Staff Product Designer, Design Systems

BetterUp; New York (NY); On-site; USD 220,000 - 276,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Access to BetterUp coaching

Competitive compensation plan

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

Flexible paid time off

4 Inner Workdays

5 Volunteer Days

Company wide Summer & Winter breaks

401(k) self contribution

Job summary

BetterUp is seeking a Staff Product Designer to own the end-to-end strategy, architecture, and evolution of our design system across web and mobile surfaces. You will drive AI-powered workflows in design, create a comprehensive component library with clear docs, and collaborate with Engineering, Product, and Brand to ensure feasibility and brand integrity.

You will mentor designers on design systems thinking, AI-augmented workflows, and craft excellence, while anticipating shifts in AI tooling

Qualifications

• 7+ years of product design experience, with focus on design systems at scale.
• Deep expertise building design systems across web and mobile platforms.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end strategy, architecture, and evolution of BetterUp’s design system.
• Define AI-powered workflows for design system implementation.
• Establish and maintain a comprehensive component library with docs and guidelines.
• Partner with Engineering, Product, and Brand to reflect feasibility and brand integrity.
• Mentor designers on design systems thinking and AI-augmented workflows.

Skills

Product design experience

Design systems at scale

Figma expertise

Frontend basics (HTML/CSS/React)

AI design tools integration

Tools

Figma

React

Job description

Let’s face it, a company whose mission is human transformation better have some fresh thinking about the employer/employee relationship. We do. We can’t cram it all in here, but you’ll start noticing it from the first interview.

Even our candidate experience is different. And when you get an offer from us (and accept it), you get way more than a paycheck. You get a personal BetterUp Coach, a development plan, a trained and coached manager, the most amazing team you’ve ever met (yes, each with their own personal BetterUp Coach), and most importantly, work that matters.

This makes for a remarkably focused and fulfilling work experience. Frankly, it’s not for everyone. But for people with fire in their belly, it’s a game-changing, career-defining, soul-lifting move.

Join us and we promise you the most intense and fulfilling years of your career, doing life-changing work in a fun, inventive, soulful culture.

If that sounds exciting, and the job description below feels like a fit, we really should start talking.

About The Team & Your Impact

• Own the end-to-end strategy, architecture, and evolution of BetterUp’s design system, ensuring it scales across web and mobile product surfaces
• Define and drive AI-powered workflows for design system implementation—including AI-assisted component generation, code translation, and automated quality checks
• Establish and maintain a comprehensive component library with clear documentation, usage guidelines, and contribution standards that enable product teams to move faster
• Partner closely with Engineering, Product, and Brand to ensure the design system reflects both technical feasibility and brand integrity
• Lead the evaluation and integration of cutting-edge AI design tools (e.g., Figma AI, generative design plugins, code-to-design bridges) into the design system workflow
• Build governance frameworks and best practices for responsible, consistent use of AI in design processes across the organization
• Mentor and coach designers across the organization on design systems thinking, AI-augmented workflows, and craft excellence
• Anticipate industry shifts in design tooling and AI capabilities, positioning BetterUp to adopt them ahead of competitors
• Drive measurable improvements in design-to-development handoff speed, component reuse rates, and cross-platform consistency
• Serve as a trusted advisor to Design and Product leadership on design system strategy, AI capabilities, and long-term technical direction

What You'll Bring

• Extraordinary visual design taste—a rigorous, opinionated eye for typography, color, spacing, and detail that sets the quality bar for every surface of the product.
• 7+ years of product design experience, with at least 3 years focused on design systems at scale
• Deep expertise in building and scaling design systems across web and mobile platforms, including token architectures, component APIs, and documentation frameworks
• Demonstrated experience integrating AI tools into design and development workflows (e.g., AI-assisted prototyping, generative design, automated component generation)
• Expert-level proficiency with Figma (including Figma Variables, Auto Layout, and component architecture), with experience evaluating and adopting emerging AI-powered design tools
• Strong understanding of front-end technologies (HTML, CSS, React or similar frameworks) and how design systems bridge design and engineering
• Track record of leading cross-functional initiatives that span multiple teams and disciplines
• Exceptional communication skills with the ability to influence VP-level leaders and gain buy-in for strategic design system investments
• Portfolio demonstrating systems-level thinking, craft excellence, and impact at scale

You’ll Thrive Here If You

• Experience building AI-native design system tooling or contributing to open-source design systems
• Background in accessibility standards (WCAG) and inclusive design practices baked into system-level components
• Experience with design-to-code automation tools and workflows
• Familiarity with coaching, HR tech, or enterprise SaaS product domains
• External thought leadership through speaking, writing, or open-source contributions in the design systems space

AI at BetterUp

Our team thrives at the intersection of human expertise and AI capability. As an AI-forward company, adaptation and continuous learning are part of our daily work. We're looking for teammates who are excited to evolve alongside technology - people who experiment boldly, share their discoveries openly, and help define best practices for AI-augmented work. These professionals thoughtfully integrate AI into their work to deliver exceptional results while maintaining the human judgment and creativity that drives real innovation. During our interview process, you’ll have opportunities to showcase how you harness AI to learn, iterate, and amplify your impact.

As a Staff Product Designer, You’ll

• See around corners, spotting shifts in AI technology, market dynamics, or customer needs before they land. Bring forward data-backed proposals that reimagine how design work gets done, then mobilize multiple functions to pilot, measure, and scale the highest-impact AI solutions—retiring legacy processes once evidence is clear.
• Anticipate industry-shifting AI capabilities in design tooling and position BetterUp to leverage them ahead of competitors
• Drive technical vision for how AI will reshape design system capabilities and product development practices over 3-5 year horizons
• Build AI research and experimentation programs within design that discover breakthrough applications before they become industry standard.

During our interview process, you’ll have opportunities to showcase how you harness AI to learn, iterate, and amplify your impact. We encourage all candidates to share examples of how they’ve used AI tools in their work—whether Figma plugins, generative design tools, or AI-powered user research analysis.

Benefits

At BetterUp, we are committed to living out our mission every day and that starts with providing benefits that allow our employees to care for themselves, support their families, and give back to their community.

• Access to BetterUp coaching; one for you and one for a friend or family member
• A competitive compensation plan with opportunity for advancement
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Flexible paid time off
• Per year:
• All federal/statutory holidays observed
• 4 BetterUp Inner Workdays (https://www.betterup.co/inner-work)
• 5 Volunteer Days to give back
• Company wide Summer & Winter breaks
• Year-round charitable contribution of your choice on behalf of BetterUp
• 401(k) self contribution

We are dedicated to building diverse teams that fuel an authentic workplace and sense of belonging for each and every employee. We know applying for a job can be intimidating, please don’t hesitate to reach out — we encourage everyone interested in joining us to apply.

BetterUp Inc. provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, genetics, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status. In addition to federal law requirements, BetterUp Inc. complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

At BetterUp, we compensate our employees fairly for their work. Base salary is determined by job-related experience, education/training, residence location, as well as market indicators. The range below is representative of base salary only and does not include equity, sales bonus plans (when applicable) and benefits. This range may be modified in the future.

The base salary range for this role is as follows:

New York City and San Francisco: $220,000 - $276,000

Austin and Arlington: $198,000 - $248,000

Protecting your privacy and treating your personal information with care is very important to us, and central to the entire BetterUp family. By submitting your application, you acknowledge that your personal information will be processed in accordance with our Applicant Privacy Notice. If you have any questions about the privacy of your personal information or your rights with regards to your personal information, please reach out to [e-mail]