Design Governance Lead

toyota; Plano (TX); On-site; USD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Toyota seeks a Design Governance Lead to steward a unified digital ecosystem, transitioning from siloed assets to a centralized design system. You will bridge design, engineering, and marketing, driving scalable, on-brand experiences for Toyota and Lexus.

You will apply data-driven strategies to quantify business impact, lead cross-functional programs, and champion modular content, AI-assisted tooling, and streamlined governance across teams.

Qualifications

• Deep knowledge of UX principles, design systems, and digital governance.
• Strong background in brand governance across multiple brands or business units.
• Experience with DAM strategy, taxonomy, metadata, and asset governance.
• Experience with workflow automation in content operations.
• Ability to use data and user insights to inform design decisions.
• Experience measuring design system adoption and financial impact.

Responsibilities

• Lead the evolution of a token-driven design system and enforce UX standards across brands.

Skills

UX principles

Design systems

Digital governance

Brand governance

Workflow automation

Data-driven decisions

Design system adoption metrics

AI-enabled content generation

Cross-functional leadership

Tools

Adobe Experience Manager

Design tokens

Shared UI libraries

Job description

Overview

Who we are

Collaborative. Respectful. A place to dream and do. These are just a few words that describe what life is like at Toyota. As one of the world's most admired brands, Toyota is growing and leading the future of mobility through innovative, high-quality solutions designed to enhance lives and delight those we serve. We're looking for talented team members who want to Dream. Do. Grow. with us.

Toyota does not offer support or sponsorship of job applicants for employment-based visas or any other work authorization for this role now or in the future. You must have the right to work in the United States and not require Toyota support or sponsorship for immigration-related employment (e.g., H-1B, O-1, E-3, H-1B1, TN, F-1 OPT, F-1 STEM OPT, F-1 CPT, 'job flexibility benefits' [also known as I-140 or Adjustment of Status portability], etc.) now or in the future. You should not apply for this role if you will require Toyota to assist with immigration support or sponsorship now or in the future.

Role Summary

As the Design Governance Lead, you will be the primary steward of our unified digital ecosystem. You will oversee the transition from siloed, brand-specific assets to a centralized, token-driven design system and shared AEM component library. You will act as the bridge between design, engineering, and marketing, ensuring that Toyota and Lexus deliver consistent, on-brand digital experiences at scale. You will drive the adoption of our new modular content framework, leveraging AI-assisted tools and workflow automation to streamline content creation and governance. You will apply data-driven strategies to quantify the business impact of design, utilizing operational frameworks to reduce rework and drive enterprise-wide adoption.

Design Governance & System Stewardship: Lead the evolution of our token-driven design system. Define and enforce UX standards, accessibility requirements, and brand-specific theming across Toyota and Lexus digital experiences. Establish cross-product design communities to break down silos and foster collaborative governance.

Component Library Management: Direct the development and maintenance of a shared, reusable CMS component and template library. Ensure components integrate seamlessly with design tokens and standardized styling patterns.

AI & Modular Content Strategy: Champion the shift to a modular, component-based content model. Integrate AI-assisted content generation and tagging tools into the production workflow to enable scalable personalization.

DAM & Asset Management: Consulted on the migration to a unified digital asset management environment. Inform taxonomy and metadata standards to ensure assets are searchable, reusable, and compliant.

Workflow Automation: Partner with technology and content operations teams to implement and optimize workflow management tools for design system module creation. Redesign and digitize content review and approval processes to reduce cycle times and eliminate manual bottlenecks. Apply Lean Six Sigma or similar operational methodologies to improve process efficiency and reduce operational costs.

Cross-Functional Leadership: Collaborate with internal teams and external partners to ensure adherence to governance standards and modular architecture. Provide training, documentation, and enablement to drive adoption.

What you bring

• Deep working knowledge of UX principles, design systems, and digital governance.
• Strong background in brand governance across multiple brands or business units.
• Experience with DAM strategy, taxonomy, metadata, and asset governance.
• Strong understanding of workflow automation and content operations.
• Proven ability to use data and user insights to inform design and content decisions.
• Demonstrated ability to track and report on design system adoption metrics and financial impact (e.g., cost savings, hours saved)
• Experience with AI-enabled content generation, tagging, or operational automation.
• Ability to lead cross-functional programs spanning design, product, marketing, content, and technology.

Added bonus if you have

• Experience in automotive, retail, or large-scale multi-brand digital environments.
• Familiarity with Adobe Experience Manager and shared component libraries.
• Experience working with design tokens, design-to-development handoff, and shared UI libraries.
• Knowledge of accessibility standards and governance frameworks.
• Experience supporting transformation initiatives in complex matrixed organizations.

What We'll Bring

• A work environment built on teamwork, flexibility and respect
• Professional growth and development programs to help advance your career, as well as tuition reimbursement
• Team Member Vehicle Purchase Discount
• Toyota Team Member Lease Vehicle Program (if applicable)
• Comprehensive health care an