Senior Associate, Senior Creative Technologist - Frontend UI Engineer - Design Systems

New York Life; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 100,000 - 143,000; Full time

Job summary

New York Life is seeking a Senior Creative Technologist - Frontend UI Engineer to own and evolve our React-based design system. You will build a scalable component library aligned with our Figma design system, partnering with design, product, and engineering to deliver consistent digital experiences across platforms.

You bring 6–10+ years of frontend engineering, deep React/JS/HTML/CSS expertise, and proven experience with enterprise‑scale design systems.

Qualifications

• 6–10+ years of frontend engineering experience with UI focus.
• Proven experience with enterprise-scale design systems and React component libraries.
• Strong proficiency in React, JavaScript/TypeScript, HTML, and CSS.
• Experience integrating design systems with Figma and handoff workflows.
• Familiarity with accessibility standards and modern tooling.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain a scalable, production-ready React component library aligned with design system.
• Optimize design-to-code workflows and ensure design tokens align with components.
• Collaborate with designers, product managers, and engineers to scale adoption.
• Explore AI-driven enhancements to improve design system scalability and engineering efficiency.

Skills

React

JavaScript/TypeScript

HTML

CSS

Design Systems

UI Development

Accessibility

Figma integration

AI in design

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field

Tools

Storybook

Git

CI/CD Pipelines

Figma

Design Tokens

Job description

Job Title: Senior Creative Technologist - Frontend UI Engineer - Design Systems (PF4)

Marketing - Digital & Performance Marketing - (Hybrid – 2 days per week)

It is an exciting time to join New York Life Insurance Company as we continue to innovate our technology and build the next generation of digital experiences for our customers. We are a Fortune 100 company and the largest mutual life insurance company in the U.S. We invest in our people and provide the support needed to grow and advance their careers.

We are seeking a highly motivated, experienced Frontend UI Engineer to join our MADI Design System team. In this role, you will play a critical part in building, scaling, and maintaining a React-based component library that is tightly aligned with our Figma design system. You will partner closely with design, product, and engineering teams to ensure seamless integration between design and code, enabling consistency, efficiency, and scalability across enterprise digital platforms.

This role requires someone who can hit the ground running—bringing both hands‑on engineering expertise and strategic thinking to help evolve our design‑to‑code workflows, modernize our tooling, and confidently recommend forward‑looking solutions, including the responsible use of AI in the design and development lifecycle.

Key Responsibilities:

Design System Engineering

• Build and maintain a scalable, production‑ready React component library aligned with Figma design system
• Establish and enforce best practices for component architecture, reusability, and performance
• Ensure tight synchronization between design tokens, components, and coded implementations
• Contribute to documentation, usage guidelines, and developer onboarding materials

Design‑to‑Code Workflow Optimization

• Optimize the end‑to‑end design and engineering workflow, improving handoff, collaboration, and system adoption
• Evaluate and implement tools and processes that streamline design‑to‑development alignment (e.g., tokens, automation, CI/CD integration)
• Identify opportunities to reduce friction and increase velocity across product teams

Collaboration & Enablement

• Partner with cross‑functional teams (designers, engineers, product managers) to integrate the design system into product development workflows
• Act as a key interface between the design system team and broader engineering teams
• Support adoption of the design system by providing guidance, code reviews, and technical consultation

AI & Innovation

• Stay current on emerging technologies, including AI‑assisted design and development workflows
• Explore and implement AI‑driven solutions to enhance design system scalability and engineering efficiency
• Partner with engineering teams to test and validate AI‑generated outputs, ensuring appropriate rigor, quality, and maintainability
• Help define standards and guardrails for incorporating AI into the design system ecosystem

Enterprise Scale & Platform Integration

• Support multi‑platform environments and integrations across various CMS platforms and applications
• Ensure compatibility and consistency across web applications leveraging React as a core framework
• Contribute to governance models that support enterprise‑wide adoption of the design system

Qualifications:

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field, or equivalent practical experience

Work Experiences

• 6–10+ years of frontend engineering experience, with a strong focus on UI development
• Proven experience working on or contributing to enterprise‑scale design systems
• Experience building and maintaining React component libraries in production environments
• Experience working within organizations supporting multiple platforms, products, and CMS ecosystems

Technical Expertise

• Expert‑level proficiency in React, JavaScript/TypeScript, HTML, and CSS
• Strong understanding of design tokens, theming, and scalable component architecture
• Experience integrating design systems with Figma and modern handoff workflows
• Familiarity with accessibility standards (WCAG, ADA)
• Experience with modern tooling (e.g., Storybook, Git, CI/CD pipelines)

AI & Emerging Technology

• Experience leveraging AI tools within design or engineering workflows, or the ability to clearly articulate their application and tradeoffs
• Understanding of how to validate, test, and productionize AI‑assisted outputs

Soft Skills

• Strong collaboration and relationship‑building skills across design and engineering teams
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to explain technical concepts to diverse stakeholders
• Self‑starter with the ability to operate independently and drive initiatives forward
• Strategic thinker who can confidently recommend solutions and influence direction

Pay Transparency

• Salary Range: $100,000-$143,000
• Overtime eligible: Exempt
• Discretionary bonus eligible: Yes
• Sales bonus eligible: No
• Actual base salary will be determined based on several factors but not limited to individual’s experience, skills, qualifications, and job location. Additionally, employees are eligible for an annual discretionary bonus. In addition to base salary, employees may also be eligible to participate in an incentive program.

Our Benefits

We provide a full package of benefits for employees – and have unique offerings for a modern workforce, including leave programs, adoption assistance, and student loan repayment programs. Based on feedback from our employees, we continue to refine and add benefits to our offering, so that you can flourish both inside and outside of work.

Our Commitment to Inclusion

At New York Life, fostering an inclusive workplace is fundamental to who we are and how we serve our communities. We have a longstanding commitment to creating an environment where individuals can contribute their best and succeed together. This foundation is rooted in our core values of humanity and integrity, ensuring that every employee feels valued and supported. By embracing a broad range of perspectives and experiences, we achieve greater success and fulfill our promise of providing financial security and peace of mind to families across all communities.

Recognized as one of Fortune’s World’s Most Admired Companies, New York Life is committed to improving local communities through a culture of employee giving and volunteerism, supported by the Foundation. We're proud that due to our mutuality, we operate in the best interests of our policy owners.