Senior Design Systems Architect & Mentor

RRD Company; Columbus (OH); On-site; USD 66,000 - 116,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical/dental/vision

Paid time off

Disability insurance

401(k) match

Life insurance

Parental leave

Adoption assistance

Tuition assistance

Employer discounts

Job summary

Williams Lea by RRD is seeking a specialist in design systems to architect scalable brand languages and mentor teams in modular design practices. You will work independently to develop master templates and drive cross-functional scalability while guiding internal discovery and vendor production to meet high technical standards.

The role requires at least 5 years in professional design or creative services, strong analytical and negotiation skills, and leadership of large-scale technical

Qualifications

• Specialized depth of expertise in modular design and scalable systems.
• Sophisticated analytical thought for solving systemic production issues.
• Negotiation skills to influence others to adopt a different technical point of view.
• High-level proficiency in emerging design technologies and workflow automation.
• Ability to lead large-scale technical projects.
• Minimum 5-years experience in professional design or creative services.

Responsibilities

• Architects and directs the development of scalable, modular design systems and master templates to ensure long-term cross-functional scalability.
• Audits creative workflows to identify bottlenecks, implementing file automation and sophisticated toolsets to improve departmental efficiency.
• Leads design reviews with senior stakeholders to build consensus on systematic design approaches and project feasibility.
• Serves as the primary SME for internal discovery and external vendor production, ensuring all deliverables meet rigorous technical and systemic standards.
• Establishes and enforces departmental standards for visual hierarchy through formal peer reviews and technical audits.
• Mentors junior and mid-level designers on design craft, technical execution, and system-level thinking, providing hands-on guidance to solve complex conceptual problems.

Skills

Modular design

Design systems

Systems thinking

Negotiation

Emerging design tech

Job description

Williams Lea by RRD is seeking a specialist in design systems to architect scalable brand languages and mentor teams in modular design practices. You will work independently to develop master templates and drive cross-functional scalability while guiding internal discovery and vendor production to meet high technical standards.

The role requires at least 5 years in professional design or creative services, strong analytical and negotiation skills, and leadership of large-scale technical