Lead Designer, Design Systems & Structures

Socket.dev; Culver City (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Apple in Culver City, CA, is seeking a Lead Designer to shape content design systems across Services. You will set strategy, own system development, and scale content formats with a human-centered, craft-driven approach.

You will mentor IC designers, collaborate with design, engineering, product and business partners, and push the adoption of cohesive content structures that reflect Apple’s voice and standards.

Qualifications

• 12+ years in human interface design, content design and UX design
• Experience leading design systems in a large, complex organization
• Expert-level proficiency in design tools (Sketch, CS Suite and Figma)
• Experience working across multiple products and lines of business simultaneously
• Strong understanding of content strategy, information architecture, and editorial standards

Responsibilities

• Lead the design, development, and evolution of content design systems used across Apple Services
• Define and operationalize cohesive content structures that reflect Apple's voice, style, and experience principles
• Leverage AI tools, design tools, and emerging technologies to advance efficiency and quality of content design at scale
• Partner with design, engineering, product, and business teams to ensure systems are adopted, maintained, and continuously improved
• Support the exploration and development of new content formats across Services
• Mentor and guide IC designers, raising the craft and capability of the team
• Synthesize complex, cross-functional requirements into clear, elegant design system solutions

Skills

Design leadership

Content design

Information architecture

Editorial standards

Tools

Sketch

Adobe CS Suite

Figma

Job description

At Apple, extraordinary ideas become products, services, and experiences that shape culture. Bring passion and precision to your craft, and there's no limit to what you can build. The Content Design team supports Apple Services products and defines the content experience across some of Apple's most visible products. We focus on how people consume, create and connect across all our applications. We are looking for a lead Designer to shape the systems and structures that define how content and brand comes to life across Apple's Services. This is a rare opportunity to work at the intersection of design, systems thinking, and emerging technology, helping define the next generation of signature Apple content experiences. As a lead on the Design Systems & Structures team, you will set the strategic direction for content design systems and formats across Services lines of business, partner closely with cross-functional teams, and bring a rigorous, human-centered approach to building scalable frameworks that uphold Apple's standards of quality and craft.

Description

• Lead the design, development, and evolution of content design systems used across Apple Services
• Define and operationalize cohesive content structures that reflect Apple's signature voice, style, and experience principles
• Leverage AI tools, design tools, and emerging technologies to advance the efficiency and quality of content design at scale
• Partner with design, engineering, product, and business teams to ensure systems are adopted, maintained, and continuously improved
• Support the exploration and development of new content formats across Services
• Mentor and guide IC designers, raising the craft and capability of the team
• Synthesize complex, cross-functional requirements into clear, elegant design system solutions

Minimum Qualifications

• 12+ years of experience in human interface design, content design and UX design
• Demonstrated experience leading owning design systems work in a large, complex organization
• Expert-level proficiency in design tools (Sketch, CS Suite and Figma). Prototyping skills are beneficial.
• Experience working across multiple products and lines of business simultaneously
• Strong understanding of content strategy, information architecture, and editorial standards

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in a consumer technology, media and services environment
• Familiarity with AI-assisted content and design workflows
• Experience developing new content formats and pioneering design system standards from the ground up
• Prior experience mentoring and managing designers