experience at the company

• Represent Design Systems in reviews and other senior leadership forums

People & Craft

• Manage and develop a team of design systems designers and illustrators working across iOS, Android, web, and brand

• Hold the quality bar for system-wide design: cross-platform coherence, accessibility (WCAG), road safety, localization, and brand consistency.

• Coach the team on making educated tradeoffs between flexibility, coherency, usability, and efficiency

Execution & Partnership

• Partner closely with the Design Systems DPM and engineering managers to maintain system health, sequence work, and unblock teams

• Own the LPL component contribution and review process end-to-end, from intake through release

• Communicate system decisions, adoption expectations, and quality standards upward and across product, engineering, and marketing

Experience:

• 7+ years in product or brand design, including 2+ years managing designers

• Direct experience leading a design system at scale: components, patterns, guidelines, and shipped-to-code workflows

• Fluency across mobile and web platforms, with a working understanding of how systems are consumed by engineers

• Experience managing a design systems team

• Strong track record of partnership with engineering on architecture, releases, and quality

• Experience setting and defending craft standards across cross-functional stakeholders

• Familiarity with AI-assisted design tooling (Figma MCP, generative workflows, agentic prototyping) is a strong plus

• Excellent written communication; comfortable operating in an async-heavy environment with documented decisions

• Comfortable driving disagree-and-commit decisions and making tradeoffs in ambiguity

Benefits:

• Extended health and dental coverage options, along with life insurance and disability benefits

• Mental health benefits

• Family building benefits

• Child care and pet benefits

• Access to a the company funded Health Care Savings Account

• RRSP plan with company match to help save for your future

• In addition to provincial observed holidays, salaried team members are covered under the company's flexible paid time off policy. The policy allows team members to take off as much time as they need (with manager approval). Hourly team members get 15 days paid time off, with an additional day for each year of service

• the company is proud to support new parents with 18 weeks of paid time off, designed as a top-up plan to complement provincial programs. Biological, adoptive, and foster parents are all eligible.

• Subsidized commuter benefits and the company ride credits

the company is committed to creating an inclusive workforce that foster belonging. the company believes that every person has a right to equal employment opportunities without discrimination because of race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, family status, disability, pardoned record of offences, or any other basis protected by applicable law or by Company policy. the company also strives for a healthy and safe workplace and strictly prohibits harassment of any kind. Accommodation for persons with disabilities will be provided upon request in accordance with applicable law during the application and hiring process. Please contact your recruiter if you wish to make such a request.

the company highly values having employees working in-office to foster a collaborative work environment and company culture. This role will be in-office on a hybrid schedule — Team Members will be expected to work in the office at least 3 days per week, including on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. the company considers working in the office at least 3 days per week to be an essential function of this hybrid role. Additionally, hybrid roles have the flexibility to work from anywhere for up to 4 weeks per year. #Hybrid

The expected base pay range for this position in the Toronto area is CAD $172,000 - CAD $215,000, not inclusive of potential equity offering, bonus or benefits. Salary ranges are dependent on a variety of factors, including qualifications, experience and geographic location. Your recruiter can share more information about the salary range specific to your working location and other factors during the hiring process.

This job fills an existing vacancy.