AI Workflow & Design Systems Specialist (Contract)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: AI Workflow & Design Systems Specialist (Contract)

Company: SoFi

Location: San Francisco, CA, United States

Job Type: Contract

Category: Design Operations / Creative Operations

Date Posted: August 31, 2026

Experience Level: Mid-Level

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Spearhead the integration of advanced AI tools and workflows within a robust design system environment.

• Drive the creation and maintenance of scalable UI components and templates using Figma's AI-powered features.

• Generate and iterate on visual assets at scale, optimizing the asset pipeline for marketing channels.

• Collaborate with Art Directors and Interactive Designers to translate creative concepts into production-ready assets with technical precision.

• Streamline repetitive design tasks through experimentation with enterprise-approved generative AI tools and plugins.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a specialist in bridging traditional design production with emerging AI technologies within a design systems framework. The emphasis is on leveraging AI for efficiency and scalability in asset generation and workflow automation, rather than traditional ad creation or resizing. The "Contract" nature suggests a project-based engagement focused on specific deliverables related to design system enhancement and AI workflow implementation.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design System Development & Expansion: Utilize Figma Agents and automated workflows to build, maintain, and systematically expand the company's comprehensive design system, ensuring its scalability and adherence to best practices.

• Component & Template Creation: Construct and meticulously organize flexible UI components and scalable design templates within Figma, empowering interactive design teams with reusable assets.

• AI-Driven Asset Generation & Iteration: Leverage advanced AI tools like Figma Weave and Figma Motion to generate, iterate, and animate visual assets efficiently for the centralized image library, maintaining high visual quality.

• Creative Collaboration & Execution: Partner closely with Art Directors and Interactive Designers to rapidly prototype visual concepts, translate creative direction into production-ready assets, and ensure technical precision.

• Workflow Optimization & Automation: Actively experiment with enterprise-approved generative AI tools and plugins to streamline the asset pipeline, eliminate repetitive design tasks, and enhance overall operational efficiency.

• Brand & Quality Assurance: Maintain strict visual consistency and adherence to established brand guidelines across all systematically generated deliverables, ensuring a cohesive brand experience.

• Technical Precision & Systemic Thinking: Apply a strong understanding of UX/UI principles, interaction patterns, accessibility standards, and responsive systems to ensure all created assets and components function seamlessly across complex digital products.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a focus on systemic design, AI integration, and operational efficiency within the design function. The role requires a blend of technical design skills, an understanding of design systems architecture, and hands-on experience with cutting-edge AI tools within Figma.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is listed, a strong foundation in design principles and digital asset creation is implied, often acquired through formal education or equivalent professional experience.

Experience: 4+ years of relevant experience in design systems, system architecture, or digital asset creation within an agency or in-house studio setting.

Required Skills:

• Figma Expertise: Deep knowledge of Figma libraries, variables, components, tokens, templates, and AI-powered workflows.

• AI Tool Integration: Proven experience using generative design tools, specifically Figma Weave, Figma Motion, and Figma Agents (or equivalent AI design assistants).

• Design System Development: Experience building or scaling enterprise design systems for large organizations with complex governance and multiple product teams.

• Systemic Thinking: A strong understanding of how to scale visual assets systematically and maintain consistency across a complex digital product ecosystem.

• Product Design Foundation: Understanding of UX/UI principles, interaction patterns, accessibility, responsive systems, and how systems function across digital products.

• Collaborative Mindset: Ability to take creative direction from Art Directors and execute with high technical precision in a fast-paced environment.

• Portfolio Proof: A portfolio showcasing visual asset generation, motion/interactive elements, and clean, organized Figma file structures.

Preferred Skills:

• Background in product design.

• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, including After Effects for motion graphics or Substance for 3D asset creation.

• Experience in Fintech or heavily regulated industries.

• Working knowledge of HTML/CSS and responsive web design principles.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirements emphasize advanced Figma proficiency, direct experience with specific AI design tools, and a proven track record in enterprise-level design systems. The "Nice to have" skills indicate a preference for candidates with broader design tool expertise and industry-specific knowledge.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Visual Asset Generation Examples: Showcase a range of systematically generated visual assets, demonstrating efficiency and adherence to brand guidelines.

• Motion & Interactive Elements: Include examples of animations or interactive prototypes created using tools like Figma Motion, illustrating dynamic content creation capabilities.

• Organized Figma File Structures: Present clean, well-organized Figma files that clearly demonstrate component libraries, template structures, and the systematic application of design tokens and variables.

• Design System Documentation Snippets: If possible, provide examples of how design systems are documented or how components are structured for scalability and developer handoff.

• AI Workflow Demonstrations: Highlight specific instances where AI tools were used to automate tasks, generate assets, or optimize workflows, explaining the process and impact.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design & Optimization: Demonstrate an understanding of how to design and optimize creative workflows, particularly those involving AI tools and design systems.

• System Implementation & Automation: Showcase experience in implementing design system components and leveraging automation for asset creation and design tasks.

• Measurement & Performance Analysis: While not explicitly stated for a contract role, candidates should be prepared to discuss how they would measure the efficiency gains or impact of their work, even if informally.

📝 Enhancement Note: A strong portfolio is critical for this role, with a specific emphasis on demonstrating proficiency with Figma's advanced features, AI tools, and the ability to create organized, scalable design systems. The portfolio should serve as tangible proof of the candidate's ability to execute the core responsibilities.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: The estimated base pay for this contract role is between $60 and $72 USD per hour. This range is an estimate based on industry benchmarks for contract positions with similar skill requirements in the San Francisco, CA area and the specified experience level.

Benefits: As a contract employee, benefits may vary. However, based on industry standards for contract roles at companies like SoFi, potential benefits could include:

• Access to a comprehensive benefits package (as mentioned in the job description, though specific details for contractors are not provided).

• Opportunities for contract extension or conversion to full-time, depending on performance and business needs.

• Exposure to cutting-edge AI design tools and enterprise-level design systems.

Working Hours: This role is expected to require approximately 40 hours per week, aligning with a standard full-time work schedule.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is estimated based on the provided AI-generated min/max values and the specified location. It's crucial for candidates to understand that contract roles may have different benefit structures compared to full-time employees. The "comprehensive benefits package" mention is typical for full-time roles, and contractor benefits should be clarified during the application process.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Financial Services (Fintech) & National Bank. SoFi operates in a rapidly evolving financial technology sector, characterized by innovation, a focus on member experience, and a drive to disrupt traditional financial services.

Company Size: SoFi is a large organization, indicated by its status as a national bank and its extensive member base. This implies a structured environment with established processes but also opportunities for significant impact.

Founded: While the founding date isn't explicitly stated, SoFi was founded in 2011, positioning it as a relatively modern player in the financial services industry, known for its digital-first approach.

Team Structure:

• Creative Studio Focus: The role sits within SoFi's Creative Studio, suggesting a dedicated team focused on producing high-quality creative assets and maintaining brand consistency.

• Collaboration with Art Directors & Interactive Designers: The role is designed to support and collaborate with senior creative roles, indicating a hierarchical but integrated creative function.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: While the primary collaboration is within the creative team, operations specialists often interact with product, marketing, and engineering teams to ensure seamless integration of design assets and systems.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Design: SoFi emphasizes using technology and data to improve member financial lives. This likely translates to a data-informed approach within the Creative Studio, where design decisions are evaluated for impact.

• Agile & Iterative Processes: The fast-paced nature of fintech and the emphasis on rapid prototyping suggest an agile or iterative approach to creative production and design system development.

• AI & Automation Integration: The specific nature of this role highlights a forward-thinking approach to adopting AI and automation to enhance efficiency and scale creative output.

Company Website: https://www.sofi.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: SoFi's culture is likely driven by innovation, member focus, and a commitment to leveraging technology. For an operations specialist, this means adapting to new tools and processes, particularly AI, and understanding how design impacts the member experience and business goals.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a Specialist level, focusing on a specific area of expertise (AI workflows and design systems) within the broader creative operations domain. It requires significant technical skill and experience but is focused on execution and system enhancement rather than strategic leadership.

Reporting Structure: The specialist will report to Art Directors and collaborate closely with Interactive Designers. This indicates a direct line of support within the Creative Studio, with guidance provided by senior creative leads.

Operations Impact: The impact of this role is centered on increasing the efficiency, scalability, and consistency of creative asset production. By automating workflows and expanding design systems, this specialist directly contributes to faster go-to-market times for marketing campaigns and product features, while maintaining brand integrity.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Specialization: Deepen expertise in AI-driven design tools and advanced Figma functionalities, becoming a go-to resource for these technologies.

• Design System Evolution: Contribute to the growth and refinement of SoFi's enterprise design system, gaining experience in managing complex design assets for a large organization.

• Cross-functional Exposure: Potential to gain exposure to how design operations integrate with product development, marketing strategy, and engineering workflows.

• Future Contract Extensions/Full-Time: Successful performance in this contract role could lead to opportunities for extended engagement or conversion to a full-time position, depending on business needs and candidate performance.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a contract role, growth is often measured by skill acquisition and project impact. This position offers a strong opportunity to build a portfolio with cutting-edge AI design tools and gain experience within a large, innovative fintech company.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is based at SoFi's San Francisco HQ and is designated as "On-site," indicating a traditional office-based work environment.

Office Location(s): San Francisco, CA HQ. This location offers access to a vibrant tech and design community.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The role is embedded within the Creative Studio, necessitating close collaboration with Art Directors and Interactive Designers, fostering a team-oriented workspace.

• Technology & Tools: Candidates will have access to enterprise-grade software, including advanced Figma licenses and potentially other AI tools approved by SoFi.

• Team Interaction: Daily interaction with creative professionals will provide opportunities for knowledge sharing, feedback, and alignment on creative and operational objectives.

Work Schedule: The role is expected to be a standard 40-hour work week. While the job description doesn't explicitly mention flexibility, on-site contract roles typically adhere to established office hours, though specific project deadlines might require focused effort.

📝 Enhancement Note: Being on-site at the San Francisco HQ suggests an environment where in-person collaboration and access to company resources are prioritized. This setup is typical for roles requiring tight integration with existing creative teams and infrastructure.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Review of resume and portfolio to assess core qualifications, Figma expertise, and AI tool experience.

• Technical Interview/Portfolio Review: A deep dive into the candidate's portfolio, focusing on specific examples of design system work, AI tool usage, organized Figma files, and asset generation. This may involve a presentation of key projects.

• Creative Collaboration Exercise: Potentially a short, timed exercise or discussion simulating collaboration with an Art Director or Interactive Designer to assess problem-solving, technical execution, and ability to translate creative direction.

• Hiring Manager/Team Interview: Discussion on experience, work style, understanding of design systems, and cultural fit within the Creative Studio.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Highlight AI Integration: Clearly showcase specific projects where AI tools (Figma Weave, Agents, Motion) were used, detailing the problem, your solution, and the outcome (e.g., time saved, assets generated).

• Demonstrate Figma Mastery: Organize your Figma files meticulously. Showcase your use of components, variables, auto layout, and design tokens. Provide clear examples of scalable templates.

• Showcase Systemic Thinking: Present examples of how you've built or contributed to design systems, illustrating scalability, reusability, and adherence to brand guidelines.

• Focus on Efficiency & Precision: Emphasize your ability to deliver high-quality assets quickly and accurately, a key requirement for this role. Quantify impact where possible (e.g., "reduced asset creation time by X%").

• Tailor to SoFi: Research SoFi's brand and current marketing efforts. If possible, subtly align your portfolio presentation with their aesthetic and communication style.

Challenge Preparation:

• Figma AI Tool Proficiency: Be ready to discuss your experience with Figma's AI features in detail and articulate how you would apply them to specific SoFi creative challenges.

• Design System Scalability: Prepare to discuss strategies for scaling design systems, managing component libraries, and ensuring consistency across a large organization.

• Workflow Optimization Scenarios: Think about common design workflow bottlenecks and how AI and systematic approaches can address them. Be ready to propose solutions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The application process will heavily rely on a strong portfolio that directly demonstrates the specialized skills required for this AI and design systems role. Candidates should be prepared for technical assessments focused on Figma and AI tool application.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Deep expertise is essential, including extensive knowledge of libraries, variables, components, auto layout, design tokens, and templates.

• Figma AI Features: Specific proficiency in Figma Weave, Figma Motion, and Figma Agents is a core requirement.

• Generative AI Tools: Familiarity with other enterprise-approved generative AI tools and plugins that can streamline asset pipelines.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not a primary focus, understanding how design assets and systems contribute to marketing channel performance or user engagement metrics would be beneficial. Familiarity with basic analytics concepts is often helpful. CRM & Automation:

• Not directly mentioned, but a general understanding of how design assets integrate into marketing automation platforms or content management systems could be a plus.

📝 Enhancement Note: Figma and its AI-powered features are the central technological requirements for this role. Candidates should be ready to showcase their advanced capabilities within this platform.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Innovation & Forward-Thinking: SoFi values embracing new technologies and approaches, making AI integration a key aspect of this role.

• Member Focus: All work ultimately aims to improve the member experience and financial well-being. Designs and assets should reflect this principle.

• Efficiency & Scalability: The emphasis on automation and design systems points to a culture that prioritizes efficient processes and scalable solutions.

• Technical Precision & Quality: Maintaining high standards of quality and technical accuracy in all deliverables is paramount, especially in a regulated industry.

• Collaboration & Teamwork: Working effectively within the Creative Studio, supporting Art Directors and Designers, is crucial for success.

Collaboration Style:

• Supportive & Integrated: The role is designed to support senior creative roles, implying a collaborative style focused on executing creative direction with technical expertise.

• Proactive & Experimental: Encouragement to experiment with new AI tools suggests a culture that values proactive problem-solving and innovation in workflows.

• Feedback-Driven: As with most creative teams, a willingness to give and receive constructive feedback is likely a key aspect of the collaboration style.

📝 Enhancement Note: The culture at SoFi, particularly within its Creative Studio, likely values innovation, efficiency, and a strong collaborative spirit. Candidates should be prepared to demonstrate how they embody these values through their work and approach.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Rapidly Evolving AI Landscape: Staying current with the fast-paced advancements in generative AI and design tools, and identifying which tools are most effective and enterprise-approved.

• Balancing Automation with Quality: Ensuring that AI-generated assets maintain brand integrity and high visual quality, avoiding a generic or unpolished output.

• System Governance in a Large Org: Navigating the complexities of an enterprise design system, ensuring components and assets are implemented consistently across various products and marketing channels within a large organization like SoFi.

• Integration of New Workflows: Successfully integrating new AI-powered workflows into existing creative production pipelines and gaining buy-in from team members.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Cutting-Edge AI Tool Mastery: Gaining hands-on experience with advanced AI features within Figma and potentially other generative AI platforms, becoming a specialist in this emerging field.

• Enterprise Design System Experience: Contributing to and learning from the development and maintenance of a large-scale design system, a highly valuable skill in the industry.

• Fintech Industry Insights: Exposure to the unique design and operational challenges of working within the financial technology sector.

• Advanced Figma Techniques: Deepening expertise in Figma's more complex functionalities, such as variables, component variants, and advanced prototyping.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role presents an opportunity to be at the forefront of AI adoption in design operations, tackling challenges related to implementation and quality control while growing expertise in a rapidly developing area.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you used AI tools to significantly improve a design workflow or asset generation process. What were the challenges and outcomes?" (Focus on demonstrating practical application and results).

• "How would you approach building or expanding a design system component library in Figma, focusing on scalability and reusability for thousands of components?" (Assess understanding of system architecture and Figma best practices).

• "Given a creative brief from an Art Director, how would you leverage Figma's AI features to rapidly prototype and generate visual assets while ensuring brand consistency?" (Evaluate creative problem-solving and AI tool application). Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about SoFi and our approach to financial technology?" (Show research into the company's mission, values, and market position).

• "How do you stay updated on the latest trends in AI design tools and design systems?" (Demonstrate a commitment to continuous learning).

• "Describe your experience working in a fast-paced, collaborative creative environment. How do you handle feedback and tight deadlines?" (Assess work style and cultural fit). Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure for Impact: Organize your portfolio to clearly showcase your AI workflow and design system expertise. Use clear headings and concise descriptions for each project.

• Quantify Achievements: Whenever possible, use metrics to demonstrate the impact of your work (e.g., "Reduced asset creation time by 30%," "Increased component reusability by 50%").

• Walk Through Figma Files: Be prepared to screen-share and walk through your Figma files, explaining your organizational structure, component logic, and how you utilized AI features.

• Tell a Story: For each project, explain the problem you were solving, your approach (especially the AI and design system aspects), and the successful outcome.

• Address the "Why": Clearly articulate why you chose specific tools or methods, especially regarding AI and design system implementation.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating practical experience with Figma's AI features, a deep understanding of design systems, and the ability to collaborate effectively within a creative team. Your portfolio is your primary tool for showcasing these capabilities.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations position:

• Submit your application through the SoFi careers portal via the provided URL.

• Portfolio Customization: Curate your portfolio to prominently feature your experience with Figma, AI design tools (Figma Weave, Agents, Motion), and design system development. Showcase organized Figma files and examples of scaled asset generation.

• Resume Optimization: Tailor your resume to highlight keywords relevant to AI workflows, design systems, Figma expertise, and digital asset creation. Quantify achievements wherever possible, focusing on efficiency gains and technical precision.

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your experience with AI design tools and design systems. Prepare to discuss specific case studies from your portfolio and how you would approach challenges at SoFi.

• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with SoFi's brand, products, and mission. Understand their approach to technology and innovation, particularly how design contributes to their member-centric goals.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.

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